What's Happening In My Kitchen? Not Much.

In the last couple of weeks I've had local people say to me, "You haven't posted much on your blog lately. I really enjoy reading it." That made me smile. I don't read the statistics that I could find somewhere on this platform to see how many views a post has had. I don't keep up with how many subscribers I have. I have never monetized the blog. Notice there are no pesky ads? 

All these years I've written it because I enjoy the process of writing. And the length of these posts suit me well. (Did I tell you that I wrote a newspaper column back in the day?) Occasionally I will look back through the 13 years of blog entries and I can see how my family has changed. How it's grown. I frequently look up recipes here—both with the index and the little search box that lives in the top left corner of each post.

My days are different now than they were way back when I started this blog. I think I said last blog post that I haven't tried new recipes lately Because I just don't cook as much as I did. We don't eat as much as we did. Sometimes now instead of cooking supper, we have a snacky supper.

Charcuterie boards or food boards, if you will, are so popular now. In my house these "boards" often coincide with cleaning out the refrigerator. Or making do the night before I grocery shop. I'm trying to squeak one more meal out of what's on hand.

When I arrange my bits and bobs of what's in the fridge on a tray, it's looks like fun. It looks like a treat. Picture what it would look like if I set the bag of pretzel chips, the box of crackers, the jar of jam and the bottle of ranch dressing out. Same foods. But I can guarantee those bags and boxes wouldn't get an "Oh, wow!" from Daddy-O. It's all in the presentation.

I love trays and own so many sizes and shapes. But sometimes I will just grab a cookie sheet or a pizza pan because it's handy. Choose your board or pan, arrange your food neatly, think about the colors when you lay it out. And if possible make sure to have different textures, like crunchy crackers and celery and creamy dip, soft cheese and hard carrot sticks. 

If I were doing this for a party or gathering, I would be much more intentional about on what goes on the board. But the photo above was our actual "dinner for two" a couple of weeks ago. It's as basic as you can get.

Here is another meal suitable for an "I don't want to cook" night. Last week I swore there was nothing here to cook. Daddy-O offered to take me out, but I couldn't think of one restaurant that tempted me. So I looked around the kitchen and spied a container of grape tomatoes. 

And in just under 30 minutes we were sitting down to dinner. This recipe calls for ingredients that are staples in my kitchen—spaghetti, olive oil, garlic, etc. I didn't have the fresh mozzarella it calls for so I subbed shredded mozzarella. Not quite as good, but it worked. If I had not had basil growing in our yard I might have sprinkled on some dried basil. Think beyond the recipe!!!

Be aware that this recipe doesn't make a lot. It feeds the two of us. I have stretched it to feed three by making a big salad to serve along with it.

GRAPE TOMATOES & PASTA (serves 2 to 3)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups grape tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut in thin strips

salt & pepper to taste

pinch of sugar (optional)

3 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

fresh mozzarella pearls

8 oz. thin spaghetti

Heat oil in a large skillet to low. Add garlic, stir and cook about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Add whole grape tomatoes. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften. Break up some of the tomatoes. (I used a potato masher to mash up some of the tomatoes—maybe half of them. This releases juices that will help make a sauce.) Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of sugar if tomatoes are very acidic. Stir in basil.

Cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Grate fresh parmesan over the sauce. Add balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine.

While sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti to al dente. Using tongs lift cooked spaghetti straight into the sauce. (Save a little pasta cooking water and add a spoonful or two to thin sauce if you need to.) Remove skillet from heat. Toss cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce. Poke mozzarella pearls down into the pasta. Cover and let sit a few minutes to let mozzarella melt.

Top with more Parmesan and garnish with basil. Serve.

And our last resort dinner when the fridge is empty is some kind of breakfast food. We spent one night at the lake last weekend. Now THAT is a truly empty kitchen. We have barely been down there this year. But the previous visit I had left a loaf of cinnamon bread in the freezer and I had bought a half dozen eggs that were still good. Daddy-O made French toast that night. He first told me that he couldn't make it because we didn't have any milk (he usually adds milk to the eggs.) I told him to splash a little water in the eggs instead. Think beyond the recipe!!! Beyond your usual. 

There is a little knitting still going on. These delightfully cool days are perfect for porch knitting.  We try to spend as much time on the porch as possible on these perfect days. Knitting. Reading. I even take a keyboard out there and practice piano sometimes.

