Jenny's Marinated Swordfish or Tuna Steaks

From Jenny: My Bible study group had a progressive dinner over the holidays and the main course served was swordfish in a delicious marinade! This is a quick and healthy meal. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

2-3 lbs. of fresh Swordfish or Tuna Steaks (sliced about 1 inch thick)

1/3 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup white wine vinegar (I use white balsamic)

1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard (like Grey Poupon)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

fresh ground pepper

¼ teaspoon salt

Directions:

1.Marinate fish for 30 minutes. 

2.Broil on grill (high heat) for 5 minutes on one side and 3-5 minutes on the other side. 

3. Serve with a tossed salad and crusty bread. Yum.

Janelle's Coffee Cake

I grew up eating this and loving it! Mom got this from Debi Driver.

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 pkg. yellow cake mix
1 pkg. vanilla pudding (3oz.)
1 pkg. butterscotch pudding (3oz.)
4 eggs
1 c. Water
1/2 c. Oil

Topping:
3/4 c. Brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon


Directions:

1. Mix cake ingredients with beater.
2. Mix topping ingredients separately in a small bowl. 
3. Spread 1/2 batter over 9" x13" pan.
4. Sprinkle with sugar mixture.
5. Repeat.
6. Bake at 350 deg. F. for 35-40 minutes.
7. Serve warm and cover remainder tightly.

Fights' Banana Bread

I got this recipe from mom, so I'm not sure where it came from. It is my favorite. We always add chocolate chips. Unless over baked, it is ALWAYS moist for days!

Ingredients:
2 bananas
1 3/4 c. Flour (we have used partial whole wheat)
1/2 c. Sugar
1/2 c vegetable oil
1/4 c. And 1 Tb. Buttermilk
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
Optional: 1/2 c. Nuts or 1/2 c. Chocolate chips.

Directions:

1. Grease and flour 9"x5" loaf pan.
2. Combine all ingredients and mix well. (I mash the bananas well 1st due to one bad experience).
3. Pour into pan and bake at 325 deg F. for 1 hour 20 minutes. Top should be golden brown and split slightly. I check with a toothpick.

Grandma Poppe's banana bread

Chad challenged us for our banana bread recipes. Here is grandma Poppe's.

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
3/4 c. Honey
2 eggs
2 1/4 flour( can be whole wheat)
1 c. Bran
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. Milk with 1 Tb. and 1/4 tsp baking soda added
1 c. Mashed banana
1/2 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. Nuts

Directions:
1. Cream butter and honey.
2. Add eggs (one at a time).
3. Beat well after each addition.
4. Mix flour, bran and baking powder together.
5. Add to butter mixture, alternating with milk mixture.
6. Add mashed bananas and vanilla.
7. Bake in 9"x13"x3" loaf pan that is well greased and lined with wax paper. Bake at 325 deg. F. For 1 hr. 40 min.

Billie's Potato Salad

Jennie has been making it our whole marriage and its really good.  A different take on the potato salad I grew up with (which had mustard and pickles in it, mmm).  This makes a large bowl of salad, easily feeding 4-6.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup mayo
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 4 cups cubed and cooked potatoes (5-6 med.)
• 1 cup sliced celery
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 hard-cooked eggs, chopped

Directions:

1. Combine first 5 ingredients
2. Stir in remaining ingredients
3. Cover
4. Chill

Chad's Kielbasa Kreation

Horrible name.  Frankly, it doesn't really have a name yet.  This is a dish I ginned up, and Jennie has helped to modify, while in Delaware.  Frankly a lot of it is to taste and I'm sure variations on this would be very, very simple (add mushrooms? green onions? carrots?).  The dish goes very well with a good beer or red wine, if either are your "thing."

