Cranberry Walnut Swirls

I tore this recipe out of a Ladies Home Journal magazine back in 1983 and it's become a family favorite. It's no wonder, it was a First Prize winner in the LHJ Christmas cookie contest that year.

Pastry ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Filling ingredients:

(if you have a food processor, it works best for this)

1/2 cup finely ground cranberries

1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tablespoon grated orange peel

3 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons milk

In a large mixing bowl combine the butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until light and fluffy, scraping the bowl occasionally. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt; add to creamed mixture and mix just until combined. Wrap and refrigerate dought about 1 hour for easier handling.

In a small bowl combine cranberries, walnuts, and orange peel; set aside. Combine brown sugar and milk (add more milk if you need to, the mixture should be easy to spread).

On lightly floured board roll dough to a 10" square. Spread with sugared milk, then sprinkle with cranberry mixture, leaving about 1/2" edge at two opposite sides of the dough. Roll up tightly, jelly-roll fashion, beginning at one of the unspread sides. Wrap in wax paper and freeze until firm, several hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cut roll into 1/4" slices. Bake on top rack of oven for about 15 minutes or until the edges are lightly browned. Remove to wire racks to cool.

Makes 3 dozen cookies.

Pork Marsala

This recipe is from the National Pork Board; they published it in a magazine ad in 1988 as part of their "The Other White Meat" campaign. This is one of those recipes that's very easy, but when you serve it to company they think you did something special.

1lb pork tenderloin

1T each olive oil and butter

1 clove garlic, minced

1T tomato paste

1/2 cup dry red marsala

1/2 cup red wine

8oz fresh mushroom caps

1t chopped parsley

Cut tenderloin diagonally into cutlets. Pound to 1/4" thickness. Heat oil and butter in heavy frying pan. Brown cutlets on both sides, then remove from pan. Add garlic to pan and saute briefly. Mix tomato paste with wines, then add to pan with mushrooms. Stir to blend with pan juices. Simmer 3-5 minutes. Return cutlets to pan and heat through. Sprinkle with parsley and serve immediately.

Serves 4

Chicken Tacos

I don't use exact amounts when I cook, so this recipe is purely what ever I have and adjusted accordingly. Add more if you have it and like it, add less if you don't.

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3-4 cans of fat free & low sodium chicken broth, have a few cans on reserve if needed
1 white or yellow onion diced large
1 small can chopped green chili (or 3-4 fresh roasted, peeled and seeded)
4-5 tomatillos, peeled of the paper skin and washed, left whole
1-2 tbs chopped garlic
salt and pepper to taste
fresh chopped cilantro

you can cook this on the stove top in a covered pot or in a slow cooker. Put all ingredients (except the cilantro) in the pot, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a slow simmer and cover. cook over a low heat until the chicken is fork tender and falls apart on it's own. Make sure you always have enough liquid in the pot to cover the chicken so it stays moist. Remove chicken from cooking liquid, it should fall apart easily and be moist. Fork shred as needed. Use a slotted spoon and remove the onion, chili, garlic and place with the chicken. The tomatillos usually fall apart in the cooking process but if they don't, mash them with a potato masher and add that to the chicken as well. Mix. Add a bit of the cooking liquid to make the chicken wet, but not too runny. You be the judge.

Use in your favorite corn or flour tortilla and your favorite toppings. I like sour cream, salsa, lettuce and tomato with mine. My favorite shell for this chicken is very easy and is below:

soft corn tortillas
vegetable oil
frying pan

heat pan with just enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. once hot, place a corn tortilla in pan and left soften, flip and cook the other side. you can leave them a very soft cook or let them get slightly "crispy" for a soft taco. if you do them very soft, you will most likely need two tortillas on top of each other for each taco. for chicken taco's i prefer soft so i can easily fold them, but slightly crispy for a bit of "light crunch".