Some of you have been interested in my jazz journey. The online piano platform I enjoy offers a monthly song "challenge." Four weeks to learn a new tune. I don't always do the monthly song but I love this month's choice, Blue Skies. I'm working on the piano version, but my ukulele version is ready now.

 

Not The Week We Were Expecting

Greek Pasta Salad

Daddy-O is under the weather. I am mostly staying out of his way, letting him snooze. Lack of appetite is one of his symptoms. But then his medicine says "Take after breakfast and dinner." As on a full stomach. 

This recipe popped up on my computer yesterday and I had all the ingredients here. I thought it would make a nice light dinner. I mixed it up while he napped. I'm happy to say he ate this for dinner.

This recipe is the only greek recipe I've ever seen that didn't include olives. I don't like olives. I wonder if the recipe developer doesn't like them either. The only good thing I can say about olives is that it's easy to leave them out—or in this case, add them in. 

Because it doesn't have a lot of other vegetables that would need to be peeled and chopped, this salad is very simple to make. The star of this recipe is the dressing––it's really good and really easy, so keep it in mind if you want homemade greek dressing for a green salad later. 

GREEK PASTA SALAD

1 (16-oz) box penne pasta (or other short cut variety such as rotini or bowtie)

2/3 cup olive oil

juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup

1/2 cup mayonnaise

3 tablespoons Cavendar's seasoning, or other greek seasoning

1 (6-oz) container of crumbled feta cheese

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup fresh basil slivers

Cook pasta. While it's cooking whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, mayonnaise and greek seasoning. When pasta is cooked, drain, rinse with cold water and pour into large bowl. Add dressing mixture, cheese, tomatoes and basil. Mix until combined. Cover and refrigerate overnight.  Will keep in refrigerator for 4-5 days.

When the mood strikes—or you have vegetables you need to use up– you can change this up by adding other vegetables. Red onion, artichoke hearts, red peppers, green peppers, cucumbers are all candidates. 

Or toss in some leftover cooked chicken  and make this a main dish. 

Note: Daddy-O got up this morning and made the coffee. That's a good sign!

 

Fall Comes To The Lake

The first noticeable display of fall color.

A little pre-Halloween creation from a friendly spider.

We had an unexpected weekend with family. 

(So what if it involved some significant car trouble.)

It was glorious. (Except for the car problem.)

We drove down to the lake for lunch and ended up staying for dinner and breakfast the next morning. And then we came home with leftovers. It's a long, long story. But all you need to know is that should you find yourself with a couple of pieces of leftover grilled salmon, you can make a delicious, quick supper for 2 or 3 folks.

This is basic "fridge foraging." But this worked really well. Warmed over salmon didn't sound particularly appetizing. But when I combined the leftover salmon with a very few ingredients I had on hand, it was surprisingly good supper. I expected good. But this was GOOD!

Here is all I did. Use this as a starting point for your own creation.

SALMON LINGUINE w/SPINACH

2 pieces of leftover grilled salmon

1/2 box whole wheat linguine

1 jar Rao's Alfredo sauce

baby spinach

Cook pasta according to package directions. While pasta is cooking, remove skin from salmon and break it apart into chunks. In a skillet, warm Alfredo sauce over low heat. A few minutes before pasta is done, stir in salmon and baby spinach. 

When pasta is done, use spaghetti lifter and move linguine from the pot directly into the skillet. Stir to combine. Continue to heat gently for a minute or two, until spinach is wilted.

That's it. It almost took longer to write the directions than it did to make the dish.  We will do this again, On purpose.

 

A Week Of Family And Food

Summer supper—pork tenderloin, orzo spinach salad, grilled corn, sautéed apples.

What a week! We had Little Lady and her mama and daddy in residence here at the farm for a whole week. We had not seen her in far too long. Last time we saw her in person, she barely had hair, she wasn't walking, and she had maybe four teeth. Now you can see the curly hair. And she walking AND talking. (Some words that you could understand, many words that we can understand.) And has too many teeth to count. 

We caught up on things that Mimi does best. Like reading books, snuggling....

...making music, singing songs (Wheels On The Bus is a fav)...

...and spending time on the porch.

Little Lady explored the farm as she waddled over every inch of the front and back yards.

And she got her first tractor ride with Daddy-O.  

That was a big hit! 

Mimi worked a little magic on the christening gown. 

Because of the pandemic, we are having a christening a year later than we planned. 

