Tomato Grits

There isn't anything more wonderful than grits. Except grits a la Paula Deen!!! I discovered this wonderful dish while searching for 'Creole' night! I really love this dish, more than I should...maybe because it has nearly a pound of butter and cheese.

2 cups water

1 1/4 cups milk

1 tsp salt

1 cup quick cooking grits

1/2 cup + 1 Tblsp butter

1/3 cup sliced green onions

4oz Velveeta, cubed

1/4 tsp garlic powder

2 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 (10oz) can Rotel

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a saucepan, bring the water and milk to a boil. Add salt and slowly add the grits and return to a boil, stirring constantly for 1 minute. Reduce, cover, and cook for 3 minutes. While stirring the grits add the 1/2 cup of butter and stir until butter is melted. Cover and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the grits are thick and creamy. Remove from heat and set aside.

Using a skillet, saute the onions in the remaining tablespoon of butter for 1 minute. Add the Velveeta, garlic powder, 1 1/2 cups cheddar, and onions to grits, and stir until the cheese is melted. Add the tomatoes and mix well. Pour the grits into a greased (more butter!) 8x11x2-inch dish and bake for 40 minutes. Sprinkle remaining cheese over the top for the last 5 minutes.

From: Paula Deen

Makes: 8-10 servings

Mom What's for Lunch!? Buttered Noodles!??

I have no picture for this because of the shock I'm still in. Spring Break 2011, and it's lunch time. What do I make? A little voice comes out of the corner of the kitchen, 'Mommy, I would like buttered noodles" Ummm ok, this is what the kids want...
I make it...not sure what nutritional value they have, I read over the box of med shells and they claim to be an ok choice...and butter...you can't go wrong. I dish up the what would be considered side dish, and the kids are all smiles and eat everthing in sight singing my praises...a happy lunch full of smiles and full tummies. I'll take what I can get...

Macaroni & Cheese

After a few years of eating the boxed blue stuff...I thought there has to be a better way to eat this...

*disclaimer-I am not knocking the blue box, I know of many people who are very loyal to this product, I never really liked it.

And this method is just as fast as the box!

4 tablespoons butter (nothing else)

4 tablespoons flour

24 ounces milk

cheese (lots of cheese shredded)

*can use 1 or a few...I like good ole cheddar

1 1/2 cups elbow macaroni+a little more (I don't measure, I just pour)

1/2 sleeve ritz crackers, crushed

Start the water to boil. Add the noodles, while that is going...

Melt butter in a pan, slowly whisk in the flour. Once it's all incorporated, slowly whisk in the milk. Stirring constantly let the mixture get to a slow boil. Be careful to not let it get too hot. Once it boils for about a minute. Take it off the heat and stir in the cheese.

Around this time, the noodles will be cooked. Drain the noodles, put them into a casserole dish and pour the cheese sauce over the top, stir together. Top with crushed Ritz a little melted butter and some more shredded cheese. Put into the oven 350F for about 5-10 mins just to melt the cheese and get the top crisp.

Serve!! Yummy!

Makes: 1 medium casserole dish

From: Poff's Kitchen and a good old book I don't have to look at anymore.

(I wonder when does it become your recipe? When you don't have to look at the directions anymore?)

Aloha Lost- A Food Tribute!

Yes, we watched, we loved, we got headaches, we didn't get all of the question anwsered, we were lost, but it's time to say goodbye. After 6 years and a great show, it's time for the last show, and what better way to send off a great show than with a proper buffet tribute! Lots of thought and love went into this, some may laugh, some may think it's pretty cool. I had a blast! Enjoy and Namaste

Menu:

Pineapple/Apricot punch: This is a punch that Grandma got from Hawaii and brought back, she would always make up some for a hot summer day. It's very simple, 1 part Sprite/lemon-lime, 2 parts pineapple juice & 2 part apricot nectar. It's very nice without the Sprite in a blender with some ice for Breakfast drinks.

Hawaiian Sweet Bread: A nod to the lovely island that they filmed at! And we needed bread!

Peanut Butter: When the airplane crashed a few days later we were introduced to one of the best couples, Claire & Charlie. Claire was pregnant and all she wanted was peanut butter, Charlie produces an empty jar and they pretend that it's wonderful. Later on, they do get ahold of peanut butter. I added some pretzel sticks, makes it easier to dip!

Orange Smiles: Who could forget Locke smiling with an orange smile?

Ranch Dressing: After they found the hatch full of food, Hurley found a vat of ranch, and ate it! Notice it took every bit of me to not arrange the veggies. I made it look like it was 'thrown together' A'la Hurley food binge!

Light & Dark Kebabs: There was a constant theme of good and bad, light and dark. Hence Chicken & Steak! The steak is marinated in a mixture of  2 parts honey & 1 part soy sauce with grape tomatoes. The chicken plain with pineapple niblets. Both are very yummy and toddler friendly. The boys love them!