Knock-off Starbucks Cranberry Bliss Bars

BARS

1 cup butter, soften at room temp
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 large egg
2 teaspoons orange extract (or vanilla)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
3/4 cup craisins (dried cranberries)
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

FROSTING

3 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons butter, softened
3 cups confectioners' sugar
2 teaspoons orange extract (or vanilla)


TOPPING

1/3 cup craisins, chopped
2 tablespoons grated orange rind
1/3 cup white chocolate chips, chopped course
1/2 teaspoon canola oil


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (325 for a glass or dark pan). Prepare a 9x13 pan (or 10x15 pan) by lining it with parchment paper or use a non-stick spray.


Bars:

With an electric mixer, beat together butter and sugars until fluffy; add eggs and orange extract and beat until combined. Add the flour, baking powder, and ginger and beat briefly. Add the cranberries and chips, stirring just to blend and being careful not to over mix.

Spread thick batter in prepared pan and bake 350 (23-25 minutes for 10x15, 27-30 minutes for 9x13), until the edges are light brown and a skewer inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Cool completely.

Frosting:

Blend cream cheese and butter until fluffy. Add orange extract and confectioner’s sugar and beat until frosting is fluffy and spreadable (adding 1 tsp of milk if needed). Spread evenly over cooled bars.

Garnish:

Combine orange zest and craisins and sprinkle over frosted bars. Mix white chocolate and oil in a glass measuring cup. Microwave 60% power for 1 minute; stir. Repeat 1 more minute at 60% power; stir. Use a fork to drizzle the white chocolate in thin diagonal strips across the bars.

Allow one hour for the white chocolate to set before cutting.

Cut into Starbuck triangles by cutting jelly roll pan into 20 large squares (5 cuts by 4 cuts with the knife). Then cut each square in half diagonally.

Frozen Hot Chocolate

[adapted from Serendipity 3's in NYC]

6 half-ounce pieces of a variety of your favorite chocolates (as top quality as you are able]
2 teaspoons of store-bought hot chocolate mix
1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 cups milk
3 cups of cups of ice
Whipped cream
Chocolate shavings

Chop the chocolate into small pieces. Place it in the top of a double boiler over simmering water. Stir occasionally until melted. Add the hot chocolate mix and sugar. Stir until completely melted. Remove from heat and slowly add ½ cup of milk until smooth. Cool to room temperature.

In a blender, place the remaining cup of milk, the room-temperature chocolate mixture and the ice. Blend on high speed until smooth and the consistency of a frozen daiquiri. Pour into a goblet and top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.

Pecan Sand Tart Cookies

[adapted from Serendipity 3's in NYC]

1 cup pecans
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed and free of lumps
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 large egg, at room temperature

white sugar in a bowl

powdered sugar and sifter

--------

Finely chop the pecans (I put mine in a ziplock and crush with the bottom of a glass). Set aside. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt and set aside.

In a mixer, combine the butter and both sugars, beat until light and fluffy for 2 to 3 minutes, scraping the bowl once or twice with rubber spatula.

Add the vanilla extract and egg and beat 30 seconds longer.

Remove the bowl from the mixer. Stir in the chopped pecans and mix well. Stir in the flour and mix only until blended.

Gather the dough into a ball in the center of the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and chill for 1 1/2 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly butter a baking sheet.

Using level tablespoons of batter for each cookie, shape the dough into bars about 3/4 to 1 inch wide and 2 1/2 inches long, patting into shape with your fingers. Dip each dough bar into the white sugar to coat. Place the bars on the baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Press the back of a table knife into the length of each bar three times to give it a few ridges (this will later help hold the powdered sugar).

Set the pan of cookies in the center of the preheated oven on the middle shelf and bake the cookies for 10-15 minutes. Cookies should be light brown on the bottom and cooked in the center of the cookie. Oven times vary.

*I have found that the key to making them crispy like the originals, you will need to cook them the full baking time -adjusting for your own oven- until they are fully cooked in the center of the cookies and then let them set overnight.

Remove the cookies from the oven and set the pan on a wire rack. Let the cookies cool on the pan for 2 or 3 minutes, and then remove from the pan with a metal spatula, let cool a 1 minute and sprinkle with sifted powdered sugar then cool completely on the rack.

Bake the remaining cookies, one pan at a time, in the same way.