Thankfully the gown still fit—except around the neck. 

I added ribbon so that we can tie to fit instead of using the traditional gold pins.

It's going to be quiet here this week without those little feet pattering around the house. But we are thankful for the family time we enjoyed. Family time outside around the farm and family time around the table as we shared meals and stories. Here is the menu for one of those meals:

Because my friends have said they liked having recipes for an entire menu in one post, I'm adding another set. I cooked many meals—so many meals—while they were here, but this dinner was the favorite. All recipes we have used before but this combination is worth recording. We grilled the pork tenderloin and the corn, but both of those can be done in the oven. We've done it both ways.

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There are so many good ways to cook pork tenderloin. There are several recipes here on the blog. But hands down, this is our family's favorite. For us, it's one of those never-fail recipes.

BOURBON MARINATED PORK TENDERLOIN

2-1/2 lb. pork tenderloins (usually one package contains 2 tenderloins and is about this weight)
3/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup canola or vegetable oil
4 garlic cloves, minced (I used 2 teaspoons of jarred minced garlic)
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
 

Pat tenderloins dry. Combine soy sauce and remaining ingredients in a gallon ziploc plastic freezer bag or shallow dish. Add tenderloins. Seal bag or cover dish and chill 4-12 hours. Turn once or twice while they marinate. Remove pork from marinade, discarding marinade.

Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat (400 to 500 degrees) for 30 minutes or until meat thermometer inserted into thickest part of meat reads 155 degrees, turning occasionally. Remove from heat; cover with aluminum foil and let stand 10 minutes or until thermometer reads 160 degrees.
 

It's also good cooked in the oven, if you don't have a grill, or if it's raining, 
Put tenderloins in an oven that has been preheated to 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes, until thermometer reaches 155-160 degrees. Let rest before serving.

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We absolutely love this dish! If there is an issue with feta in your household, you can sub crumbled goat cheese like we did this time.

ORZO SPINACH SALAD

1/2  box (16-oz) orzo, cooked according to package directions
1/2 bag (5-oz) baby spinach, roughly chopped
1/3 cup chopped red onion (use the amount that you want)
4-oz. container crumbled feta cheese (or crumbled goat cheese)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon pepper (I used a few grinds of fresh pepper)

While orzo is cooking, mix the dressing--oil, vinegar, basil, pepper. Set aside.
Drain orzo thoroughly when done. Stir in chopped onion, spinach and feta. Whisk dressing again. Pour dressing over the pasta and mix to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

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The corn was perfect with this supper.  Daddy-O started it on the grill about 15 minutes before he put on the tenderloin. It all was done at the same time.

GRILLED CORN

fresh ears of corn, shucked and cleaned

Lawry's seasoning salt (or your favorite seasoning)

black pepper

Place an ear of corn on a sheet of foil. Add a couple of pats of butter, sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper. Roll it up tightly, twisting the ends so the butter doesn't leak out.

Put corn on medium grill, not directly over the heat, for 30 minutes. Close lid of grill. Turn corn in quarter-turns as it cooks. 

You can also put the wrapped corn in a preheated oven, 350º-ish, for 30 minutes. It won't have the brown color that you get from grilling but it's as delicious. Jessica says that if she also is baking another dish at 375º or 400º, she slides the corn in with it at that temp.

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I just realized I've never put the directions for sautéed apples here on the blog. It's a family favorite. It was one of those things I would make these when I needed one more things on the plate. 

All of these amounts are approximate. Just used the number of apples you have. Or the number you need to feed the crowd around your table. Make the butter and sugar match. Like I said, these are more "directions" instead of a "recipe."

SAUTEED APPLES

6 apples, peeled and sliced

1-2 tablespoons butter

1-2 tablespoons brown sugar

ground cinnamon

a little water

Melt butter in skillet. Add sliced apples and stir to coat. Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon. Add a little water. (The apples will release some liquid as they cook.) Cook over medium low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are as tender as you like them. I turned them low and put the lid on this time, to cook a little slower. 

The butter and brown sugar cook down to make a nice glaze. I don't use very much of either, although you can make it as buttery and sugary as you want to. 

Just Cook It

2020. We are halfway through this very strange year. I've kind of forgotten what "normal" was like. (Is there actually such a thing as "normal"?) The last weeks and months we've all made adjustments. We've given up things. Some have had devastating losses. We have not. But still, it's been hard...not seeing grandchildren, not having dinner with friends, not planning trips and on and on and on. Other things have almost been a relief to jettison. I pretty much have given up makeup except for an occasional swipe of mascara. Schedules are (mostly) a thing of the past. 

