Dinner at our House w/ Grandma

I am literally astonished that this post exists.  I thought for sure that this post would be published following another post, on a different subject, that I was supposed to post about (a.k.a a museum).  However, I couldn't take pictures at the museum and therefore I thought for sure I wouldn't be able to post at all.  I also had no idea that I would have anything to post about at all, but this post survived, drastically changed and hastily written.

For dinner tonight, we are having homemade meatballs w/ penne noodles, or "pasta." Because we make every thing but the noodles from scratch, I think our pasta is far superior to any other pasta.

We started this meal by making the meatballs. For our meatballs we use ground pork, and we mix it with spices, crushed saltine crackers, and of course, Romano cheese. 

While I scooped the meatballs with an ice cream scooper, Ella rolled the meatballs into neater balls. Soon, they were in the frying pan and sizzling away. 

While I typed the previous section, Ella started making our sauce, which is about as non-complex as it gets - if you make a single batch. We, however, make our sauce in bulk and so when ever we make it, there is a ton of juggling ingredients.

While we made the sauce, my Grandma cooked the meatballs and eventually put them in the crock-pot.

Then we poured the sauce on top of the meatballs in the crock-pot, and let it cook.

(Well, technically I headed to soccer practice, so they cooked the sauce.)

Then THEY made the salad, noodles, and croutons.

I had no idea that they were going to make croutons, but they did, and from what I've heard, all you do is cut up bread, butter it and then put it in the oven, and wala! you gave croutons.

I could be wrong.

Maybe they sprinkled salt on them too? Well, I'll never know.

For dinner we had:

• Homemade Pasta
• Salad
• Croutons
• Brownies

Spaghetti/Pasta Recipe

From: Grandma

You will need:

For the meat:

• 1 pound ground pork
• 6-8 saltine crackers
• 2 tsp. parsley
• 1 Tb. Grated Romano cheese
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 egg

For the Sauce

• 3- 10 oz. Tomato Sauce
• 1-Small Tomato Paste
• 1-10 oz. can paste
• 1- 10 oz. can water
• 1 Tbs. Sugar
• 1/2 c. Romano grated

Mix and brown meatballs. Drain. Add mixture for sauce. Simmer for 1 1/2 hrs. (simmer on low in slow cooker all day.

Enjoy!

Monday Recipe No. 3

This recipe isn't exactly annual for our family, but it is so good I wish it was!

Maple Syrup Fudge

From: Grandma

You will need:

• 3 c. Sugar
• 1 1/2 c. Maple Syrup
• 1 Tb. Corn Syrup
• 2 c. Whipping Cream
• 6 Tb. Butter
• 1 1/2 oz. Conf. Coating (shaved)

Line 8" suare pan w/ foil and butter. Use a big, heavy pan- add sugar, syrup, and cream over Medium heat, stir w/ wooden spoon. Use pastry brush w/ Hot water to wipe down sides. (3x) Heat until 238 degrees (approx. 30 mins.) [water boils @ 212-test therm] Remove from heat. Let stand for 10 min. Cut butter and lay on fudge surface. when butter has melted, stir in conf. coating. Pour into pan Refridgerate for one hour.

Post-Christmas Eve

I stayed up until eleven o'clock last night with our family festivities and now I am back to living at my own house, and doing normal things, like work.

We were only gone for a few days, but with all the presents and with all the suitcases, our house is in disarray. We also are grumpy, from lack of sleep, and so we are all as companionable as crabs. But, today might turn out exciting after all, I got a camera last night, and today I just got a memory card for it. Even if today is miserable, I at least will be able to capture it on film!

(Just a joke my mom would NOT permit it)

First, in this day, we invited our good friend and neighbor, Eleanor, came over. Then we started taking down our Christmas tree. (I"ll post more on that later) After this, I made "gourmet" mac 'n' cheese out of box for lunch.

Then, after working for a little bit longer, we made homemade apple pie for dessert for dinner.

To finish off our "terrible" last day of Christmas break, we drank some of our homemade hot cocoa with mint marshmellows covered in chocolate

Today turned out not to be as bad as I expected it to be!

Monday Recipe No. 2

This is a delicious twist on the rice krispie treats we have all grown to love! They are easy, quick and delicious.

Fudge Krispies

From: My Grandma

You will need:

• 1 -11 1/2 oz. pkg. Milk Choc. Chips
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1/2 c. light corn syrup 
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 1 c. conf. sugar
• 4 c. Rice Krispies

Melt chips butter and corn syrup until smooth. Remove from heat. stir in vanilla and sugar. Add Rice Krispies. Spread in 13x9x2 and chill until firm.

Prep for a Late Christmas

Usually, on Christmas all my family on my mom's side gathers. (this is almost always a big achievement because my mom has eight children in her family and because there are seventeen cousins total) This year, however, my grandma and grandpa were not home for Christmas, and so we had to postpone the gathering to New Year's Day. We are leaving on Friday, even though New Year's  is on Sunday, and so today I have been baking a lot in preparation. But even though the day has been very busy, there has still been time to invite our close friend and neighbor, Eleanor, over, and to play our new video game.

Today I was kept busy by making my all time favorite bars, Dutch Almond Bars, and also my Dad's favorite, Ginger Creams. To top it off, my mom and I are making Tacos and Black Bean Enchiladas, family favorites, for dinner.

Our Kitchen is a mess, the house smells of cooking, and I am totally enjoying the rich experience of home cooking.

The dutch almond bars I just took out of the oven, and I am whipping up the delicious glaze that goes with the bars. I love making these bars! They have five ingredients and are so easy!

Next, I start working on the ginger creams. They are half way between gingerbread and molasses cookies. I frost them with my special buttercream and they are delicious. Because you have to chill them, I start scooping them onto the cookie sheets later then expected.

Now, I am working on the tacos meat. Cooking taco meat is not exactly rocket science, so I get this done quickly. Now I can ease into my dinner chair and relax.

Monday Recipe No. 1

 Dear Citizens of Earth etc,

It has come to my attention that the world is deeply lacking because my family has not shared many of our recipes with it. So, starting this Monday, I will be sharing recipes with you. 

Double Fudge Brownies

From: My Grandma

You will need:

• 1 1/2 c. unsifted flour
• 1/2 tsp. bkg. soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2/3 c. butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 c. gran. sugar 
• 1/4 c. water
• 1 - 12oz. pkg. choc. chips
• 2 tsp. vanilla
• 4 eggs
• 1 c. walnuts (optional)

Melt butter, add water, sugar, & chips. Beat in eggs one at a time. Add vanilla, flour mixture. Grease 13x9x2 bake and 325 degreed for 50 min.

Favorite Christmas Recipe No. 1

                                         Beverage Slush

From: Grandma (on my Dad's side)

You will need:

• 1 - 46 oz. can unsweetened pineapple juce
• 5 cups water
• 3 cups sugar
• 1 -12 oz. can frozen orange juice
• 1 -12 oz. can frozen lemonade
• 4-6 over ripe bananas

Puree the bananas in the blender with an additional cup of water. Mix all of the ingredients in an extra large mixing bowl. Freeze for about 24 hrs. Stir after every 6 hrs (or less)

To eat, scoop into a glass -about 2/3 - 3/4 full. Fill the glass up with Sprite. 

Fits into a 5 qt. ice cream pail. (barely)