These are both good while warm and the next day when they are left to harden slightly.

Buttery Soft Pretzels

If you make the dough in the morning, it is a great afternoon activity for the kids. We get some pretty funky looking pretzels around here.

4 tsp. active dry yeast
1 tsp. white sugar
1 1/4 C. warm water (110 degrees)
4 C. all purpose flour
1/2 C. white sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 Tbs. vegetable oil

1/2 C. baking soda
4 C. hot water
1/4 C. kosher salt for topping


In a small bowl dissolve yeast and 1 tsp. white sugar in warm water until creamy, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl mix together flour, 1/2 C. sugar and salt. Make a well in the center; add the oil and yeast mixture. Mix and form into a dough. Knead until smooth, about 7-8 minutes. Lightly oil a large bowl. Place dough in bowl, cover with a damp towel and let rise in a warm place until dough has doubled. I find that the oven with the light turned on is a great place for dough to rise. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. In another large bowl, dissolve baking soda in hot water. When the dough has risen, turn out onto lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces. Roll each piece into a rope and twist into a pretzel shape. Once all the dough is shaped, dip each pretzel into the baking soda water and place on a greased baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt. Bake in a preheated oven for 8 minutes, or until browned.

For a special treat, after they come out of the oven, brush them with butter and put them in a bag full of cinnamon sugar and shake. Just as good as the mall pretzels!

Tomato Vodka Sauce

Everything tastes great with heavy cream!

1 Tbs. Butter
1 Tbs. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 (28 oz.) can peeled and diced tomatoes
1 C. heavy whipping cream
1/4 C. vodka (I add a bit more)
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter with the oil. Add the onion and saute for 8 minutes or until transparent. Add tomatoes and cook for 25 minutes or until there is almost no liquid left in the skillet; stir frequently. Increase the heat and add cream, vodka, and pepper flakes; boil for 2 minutes or until thickened to a sauce consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Roasted Cauliflower

My kids, well two of them anyway, will actually eat cauliflower when it's prepared this way. (The third doesn't eat vegetables of any kind.) When I tell them we're having roasted cauliflower, one says "I don't want any roast on my cauliflower." I say, "OK".

1 head cauliflower
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
fresh pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut cauliflower into small flowerettes, eliminating as much of the stem as possible, and put the pieces into a 9x13" baking pan. Drizzle olive oil over the cauliflower pieces and sprinkle with the parmesan cheese. Mix well. Grind pepper on top and place into oven. Roast for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until some pieces are starting to turn crispy brown.

[Note: If you're serving this to adults, it would be nice to sprinkle fresh, finely chopped parsley on top, but if you're serving to kids, don't put anything green on or near it!]

Chocolate Crinkle Cookies

This is a very old recipe, but it's foolproof. I like it because it uses oil instead of butter, so you can be spontaneous and whip them up quickly, rather than waiting for your butter to soften (or accidentally melting it in the microwave as I usually do). Plus you can mix with a spoon, rather than a mixer, making it perfect for baking with little helpers.

(Note: I've also made this with cocoa powder when I haven't had chocolate - you can't even tell the difference!)

1/2 cup oil

4 squares (4 oz.) unsweetened chocolate, melted

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup powdered sugar

Mix oil, melted chocolate, and sugar. Blend in eggs, one at a time, until well mixed. Add vanilla. Stir flour, baking powder, and salt into the chocolate mixture. Chill several hours or overnight.

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Drop teaspoonfuls of dough into the powdered sugar. Roll into balls, making sure they're pretty heavily coated with the powdered sugar - this makes them prettier after they've baked. Place about 2" apart on a baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes. Don't overbake!

Makes about 6 dozen cookies.

Gorditas

[Disclaimer: I usually make mine as shown above, instead of splitting the shells open and stuffing them. It is better to split them open while still hot from frying and it burns my fingers, so we leave them intact. A *true* gordita would be split open and stuffed like a taco. But this still tastes the same!]


