Cooking and Recipes

The Best Spaghetti Recipe Ever

Why can’t spaghetti at restaurants taste better? That’s what my daughter asked me tonight while eating dinner. Mind you, I don’t have time to make homemade, I do the thirty minute meals (my own, not Rachel Ray’s). I created my own thirty minute meals many many years ago when I had three little ones in diapers at the same time. Dinner had to be made quickly. One of my first creations, in fact, was spaghetti. Here’s my list of ingredients:

1 lb. of thin spaghetti
1 lb. of hamburger
1 large jar of Prego w/meat
olive oil
broiled steak seasoning (I use McCormicks)
onion salt
italian seasoning

First grab a box of “thin” spaghetti since it cooks faster. Put it in a pot of boiling water on medium high heat. Put a splash of olive oil in the pot to keep the noodles from sticking.

And for the sauce, I use Prego, but doctor it up a bit. Grab a pound of hamburger (we prefer lean or even bison), olive oil, broiled steak seasoning, italian seasoning, onion salt and 1 large jar of Prego with meat and set it beside your cooking station. I usually add an extra jar of Prego, enough to last the next day too, so? I don’t have to cook. Add olive oil to your spaghetti sauce pan, and turn on medium high. Add hamburger, sprinkle on broiled steak seasoning, onion salt (lightly), and italian seasoning. Brown your hamburger. Add the Prego meat sauce and cook on medium for twenty minutes. By now your thin spaghetti noodles are done. Viola, you’re done! Expect a bunch of compliments from your kids and hubby.

Feeds 4-6

Caramel Machiatto Cheesecake Recipe

The perfect decadence for all you coffee lovers out there. This sweet extravagance pairs the creaminess of a spicy coffee inspired cheesecake with the sweetness of caramel & vanilla. It’s enough to make you swoon and come back for more!

Ingredients:

2 cups of graham crackers (crushed)
1/2 cup of melted butter
2 Tablespoons of sugar
3 packages of softened cream cheese, (8 oz each)
1 cup of sugar
3 large eggs 8 oz. sour cream
1/4 c brewed espresso or strong coffee
2 tsp vanilla extract
Can of whipped cream (optional)
Kraft caramel topping

Directions:

After preheating the oven to 350 degrees, use cooking spray to coat a 9 inch springform pan. In a bowl, place graham cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar together until well mixed. Remove from the bowl and press it around all sides of the pan and 1 inch up the sides. Bake in preheated oven for 8 minutes, then remove the pan to cool, preferably on a wire rack. Turn the oven down to 325 degrees. Take an electric mixer and beat the cream cheese in a large bowl until fluffy. Gradually add 1 cup of the sugar, beating until blended. Add in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the sour cream, espresso and vanilla, then pour batter into the already baked and cooled crust. Place your cheesecake in the oven at 325 degrees for an hour and five minutes, turn off, leave door open a little for 15 minutes Then remove the cheesecake from the oven. Take a knife and go around the edges. Let cheesecake cool before placing it in the refrigerator for around eight hours. To serve, take out of the refrigerator and slice into even pieces. Spoon caramel on top. Add whip cream if desired.

Serves 12

Homemade Pancake Recipe Mix

Need breakfast for dinner in a hurry and family hankering for pancakes but you have no pancake mix in the house? That was the story last night in my house when everyone wanted pancakes for dinner. With 30 degrees outside and my joints already achy, I wasn?t inclined to venture out in the car. What?s a mom to do? Head to the internet, of course, to find a recipe that works with the ingredients I have on hand.

I have flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, sugar, eggs, butter and milk.? I grab the recipe and start making my pancakes to satisfy some noisy tummies. It tasted like Bisquick to me, but hey, now I have the ingredients to make my own version of Bisquit for quick biscuits and waffles, too. This was a win in my book, no preservatives and all organic ingredients. As a mom, I don?t think you can beat this healthy alternative to most store bought mix. We enjoyed these pancakes, no complainers in my house.

PART I -?Pancake Mix

Make your own homemade pancake mix in minutes with ingredients you have on hand.

Ingredients:

6 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tablespoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar

Instructions:

In a large mixing bowl, combine ingredients for your mix (part I) and place in a container with a top so that you can shake it all together to mix well. After you do this, you will have leftover since the batter (below) only calls for two cups of the mix.

PART II – Pancake Batter

Prep Time:?5 minutes
Cook Time:?20 minutes
Yield:?8

Ingredients:

2 eggs
2 cups milk
3 tablespoons melted butter
2 cups Pancake Mix (previously made)

Directions For the Batter

Remove two cups of the mix you just made and place back into the large mixing bowl.

In a smaller bowl, combine wet ingredients together and blend it all together.

Pour wet ingredients into the bowl with the two cups of mix to make batter. Blend until smooth or until most lumps go away. Place in greased pan and continue cooking until nicely browned on both sides.

This recipe should make about 6-8 nice sized pancakes. I had 9 but mine were a little smaller than what you would find in our local family restaurants.

Easy Inexpensive Pasta Dinner

Fortunately, there are ways to use pasta that are not only inexpensive, but are easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Are you having one of those weeks where nothing comes to mind when planning your dinners? A lot of times this happens in between paychecks, when there isn?t much but pasta and canned goods lining the shelves.

Here are a few of our favorite easy pasta dishes that are sure to please. Feel free to use whole wheat pasta for an even healthier meal. You can also add any vegetable, spice or herb you have on hand.

Pasta with Dried Fruits and Almonds: Boil your pasta in chicken broth, or add some chicken broth to your pot of boiling water. Drain the pasta. Saute chopped dried fruit such as apricots, pineapple or golden raisins in olive oil. You can add garlic, herbs and salt/pepper for extra flavor. Mix with the pasta. Sprinkle pepper flakes on for a bit of heat. If you have a lemon on hand, squeeze some on before plating.
Lemon Butter Pasta: Boil pasta and drain. In another pan, saut? butter, lemon juice and lemon zest. A little olive oil will make the mixture go further. Add any vegetables you have on hand and throw in some chopped garlic. If you have a carrot, shave it and saut? it with the lemon sauce.
Pasta with Bacon: Brown bacon and cut it up into smaller pieces. When you are draining your pasta, save ? cup of the liquid. Melt four tablespoons of butter in a pan and add your reserved liquid. Add the pasta and grated cheese of your choice. Sprinkle with bacon, parsley or oregano. Season to taste.? Applebees has a version of this they call 4 Cheese Honey Pepper Mac ‘N Cheese that we love.
Tuna Pasta: Saute garlic in either olive oil or butter. Add spices of your choice. Add a can of tuna. If you have cooking wine, pour some in and allow to heat with the tuna. Toss in pasta and sprinkle with cheddar cheese.
Pasta and Eggs: Saute onion and garlic in butter and olive oil. Stir in pasta. In a bowl, beat together four to six eggs, half a cup of parmesan, mozzarella or cheddar cheese, parsley and salt and pepper. Pour over the pasta and cover. When the eggs are set and browned on the edges, place a plate over the pan and flip the egg on to the plate. Slide the pasta back in to the pan to cook the other side. Cut in to wedges and serve.