Showing posts with label Rita. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Rita. Show all posts

November Recipe of the Month by Sammysgrammy





Do you have a trusty old recipe box stowed away somewhere in your kitchen? Is it filled with food smeared, dog eared, tried and true recipes collected over many years? I was hunting for a recipe to share with you on the CAST blog and it was in this box that I searched.


The one I chose to share with you is one given to me by a friend from a "cell group" I attended many years ago. Our meetings always ended with dessert (provided by one of the members) and coffee and this one was my all-time favorite. It has subsequently become a favorite in our home too. It's easy to put together, very economical and is and looks very yummy.



ECLAIR DESSERT



Beat 2 packages of instant vanilla pudding with 3 cups of milk. (French Vanilla if you can find it). To this, fold in an 8 oz. container of Cool Whip. Set aside.



Layer whole graham crackers onto the bottom of a 9"x13" pan. Spread out 1/2 of the pudding mixture onto the graham crackers. Layer whole graham crackers on top of the pudding mixture, then spread the remaining pudding mixture onto the second layer of grahams. Top with a final layer of grahams. Refrigerate.



TOPPING GLAZE: Melt 2 squares of unsweetened chocolate in double boiler, add 3 tablespoons of margerine, 1 teasp. of vanilla, 3 tablespoons of white Karo corn syrup, 3 tablespoons of milk and 1 1/4 cup of powdered sugar. Mix well. (does not need beating)Immediately pour over the top of "eclair" and refrigerate until serving time.



Here are some castteammates who have the cutest "foodie" items in their shops. Please give them some luvn'.......


teacupdesigns http://www.etsy.com/listing/44270264/assorted-set-of-6-2x2-summer-mini-cards

starrydeborah1 http://www.etsy.com/listing/53554201/teacup-aceo-in-red


geminiartworks http://www.etsy.com/listing/50547695/lets-have-a-party-cupcake-tray

syoderart http://www.etsy.com/listing/20069114/honey-and-lemon-%20limited-edition-giclee

by Rita of sammygrammy



9:24 AM | Category: , , , , , | 6 comments

Recipe of the Month: Caprese Salad
by Rita of sammysgrammy



Meal in a Bowl Tomato Salad
aka - Caprese Salad

I call it meal in a bowl because I often have it for dinner - no cooking!! It has vegetables (tomatoes and onion), protein (cheese) and carbohydrates (french bread). Right now, while gardens and farmers markets are rich in tomatoes, it's the opportune time to prepare this luscious salad.

For each bowl,

2-3 ripe, juicy tomatoes, washed and cut into bite sized pieces
About 3-4 very thin slices through a red onion
2 oz. of fresh mozzarella sliced into bite sized pieces
3-4 fresh basil leaves, snipped into the bowl
kosher salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste


Dress salad with about 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil. Mix it all together. Slice french bread diagonally and get ready to dip. This salad creates lots of wonderful dipping juice.

From The Message: Genesis 1:11-13 "God spoke: Earth, green up! Grow all varieties of seed bearing plants, every sort of fruit bearing tree. And there it was. Earth produced green seed-bearing plants, all varieties and fruit bearing trees of all sorts. God saw that it was good. It was evening, it was morning - day three."


Below are etsy shops of castteam members that have some wonderful red, juicy items.






















by Rita of sammysgrammy
6:00 AM | Category: , , , , , , , | 7 comments

May Recipe of the Month
by Rita of sammysgrammy



Pasta Piselli (Pasta and Peas)


This meal is very simple, fast, economical and satisfying. It can be prepared for two people to twenty by simply adjusting the amounts. I’m going to give you the amounts for a four serving meal.


3/4 pound of bowtie pasta, cooked according to package directions.

As you set the pasta water on the stove to bring to a boil, begin to prepare the “condiment”*.

Brown about 4 oz. of chopped pancetta or bacon over medium heat in a 12 inch fry pan. As the meat is browning, add 1 small chopped onion, cook until just beginning to brown. Remove the fry pan from the heat until the pasta is done. When the pasta is done, put the fry pan back on the heat.

Just before removing the pasta from the boiling water, add 1 cup of fresh or frozen peas to the water.**

Remove the pasta and peas from the water (reserve the water) with a “spider” and add immediately to the condiment. Heat all ingredients together for a couple minutes, stirring to incorporate.

Add about ¼ cup of the pasta water to the pasta in the fry pan, so your presentation will be a bit more juicy.

Remove the pasta into a serving dish. I garnish with a tablespoon or 2 of extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with fresh chopped Italian parsley.

Each diner may add a sprinkling of Romano or Parmesan cheese and then………….Mangia!!

*Condiment is the dressing or sauce for the pasta.

**We just want to barely cook the peas. We want them nice and plump and green.



A Bible Verse for this economical recipe:

Proverbs 31: 17-19 in the New Living Translation

vs. 17 - she is energetic and strong, a hard worker
vs. 18 - she watches for bargains; her lights burn late into the night
vs. 19 - her hands are busy spinning thread, her fingers twisting fiber NLT

by Rita of sammysgrammy
9:55 AM | Category: , , , , , , | 11 comments