good times with meggie poo

with the summer upon us, i wanted to re-post my fruit dip recipe.

2 block of cream cheese

1 bag of SKOR or HEATH candy bits

2 t of vanilla

1 cup of powdered sugar

1.5 cup of brown sugar

mostly so i could post this photo of my niece eating her 2nd hamburger of the night AND licking the paddle of the mixer covered in fruit dip.

i dont think she is embarrassed at all.

 

question of the week...

my little garden has things that are growing back from last year!

yea-less work for me!

here is my problem...

i know this is a strawberry plant.

but i cant tell if these are garlic or onions.

(because last year i planted both and have NO IDEA which are which)

and the same for these.

oh-and here is my 'helper' nate.

(yes-all the plants are fine even after he helped.)

so if you have any idea what i'm growing, please let me know!

a service family tradition

one of the few things that chris brought to the marriage is peanut brittle.

i have some friends that will love him for that, some that hate him.

the tradition all started with grandma service, who in her kitchen in south salt lake (that was the size of our bathroom) made peanut brittle and butter mints with her sisters at christmas time.

(the photo of grandmas kitchen makes it look bigger than it is! and yes, that was the only window in the kitchen!)

our first christmas together, chris insisted on making peanut brittle at his mom's to hand out for neighbor gifts.

whatever, i was still in the 'kiss up to the in-laws' stage.

(well over that stage now)

it is actually a ton of fun/work. but oh so worth it.

3 cups sugar

1 1/3 cups dark karo syrup

1 1/3 cups water

cook until softball

then add

4 cups raw spanish peanuts

1/4 cup margarine

stir constantly until it reaches 275

remove from heat and then add

1t baking soda mixed with 1/2 t salt and 2 t water

stir stir stir (this is is where the magic happens! at least, that is what we call it)

pour on margarine coated countertop

use wooden spoon to spread it thin

now, here are some tips that we have learned over the years to help with the brittle making process.

wear an apron and comfy shoes. there is alot of standing and stirring.

(chris's sister mindy)

don't stop for a pizza break. you will never get going again.

always have 2 batches going (if you have counter space). when one is cool enough to pack the other is getting poured. it helps the 14 batches you do go alot faster.

pour the super hot mixture is an 'S' or 'U' pattern while still stirring the hot candy.

it is useful to have some men around for the pouring, but we women folk did just fine this year.

(this is my mother in law linda pouring. she didn't want her face shown.)

use a wooden spoon to pull the brittle thin. this is the key!

let the peanut brittle cool before packing into metal or plastic containers. and don't let moisture get to it!

another helpful hint-don't let holly or summer know that you have peanut brittle in the car. you car will be broken into.

italian christmas facts and recipe!

want to learn how to say 'merry christmas' in italian?

buon natale!

(means happy christmas)

and how to say santa clause?

babbo natalie

(this is my uncle earl and my great grandmother angelina on christmas eve in her home. i wonder what she is thinking.)

and did you know that christmas started in italy?

(ever notice that the flag is the same colors as christmas?)

(yes-you are all welcome.)

want to know the best thing about being an italian on christmas eve?

no, it isn't the 7 fish dishes on christmas eve for good luck.

or your drunk uncle double parking in front of the house and blocking traffic.
no, it wasn't the 3 times your great grandpop came downstairs to yell at you for being too close to his wine barrels.
(for the record, we weren't even near them!)

or staying up all night on christmas eve, only to go to midnight mass when all YOU want to do is sleep and have santa visit!

the joy of being italian is eating.

seriously, could anything be better than that?

one of my favorite cookies are pizzelles. they look like waffles, but flatter, smaller and sweeter.

and italian.

some history on pizzelles...

they were made in the abruzzo region of south-central italy, which is where my great grandma came from. over time it became tradition to use pizzelles to celebrate any/all holiday or festive occasion, but they are especially common in italian homes at christmas and easter.

the name "pizzelle" comes from the italian word for "round" and "flat" (pizze); this is also the meaning of the word pizza.

(yes-you are welcome for pizza too!)

my friend, sandi, who I SWEAR is related to me gave her her recipe for a cookie party and i wanted to share with you.

(this is sandi while she was touring italy this year.)