Makes approx 12 gorditas

Filling

1 lbs ground beef
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 TBS chopped garlic
2 fresh green chilies, roasted, peeled, seeded, and chopped OR 1 small can chopped green chilies
1/4 tsp chile powder
salt and pepper to taste
2 medium sized russet potatoes, peeled, and cubed into 1/2 inch cubes


Shell

vegetable oil for frying

4 cups masa harina (found either in the flour section or in the Hispanic foods section)
2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp red chile pepper
4 pieces of bacon, fried and crumbled (I have also used real bacon-bits with success)
4 TBS cobly, longhorn, or cheddar cheese, shredded
2 cups water + 1 cup reserved


Toppings

shredded lettace
diced tomatoes
shredded cheese
diced onion
salsa or pico de gallo (recipe HERE)



Directions

Cook beef, onion, garlic, and diced green chile together. Salt and pepper as desired and add chile powder. Add diced potatoes and enough water to cook the potatoes until fork tender.

While meat is cooking, mix all ingredients for the shells. Add only 2 cups of water at first, reserving the remaining 1 cup.

Until you get a feel for the desired consistency, use your hands to mix ingredients. You are aiming for the feel and texture of play-dough. Slightly crumbly but hold together well when you form a ball. But not to wet, not to dry. Add the remaining 1 cup water as needed to acheive the desired texture. You can always add more, but you can not take water out. It will take a few tries before you get the right texture, don't give up!

Pinch off balls approx the size of a lemon. Form a tight ball and then flatten out to 1/2" thickness and about 3-4 inches in diameter. I pat and flatten out directly on a flat surface and then use a metal spatula to pick it up.

Heat oil in a large pan, place shells in oil and fry until golden brown, turn over and cook other side. Drain on paper towels.

If you want to stuff them, make a slit down the half of the side of the shell, open slightly and stuff with the meat mixture and toppings like you would a taco. Or you can simply top them off with the meat and toppings.

Pot Roast with Vegetables

4-5 lbs Chuck Roast, trimmed of excess fat
2 TBS vegetable oil
Lawry's Course Ground Garlic Salt
course ground black pepper
1/2 tsp whole peppercorns
1 whole yellow onion, sliced
2 TBS chopped garlic
1 can Golden Mushroom soup
2 cans French Onion soup
3 cans fat free chicken broth
5 russet potatoes, peeled and cut into roughly 3" cubes
1 package of baby carrots
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup of frozen corn or 1 can


Garlic-Salt and pepper both sides of the roast. In a large pot with a lid, add heat oil. Once oil is hot, carefully add the roast and brown all sides. Once roast is browned on all sides, add the peppercorns, onion, garlic, and soups. Add more garlic salt and pepper to taste. Cover and reduce heat to low-med to med. Being careful to not boil over. Cook for 4-6 hours depending on the thickness of your chuck roast, checking often and adding water to keep roast covered. During last hour of cooking add carrots, potatoes, mushrooms. Keep covered. During last 10 minutes add the corn. Potatoes and carrots should be fork tender.

Remove vegetables placing them in a large serving dish. Cut roast against the grain (roast should be very tender and fall apart as opposed to slicing). Place roast onto of vegetables. Raise temperature of the remaining juices and reduce down to a thicker gravy. Once reduced, place in a gravy boat or simply pour of the roast + veggies.

[I have always had better luck with a Chuck roast as opposed to other cuts of roast. I like it to be all one piece and not chunks tied together. I also like it to be trimmed of most of the extra fat. The key for having the roast "fall apart and be juicy and tender" is the Chuck roast, the soups, searing the meat, and the long cook time]

Key Lime Pie with Nut - Graham Crumb Crust

The best key lime pie I have ever tried, the crust is amazing too.

Crust
1c graham cracker crumbs
2/3 cup almonds or macadamia nuts, toasted, cooled and ground in a food processor till about the diameter of a pencil lead.
1/2 stick (1/4c) butter, melted and cooled
1/4 cup sugar

Pie
3 large eggs, separated, the whites at room temperature
1 14oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup Key lime juice (approx 3-4 Key limes)
grated rind of two of the limes

Meringue:
1/3 cup sugar
reserved egg whites

[I like this both with the egg white meringue or omitting the meringue and just using whipped cream instead]


Mix the crust ingredients well and press into a glass pie plate, going up the sides. Bake the shell at 350 for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove and let cool.

