Lynette's Pea Salad

One of the girls I graduated from high school with told me this
recipe.  She said it has been handed down from her grandmother
to her mother to her.

Ingredients:

small ring macaroni (I used 1/3 to 1/2 pound)
one can of peas
candied dill pickles (she uses Bellvue, but I did not
    have those, so I used bread and butter pickles)
one can of tuna
salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise


Cook the noodles and drain
chop up the pickles, drain the peas
stir all ingredients together.

Coconut/Choc.Chip/Raisin Blondies

Coconut Chocolate Chunk Blondies

JULY 10TH, 2009

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/8 teaspoon salt
4 ounces unsalted butter, melted and cooled to room temperature
1 cup light brown sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/2 cup choc. chips and 1/2 cup raisins
More Coconut-for sprinkling on the top of the bars.

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray an 8-inch square baking pan with cooking spray.

2. Combine the flour and salt; whisk and set to the side.

3. Stir together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth and creamy; beat in egg and vanilla extract until well blended.

4. Slowly beat in the flour and salt mixture until just blended. Next, stir in the coconut, raisins and chocolate chips. Scrape the batter into the pan. Make sure the batter is spread evenly, smooth with a spatula. Sprinkle extra coconut on top of the bars.

5. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until set in the center but still soft. Do not overbake the bars. Let cool slightly before serving. Cut the bars into squares.

- from Two Peas and Their Pod & Brown Eyed Baker

CRISP ROASTED POTATOES (from Prevention Magazine)

2 lb new or small red potatoes
2 Tbsp olive oil

1. HEAT oven to 400°F.
2. RUB large roasting pan, baking sheet, or cast-iron skillet with olive oil. Scrub potatoes, pat dry, and cut in half.
3. PUT in pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss. Roast, undisturbed, 20 minutes.
4. STIR or turn with tongs, adding more oil if potatoes stick to pan. Continue to roast, stirring or turning occasionally, until crisp outside and tender inside, about 10 minutes longer. They're done when a sharp knife inserted meets almost no resistance.

VERY GOOD, but next time I would add more spices (maybe garlic powder)

Sausage Alfredo

ingredients

• 1 package Hillshire Farm Smoked Sausage, diagonally cut into 1/4-inch slices
• (or smoked sausage or kielbasa of your choice 
• 8 ounces pasta, cooked and drained
• 1 cup heavy cream and one cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning or seasoning of your choice
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

directions

Prepare pasta according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Sauté sausage in a large skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, turning occasionally.

Add cream/milk and Cajun seasoning; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer gently for 3-4 minutes or until mixture begins to thicken.

Remove from heat and stir in parmesan cheese.

This is really tasty, and is a quick and easy way to make ALFREDO SAUCE.
Tip: For added fresh flavor add 1 cup frozen green peas in last 3-4 minutes of cooking pasta. Continue as directed. For added visual appeal, garnish with chopped tomato and sliced green onion, if desired.  (I might do this the next time I make it) 

Quick Baked French Toast

most baked french toast recipes call for putting the ingredients together in the evening and stashing the casserole in the frig overnight and cooking it in the a.m.  I did not want to do that.  I found this recipe http://everydaysisters.blogspot.com/2011/07/quick-easy-french-toast-casserole.html and modified it.

3/4 loaf of cinnamon raisin bread, torn into small pieces

four eggs
one cup of cream
3/4 to one cup of milk
tsp. vanilla
three tbs. sugar
dash of salt
some cinnamon

pour the liquid over the bread, stir and let set for a little while

Spray bottom of 8 by 13 casserole dish
pour some juice from a jar of Trader Joe cherries into the bottom and scatter a
few cherries in the juice.  Put the bread/liquid mixture into the pan and press down
with the back of a spoon so that the bread pieces are submerged or mostly submerged
in the liquid.

Place some cherries randomly around the top and add some of the cherry juice.

Bake at 425 for 35-40 minutes.   Let sit for a few minutes before cutting into squares.  It did not need maple syrup or anything else on it.

I want to try this with pineapple the next time!