Quick, Easy and Simple

I was in the mood for macaroni and cheese and thought that would be the perfect thing to whip up for my lunch. This is a simple recipe that I came up with to satisfy my craving.


Quick Macaroni and Cheese

2 cups macaroni
1 brick extra sharp cheddar cheese, cubed
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons butter
1 cup milk
10 whole wheat ritz crackers

1. Cook macaroni according to the directions on the package.

2. In a medium saucepan place milk, butter and both cheeses. Stir until cheese is melted.

3. Place drained macaroni in a small baking dish. Pour cheese sauce over macaroni. Crush crackers and sprinkle over top.

4. Bake for 20 minutes or longer until bubbly and topping is golden.

Blueberry Baking Mix Muffins

Blueberry Baking Mix Muffins

1/3 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

2/3 cup fat free milk

2 cups all purpose baking mix

1/2 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Place paper liners or grease the bottom of a 12 cup muffin pan.

Rinse blueberries and drain.

Combine sugar, egg, milk and oil in a large mixing bowl; stir until well blended. Add baking mix and stir to moisten. Gently fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups evenly.

Bake on center rack for 13 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.

Pineapple-Glazed Sweet Potato Slices

Pineapple-Glazed Sweet Potato Slices
The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook


2 large sweet potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt

1. Peel sweet potaotes; cut into 1/4-inch thick slices. In a large skillet over medium heat, melt butter; add sweet potato slices; cook, rotating slices, until they are golden on bottom. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 5 minutes. Turn potatoes; cook over medium heat until browned on other side. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook 5 to 10 minutes longer until potatoes are tender.

2. Gently combine crushed pineapple, maple syrup and salt with cooked sweet potatoes in skillet over medium heat, heat through.

All Tied Up

Bow Tie Salad

1 package Bow Tie pasta

1/2 cup black olives, sliced

10 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves

1 cup feta cheese crumbles

1/2 cup fat free italian dressing

Cook pasta according to the directions on the package.

In a large bowl mix the pasta with black olives, tomatoes, cheese. Stir until blended well. Add the 1/2 cup of dressing until everything is coated completely.

Let chill for an hour and serve with the meal of your choice or have alone as a quick meal on the go.

Everywhere There Are Cookies

Peanut Butter Cookies

Martha Stewart's Cookies

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for flattening cookies

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup unsalted butter, I used butter flavored crisco instead

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1 large egg

1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 cup smooth peanut butter

1/2 cup salted peanuts, I did not use any peanuts this time but maybe the next time

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Sift flour and baking soda in a bowl.

Put butter and both sugars in a bowl and using a hand mixer, mix on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add egg; mix well until combined well. Mix in vanilla and then peanut butter. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture and mix until just combined, stir in peanuts if you chose to use them.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoons onto baking sheets lined with parchment paper, spacing 1 1/2 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a glass in flour, tapping off excess, and use it to flatten balls slightly. Firmly press fork tines into each dough ball to make a cross-hatch pattern.

Bake cooikies, rotating sheets halfway through, until centers are firm and edges are lightly browned about 25 minutes. Transfer cookies on parchment to wire rack to cool completely. Cookies can be stored in an airtight container up to 3 days.

Enjoy a cookie with a tall glass of cold milk. Yum.

Veal Real

Veal Parmigiana
The New Good Housekeeping Cookbook

2 cups Marinara Sauce (recipe to follow at the end)
1 cup dried bread crumbs
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 eggs
4 veal cutlets
3 tablespoons butter
mozzarella cheese, cut into slices
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Marinara Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons basil
1 teaspoon salt
1 16 ounce can tomatoes
1 6 ounce can tomato paste

In a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat, in hot oil, cook onion and garlic until tender.
Stir in sugar, basil, salt, tomatoes with their liquid, and tomato paste; heat mixture to boiling, stirring to break up tomatoes. Reduce heat to low; cover saucepan and simmer 20 minutes to blend flavors, stirring occasionally.


To prepare the Veal Parmigiana

In a medium size bowl place bread crumbs, salt and pepper. In a pie plate, beat eggs lightly. Dip cutlets in eggs, then bread crumbs; repeat to coat each cutlet twice.

In a large skillet over medium-high heat in hot butter, cook cutlets, until browned on both sides, about 10 minutes. Arrange cutlets in skillet and spoon some sauce over each cutlet; top each with a slice of mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with parmesan. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!!

Indulgence

Chewy Granola Bars

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup peanut butter

1/2 corn syrup

1/3 cup butter, melted

1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 1/4 cups oatmeal

1 cup indulgent trail mix (white, chocolate, peanut butter drops, golden raisins, cranberries, almonds, peanuts and cashews)

1 1/4 cups unprocessed wheat bran

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, combine sugar, peanut butter, corn syrup, butter and vanilla; blend well. Stir in oatmeal, trail mix, and wheat bran. Press mixture evenly in prepared pan.

Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until light brown. Cool completely before cutting into bars.