Ingredients:

• 1/2 yellow onion
• 1/2 red onion
• 5 (or more) cloves of minced garlic
• 1 lb. kielbasa (we use pork)
• 4 tomatoes on the vine
• 3 roma tomatoes
• 1 lb. rotini pasta
• Large amounts of olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper

Optional:

• 1 small zuchini and/or 1 small yellow squash (Jennie, ever the carnivore, choses to avoid these when it's her turn to make the dish)

Directions:

1. Cut up the tomatoes (chopped), onions (chopped), veggies (if using), and the kielbasa (1 inch slices).  Keep the tomato juice. 
2. Make the rotini per instructions on the box.
3. In a large sauce pan, saute the onion and garlic in a base of olive oil (may want to coat the bottom of the pan) until the onions are translucent.
4. During each of the next steps, salt and pepper as you see fit (can also wait until the end, but I prefer to add a bit at each step).
5. Stir and after approximately 3-5 minutes, add the kielbasa to the pan.  If using zuchini and/or yellow squash, add shortly before or after this step depending upon how soft or crunch you like your vegetables.
6. Stir and after approximately another 3-5 minutes, add the tomatoes and juice.
7. Let simmer, stirring occasionally.
8. Jennie lets it simmer for approximately 5-7 minutes, Chad prefers to let it simmer for up to 20 minutes to really let everything soak into each other.
9. Serve the mix warm over a plate of pasta.

Brianne's Orange Teriyaki Kebabs

This is yet another Pinterest inspired recipe. This is based upon the blog Traceysculinaryadventures. We have used Pork and Chicken. It is so good, and such a wonderful summer treat. This is good over rice, noodles, or served by itself with a side dish.  Adam and I both agree that we need to find a sauce to go with this at the end if served by itself, but haven't found one yet that compliments it to our taste.

Ingredients:
2 Tb. Extra-virgin olive oil
2 tsp. ginger powder
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 c. rice vinegar
4-6 Tb. soy sauce
2-3 Tb. Orange juice (Tracey uses orange zest and orange marmalade, I do not).
1 Tb. honey
pinch red pepper flakes
1 1/4 lb. bonless chicken breasts (or thighs), pork tenderloin, or pork chops cut into 1 inch cubes

Directions:

Sauce:
1.  In a small pan, add olive oil, ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently 1-2 min.
2. Stir in rice vinegar, soy sauce, orange juice, honey, and red pepper. Bring to simmer. Cook until sauce has thickened slightly.
3. Set part of sauce aside for serving with kebabs. Note: If served with rice or noodles, the remaining sauce could be used to pour over them.

Marinade:
4. Marinade kebabs in sauce for minimum of 30 minutes. I've done longer in the freezer overnight, but this makes the meat almost too tender to skewer.

Grill:
5. Heat grill over medium to medium-high heat.
6. Thread meat onto skewers.
7. Place on grill and cook until done.

Note: We use a charcoal grill, so cooking time varies based upon the coals. It never takes more than 30 minutes. We check with our thermometer to ensure it done to our liking.

Grams' Hearty Meatball Soup with Spinach

From Grams: The Publix Supermarket made this and gave customer taste samples and it was SO delicious that I took their recipe card and plan to make it soon. They served with Italian bread.

Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
1 1/2 lb. lean ground beef, 7% fat
1/2 cup Italian bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
2 tbsp. sun dried tomato pesto
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 tbsp. canola oil
8 oz. carrot trinity mix (fresh diced onions, celery, carrots)
3 cups fresh spinach leaves
2 cans cannellini beans (15-16 oz) drained
1 (32 oz) box unsalted chicken stock
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Prep

1. Combine beef. bread crumbs, egg tomato pesto, 1/2 tsp salt. 1/4 tsp. pepper until blended. Shape into 1 inch meatballs (about 25-30,) wash hands

2. Preheat large stockpot on medium-high 2-3 minutes. Place oil in pan, then add meatballs (in batches) cook & turn 6-8 minutes or until browned.
Remove meatballs from pan and set aside.

3. Add trinity mix and garlic to pan; cook & stir 2-3 minutes or until onions soften. Add spinach; cook 2-3 minutes or until spinach wilts.

4. Reduce heat to medium-low, stir in beans, stock, meatballs and remaining 1/4 each salt & pepper; simmer approx 7-10 minutes or until soup is hot. Top with cheese & serve.

"Jennie's" Chicken with Goat Cheese & Basil

I say "Jennie's" as she took this dish directly from the Barefoot Contessa At Home by Ina Garte.  Really simple; very very good.  Very good for entertaining as well.  When it's just the two of us, we halve the recipe and still save a bit for leftovers.  I believe we were put onto this recipe by the Hatchers.  It goes well with a simple salad and a vinaigrette dressing and/or a loaf of bread (we typically like a rosemary loaf).

