Peppermint Bliss and Refreshment

This is true love and sacrifice.  Dannii and Jess are the best ever.  Thank you, from Dallas.

The Secret's in the Sauce

This recipe is a concoction in and of itself, derived from other favorite recipes and combined into one.  (And lets not forget my two secret ingredients: a dash of cayenne and a pinch of nutmeg.  There.  I revealed the secret!)  

For a big batch . . .

Saute on med/hi heat for 8 min the following:

3 Tbs. butter

4-6 oz. shaved deli honey ham, minced (weird, I know, but this is my recipe, and I don't want pancetta or bacon in it.  Plus, IT IS GOOOOD.)

1 onion, minced

1 stalk celery, minced

1 carrot, peeled and minced

dash of cayenne pepper

1/2-1 tsp. salt

pinch of nutmeg

Add, and saute for one minute:

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbs. tomato paste (Don't you hate to open a can and not use the whole thing?  Whatever is left over, I just plop little tablespoon-fulls onto a sheet of wax paper, freeze, and then store in a freezer baggy in the freezer.)

Deglaze for about a minute with:

1/4-1/2 c. beef broth

Add, and simmer for hours and hours and hours (at least a 1/2 hour):

2 large cans of crushed tomatoes (or, if I'm trying to please picky tomato eaters, I puree the tomatoes in a blender before adding)

Basil, to taste

Just before serving, add:

1/2 c. heavy cream

1/4-1/2 c. grated parmesan

I have served this over thin spaghetti, farfalle, and penne.  Make sure you get Barilla- it's the best!!  Then make loud "MMMmm" sounds while you eat every bite!  Steamed broccoli on the side is a favorite, too.

Green Drink

Howzabouta recipe?

I have tinkered enough with this one that I think I can call it "my own."  The only ingredient you CANNOT mess around with is the La Creme Yogurt.  (I mean, how could you take it out, anyway??  It is bliss.)

Green Drink

(Enough to feed two adults, two children, and one little sprout):

4 cups frozen fruit (I use that 7-Blend from Costco with the peaches and melon, etc.)

Enough Tropicana OJ to fill to the 4-cup line on the blender, usually about 2 cups

1 pkg. La Creme VANILLA Yogurt

1 banana, fresh or frozen

5 leaves kale

Enough spinach to stuff the rest of the blender full of antioxidants and folic acid (about 2 cups)

BLEND!

This drink makes me happy, and Dallas and the girls love it.  Raleigh always asks for "an adult size."  Madeline wasn't too keen on the idea until I gave her the choice: "Do you want a green drink in the morning or a spinach salad at dinnertime?"  GREEN DRINK!

I have also been told that adding cranberries (about 10) tastes great, too.  I think I'll wait until the holidays to find them.  (Just another superfood to make you feel good about yourself!)

Note: Marlo, my friend who introduced me to this, says that when she told her pediatrician about feeding her son this drink each day (and her recipe is a bit different, but with a lot of the same ingredients), the doctor stopped prescribing multivitamins for him.

AAHHHHHHHHHHhhhhh, Breakfast.

What do you do in the morning when you wake up to find that the Cookies and Cream Pie you made the night before is almost gone? Get out some forks and eat the rest of it before anyone else gets into it!!

Orion, You're a Good Dog!

Dallas and Dionne got to enjoy a date night with Nate and April. We had the BEST DINNER: a three course fondue dinner. The first course was a cheese fondue made from Gruyere and some other unpronouncable cheese. We dipped baguette and apple slices- YUM! We ate it all. Then we dipped red bell peppers, mushrooms, little cute baby potatoes, chicken, and steak in a broth-type mixture. That, alone, was tasty, but they also made three sauces for post-dipping- (I guess you could say we double-dipped)- teriyaki, honey mustard, and bleu cheese butter. YUM YUM!! THEN, we dipped bananas, pound cake, and marshmallows in a chocolate fondue sauce from the Melting Pot. YUM YUM YUM!!! Can you tell that we had a great dinner?! Afterwards, we played with Orion and trained him to be around company. He's a cute LARGE puppy. We got to give him different commands and lots of treats. Good dog.