3 eggs, beaten

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup melted butter

1 1/2 cups flour

1 t baking powder

2 t vanilla

1t anise

add ingredients in order listed mixing well after each. spoon batter into middle of each section of pizzelle iron.

and the finished product looks like this!

(this tin used to be my nana's, so even though it is beat up, i love it!)

megan's rosemary pasta

i have friend megan who loves cooking.

and her family actually eats what she cooks.

and LIKES IT!

her foody blog, vittles divine, is full of yummy foods.

like what we had for dinner monday night, rosemary chicken

not only did i steal megans recipe, but i stole her photo too!

here are megans directions for the best rosemary chicken EVER!

(nate told me i should use that spice more often! (i guess he means rosemary))

3 breasts of boneless, skinless chicken
2/3 cup flour
4 tsp olive oil (divided)
4 tsp butter (divided)
1/4 cup diced onions
4 minced garlic cloves
2 cups water
1 cup unsweetened white grape juice
4 cubes chicken boullion
1 tsp ground or regular rosemary leaves
1/2 tsp salt
dash pepper
12 ounces angel hair pasta (not 16 oz!!)
fresh chives (optional; I have never used them)

Directions

Cut thawed chicken breasts into bite-size pieces and put into bowl. Pour flour into bowl and stir until chicken is well coated with flour. In a wide, deep skillet, combine 3 tsp olive oil and 3 tsp butter and heat over med-high until bubbly hot. Add chicken and cook, turning until lightly browned and cooked through (approximately 5-10 minutes). Remove chicken and set aside.

To skillet, add 1 tsp butter and 1 tsp oil. Add onions and garlic cloves, saute until softened (about 2-4 minutes)

Add water, white grape juice, bouillon, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Simmer covered approximately 5 minutes. Return chicken to skillet and simmer covered approximately 8-10 minutes. Sauce will thicken slightly and chicken will be heated through.

Before chicken is added to the pot, get started on the pasta. Cook angel hair pasta and drain as suggested on package, but do not rinse (tip I learned from America's Test Kitchen). One idea for this recipe is to break pasta into 2-4 inch pieces before boiling.

When pasta is ready, slowly add pasta to the skillet with the sauce and chicken. Optional: cover and simmer for 1-2 minutes, serve warm. (I say "optional" because I sometimes forget to keep simmering it and it's ok. Last night I just dumped the sauce and noodles together into a serving bowl.) It will look very soupy, high-liquid when you first add the pasta to the sauce if you have done the previous steps right -- covered-- but after it sits for a few minutes, most of the liquid will absorb into the noodles. Don't be alarmed! Trust me, you want it this way! It all works out in just a few minutes!

i love pasta fagioli soup. it is espically with the fall weather, a nice warm soup hits the spot. and with some crusty bread on the side, HEAVEN ON EARTH I'M TELLING YOU!

my mother's family's last name is 'martin' (we think it was originally martini but they changed it to not sound so italian! wtfreak!?). and this is a martin family recipe.

(image is of nana, some of her sisters and friends at the jersey shore. notice, no fist bumping.)

except it is from this martin family...

oh well...he must be family, right?

i got this from a book that dean martin's daughter, deana, wrote a few years ago. i have made it and it is yummy!

Martin family* Pasta Fagioli

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

2, 15 oz cans cannelloni beans

6 c water

Dash of salt and pepper

¼ t ground cinnamon

8 oz tubetini pasta

¼ c grated parmesan cheese

Heat oil in large pan and saute’ the onion for 1 minute. Add beans and water. Season with salt and pepper. Add cinnamon, cover and bring to a boil. Boil for 15 mins then reduce heat and simmer for 1.5 hours. Check now and ten and add boiling water as necessary. Add the pasta and contine simmering until pasta is done. Remove from heat and service with grated cheese.

*this is actually the Dean Martin family’s receipe for Pasta Fagioli, not that Pat and Mickey Martin family

a halloween favorite!

for the past several years, we have gotten the papa murphy's jack o latern pizza on halloween night.

my kids adore pizza and would eat it 3 times a day if i would let them.

of course, by the time we get to it, we take off the olives (YUCK) and add more pepperoni.

so im not sure why we make such a big deal out of it...

crazy sean and her monkey balls

my jazzercise instructor, crazy sean*, makes THE WORLDS BEST monkey balls cake thingy.

honestly, i have tried many and this is our favorite.

