Lemony Pasta Salad

1 Box Bow Ties (Farfalle)

Prepare per directions, but more to the alle dente texture
I find the dry holds up better than the fresh.

lightly coat pasta in light cooking olive oil

Lemon Juice - to taste
Prepared Mustard

Sweet Paprika, Parsley - 3 coats over a 2.5 Qt Round casserole
Garlic, Romano Cheese 2 coats over a 2.5 qt rd
Lemon Pepper, 2 coat over a 2.5 rd.
- I'm working on quantifying these to some standard measurement that the rest of the world uses.

1 can diced tomatoes w/ Basil, garlic and Olive Oil
1 small can olives

Options - whatever is available in the fridge/pantry
Artichokes Hearts, Asparagus, Bell Peppers,

Basalmic Pasta Salad

2 bags Tortellini Garlic/Cheese.
Prepare per directions, but more to the alle dente texture
I find the dry holds up better than the fresh.

Olive Oil 1/3 good dipping oil, 2/3 light cooking oil
lightly coat pasta.

Vinegar 4-5 parts Basalmic & 1 part Red wine - to taste

Basil, Sweet Paprika, Parsley - 3 coats over a 2.5 Qt Round casserole
Garlic 1.5 - 2 coats over a 2.5 qt rd
Pepper, 1 coat over a 2.5 rd.
- I'm working on quantifying these to some standard measurement that the rest of the world uses.

1 can diced tomatoes w/ Basil, garlic and Olive Oil

Options - whatever is available in the fridge/pantry
Artichokes Hearts, Asparagus, Bell Peppers, Olives

Zesty Carrots

Zesty Carrots:
1 Cup crushed potato Chips
8 Med Carrots cooked & quartered
2 TBS grated onions
2 TBS Horseradish
1.5 Cup Mayo
0.5 Cups of Mayo - this is a huge change from America Cooks, and out original source, but the internet seems to agree that 1.5 cups is TOO much.
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp pepper

Bake @ 375 for 20 min
grease 1 Qt casserole
sprinkle 1/2 chips in caserole
arrange carrots on top
blend remaining ingredients, spread over carrots, sprinkle w/chips

Just got this from my sister. I have to make it for Easter. It's a family staple for holidays, but better suited to a Christmas Roast Beef. But always delicious.

Kielbasa and Holy Thursday

Today, I took the boys to Delaware Provision Company, makers of the best Kielbasa in Delaware (say mmm Garlic). I was afraid that once they saw how sausage is made, they would become vegetarians. Declan is 8 and Liam is 6.

The guy who runs (owns?) the place, Scotty, is originally from Scotland, and has a bit of an accent. We were fortunate to get there around 2, and the line was only a few people. I've stood in line for up to an hour before, around Christmas. Damn that's some good Kielbasa.

It took me over 1/2 an hour to get my order filled, because I shop for my office. Today it was 18 lbs fresh, 8 lbs smoked and 8 LBS kraut, split oddly, 1+3 2+2 2+1, among 10 people. These are my repeat customers. So Scotty invited the boys over to help him make the Kielbasa, and they were fascinated. They got to run the "meat spigot" injecting fresh ground seasoned pork into the casing, while Scotty deftly controlled the casing. Two other boys came in and ran the spigot too. Declan and Liam were fascinated, and kept asking to run it again. Scotty invited both to come back and work for him when they're 17. Liam is already planning on it.

I chatted with Scotty for a bit, while he was apprenticing my sons, and found out he had Irish breakfast sausage too. Made today, with lamb, 'tis his own recipe now, it tis. (smacking my lips.) It's not on the menu, you have to know to ask the Scot, who makes the Polish sausage, for the Irish links. Begin the bag-piping polka now...

So the boys thought the trip to the sausage factory was awesome, and we've begun another family tradition. And they love the Kielbasa, except when they bite into a whole peppercorn.

Garlic Ricotta Mashed Potatoes

Here's what I think I just made:

Abt 3 LBS Potatoes - filled 1/2 of a 2.5 QT pot
3 TBS half and half
6 TBS Ricotta Cheese - thats 3 heaping table spoons - not an actual measured amount
4 TBS Sour Cream (2 heaping spoons as above) - used lite - NEVER fat free.
3 cloves garlic
3 TSP Parsley (actual TSP)
3 TBS Butter (actual)
Salt to taste

Scrub, Peel and sixth (not quarter - theres a theme here)
Boil potatoes until tender
Drain water
put butter in, allow to melt
combine remaining ingredients in pot and stir togeher
bust out the masher and go to town
(mash to desired consistency, adding whole milk if needed.)


I like peeling potatoes, I find it very theraputic.

Credit Where Due

I started out using my crockpot years ago and love that its easy and ready to go as soon as I get home. Here's my primary crockpot cookbook. I rarely use the recipes as they are published, b/c I find many of them a bit bland.

However they make wonderful starting points for my own deranged experiments (cue evil laughter.) It's also real helpful to determine how long to cook something, and a good ratio for ingredients. (i.e. 1 can of tomatoes to 2 LBS roast.)

Fix it and Forget IT Cookbook

Pegs Mom's Chicken

Peg and I dated for about a year. She was a good friend, but we've lost touch. She's shared this recipe form her mother, and it was so damn good and basic I wrote it down.

1 Roasting Chicken - clean out the stuff inside and discard.
1/2 Apple
1/2 Orange
1 Stalk of Celery - chopped
1/2 Onion - chopped
Salt
Ground Pepper
2 TBS Butter
1/2 tsp Rosemary
1/2 tsp Sage
1/2 tsp Thyme

Rub the spices and butter inside the cavity and on the skin
Stuff the fruit and vegetables into the cavity

Gravy
1 Cup prepared Bullion
2 tbs Flour to thicken

Oven per direction on package, until timer pops

Shake the bullion and the flour in a jar.
add to saucepan
add drippings to saucepan
heat over med. heat
stir to thicken - add add'l flour as needed.