In a large bowl, beat the yolks with the condensed milk and stir in the remaining ingredients. Spoon filling into baked shell.

If making the meringue: place uncooked pie into the refrigerator for 1 hour. In a bowl beat the egg whites with a pinch of salt until they hold soft peaks, add the sugar, beating, 1 tablespoon at a time, and beat the meringue until it holds stiff peaks. Spread the meringue over the filling and bake the pie in the middle of a preheated 350'F oven for 15 minutes, or until the meringue is just golden. Chill the pie for 2 hours.

If making without the meringue: Chill pie for 1 hour and then bake at 350' for 15 minutes. Chill and then top with fresh whipped cream.


[recipe adapted from Gourmet 1990]

Salpicon

3 lbs brisket*
2 TBS vegetable oil
Lawry's course ground garlic salt
course ground black pepper
2 cans french onion soup
2 cans beef broth
1 yellow onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic or 2 TBS chopped jarred garlic
2 TBS balsamic vinegar
1 small can chopped green chili
1 red onion, chopped
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 large tomato, chopped (I omit this since we eat with the pico de gallo)
1/2 lbs Monterey jack or low-moisture mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/4" cubes
2 green onions, white and greens thinly sliced
2 large Avocados, cut into 1/2" cubes

pico de gallo recipe Found Here
sour cream
flour or corn tortillas, warmed over the stovetop

*In some parts of the US, brisket is not keep readily on display in the meat department, however you can ask the butcher for it, have them cut it to size and trim off the fat for you.

Place oil in a heavy pot and heat. Salt and pepper all sides of the brisket and sear each side in the oil. When all sides are well browned, carefully add the 4 cans of soup, the yellow onion, and half of the can of green chili. Cook covered over a medium heat for approx 4 hours until meat is tender and falls apart when touched. Remove from heat and place brisket on a plate, reserve the cooking liquid.

Cut the brisket diagonal to the grain of the meat into 3 sections. Using 2 forks, shread the meat. Place shredded meat in a large bowl. Separate the layer of fat from the reserved cooking liquid. Add 1 cup of the cooking liquid and the balsamic vinegar to the meat. Mix well. Add the red onion, remaining green chili, cilantro, tomato if using, the cubed cheese, green onion. Toss well and transfer to a platter.

Add the avocado on top (I serve on the side if I think I will have left overs as the avacado doesn't keep well).

Salpicon is served either cold or at room temperature.

Serve with warm tortillas, sour cream, and pico de gallo.

You can serve this several ways: cut the tortillas in quarters and spoon the Salpicon on to the quartered tortillas. Or fold whole tortillas and eat like a soft taco (as shown in the photo).

Pico de Gallo

1 large or 2 small tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
the juice of one lime
1 TBS water

If you want a hotter pico, add more jalapeño and leave in the seeds.

Mix all ingredients together.

Spanish Rice

1 TBS olive oil
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1 TBS chopped garlic
1 cup of rice (use only a long cooking rice, such as Uncle Ben Long Grain 20 minute rice)
1/2 small can chopped green chili
1 (7oz) can Embasa brand Salsa Mexicana * see note below
1 3/4 cup water
Lawry's Course Ground Garlic Salt, to taste
Course Ground black pepper, to taste
2 stalks green onion, sliced thin
1/8 cup of cilantro, chopped

*found in the Mexican food section, comes in a can not a jar; if you can't find this or would like a mild rice, you can use a can of diced tomatoes. Don't use a regular salsa as the Embasa is more like canned tomatoes with a bit of added onion and jalapeños, it does not have the same consistency as a jarred salsa.

In a pot with a lid, heat the oil and add the white onion, garlic, and rice. Stirring constantly until onions are translucent. Add the salsa and water. Stir and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and place 3 paper towels folded in half one on top of the pot. Fit lid securely on top of paper towel. Do not walk away from the stove! The paper towel helps absorb extra steam so your rice will be loose and not sticky. This step is important. Cook 10 minutes, add garlic salt and pepper to taste, stir and continue cooking another 5 minutes, stir again, and cook another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and add chopped green onion and cilantro. Serve.