Serves 4 to 6

"Everyone needs a few dishes they can assemble ten minutes after they walk in the door at night.  When I'm too tired to cook and really want a hot meal, this is my first choice.  If you can't find garlic-and-herb Montrachet, it's also good with any plain, creamy goat cheese."

Ingredients:

• 6 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
• 8-10 ozs. garlic-and-herb goat cheese, such as Montrachet
• 6 large fresh basil leaves
• good olive oil
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Place the chicken breasts on a sheet pan and loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers, leaving on side attached.
3. Cut the goat cheese into 1/2-inch-thick slices and place 1 or 2 slices plus a large basil leaf under the skin of each chicken breast.
4. Pull the skin over as much of the meat as possible so the chicken won't dry out.
5. With your fingers, rub each piece with olive oil, then sprinkle them very generously with salt and pepper.
6. Bake the chicken for 35 to 40 minutes, until the skin is lightly browned and the chicken is just cooked through.
7. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Brianne's Pizza Dough (and homemade pizza sauce)

I have made a few pizza dough recipes since I've been married. This is by far my favorite so far. It is simple, quick, and delicious. Plus I get 3 pies out of 1 recipe!!! Again Pinterest is my friend and I found it here. When I make homemade pizza, I also make homemade sauce. Let me know what you think.


Dough: 
Ingredients:

• 1 c. warm water
• 2 1/4 c. all-purpose flour, (I've used whole wheat flour as well, but only in small portions. i.e. 1 1/2 c. AP flour and 3/4 c. Whole wheat- I recommend King Arthur's). 
• 2 tsp instant yeast
• 2 Tb honey
• 3 Tb. olive oil 
• 1 1/2 tsp salt 

Directions:

1. Combine 1 c. warm water (I use my thermometer to get to about 115 def. F.), honey, yeast and salt. Let sit for at least 5 minutes, or until you see you have activated the yeast.
2. Add in the oil, and 1 cup of the flour and combine in mixing bowl. I use my Kitchen Aid (thanks aunties!) with my hook attachment.
3. Add in another cup of flour and combine.
4. Finally add in the last 1/4 cup of flour and combine. This dough is sticky, but if you feel like it needs more flour add some more.
5. I knead for a few minutes, then take it out of the bowl.
6. Oil a large bowl and place dough inside. Cover (in a non-drafty area) and let rise for 2 hours. Per the original author's tip, I often put this in my microwave.
7. Punch down the dough. It is at the point that I separate into 3 balls of dough and freeze two in individual plastic bags.
8. Flour a board, and roll dough (with floured rolling pin or with hands), until you've reached the desired thickness. We like ours thin, which is why we have 3 pies, instead of the suggested two.
9. We preheat our pizza stone or pizza pan in a 450 deg. F oven. Then spread corn meal evenly over the pan. Place the dough on the pan.
10. Cook for a few minutes, keep an eye on this. It should look slightly cooked, but not almost done. Note: The original author does not do this step, so it's not entirely necessary. We just do this as it gets crispier in our opinion.
11. Take out and cover with sauce, cheese and toppings. Continue to cook until the cheese is to your color.

Sauce:

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz. can of crushed tomatoes
• 2-3 tsp. oregano
• 1-2 tsp. basil
• 1 tsp. onion powder
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1-2 Tb. olive oil
• 1 tsp. sugar
• Pinch salt 
• Pinch pepper

Directions:

1. Saute garlic in olive oil. Do not brown garlic.
2. Add crushed tomatoes and seasoning.
3. Simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and then adjust seasonings. Sometimes I need to add a lot of oregano and basil before I feel the flavor is correct.

Brianne's Taco Cupcakes

Adam and I have learned to really like these little "Cupcakes". I went through a phase where I really enjoyed using wonton wrappers. This recipe kept coming up on Pinterest, so I had to try them. Adam and I adapted the recipe from here. I even made these for Mom and Dad when they were visiting. They liked them, and that's high praise.

