Scuderi Fast Fake-Baked Ziti

      If your family is anything like mine, you will always appreciate a good pasta recipe. It appeals to adults and kids alike. This one is a gem. I think my hubby saw it on Rachael Ray and wanted me to give it a try. Are we glad we did! It is so fresh and springy, which is unusual for a baked pasta dish.  There is something magical about the combination of fresh basil, tomatoes, and fresh mozarella. 

Scuderi Fast Fake-Baked Ziti

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 cloves finely chopped garlic

28 oz. can whole tomatoes

14 oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

Coarse salt

Handful of fresh basil leaves, rinsed, patted dry, and torn

1 lb. box of ziti rigate or penne pasta

2 Tbsp butter

2 Tbsp flour

Freshly ground black pepper

Generous grating of nutmeg

2 cups whole milk

1/2 C. Asiago cheese, grated

1/2 C. Parmesano-Reggiano cheese, grated

1 C. sliced fresh mozarella

Note: I never spend the money for all of the cheeses, I buy the grated parmesan blend and the fresh mozarella, and it is wonderful.

Directions:

Boil pasta water.

Chop whole tomatoes. Heat oil in medium saucepan, add garlic and saute for about 1 minute, watch it carefully, or it will burn. Add chopped tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, and salt to pan. Simmer for 10 minutes. Add basil and simmer 10 minutes more.

Cook pasta according to directions, until Al Dente.

Bechamel Sauce:

While pasta is cooking, melt butter in medium saucepan. Whisk in flour and stir to cook for one minute, adding salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Whisk in milk. Cook until bubbly and reduce for about 5 minutes until thick.

Drain pasta. Put in 9 x 13 casserole dish. Pour tomato sauce over pasta and turn to coat. Pour bechamel over already coated pasta. Top with Grated cheeses, then sliced mozarella. Place under hot broiler until cheese is browning and bubbly, 3-5 minutes. 

Adapted from: Rachael Ray

Oreo Puddin' Poke Cake

Ingredients:

1 box chocolate cake mix
Ingredients needed to make cake (usually eggs, oil and water)
2 (4 oz.) packages of Instant Oreo pudding
4 cups milk (2 % or higher)
crushed Oreo cookies

Directions:

1.  Make cake mix according to directions and bake in a well-greased 9x13 pan.
2.  Just before cake is done, start making pudding.  In a medium bowl, begin to add milk to pudding mix and continue to whisk until most of the lumps are removed.  Let pudding mixture sit for about 2 minutes.  You want it to thicken slightly so it isn't runny but not fully thickened into pudding.

3.  When cake is finished, while still warm, poke holes all over cake (about 1 inch) intervals using a wooden spoon handle or a straw.  Pour pudding mixture over warm cake.  Spread it out with a spoon, gently pushing the pudding down into the holes.

4.  Put cake in the refrigerator and allow it to cool completely, about an hour.  Once it is set, top with crushed Oreo cookies.  The cake needs to be refrigerated.

Source:  www.thecountrycook.net

Homemade Playdough

I love this recipe! It makes the BEST playdough! And it's is safe for little ones, has a nice texture to play with, and it comes out of clothes and carpet with just a moist rag. Such a fun, cheap easy activity for kids! 

Homemade Playdough

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 cup water
1/2 cup salt
1 TBSP oil
food coloring (I have used liquid drops and gel. Either one works great!)

Directions:
1. Mix flour, cream of tartar and salt together in a saucepot (no heat yet!). Add water, oil and food coloring. 

2. Stir mixture together. Make sure you have the right amount of food coloring so that it is the color you want. This is the only chance you have to add more coloring!

3. Turn heat on high and stir constantly until it forms a ball. This happens really fast! 

4. As soon as it has formed a ball and most of the wetness is gone, dump playdough onto a counter or cutting board. Let cool for a few minutes, and knead to until smooth. If you overcook it, the dough will be a little dry. I like to take it off the heat with a little wetness still showing in the dough, and then knead it until smooth. (See picture and explanation below.)

5. Store in a plastic bag. Have fun! (I put it in a plastic bag while still warm, so it keeps the moisture and does not dry out.)

Note: I always make a double batch, or a few batches with different colors. One batch will not be quite enough to share happily with 2 or 3 children. More is better!

Source: Adapted from Cookin' With Home Storage by Vicki Tate

This is what it looks like as it starts forming a ball. See how it is still wet? At this stage, I would flip the dough over and let the wet part touch the hot pan and then take it out with just a few wet spots on the dough. Once you make your first batch, you'll understand how fast it forms a ball, and when to take it out of the pan! 