While I have not counted consecutive meals I've cooked (like some of you do,) you know it's a lot. Months and months of meals. I've given up measuring ingredients much of the time. (If you are baking, do not do this.) Doing things differently keeps me from going bonkers. I've been "just cooking." Since I tend to stick to uncomplicated meals, that isn't the hardest thing to do. 

So last week on the same day that Daddy-O plunked down bucket #3 of grape tomatoes, a good friend posted Instagram photos of her supper. Pasta with grape tomatoes. I took that as a sign. I needed to make what she did. Except she told me the recipe came from a brand new magazine that I didn't have. Too new to find the recipe online. 

By 5:30 I realized if I didn't do something quick, there would be no dinner on the table. So I decided to make a wild stab at copying Missy's supper based on the photo. And it was delicious.

There was no actual recipe but in the interest of making this again, I'm writing down what I did (as best I can remember.) I'm making good guesses at amounts because like I said, I didn't measure anything. Feel free to do your own guesswork. 

GRAPE TOMATOES & PASTA (serves 2 to 3)

1/4 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups grape tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves, cut in thin strips

salt & pepper to taste

pinch of sugar (optional)

3 tablespoon fresh grated parmesan 

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

fresh mozzarella pearls

8 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti

Heat oil in a large skillet to low. Add garlic, stir and cook about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn it. Add whole grape tomatoes. Cook over medium heat about 5 minutes until tomatoes begin to soften. Break up some of the tomatoes. (I used a potato masher to mash up some of the tomatoes—maybe half of them. This releases juices that will help make a sauce.) Season with salt and pepper, add a pinch of sugar if tomatoes are very acidic. Stir in basil.

Cover and let simmer 10-15 minutes until the tomatoes are soft. Grate fresh parmesan over the sauce. Add balsamic vinegar. Stir to combine.

While sauce is simmering, cook spaghetti to al dente. Using tongs lift cooked spaghetti straight into the sauce. (Save a little pasta cooking water and add a spoonful or two to thin sauce if you need to.) Remove skillet from heat. Toss cooked spaghetti with tomato sauce. Poke mozzarella pearls down into the pasta. Cover and let sit a few minutes to let mozzarella melt.

Top with more Parmesan and garnish with basil. Serve.

Cattle farmer Daddy-O really liked this supper. Even though it had no meat, he kept saying, "This is really good!" Since the tomatoes are still coming in fast and furious and there is plenty of basil in the garden, I need to make this again soon. Might as well use up the other half of that box of spaghetti!

For the record, Missy sent me the recipe she used a couple of days later. My version was remarkably like hers. I mean—look at the photo. You can see what's in the dish. You know that olive oil, garlic, salt & pepper are basics. And parmesan is in most pasta dishes. I had mozzarella pearls that needed to be used, so in they went. All ingredients except the pasta could be eaten without cooking at all, so you could cook it more or cook it less. Any way you do it, it's not going to hurt you. There is no required doneness level for safety. That's pretty much all you need to know. Go for it.

Now for a question...is there one silly thing you've missed during this stay-at-home time? For me, it's been people watching. We live out in the country between a small town and a smaller town. In a normal time we don't see lots of folks, but now I find myself craving people. I seriously have found myself a few times driving around after I've picked up my grocery order looking for people. Any people. People walking to their cars in a parking lot. People going into the drug store. People walking their dog. And it makes me feel a little better. What about you?

Getting Ready For The 4th

The July 4th week means family gatherings and big dinners and cooking out for many of us. Here are some recipes that you might find handy for those occasions.

Borrowed this photo from a previous grilling session.

Last night it was my turn to take supper for our Monday night group of friends for dinner and a movie. I decided that in the interest of undoing some of my overindulgences this summer, I would take something that was Weight Watchers friendly—grilled chicken salad.

I made a giant green salad, put homemade croutons, toasted pecans and fresh shaved Parmesan in separate containers so if anyone wanted to leave off ALL the point busters, they could. And Daddy-O, being the best of Daddy-Os, came in a little early on the tractor to grill the chicken for me. I took it and sliced it up after I got there.

I love this recipe and have used it so many times. It's quick to mix. Doesn't have to be marinated all day. And it gives the chicken a flavor boost but not an overpowering lemon flavor.