Ingredients:

1 lb., ground beef (I use 90%). Note: you could use chicken or Turkey if you'd like

Taco seasoning, to taste

1 can, black beans- rinsed

Wonton wrappers

Salsa

Shredded cheese

Queso

Toppings:

Quacamole

Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 def. F. 

2. Brown ground beef. Add taco seasoning and cook according to packet. 

3. Add black beans and warm through.

4. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray and layer in wonton wrappers. 

5. Place a layer of queso at the bottom of the wonton wrapper.

6. Add a spoon full of meat mixture.

7. Add a layer of salsa.

8. Add a layer or shredded cheese.

9. Repeat another layer.

10. Bake for 18-20 minutes. 

11. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before removing from tin.

12. Add toppings as you see fit. 

Note: 

• I always have a ton of left over meat mixture. I free this in portions and reheat when we choose to make this again. 
• Not only is this easy, but you can adjust the ingredients to be low fat or full fat, depending on your taste buds. 
• If you only do one layer, so all the wonton is crispy, cut down on the time in the oven. 

Amy's Banana Bread

Amy, Jennie's near-sister, makes a wide variety of very good, very healthy dishes (she makes an insanely good home-made grilled goat cheese pizza that my parents were fortunate to partake in during their visit to the Thiel's last year).  Amy's banana bread is very good as well and, as I do not have the recipe for her homemade pizza dough and/or grilled pizza, here's the recipe for the bread :).  I would love to see other's recipes for banana bread as well!

Ingredients (makes 2 small or 1 large loaf):

• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 eggs
• 3 mashed bananas
• 3 tblsp milk
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tblsp vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
2. Blend the sugar and the oil
3. Add the eggs, mix
4. Add the bananas and the milk, mix
5. Add the rest of the ingredients, mix
6. Grease your pan(s) and pour the mix into the pan(s)
7. Bake the bread for approximately 45 minutes

Brianne's Favorite Homemade Spaghetti Sauce

This is by far my most favorite homemade spaghetti sauce! I believe this recipe came from our next door neighbor. I make this and then freeze this in 2 servings portions to take out as I please. I rarely make the meatballs, but they are also good. This recipe is also so incredibly easy and versatile.

Note: I make this so often, that I no longer measure the ingredients. I love lots of garlic. You can also substitute baking soda for sugar. Only add a bit at a time and taste until the acidity is to your liking.

Sauce Ingredients:

1 qt. tomato juice
1 sm. can tomato paste
1 lg. onion
minced garlic
1 tsp. dried basil
1 Tb. sugar
2 Tb. olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
water

Sauce instructions:

1. Saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic and cook for a minute or two.
2. Add tomato juice, tomato paste, and water (use tomato paste can as measuring cup). Add seasonings.
3. Simmer for a few hours. *If in a rush, can simmer for 30 minutes.

Meatball Ingredients:

1 pd. ground beef
1/2 c. bread crumbs
2 Tb. grated Romano or Parmesan
1/2 tsp. parsley
1/2 tsp. basil
1 egg
salt and pepper

Meatball instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients with enough water to keep mixture together.
2. Shape into 1/2 c. balls. Put on a cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 350 deg. oven for 20-30 min. (can also cook in sauce).

Brianne's Crockpot BBQ Pork Ribs

This is a recipe that is so unbelievably easy and tasty, that it barely qualifies as a recipe. I made this for my in-laws for Christmas eve, and they loved it! This makes amazing left overs. I recommend eating this on a baked potato.

Ingredients:

Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce (or your favorite)
Country style pork ribs (about 1/2 lb. per person.), bone-in or boneless will work


Directions:

1. Coat the bottom of the Crockpot in a thin layer of barbecue sauce.
2. Put ribs on sauce. Note: Put bone side down if using bone-in.
3. Coat in sauce. I usually use a small bottle for 2 lbs. of ribs.
4. Cook on low for 8 hours.

Judy's Macaroni and Cheese

This recipe is a favorite of Adam's. It is made at almost any family function. We look forward to this, and is one of my favorite homemade Macaroni and Cheese recipes. I realize this isn't the healthiest, but it is so delicious. There are slight variations you could make to lighten it up.