20 frozen rolls

1 package of butterscotch non-instant pudding

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup butter (NO MARGARINE)

2 t cinnamon

spray bundt pan with non-stick spray. cut each frozen roll into quarters and rolling in pudding. place in bundt pan. melt butter in pan and mix in brown sugar and wait until it is dissolved and bubbly. pour over rolls and plastic wrap over bundt pan. let rise until doubled.

bake at 350 for 30 minutes covered in foil. take foil off and bake 5 more minutes.

yup-the kids got to it before i had time to take a photo!

*she is called 'crazy sean' by my kids. when they would go to jazzercise and be in the daycare, they could hear sean saying funny things (like 'arm up' and 'let me see you sweat'. you know, crazy people talk.). she was also wearing a microphone, so it was nice and loud.
so why wouldn't you naturally call her crazy sean.

pumpkin crisp

when i said that i loved this pumpkin cake, i wasn't joking.

but then when i was looking in my recipe book, i found the pumpkin crisp.

i only made this 2 times last year, and it was a new recipe so i forgot how yummy it was.

until now!

1, 15oz can of pumpkin mush

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup sugar

1t vanilla extract

1/2t ground cinnamon

1 package of butter flavored yellow cake mix

1 cup chopped pecans

1 cup melted butter

stir together the first 5 ingredients. pour into 9x13 greased pan. sprinkle cake mix over the top evenly. then sprinkle pecans. drizzle butter over the whole thing.

bake at 350 for 1 hour. remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

serve warm or at room temperature with cool whip or ice cream

im a happy hippy homemaker!

my friend summer always find great deals on food.

one time she called to see if i needed any bananas because she got a butt-load for 20 cents a pound!

another days she asks if i want any tomatoes. her deal?  how does $1.00 for a case sound?

so when she came across some free peaches i jumped!

growing up, my family canned tomatoes for gravy. we also made jelly, and wine from grapes. a lot of wine. but-hey-that is was italians do! especially immigrant ones!

so how do i can peaches? that just wasn't something i was familiar with. so i used my best friend google and found out that you can freeze peaches!

i'm certain most of you knew that, but i learn something new each day!

i used the directions found on this website but here are some photos from my day of being the happy hippy homemaker!

millions of peaches, peaches for me

millions of peaches, peaches for free

a nice cold ice bath!

yes, someone needs to clean out her freezer!

pigtails and gravy

i got this from one of the local mid-morning lifestyle shows, studio 5, years and years ago. my family seems to like it, even though my oldest turned his nose up to it at first thinking it was a real pigs tail.

pigtails and gravy (country gravy-not the usual red gravy!)


1 pound ground pork or sausage. you can mix some ground beef in there if you want, but dont use all ground beef, there wont be enough flavor.
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 can (8 oz.)refrigerated crescent rolls
1 pkg (2.64 oz) country gravy mix (mix makes 2 cups)
2 1/2 cups milk

preheat oven to 375 degrees.
mix together ground pork, chopped onion, egg, salt and pepper. mix well.
roll refrigerated crescent rolls out on wax paper or parchment paper which has been dusted with flour. press together seams and roll out to 9x14 inch rectangle. spread meat mixture on roll dough leaving approximately 1/2 along one long side. using wax paper or parchment paper to assist; roll dough and meat up jelly-roll fashion. cut into 12 equal slices. place slices on lightly oiled baking sheet or on parchment paper and flatten slightly.
bake 25-30 minutes or until cooked through and golden brown.
while biscuits are baking, combine milk with gravy mix; stirring constantly, cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil. reduce heat and simmer 1 minute. package gravy mixes usually thicken as they stand. thin to desire consistency with additional milk.
serve gravy over hot biscuits.

i love tomatoes

when i was growing up, we had a small beach house on the jersey shore. it was on brigantine island, which really was more of a sand bar than an island. there wasn't yards with beautiful green grass, only sand with crabgrass. greenhead mosquitoes was the island's official animal.

but i loved being there. (this photo is of me trying to play in the sand/yard.)

and so did my great grand parents. my great grandfather antonio grew the garden of his dream in the back yard, and i feel bad for anyone who got close! he felt that was sacred ground, and he was the only one allowed to touch the dirt that was trucked in from who knows where. (you knew he was angry when he yelled in italian!) he grew eggplants, peppers, onions and tomatoes. we would have to ask him to use some of the food, but he would always agree.

here is a photo of my great grandfather in 1977. i love seeing all the family in the background! (chris likes me to name the people because he likes to make fun of our last names!) i thought i had a photo of him in his garden in brigantine, but i don't.

all this to introduce a tomato dish that i love! and since tomatoes are going crazy right now, i had to share!