Serves 3-4

Chocolate Oatmeal No Bake Cookies

.


Takes less than five minutes to make the easiest cookie in the world.
(Even though they are called "cookies" they are more like a candy to me)

1/2 cup butter
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
4 TBS cocoa
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter (or chunky)
3 cups dry quick-cooking oats
1/2 cup coconut (may omit)
2 tsp vanilla


1. Add the first four ingredients into a 4-quart sauce pan.
2. Bring to a rolling boil and hold for 1 minute.
3. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the next 4 ingredients and drop by tablespoons onto wax paper or foil.
5. Let cool until set.

Makes approx 20 cookies

Garlic Cheese Bread

BREAD
1 box Pillsbury Hot Roll Mix (found in the cake mix aisle)
1 egg
2 TBS melted butter
1 cup hot water


TOPPING
2 TBS melted butter
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
6 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
1/4 cup fresh parsley, thinly sliced and chopped

You will be dividing the above topping ingredients between the 2 breads.


DIRECTIONS

Follow directions 1 thru 3 on box. Cover dough and let rest for 5 minutes. Grease two round cake pans or pie plates (if you have stoneware ones or glass ones, use them). Divide dough in half and pat each half into one of the pans. Cover and let rise 20-30 minutes.

Uncover and bake at 375' for 15-20 minutes until light brown.

Remove from oven and brush each round with 1 TBS melted butter. Top each round of bread with the cheeses, then top with sliced garlic and parsley. Return to oven until cheese is melted and starting to bubble and garlic is softening. Remove and slice into wedges.

Spaghetti and Meatballs

The marinara sauce is a combination of two favorite recipes from Buca di Beppo's cookbook. After you make this the first time, you will not need to look at the recipe again, it is so easy to make and much better than a jarred sauce.

SAUCE

1/4 cup olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
6 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1 1/2 - 2 TBS Italian Seasoning, to taste (I like 2)
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsely
2 (28 oz) cans of crushed tomatoes, not drained
salt to taste
pepper to taste
3 TBS chopped fresh basil

MEATBALLS

2 1/2 LBS ground beef
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 cup dry Italian style bread crumbs
4 large eggs
1/4 chopped garlic (I use the kind in the jar)
1 tsp salt
pepper to taste

1 lbs thick style spaghetti cooked al dente.

DIRECTIONS

In a large mixing bowl, combine meatball ingredients; mix well. Shape into golf ball sized meatballs. Set aside and let rest for 1 hour while making sauce.

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until golden brown. Pour Italian seasoning into your palm and rub your palms together to "release" the dried herbs. Add to olive oil and onion mixture. Stir and cook for a few minutes. Add parsley. Stir then add tomatoes and salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add uncooked meatballs to the sauce, cover and do not stir. Watch carefully. Sauce will increase in volume, but then it will reduce back by approx 1/3 by the end of cooking time.. Let simmer 35-45 minutes. Remove meatballs + sauce over hot spaghetti, garnish with fresh basil.

[store leftovers in a well sealed covered container as this is very garlicky and will permeate the refrigerator!]

Mississippi Mud Cake

A old family recipe. Very rich and delicious.

Cake
1 lb. butter
4 cups sugar
1 cup cocoa
8 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
2 tsp baking powder
3 cups flour
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups chopped pecans

Icing
1 (14oz) jar marshmallow cream

2/3 cup cocoa
2 boxes powdered sugar
3/4 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla


Cream butter, sugar and cocoa. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and baking powder. Gradually add the 3 cups flour. Fold in coconut and nuts.

Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 cake pan. Bake at 350' for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes clean. When cake is done and still hot, spread marshmallow cream over the top and let cake cool completely.

When cake is completely cooled, mix ingredients for icing (cocoa, powdered sugar, milk and vanilla) and spread over cake. Top with extra chopped pecans if desired.