Ingredients:

2 c. Macaroni
Sauce:
4 Tb. butter
4 Tb. flour
2C. cubed Velveeta cheese or chop up 1 lb. Velveeta
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. onion powder
2 c. milk
Topping:
1 c. cheese
toasted bread crumbs or cracker crumbs

Directions:

1. Cook macaroni in boiling water. Cook for 10 minutes only and drain. Rinse in cold water.
2. Combine all sauce ingredients and cook over low heat. Stir constantly until sauce is thick.
3. Pour cooked sauce over cooked, well drained macaroni.
4. Pour 1/2 cooked mixture into greased casserole dish. Sprinkle any kind of shredded cheese on top.
5. Pour the remaining mixture in dish and sprinkle with crumbs.
6. Bake at 350 deg. F for 45-60 min.

Brianne's Baked Cauliflower

I came across this recipe in various locations. This has become a favorite of Adam and mine.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower or frozen cauliflower
Olive Oil
Salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350-375 deg. F.
2. Wash head of cauliflower and cut into small pieces.
3. Coat Cauliflower in olive oil (just enough to coat), salt and pepper.
4. Place on cookie sheet in single layer.
5. Cook until crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. This takes about 30-45 min. Ensure you turn the pieces a few times.

Grandma's Chicken Rotini Casserole

Here is Grandma's first contributed recipe.

From Grandma:
Such an easy casserole and one that Dad liked.  It came from a Joliet resident Donna Laasch.

Ingredients:

• 1lb. rainbow rotini  
• 3 tb. butter
• 1/2 c. onion
• 1 can cream mushroom soup
• 1 can cream chicken soup
• 1/2 c. shredded cheddar 
• 4 cups dices cooked chicken
• 2 tb. yellow prepared mustard
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1 c. miracle light whip mayo

Directions:

1. Cook rotini as directed.  
2. Saute onion in melted butter.  
3. Mix all this together and bake in 350 oven for approximately 40 minutes (time may vary).

Billie's (sort of) Tomato-Bacon Cups

Miss Billie got this recipe from a friend of hers and we love them.  They're very simple and provide a salty "small plate" type of food perfect for entertaining.  I'd completely forgotten about these and intend to make them in the near future (they're that good).

Ingredients:

• 8 slices of bacon, crisply cooked
• 1 medium tomato
• 1/2 a small onion (your choice, but red would likely go very well)
• 3 oz. swiss cheese
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 can (10 oz.) of refrigerated flaky biscuits

Directions:

1. Use a mini-muffin tin
2. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees
3. Chop the bacon, tomato and onion
4. Grate the cheese
5. Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl, save the biscuits
6. Separate each biscuit into 3 thinner biscuits
7. Place one layer over each cup and press down into the cup (advise flour on your thumb or a mellon baller)
8. Place approximately one tablespoon of the ingredient mix into the cup
9. Bake for 10-12 minutes until golden brown

Pinterest Insprired Avocado Hummus

This recipe was inspired by The Lovely Cupboard. I saw it and knew I had to try it! It is super easy and healthy.


Ingredients:

1 can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 avocado, diced
Juice of 1/2 lime
1 Tb. olive oil (lower fat option is to use the juice from the beans)
1/2 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

1. Combine ingredients. Process with food processor, immersion blender, or blender until smooth.
2. Serve with Pretzel chips, pita chips, vegtables, etc.


Note: The original recipe called for more olive oil. I thought this made the hummus taste too much like olive oil. I would probably use the bean juice next time with a touch of olive oil.  The recipe also included cayenne, which just didn't sound appealing to me. You really could add any seasoning you like, just make sure it's in a small quantity. This really is a delicate flavored dish.

Janelle's Summer Vegetable Tian

Ingredients:
1 md. Onion
1 md. zucchini
1 md. yellow squash
1 md. potato
1 md. tomato
Olive oil
2-3 cloves garlic
butter/Pam for bottom of dish

Directions:
1.  Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Finely dice one med. onion and mince 2-3 cloves of garlic.  Sauté in olive oil until both are softened.  Put in bottom of buttered or Pammed 8x8 baking dish.
2.  Thinly slice:  one medium zucchini, one med. yellow squash, one med. potato, one med. tomato.
Stand veggies on end and put in rows, alternately in the baking dish.  It's pretty and doesn't have to be perfect.  Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and thyme.  Cover with foil and bake for 30 min.
3.  Remove foil, sprinkle with one cup of shredded Italian cheese (or cheese of your choice) and bake additional 15-20 min., until cheese is melted and golden.