LEMON PEPPER CHICKEN

1 cup lemon juice (I used Sunkist bottled this time)

1/2 cup olive oil

1 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon lemon pepper

1/2 teaspoon salt

4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (this time I used 8 smaller ones)

Whisk marinade ingredients together. Pour over chicken and let it marinate for 1 hour (not longer) in the refrigerator. Remove chicken from marinade and discard the marinade. Grill until chicken is done. Outdoor grill or grill pan both work. I've done it both ways.

Baby Girl likes her ice cream on the side.

And in the "not so healthy" category, here is a recipe that we made during Mimi Camp. (It's part of what I overindulged in.) I had planned to let the little girls make it. It's that easy. But I ended up and threw it together on the last day and we had it for our dessert. If you need a quick, easy dessert to take to a family gathering, you couldn't go wrong with this one.

PINEAPPLE-CHERRY DUMP CAKE

1 (20-oz) can pineapple tidbits, plus the juice

1 (21-oz) can cherry pie filling

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 box yellow cake mix (2-layer size)

1 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 2-qt. baking dish with butter. Place pineapple tidbits, cherry pie filling and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix. Pour into baking dish. Sprinkle dry cake mix evenly over the fruit. Pour melted butter evenly over dry cake mix. Use a spoon to spread it if necessary. Bake for about 45 minutes, until top is golden brown and filling is bubbling.  We like to serve it with ice cream on top.

Confession:  I grabbed a 9x13 dish (3-qt) without thinking. There wasn't enough butter to cover that much more surface area, so I melted another half stick of butter to pour over the top. It was really good. ☺️

I'm sure you could switch out the cherry for another flavor pie filling. And I even wondered how apple pie filling and a spice cake mix would work. I haven't tried that, but after I've lived on salads for a few weeks, I like to.

Pasta salad will keep for several days so it's a good make-ahead dish.

Minutes after the girls left and headed home from camp, I headed to the grocery store to buy ingredients for my annual big pasta salad making. For years I have made a double—sometimes triple—batch for the Salkahatchie Summer Service work camp that is hosted by our church each summer. It keeps well, so they can use it at lunch for several days.

I have also made this many times for our July 4th week at the lake...because I can make it at home and take it and have enough for several meals. My family loves it. And the Salkahatchie kids must, too, because they keep asking me to make it. You've probably seen this recipe here before but it's good enough for a repeat. It's the perfect summer side for all your gatherings.

GARDEN PASTA SALAD

1 (16-oz) box of pasta -- rotini, bowtie, or penne 

5 cups of chopped fresh vegetables

fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

1 (16-oz) bottle Italian salad dressing (I like Wishbone)

3-4 tablespoons McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Put pasta and vegetables and parsley into a large bowl. Add salad dressing and Salad Supreme Seasoning. Toss gently until mixed well. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until ready to serve. I like to make it a day ahead.

This recipe filled a 5-quart plastic container.

The only secret I know for this pasta salad to use a big assortment of vegetables. I aim for lots of color in my mix. This time I used zucchini, carrot, celery, red pepper, yellow squash, cucumber, grape tomatoes, corn and broccoli.  You can use any combination that suits you. For no particular reason, I didn't add any onion this time. I love to cook fresh corn and cut it off the cob. (Dunk the broccoli in the boiling water first for a few seconds to brighten the color.) The corn adds a nice touch of sweetness.

Another hint is to put a large pot of water on to boil before you start chopping. A big pot of water takes forever to come to a boil. 

There are other recipes here on my blog that would be good summer time picnic/covered dish recipes. I'll make it easy and add a few links.

Carol's Marinated Veggies (she brought this to our dinner-and-a-movie last night)

Indian Summer Salad (I love this salad. Keeps for days.)

Greek Yogurt Chicken Salad (no mayo if egg allergy is a problem)

Blueberry Pie (easy to make—no fruit to peel)

Sweet Tea (you don't HAVE to buy it)

And a reminder that there is a recipe index at the top of the page, just under the name banner. All the recipes from this blog are there in categories. If you find something missing or out of place, let me know. Sometimes I forget to add a new recipe. Thanks.

Creeping Back To Normal

Instant Pot Spaghetti

After a couple of weeks of passing germs around, being the caregiver, being the patient, I'm beginning to see daylight. Still not back to full speed, but I'm getting there. I did cook the easiest supper last night (after I woke up from a nap) and I'll share the recipe down below.

