Mexican Salad Salsa

1/2 C chopped tomatoes
1T (heaping) chopped red onion
1/4 C  cut fresh cilantro (measure before you cut)
1/4 tsp. chopped jalapeno

2T corn
1T small red beans

pinch sald
pinch pepper

Add the first 4 ingredients to a food processor and chop.
Stir in the corn and beans.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve over your favorite greens with shredded cheese, croutons and top with ranch dressing.

Serves 1-2

This recipe is inspired by a salad I had on Valentine's Day at On the Border. It was delicious and I thought I'd try to replicate it. I got pretty close. It's so good I have had it for lunch many many times.

Buffalo Chicken Casserole

1 1/4 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips

1/3 cup buffalo wing sauce
6 cups frozen (thawed) southern-style hash brown potatoes
1 cup ranch or blue cheese dressing
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese (2 oz)
1 can (10 oz) condensed cream of celery soup
1/2 cup corn flake crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
1/4 cup chopped green onions (3 to 4 medium)


1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) baking dish with cooking spray.

2. In medium bowl, stir together chicken strips and wing sauce.

3. In large bowl, stir together potatoes, dressing, cheese and soup. Spoon into baking dish. Place chicken strips in single layer over potato mixture.

4. In small bowl, stir together crumbs and butter. Sprinkle in baking dish.

5. Cover with foil. Bake 30 minutes; uncover and bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until potatoes are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Sprinkle with green onions.

** Note: it is very important to thaw the hash browns. Since I didn't my first time I had to cook an extra 30 minutes.

Snowstorn February 2010

This was a huge stowstorm. We got almost 3 1/2 feet of snow. Jason and I are sore from all of the shoveling.  It took us many many hours to clear out the driveway and the sidewalks. Luckily we both did not have to work for the two days.

JJ dug the pups a little trail so they can run around in a circle. Maggie looks like a bobsled when she runs; bumping into the snow and running like crazy.  All we can see of Mary is tail, as usual. She's too small to be seen over the piles of snow but her tail is wagging high.

Daddy's little helper

Such a good helper. Shoveling....well jumping in the snow while daddy shoveled looks like great fun.

Apple Pie

Delicious! I can't stop making apple pies. After mom called me and told me about this Martha decoration for the top I had to try it. I looked high and low for a leaf cookie cutter but had no luck finding one. I thought I'd experiment with a hollyleaf. If turned looks pretty good, and tastes even better.

I use the  pie crust and the apple pie recipe from Betty Crocker's Cookbook. I make some adjustments to the pie recipe by doubling the cinnamon and nutmeg, adding a few shakes of ground ginger and cutting back a little bit on the sugar.

Alpaca Cable Scarf

I got this yarn over the summer in Cape May at the alpaca farm. I have been saving it for something special and I finally found it. this reversable cable pattern is perfect. I hope I will have enough yarn otherwise we will have to go to the beach for an emergency yarn purchase.

Peanut Brittle

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup light corn syrup
1 Tbsp. butter
2 cups PLANTERS COCKTAIL Peanuts
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. vanilla
4 squares BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

SPRAY large baking sheet with cooking spray. Microwave sugar and corn syrup in large glass microwaveable bowl on HIGH 5 min. Stir in butter and peanuts. Microwave 3 to 4 min. or until pale golden brown. Stir in baking soda and vanilla. (Mixture will foam.) Spread onto prepared baking sheet. Cool completely. Break into pieces.




MICROWAVE chocolate in 1-cup glass measuring cup on HIGH 1 to 2 min. or until chocolate is melted when stirred. Add peanut butter; stir until melted. Dip half of each candy piece in chocolate mixture; scrape bottom against edge of cup to remove excess chocolate. Place on sheet of foil or waxed paper. Refrigerate 20 min. or until chocolate is firm.

Meatballs

1 beaten egg
1/4 C milk
3/4 cup Iltaian bread crumbs
1/4 C finely chopped onion
1/4 C fresh or 2T parsley
1 tsp. salt
1  tsp. black pepper
1  tsp. Italian seasonings
16 oz ground beef

Combine egg, milk. Stir in bread crumbs, milk, pepper, and Italian seasonings.
Add beef
Mix well and shape into balls.  I ususlly get 15 medium size meatballs.
Microwave them for 3-4 minutes.
Simmer in a pot of sauce for 30 minutes.