Derek's Brie Pasta

We had this pasta dish in 2007 in Delaware.  My boss made this for us for a meal with he and his wife and we absolutely loved it. Insanely simple, but really good and different, the dish is perfect for entertaining.  Highly suggest a white wine with this.  Regarding the instructions, can you tell a guy wrote this?

Ingredients:

1 pound Brie cheese
1 cup of Olive Oil
2 "big bunches" of basil leaves
2 "big handfuls" of diced tomatoes
3-4 cloves of chopped garlic

Directions:

Combine ingredients - let sit all day (I think he's put it all together the night before as well)
Toss over hot linguine

Jo's Beef Stew

Here is Joanne's first contributed recipe.

From Josie: It's a combination of recipes I've taken from Epicurious and Whole Foods, and from my own experimenting.  I make it on Sundays, but it makes a lot so I always put leftovers in a few Tupperware containers and place in the freezer for work-night meals.  

Ingredients

3-1/2 lbs. beef (combination of round and chuck steak stew meat)

Flour (I use ground flaxseed instead)

5-6 Parsnips (looks like white carrots, only skinnier)

6-7 Carrots – peeled, thick slices

2 lbs. Potatoes – cubed, with skins on

3-4 large Onions - chopped

6-8 stalks Celery - chopped

Garlic - lots

Large can --  crushed tomatoes

1 bottle of Yuengling or other dark beer

21 Seasoning Salute from Trader Joe’s

Dried thyme

Canola oil

Salt & pepper

Directions

Put beef in plastic bag with flour (I substitute ground flaxseed), and mix together.  Heat oil in large dutch oven, add beef, brown on all sides.  Directions say to brown the beef one layer at a time, but I’m too impatient and put all the beef in at once - and it works fine, I just stir it regularly. 

In separate skillet, sauté the onion, carrots and celery in oil.

Once meat is browned, add the tomatoes, beer, spices, parsnips, and the sautéed onions/ celery/ carrots. 

Bake in 300 degree oven for two hours. 

Add cubed potatoes. 

Bake another 2 hours at 325 degrees.

Consistency should be much thicker than regular soup, yet you need a spoon to eat it.

** Could add a little chicken or beef broth in addition to the crushed tomatoes

Jennie's Bacon Pasta

This is one of our favorite recipes and has become a mainstay of our dinner rotation for some time.  Jennie effectively created this dish on her own while we were in Wilmington.  We make this dish for friends on a regular basis and it can feed 4-6.  This means that it is absolutely great for left-overs.  Jen would admit that it may take a few tries to get it to your personal taste and this recipe, like most family Italian recipes, is handled more by feel than by rigid instructions. It's also much easier than you think when first reading through the below.

Ingredients

* 4-5 cloves of garlic (depends on taste and size of cloves)