On Monday night I got together with my friends again to see the end—they all lived happily ever after—of the TV series we've been watching. We've taken turns providing supper. This week was a surprise. Açaí bowls!

Joanne brought a blender and frozen packets of the super berries and bowls she had stashed in the freezer. And the others brought assorted toppings. It was fun to have a make-your-own session. Thinking maybe all the fruit and super food helped me kick the last of the icky stuff I've had.

And now to the spaghetti recipe. I knew I had to do something for supper last night. If there had been a reasonable something to pick up in the city and bring home I would have done it. Daddy-O said we could go out if I didn't want to cook. But he had a meeting right at supper time. So I figured spaghetti was the easiest thing I could make at home. By the time I got home, I had used up my energy for the day, so I looked for a one-pot way to make spaghetti so I wouldn't have to dirty up so many pots. I wanted a streamlined dinner.

The recipe that looked the most promising was done in the Instant Pot. I've done pasta in it before with so-so results. These directions...not the ingredients...were enough different that I wanted to try again. Please, please, PLEASE go to the A Pinch of Healthy blog and read her post about how she makes it. She has lots of photos, answers questions and tells you exactly how to do it.

But I'm putting the basic directions here so that I can find this recipe. I've said before this blog is like my own recipe box. This was like comfort food spaghetti. I think it would be very kid friendly. Using the Instant Pot made for really easy clean up. Another big plus.

INSTANT POT SPAGHETTI

1 lb. box spaghetti, uncooked (regular spaghetti, not angel hair)
1 lb. extra lean ground beef
1/2 teaspoon House Seasoning (or salt & pepper)
4-1/3 cups water
24-oz jar marinara sauce (I used Rao's)
parmesan, for topping

Turn Instant Pot on to Sauté. When pot is hot, add ground beef and House Seasoning and brown meat. When brown, remove meat and drain. Pour any excess liquid out of pot. Set meat aside.

Pour water into pot. (No need to clean anything out.) Break spaghetti in half and lay crisscross into pot. (Do this in 3 handfuls, alternating direction you put spaghetti in pot.) Use spoon and press noodles into water to make sure they all get wet. Don't stir. If some float, that's okay,

Put cooked beef on top of noodles. Don't stir. Pour jar of sauce over meat. Don't stir.

Put lid on. Use Manual and set to High Pressure for 4 minutes, closing vent. When time is up, NPR (natural pressure release) for 5 minutes. Then release remaining pressure. Remove lid and use tongs to stir noodles and sauce. Pick apart any stuck noodles. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken sauce. Serve with a little parmesan sprinkled on top.


Again, go see the whole process on A Pinch Of Healthy. I found that so helpful. NOW...let me tell you my one change from her recipe. I only had thin spaghetti here. I had two brands, so I looked to see if maybe one cooked longer than the other. And yes, the Ronzi took a little longer to cook than the Barilla. I figured that was a closer match to regular spaghetti. So I used that one and shortened the NPR time. When I do this again I might even shave another minute off the NPR. This was definitely acceptable, but it was more done than I usually cook pasta. And I will take the inner pot out of the cooker when it's done, so it won't keep cooking.

Using the Instant Pot just takes practice. And having the confidence to make some common sense adjustments. And then just do it. I'm getting better at it!

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I always keep a jar of house seasoning on the shelf. Sometimes I make a big batch. Most times I make it in this smaller proportion.

 *House Seasoning:  
1/4 cup salt 
1 tbsp. black pepper
1 tbsp. garlic powder

Mix well. Store in an air-tight container, such as an empty spice bottle or small jar. 

This morning's sunrise.

Baked Bowties w/Tomatoes, Spinach & Mozzarella

Baked Bowties w/Tomatoes, Spinach & Mozzarella

Here is a recipe that I've posted before, but it's been ages since I made it. Maybe you've forgotten about this one, too. Or, maybe you've never see it if you are new here.

It was our dinner on the first night of Mimi Camp. Mommy brought the girls to the farm and they arrived just as this was coming out of the oven. Both little girls ate heartily. Maybe it was because they were excited about camp. But they must have also loved the pasta because they had seconds. When we finished the meal, we made an official declaration that "Mimi Camp has begun."

This recipe is great for serving to your vegetarian friends. Or, for the nights you want a meatless meal. I won't wait so long before I make it again.