1 1/2 lbs chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

3 T olive oil

1/2 t lemon peel

1 18oz bag cheese ravioli

1/4 c grated parm cheese-the real stuff!

in large bowl combine tomatoes, basil, oil, lemon peel, dash of salt and pepper. let stand about 15.

make your raviolis as instructed on the package.

add hot pasta to tomato mixture and toss. sprinkle with cheese.

if i could find a can of pumpkins...

i would make this cake.

and maybe not even share.

Pumpkin Spice Cake With Orange Cream Cheese Frosting

1 yellow cake mix

1 t cinnamon

½ t nutmeg

½ ginger

1/8 t cloves

1/8 t cardamom

¼ t baking soda

1 cup skim milk

4 egg whites

1 ¼ cups pumpkin

1 t vanilla

Lightly coat a bunt cake pan with cooking spray. Preheat oven to 350. Whisk dry cake mix with spices and baking soda in a large mixing bowl. In a smaller bowl whisk milk together with egg whites, pumpkin and vanilla until combined. Pour liquid ingredients into mixing bowl and mix all the ingredients together until well combined. Pour batter into pan and smooth out the top. Bake for 30-35 mins. Remove cake from the oven and cool in pan for 15 mins inverted on a rack. Remove the cake from the pan and finish cooling. After cake is completely cool, drizzle /pour frosting over the cake.

Orange And Cream Cheese Frosting

1, 16 oz package of powdered sugar (4 cups)

4 oz 50% less fat cream cheese

2 T fat free sour cream

2 T orange juice

½ t vanilla

1 t orange extract

orange food coloring

Whisk all the ingredients together until well blended. Add 1 or 2 T more o.j. if you are planning to drizzle frosting.

id have a photo here but since i cant actually make this, you will have to wait...

U-T-A-H! fight fight fight!

i married a football crazy man.

don't believe me? in this photo, there is chris and one of his good friends c.o. samuelson holding a hatchet.

yes, i don't see my dear chris most saturdays in the fall.

unless it is an away game!

i love away games. not just because i can see my dear husband, but because then we will be headed somewhere for a football party.

and when there is a party, there is FOOD!

here is one of my favorite things that chris brought into this marriage. don't let the canned clams freak you out. i wouldn't touch it for years because of the canned clams and now i wish i could have that time back.

clam dip

2 packages of cream cheese (yes, you can get the low fat...wussies)

2, 7 oz cans of minced clams. 1 drained, 1 not.

1/2 t worchestershire sauce

2t lemon juice

put the cream cheeses in a kitchen aid mixer with the paddle attachment and just let it go to town until nice and smooth. add everything else and just let mix for a few minutes until it is pretty combined. (you will notice a 'smell'. DON'T LET THIS TURN YOU OFF FROM TRYING IT!)

let the dip sit covered in the fridge for an hour or 2.

eat with potato chips, preferable ruffled because they hold the dip better.

look who is liking rice pudding!

you all know about my love affair with aunt pegs.

now that i have given amber the secret to yummy rice pudding, we are together forever!

click here!

 ps-look at this new charm.

i know! you can get it here!

 

ready for fall

arent we all?

i love the changing of the seasons that utah has,

but towards the end of the season, im ready to move on!

im looking forward to wearing sweaters and my sweet 'you lost 25 lbs you deserve these boots' boots.

i love the smell of leaves falling to the ground and my kids playing in them.

and going 'pumpkin hunting' with the kids.

we take out 'hunting' seriously here.

but mostly im all about the food. really, any decent reason to eat is a good enough one for me!

growing up, my nana made the BEST rice pudding. im not a pudding eater usually, but this i make an exception for. infact, unless it is 'nana's rice pudding', i wont touch it.

1 cup of rice (uncooked, generic...NO MINUTE RICE!!)

½ gallon milk

¼ LB margarine

¼ cup of sugar

1 cup water

bring to a boil and boil for 30 minutes.