* A Generous Amount of Olive Oil

* 1 lb Bacon

* 1 lb Angel Hair Pasta

* 5-6 Tomatoes on the Vine

* 2-3 Plum Tomatoes

* Fresh Basil

* Salt & Pepper

Directions

1. In an 8 quart pot, boil water for pasta.  
2. Slice bacon into approximately 1 inch wide chunks and cook in a large sauce pan.  
3. Cook the bacon to taste.
4. Depending on the amount of time you have, you can either cook you bacon prior to making pasta, or you can cook it while your water boils.  
5. Once bacon is cooked, set aside to cool a little.  
6. Drain all of the drippings from your pan, but don't wipe your pan completely clean-the "left-overs" will add good flavor to the sauce.  
7. If you have just cooked the bacon in your pan, let it cool a little.  
8. Then cover your sauce pan in olive oil-and I mean cover!  This is part of the sauce.  
9. Thinly slice all of the garlic into the olive oil (Note: Williams Sonoma makes this cool garlic press that has a mincer and a slicer!) and let it sit in the oil for awhile.  
10. While your garlic is flavoring your oil, go ahead and dice up your tomatoes into a separate bowl.  
11. Remove the tops on both types of tomatoes, but then dice everything else and keep all the juice.  
12. Go ahead and put medium high to medium heat (depending on how hot your stove runs) under your olive oil/garlic.  
13. When the olive oil starts to simmer a little and the garlic starts to turn translucent (but don't brown the garlic) go ahead and add all of your tomatoes and tomato juice.  S
14. alt and pepper the tomatoes generously-this brings their flavor out and is important in making sure the sauce isn't too bland.  
15. While the sauce is simmering, rinse and cut up your basil.  Note: I find good kitchen shears to the best way to cut up basil.  The size and amount of the basil chunks is up to you.  I love basil and so I don't mind big pieces-but my mom always sliced it very thinly.  
16. Simmer all of this together while your water is waiting to boil.  
17. Once you put in your Angel Hair (and a splash of olive oil so that it doesn't stick together), which usually takes 3-4 minutes to cook, go ahead and add your bacon back to the sauce to heat it up and to add the flavor.  
18. In these last couple of cooking minutes, go ahead and heat up the bowl you are going to put your pasta in with Super Hot water.  This way, when you put the pasta in the bowl, it won't cool off the pasta.  
19. When the pasta is cooked, drain and put into now drained pasta bowl.  I put the pasta in the bowl in sections, mixing each section with olive oil so the angel hair doesn't all stick together in clumps.  
20. Now you are pretty much done!  Depending on how I feel, sometimes I mix all the sauce together with the pasta in the bowl, or sometimes I let each person put their own sauce on.  
21. If you are serving this to others, then you can garnish with a sprig of fresh basil on top.  

This seems hard, but it really isn't and it is one of my favorite dishes!!

Janelle's White Chocolate Cranberry Shortbread Cookies

These cookies come from mom (Janelle).  While I am a fan of these little delights, my lovely wife hunts for these each holiday season.  You have been warned.  Furthermore, these go well with coffee or tea and they provide a nice counter-balance to the traditional chocolate-based treats of the season.
 

Update: 1/31/13 - Mom left us some of these to devour last night!!

Ingredients:

2 cups (4 sticks) of butter at room temperature

1 cup of sugar    

4 cups of flour

6-12 oz. dried cranberries  

   Note: I add 12 oz. when I don't use the macadamia nuts

8-12 oz. white chocolate chips 

*1/2 - 1 c. chopped macadamia nuts

Decoration: additional sugar, amount as desired, for sprinkling

 

Directions:

1. Cream the first two ingredients with the mixer.
2. Gradually add the flour and continue mixing.
3. Once the flour is folded in, drop by the mix into small balls on an ungreased cookie sheet.  
4. Either flatten with a glass dipped in sugar or just flatten by hand and sprinkle sugar (colored or otherwise) on top.

5. Bake at 350 degrees for 12-14 minutes.

The Jones' Chicken 'n Spinach Pasta Bake

Friends of ours from Wake Forest and Morris Nichols made this dish when we visited their home in Wilmington, DE.  They, along with their three little ones, have since moved to Raleigh, interestingly within a month of our move, but we keep in touch.  

In looking for recipes for this project, I ran across this dish and have somewhat vague memories of really enjoying the meal.  Frankly, we would not have asked for the recipe if it wasn't pretty good.  I do remember them telling us that this dish is extraordinarily easy to make. Anyone up for testing it out again with us?

 

Ingredients:

2 cups uncooked rigatoni
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Cup finely chopped onion
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed
3 C cubed cooked chicken breasts
1 (14.5 oz) can Italian style diced tomatoes
1 (8 oz) container chive & onion cream cheese (I use lowfat)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 1/2 C shredded mozzarella cheese

 

Directions:

1. prepare rigatoni according to package directions.
2. spread oil on bottom of an 11x7 baking dish, add onion in a single layer & bake on 375 for 15 minutes or until just tender. transfer onion to large bowl and set aside.
3. drain chopped spinach, well, pressing between layers of paper towels.
4. stir rigatoni, spinach, chicken, and next 4 ingredients into onion in bowl. spoon mixture into baking dish, and sprinkle evenly with mozzarella cheese.
5. bake, covered on 375 for 30 minutes, uncover and bake 15 minutes more or until bubbly.