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Sundays Are for Sauce

28 Oct

PoppaNut often tells me stories about his childhood. And one of his favorite memories is Sundays at his mom’s house. His mom would make sauce all day long, while Anthony watched football.

For those of you who are not Italian, let me explain this sauce concept. Before I met PoppaNut, I bought my marinara sauce in a bottle on the grocery-store shelf. And honestly, I never considered another option.

Well, that changed when I attended my first Christmas party at PoppaNut’s father’s home. My father-in-law made the most amazing marinara sauce (just called “sauce” by Italians) I had ever tasted. And still now, his vodka sauce haunts my dreams! I literally count down until I can have another bowl! So, that is when I first learned about “sauce.”

 This homemade marinara requires a skilled chef to execute. There are secret recipes and hidden ingredients, and I certainly haven’t mastered this art. I have tried, but I know I just don’t make sauce like my in-laws.

 

When my mother-in-law was in town last, I tried to spy on her and watch how she made it. She slowly stirs the sauce all day, carefully tasting it along the way. But try as I may, I still can’t master it when she leaves.

Luckily, PoppaNut has taken mercy on me, and taken his hand at making the sauce. And it is unbelievable! He tends to it the same way his mother does, so carefully and skillfully. He takes such pride in every pot he makes, and he loves to see me light up when I take the first bite.

 

So, every Sunday, PoppaNut carries on his family’s tradition of serving pasta with homemade sauce. It’s a wonderful tradition that we can incorporate into our home, and it makes us feel closer to his family as well. Plus, it allows me to stick with what I do best … making dessert!

And that’s life in a nutshell … while your extended family might not live right down the street, you can find ways to incorporate their traditions into your family.

MommaNut

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Kraft Beef Enchiladas

19 Aug

When I got back from my trip, I decided to whip up a homemade recipe for dinner. I ate out enough in San Jose, and I was ready for a homecooked meal.

After a quick trip to the grocery store, I was ready to create! I picked an easy recipe I found on KraftFoods.com. Beef enchiladas is a recipe I have started making … and PoppaNut seems to love it too. I’ve included the recipe you can try it at home too!

What You Need

Kraft Beef Enchiladas Just Out of the Oven

1/2 lb. extra-lean ground beef
1/2 cup  chopped green peppers
1/2 cup chopped red peppers
1-1/2 cups  TACO BELL® HOME ORIGINALS® Thick ‘N Chunky Salsa, divided
1 cup KRAFT 2% Milk Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese, divided
2 Tbsp.  KRAFT Light Zesty Italian Dressing
8 corn tortillas (6 inch)
2 Tbsp.  chopped fresh cilantro

Make It

HEAT oven to 400°F.

BROWN meat with peppers in large nonstick skillet. Stir in 1 cup salsa; simmer 5 min., stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup cheese.

PoppaNut Helping Me in the Kitchen

SPREAD 1/4 cup of the remaining salsa onto bottom of 13×9-inch baking dish. Brush dressing lightly over both sides of tortillas. Stack 4 tortillas; wrap in waxed paper. Microwave on HIGH 20 sec. or just until warmed. Spoon 1/3 cup meat mixture down center of each tortilla; roll up. Place, seam-sides down, over salsa in dish. Repeat. Top with remaining salsa; cover.

BAKE 20 min. or until heated through. Top with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, 2 to 3 min. or until melted. Top with cilantro.

And that’s life in a nutshell … find an easy recipe that will make you a star in the kitchen and make it for the one you love.
 
MommaNut

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Slammin’ Daiquiri Day

19 Jul

In honor of National Daiquiri Day, I wanted to share a food-related newsletter. “Hungry Girl” is an amazing newsletter that shares a the healthy version of recipes we all love! The founder of this business really shows you that you can eat good and still stay healthy. I love it!

So, try this Slammin’ Slimmed-Down Strawberry Daiquiri recipe from her site. It only has 121 calories per serving! And sign up for the newsletter too, so you’ll receive lots of healthy-food ideas.