Marshmallow Buttercream Icing

I recently had a birthday and my sweet mom made me an out-of-this-world cake. (Thanks, Mom!)

Looks pretty tasty, right? Thank goodness I married a New Englander who introduced me to the lovely Whoopie Pie years ago (which did you know were originally called hucklebucks?!). This icing when paired with a dark chocolate cake is pretty much an inverted whoopie pie. Whoopie!

Marshmallow Buttercream Icing
1 C. Butter, at room temperature
7 oz. Marshmallow fluff (my preferred brand... Fluff)
2 C. Powdered Sugar
1-2 tsp. Vanilla, according to taste

1. In a mixer (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until fluffy.
2. Add the marshmallow fluff and beat until fluffy, aprox. 2 minutes.
3. Add powdered sugar, beat for 2 minutes then add vanilla, beat for 1 minute.

This should make enough to frost a two layer 9-inch circle cake.

Halibut Burgers

 So, part of my life was spent in Alaska and my parents still live there. One of the perks to having them there is having an abundance of wild caught halibut, salmon, rock fish, etc. So delicious! Here is one of our favorite and simple recipes for halibut.

Halibut Burgers (or HALIBURGERS)

Ingredients

1-2 lbs. halibut

Salt and Pepper

Montreal Steak Seasoning

Olive oil 

Butter 

Sesame buns (or buns of your choice)

Mayonnaise

Tomato

Lettuce 

Avocado 

1. Cut your halibut into pieces (butterfly them if necessary) Season with salt, pepper and a bit of Montreal steak seasoning 

2. In a frying pan, add a little bit of olive oil and a little bit of butter (about 1 Tbsp each) Cook the fish on both sides, til cooked through.

3. Toast your hamburger buns. You can pop them under the broiler (or if you have an obnoxious broiler that has to heat up for 20 minutes like mine, you can cheat and toast them over your gas burner.)

 4. Then build your burger. Mayo, lettuce, tomato, avocado and halibut. Enjoy!

Cheeseburger Macaroni

I love recipes that I have all the ingredients to at all times, and this is one of those. This is definitely one of our family's favorite meals. There is never any leftovers! It is an as "easy as it gets" recipe and so delicious!

2 lbs. lean ground beef
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 -14.5 oz. can of petite diced tomatoes
3 cups beef broth
1 -3/4 cup water
1 box of elbow macaroni

Cheese Sauce:
4 TBSP. butter
4 TBSP. a.p. flour
1 -1/2 cups of milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper


Brown the ground beef and then drain off the grease. Stir in taco seasoning, tomatoes, beef broth, water, macaroni and stir well. Cooking on medium high heat. Continue to stir until it starts to bubble.  Then reduce the heat to simmer and cover the dish, cooking for about 12 minutes or until the macaroni noodles are done to your liking. 

Just as soon as you cover the macaroni, start your cheese sauce. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat and then just before its completely melted add in your flour. Stir for about 2-3 minutes and then add the milk. Bring this to a boil, continuing to whisk the whole time. Remove from the heat and add the cheese and stir until melted. Salt and pepper.

When the macaroni mixture is ready, pour in the cheese sauce and stir well to incorporate it.


adapted from Kevinandamanda.com 

Blueberry Cobbler

I love summertime--not for the heat and humidity, but for the produce!  And summer is when we have all sorts of blueberry treats.  This recipe for Blueberry Cobbler is one I have used for several years.  I saw it first on Mennonite Girls Can Cook, a favorite recipe blog of mine.  Their blog inspired me to start Mormon Mavens, so I have a special affinity for that particular site.

Ingredients:
5 cups fresh or frozen blueberries
2/3 cup sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 cup flour
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
3 Tbsp. cold butter
1/2 cup buttermilk

1.  Combine berries, 2/3 cup sugar, and cornstarch in a large microwave safe bowl.  Gently turn the berries around in the bowl to cover evenly with the sugar and cornstarch.  Microwave for 3 minutes, stirring at the halfway point.  Gently stir, then pour the berry mixture into a greased 8" pan.
2.  In another bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients.  Using a pastry cutter or two knives, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Add buttermilk and stir just until moistened.  Drop batter by spoonfuls over the hot berry mixture.
3.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20-25 minutes.  Allow to cool for half an hour so that the blueberry juices can thicken a bit.  Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.

I usually double this recipe and use a 9"x13" pan.

Source:  Mennonite Girls Can Cook