STIR CONSTANTLY!

(yes-30 minutes of stirring! it can be your arm workout for the week!)

3 eggs, beaten

1 TBS vanilla

¾ cup of sugar

mix well and add after the 30 minutes is up.

stir well.

pour into 9 x 13 pan. sprinkle with cinnamon.

 

oh pickles!

recently i tried making pickles.
not something i ever did in my childhood (we made wine like good italians), but something that sounded fun.
and let me say-so freaking easy too!
(i got this receipe from real simple, august 2010)

dill pickles

4 kirby cucumbers, quartered lengthwise
3/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 small, sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves of garlic
3/4 cup hot water
2 T sugar
1 t dill seed
1 t black peppercorns
1 bay leaf
kosher salt
place the cucumbers in a 1 quart jar (i used mason jars) with a tight lid.
in a bowl, combine everything BUT the cucumbers in a bowl and stir until sugar dissolves.
pour the mixture into the jar with the cucumbers already inside. leave in the fridge for at least 1 day before eating. they will only last 1 week, so eat 'em FAST!

bacon bacon bacon bacon bacon

im all about bacon.
wrap a rock in bacon, and id eat the rock.
in the summer, when tomatoes are perfect, chris and i always make blt's-with a fried egg. sounds a little weird but we saw it on the movie spanglish years ago, tried it and fell in love. best thing ever.
but since that is a pretty easy thing to put together, and really doesnt need directions, im posting another blt post-blt salad.
i got this out of a newspaper forever ago and i love bringing it to picnics.

BLT Salad

2 lbs thick sliced bacon
8 oz reduced fat sour cream (don’t use fat free!)
¾ cup reduced fat mayo (don’t use fat free on this either!)
¼ cup fat free bottled Italian dressing
5 cups romaine lettuce (2 heads or 1 ½ bags of pre-washed lettuce)
4 large ripe tomatoes (about 2 ½ lbs)
melba toast-optional garnish
In a skillet, fry the bacon. Drain and let cool on paper towels. Crumble or coarsely chop the bacon and set aside. Mix together the sour cream, mayo and Italian dressing in small bowl. Set aside. Place lettuce in the bottom of a clear bowl that has at least a 10-cup capacity. (A 9x13 clear baking dish will work too.) Core tomatoes and coarsely chop them. Place tomatoes on top of the lettuce. Sprinkle the bacon over the tomatoes. Spoon the dressing over the entire dish. Spread dressing out with the back of the spoon to cover most of the salad. Just before serving, garnish with melba toast over the top.

Serves 12.

perfect 'load up before a race' dinner!

my hubby chris enjoys being on his bike. roadbike. mountainbike. whatever.

they are all expensive.
here is him last year at the end of his ride at lotoja. he didnt make it to the end, he was 20 miles short. but really, riding a bike from logan utah to jackson hole wy (lots of up hills) and only making it 180 miles isnt bad! and it was his first try! i was proud of him!
(and, yes, he is doing it again this year)
personally, i think he is nuts.
oh, yea, what i was talking about...
i made this for dinner last week and chris said that not only was it tasty (duh-i made it) but it really gave him some energy the next day on his 60 mile ride to work. it is loaded with carbs, protein and fats.
i bet lance would have won the tour this year if he would have eaten this.
and not crashed so much.
oh-again...the food. here is the recipe before i start talking about the fact that this year I am getting a 'team' shirt for chris's lotoja event!
(i will post photos when i get it!)
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup ricotta cheese (NO YOU CANNOT USE COTTAGE CHEESE! -that was for utahans who seem to think they are interchangeable. they are not.)
1/4 cup parmesean cheese
3 cups pasta
2 cups of gravy
(heat oven to 400)
mix eggs, milk, cheeses a sprinkle of salt and pepper. stir in COOKED pasta and a little chopped basil.
cover a 10" skillet in a little olive oil and pour pasta mess in. cook over medium heat for 2 minutes (until the sides start to set up). put in oven for 10-12 minutes.
when done, let sit for 5 minutes before serving. pour a little gravy over (if you want-but you WILL want!) the pasta/egg dish.
ps-i would give credit to where i found this but i have no idea. it was some magazine, but i have seen it in cook books too. and the one that i have is on an index card.