BAKED BOWTIES with TOMATOES, SPINACH & MOZZERALLA

3 cups uncooked bowtie pasta*

1 can (14.5 oz.) diced tomatoes, undrained 

2 cups Alfredo pasta sauce (I used a 15-oz refrigerated Buitoni sauce)

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese 

2 handfuls baby spinach

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 2-quart baking dish with PAM. Cook and drain pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat tomatoes to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook uncovered for  6 to 8 minutes, stirring occasionally, until liquid is nearly evaporated. Stir in spinach just to wilt it.

Put Alfredo sauce into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for about 90-seconds to heat. Stir in shredded cheese. Heat another 30-seconds and stir until cheese melts. (Mine usually is not totally melted.) Mix in tomato-spinach mixture. 

Put pasta in the baking dish and pour sauce over it. Stir gently to mix it all. 

Bake uncovered, about 30 minutes, or until hot in center.

*Make note this does not take a whole box of pasta—if your box is 16 oz. 

Mommy makes this at home and says she adds more spinach to hers. And she coarsely chops the spinach, too.

Come To Table

The United Methodist Church has two sacraments—Baptism and Holy Communion. Yesterday at our church we celebrated the baptism of a new baby. Part of what baptism symbolizes is welcoming that new member into the church family. We now walk in faith together. When we observe Holy Communion, we are united as we receive the bread and juice together. Everyone is invited. Everyone is welcomed.

And yesterday we also participated in "communion"—but not the holy kind of communion. The word communion can also mean "sharing" and "fellowship" when spelled with a little "c."  After church we gathered for a covered dish dinner, where everyone was invited and everyone was welcomed.

A former pastor always invited us to the altar for Holy Communion with a smile, lifted hands, and the words, "Come to table!" I always think of his words when we gather for a church meal, too. Come to table! Join us. Be one of us. Let's eat together.

I hope that from time to time, your life includes a covered dish dinner or a pot luck or hot dish (thanks to Goodnightgram's blog, I now know what that is.) If not at church, then maybe it's a gathering of neighbors or co-workers, or it's a club or team meal. Even though it requires a little effort, sharing a meal is good for the soul. I know we could enjoy a catered meal together or all go to a restaurant, but there really is something different about bringing food to add to the table. It truly becomes a shared meal. It creates community.

If you don't or can't cook, bake brownies from a mix or pick up a bucket of chicken on your way to church. We all love tasting the good home cooked foods and casseroles and cakes baked from the old family recipe, but the meal is really about being together. It's about sitting around the table sharing conversation and laughter. Come with a jar of pickles. But come! (Hint: If you are coming with your family of five, you might better bring the chicken AND the pickles.)

Keep this recipe in mind if you need a good make-ahead recipe for a pot luck, a family reunion, a picnic or a gift meal for a friend. It keeps for several days. I made this pasta salad early before we left for a Saturday evening wedding. The salad is best made ahead of time anyway. So on Sunday morning I picked up the dish and walked out the door. 

Before I left church, someone asked me for the recipe. Someone always does. 

GARDEN PASTA SALAD

1 (16-oz) box of pasta -- rotini, bowtie, or penne

5 cups of chopped fresh vegetables

fresh parsley, chopped (optional)

1 (15-oz) bottle Italian salad dressing

3-4 tablespoons McCormick Salad Supreme Seasoning

Cook the pasta according to package directions. Rinse under cold water. Drain well. Put pasta and vegetables and parsley into a large bowl. Add salad dressing and Salad Supreme Seasoning. Toss gently until mixed well. Cover. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or until ready to serve. I like to make it a day ahead.

This recipe filled a 5-quart plastic container.

The only secret I know for this pasta salad to use a big assortment of vegetables. I try to get lots of color into my mix. This time I chopped zucchini, carrot, celery, red and yellow peppers, cucumber, grape tomatoes, red onion, corn, and broccoli. You can use any combination that suits you. Mine is almost never the same twice in a row.

Another hint is to put a large pot of water on to boil before you start chopping. A big pot of water takes forever to come to a boil. 

To keep from washing more pots, when the water for the pasta came to a boil, I dunked in the broccoli to blanch it for a minute. (Yep, I held it by the stem and dunked it.) Then I let the corn (on the cob) cook for five minutes and took it out. (One ear of corn is enough for this salad.) Then I cooked the pasta in the same water. Only one pot to wash!