Light & Dark Cupcakes: Again with the constant theme. Lots of fun!

Dharma Fish Biscuts: Kate & Sawyer spent some time in animal cages, and enjoyed these treats! Mine are a little more tasty. Easy peasy, take refrigerated sugar cookie dough, mix in orange food dye by hand. If you have a fish cookie cutter this will work, if not, hand shape the cookies. With a toothpick write 'DHARMA' in the cookie. Bake according to package directions. They do get puffy so we iced them to show the fish outline. They were very large but enjoyed by all!

Papaya: It was all over the island we had to have it on the table!

Little Airline Bottles of random drinks: They were on a plane! Sawyer hid them for a while.

Fried Rice: A nod to Jin & Sun another one of the best couples in the show.

I did a search for the best fried rice...of course it's Benihana's! I love that stuff! It's fun to watch them make it and oh so yummy!

4 cups cooked rice

1 cup frozen peas, thawed

2 Tblsp finely grated carrot (I just chopped baby carrots very fine, but rough cut)

2 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup diced onion (1 small onion)

1 1/2 Tblsp butter

2 Tblsp soy sauce

salt & pepper

Once the rice is cooked, cool competely in the fridge. Scramble egg in a small pan over medium heat. Seperate eggs into small pieces. Add peas, carrot, egg and onion to the bowl of rice. Toss all of the ingredients together. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium/high heat. Dump the bowl of rice mixture into the pan and add soy sauce plus a dash of salt and pepper. Cook for 6-8 minutes over heat, stirring often. 

 This can be made ahead of time by cooking the rice, then adding the peas, carrots, egg & half of the soy sauce. Keep chilled until you are ready to fry it in the butter. Add the rest of soy sauce and salt & pepper.

I doubled the recipie, it made a TON of fried rice, would be nice with added chicken!

 Makes: 4 servings

From: a combination of many recipies from online Google search

Well there it is! Hope you enjoy. There are lots of fun foods to make and try

Pasta Salad!

Yes! Summer is upon us!! I just LOVE pasta salad! It makes me happy! And can be made how ever you want! I stick to my favorite creation that I came up with for Brent's promotion party back in 2006. Enjoy!

Like most of my creations...there is no set ammount of what goes into this, just use you judgement, add a little more or a little less, have fun!

• 1 package of tri-colored corkscrew pasta- cooked
• 1 small-medium red onion- diced
• 1 can black olives- sliced
• 1 medium cucumber- diced
• 1/2 lb cheddar cheese- cubed
• 1/2 package pepperoni- cut into quarters
• 1 package grape tomatoes- halved
• Italian Dressing

It takes more time to do all of the prep work than it does to put it together. You can get most of the things pre-cut, but it's cheaper to do it yourself, and hey...you burn calories! ;0) I like to mix everything else up and toss while the pasta is cooling. Once cooled, toss the pasta to mix everything together. Now this is the tricky part, slowly add the dressing. I like more dressing. But if you just want to coat, slowly add and toss...you can always add a little more. Once this is done, it can be served right away or made the night before to marinate. This is always better the next day if there are any left overs!

From: Poff's Kitchen

Makes: 1 Large serving bowl of salad

*Can be easily doubled for a larger crowd, just do 2 bags of pasta and add more goodies!

A 6th & 1st Birthday Dinner

We decided a few years ago that we would let the children pick what they get for their birthday dinner, this year since we were 35 inches of snow deep that we would cook dinner. Here's what the savy 6 year old picked for dinner:

Birthday Menu

• Terrakyi Chicken
• Sweet Potato Fries
• Green Beans
• Tropical Fruit Salad

Terrakyi Chicken: A package of chicken thighs, and terrakyi marinade plus the juice from the pineapple. Put all of it in a large ziplock bag and marinate for 30 minutes. Since it was really cold and had no intentions to BBQ, we made it in the Grill Pan. It didn't take too long and was really good! Cook evenly on both sides.

Sweet Potato Fries: I don't bother peeling the potatoes. Just free cut into fries, very quick like! Once they are all cut up, place in a large ziplock bag, sprinkle with extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper at will. SHAKE!!! Lay out on to a cookie sheet (I use the PC bar pan) Bake 450 for 30 minutes or until crispy. Enjoy!

Tropical Fruit Salad: (or what's in the pantry, because there's a blizzard outside and we need fruit!) 1 can pineapple chunks, 1 can mandrain oranges, 2 sliced bananas (Cooks tip: Cut bananas with plastic knife it won't brown as fast!), a sprinkle of crasins, and a handful of sweetened coconut flakes. Stir and chill.

Green Beans: Yes, it's that easy...Open can...drain, put into microwave safe bowl, add butter and salt & pepper. Heat in microwave. This is the quick & dirty way...hey don't judge...there was a blizzard!

The boys loved the special meal. As well as everyone who was over! Happy Birthday Philip & Anthony!

Makes: 1 meal for 11 people!

From: Poff's Kitchen