My Absolute Favorite Salad

To me, it's the combination of the strawberry, pear, pecan and gorgonzola that makes this salad top my list.

Here's how I make it...no quantities listed here because it totally varies depending on how big the servings are and many people are partaking.

Layer:

mixed lettuce greens

thinly sliced strawberries

thinly sliced pear

crumbled gorgonzola cheese

chopped pecans

Toss with dressing. My favorite is Champagne by Girards.

Okazu

Per special request, my cousin Kristin sent me this easy recipe that is a kid and adult pleaser.

Okazu
In a pot mix:
1/2 C. Soy sauce
1/2 C. Water
1/2 C. sugar
Bring to a boil, stirring, till sugar is dissolved.
Turn heat to low
Add in layers:
1/2 Sliced onion
1# sliced London Broil very thin, against grain.
4-5 carrots sliced in thin sticks
1/2 pkg frozen green beans
Cook on low till carrots are tender and green beans done. About 15-20 min.
Serve over rice.

A NO Go with kids

Some things you just can't serve children and expect them to eat it. This is one of them: Bacon Spinach Salad.

Spinach salad is one of my salads of choice, but I couldn't persuade my children to eat it, for anything. So, when I make this salad for dinner, the kids get this: Top Ramen with egg and sugar snap peas
My kids love hard boiled egg sliced on the top of their Top Ramen. They aren't so fond of the snap peas, but I have to offer them something green.

In case you'd like to throw together a Spinach Salad like mine, here's what I throw in:
Washed and dried spinach leaves

sliced hard boiled egg

sliced mushrooms
grape tomatoes
thinly sliced purple onion
crumbled bacon
tossed with Catalina dressing

Maryland Crab Cakes with Lemon Remoulade AND Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Chives

These recipes came compliments of Nancy at Turk Talk. Thank you so much. It looks delicious, and I learned something new!

Maryland Crab Cakes with Lemon Remoulade
5 Tablespoons fat-free mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 Tablespoons minced shallots
1 Table spoon drained capers
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
Dash hot pepper sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Chesapeake Bay seasoning - I use Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound crab meat - I used canned since it is out of season, but you can use thawed frozen or lump crabmeat

1. To make the remoulade, combine 3 Tablespoons of the mayo, parsley, shallots, capers, lemon zest, and pepper sauce in a small bowl; cover refrigerate.
2. Combine remaining 2 tablespoons of mayo, the egg, mustard, Bay seasoning, and Worcestershire sauce in a large bowl; gently stir in the crab meat.
Shape mixture into 8 patties. Place on a plate; cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Spray a large skillet with canola nonstick spray and set over medium-high heat. Add crab cakes and cook until heated through and well-browned, about 3 minutes on each side. Serve with remoulade.

Goes well with:

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Chives

1 (1 pound) bunch of asparagus, trimmed
2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh chives

1. Preheat the oven to 425
2. Put the asparagus in a shallow roasting pan. Drizzle with the oil and sprinkle with the salt and pepper; toss to coat evenly. Spread in a single layer and bake, shaking the pan occasionally, until tender and browned in spots, about 20 minutes. Transfer the asparagus to a platter; sprinkle with the lemon juice and chives.

Taco Soup

1 onion diced (unless your children refuse to eat onions-in that case, skip it)
1.5 lbs. of browned hamburger
OR
1.5 lbs. of boiled shredded chicken
2 cans of corn (undrained)
2 cans of kidney beans (rinsed and drained)
2 cans of petite diced tomatoes
1/4 cup of taco seasoning

Throw all ingredients in crockpot on low and let warm at least a few hours.

To serve, top with sour cream, shredded cheese and fritos or tortilla chips.

For another Taco Soup variation, visit Motherhood for Dummies.

Stroganoff

For the worlds best stroganoff, you must try this recipe. An absolute favorite in the Lee family.

Saute:
1 large onion
1 clove garlic in 1 TSBP. oil
remove from pan

Braise: 3 pounds sirloin tip or london broil cut into bite size pieces (about 1/4 of the meat at a time)

Add: 1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can mushrooms with liquid
1 bullion cute or 1 tsp beef granules

Cook all ingredients in a slow cooker, crock pot or heavy kettle until meat is done, stirring occasionally, about 3 hours on the stove, 4 hours at #4 on slower cooker or 8 hours on slow in the crock pot. About time to eat, add 1-2 cups of sour cream and heat through. Do not boil.

Serve over rice, or noodles.

Monkey Bread

A friend of mine from Massachusetts gave me this recipe, and if you are a bread lover like me, you'll LOVE this one. I've made this with wheat flour and it's delicious. Much denser, but tasty. I usually don't use as much butter, either.

1 egg
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup shortening
4 1/2 cup flour
2 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt
1 /2 cup butter

Mix all ingredients except the butter. Melt butter in bundt pan. Let dough rise until double. Roll 1/2 inch flat and cut into rounds. Dip tips of rounds in butter and place in a bundt pan. Bake @ 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes. You'll have to keep checking to see when it's done depending on your oven and bundt pan. Turn upside down and remove from pan.

Mexican Rice

This isn't the easiest rice recipe ever, but it is the best. My sister in law Debbie threw this one my way.

2 medium tomatoes quartered
1 onion peeled and quartered
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 cups rice (not minute, basmati works well)
4 garlic cloves minced
3 jalapenos chopped finely
2 cups chicken broth
1 Tsp. tomato paste
1/2 cup minced cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Puree tomato and onion until smooth (should be 2 cups). Heat oil in pan and add rice, saute until golden. Stir in 2/3 jalapeno and all of garlic, cook until fragrant. Stir in tomato puree, broth, paste, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt. Bring to boil. Pour into 9X13 baking dish and cover with foil. Bake until rice is tender. Stir 1/2 way through at about 15 minutes. Total bake time about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and stir in cilantro and remaining jalapeno.

Cream Cheese Crock Pot Chicken

The first year of the twins life we lived on crock pot dinners since that's all I seemed to be able to manage. This recipe is by far my families favorite:

Put 4-6 chicken breasts in the bottom of crockpot.

Mix together and pour over chicken:
8oz block of cream cheese
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pkg Italian dressing seasoning mix
1/2 cup water optional

Cook all day on low and serve over rice.

Easy Crepes

This recipe was given to me by my friend Tanya and it's tried and true. The crepes are super easy, always turn out, and are always a crowd pleaser.

1/2 cup water
1 1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
3 Tbs. melted butter or oil
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour

Mix all ingredients in a blender and pour on griddle to cook.

Cauliflower Cheese Soup

My sister in law Susan gave me this recipe and it's my favorite soup recipe ever. It's hearty, it's versatile and it tastes delicious. You can substitute almost any vegetable and it's always wonderful.

1 head chopped cauliflower
1 chopped onion
1 medium carrot
1 medium potato
1 1/2 cup cheese (added at the end)
enough chicken broth to cover the vegetables in the pan

Add all vegetables in a pan and cover with chicken broth. Cook until the vegetables are tender and then puree. Add half and half to taste and then add the cheese.