Ingredients:

One 2-serving packet (about 1 tsp.) sugar-free strawberry powdered drink mix (any

variety, like Crystal Light Strawberry Kiwi or Energy Wild Strawberry)

1 1/2 oz. white rum

1/2 oz. lime juice

3 frozen unsweetened strawberries, slightly thawed

1 cup crushed ice

or 5 – 8 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine drink mix with 4 oz. cold water in a glass. Stir to dissolve. Transfer to a blender.

Add all other ingredients to the blender, and blend at high speed until slushy and uniform.

Pour into a glass and add a straw. Slurp that baby up!

MAKES 1 SERVING

And that’s life in a nutshell … enjoying a delicious yet healthy daiquiri on National Daiquiri Day is simply blissful.

MommaNut

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Happy Hour Meets Dessert Hour

6 Jun

Can anyone tell me what is better than sweets? I could spend every Sunday making peanut-butter pie, Texas sheet cake and cheesecake bars, using my beautiful Kitchen Aid mixer until the motor blows. I could wear my custom-made apron and say things like “It’s a good thing,” with a Martha Stewart-like tone. I know PoppaNut wouldn’t mind one bit sampling all the delicious things I would bake up!

But now baking just got so much better. The secret ingredient: LIQUOR! That’s right … Cheesecake bars, please meet Bailey’s Irish Creme. You guys are going to get along just fine. And in honor of such a partnership, I have added a list of liquor-loving desserts that you just have to try. In fact, I’m thinking about whipping up one this week. Which one should I make?

Strawberry Daiquiri Cake

Cake
1 package Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® white cake mix
1 1/4 cups water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs (including yolks)
1 box (4-serving size) strawberry-flavored gelatin
1 tablespoon grated lime peel
1 to 2 teaspoons rum extract
 
Lime Frosting
1 container (1 lb) Betty Crocker® Rich & Creamy vanilla frosting
2 teaspoons grated lime peel
 
Garnish
8 fresh whole strawberries
 
  1. Heat oven to 350°F (325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Grease bottom only of 13×9-inch pan with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour. In large bowl, beat cake mix, water, oil, eggs, gelatin, 1 tablespoon lime peel and the rum extract with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Pour into pan.
  2. Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely, about 1 hour.
  3. Stir 2 teaspoons lime peel into frosting. Spread frosting evenly over cake. Store loosely covered at room temperature. Just before serving, cut each whole strawberry in half, leaving leaves on. Garnish cake with strawberry halves.
Makes 15 servings
 
Pina Colada Cupcakes
 
1 box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® yellow cake mix
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup water
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 can (8 oz) crushed pineapple in juice, undrained
3 eggs
1 teaspoon coconut extract
1 teaspoon rum extract
1 container (12 oz) Betty Crocker® Whipped vanilla frosting
3/4 cup shredded coconut
 
  1. Heat oven to 375°F (350°F for dark or nonstick pan). Place paper baking cup in each of 24 regular-size muffin cups. In large bowl, beat cake mix, oil, water, 1 teaspoon rum extract, the pineapple and eggs with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds. Beat on medium speed 2 minutes, scraping bowl occasionally. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.
  2. Bake 14 to 19 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pan to cooling rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.
  3. Stir coconut extract and 1 teaspoon rum extract into frosting. Spread frosting on cupcakes. Dip tops of frosted cupcakes in coconut. Store loosely covered at room temperature.
Makes 24 cupcakes

You can find more at BettyCrocker.com. And that’s life in a nutshell, giving happy hour a whole new meaning is just priceless!

MommaNut

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Chef PoppaNut

23 May

So, I’m the queen of taking on way too many things and then freaking out because I have taken on way too many things. People are always joking that PoppaNut and I literally take on everything all the time. We are running here and there all the time that we never have time to slow down and relax. I pack my lunch hour with errands and chores, just so we can fit everything into our week that we need to.

Having said that, PoppaNut (Bless his heart!) knows that I’m like that, and he is always there to help me out when I’m ready to wave the white flag. Case in point: Sunday morning. PoppaNut was ready to help with whatever I needed. Instead, I told him I didn’t need any help and I proceeded to do the dishes, load the dishwater, finish the laundry, put the laundry away, go to the grocery store, clean the fridge, cook breakfast and lunch, bathe the dogs and paint my nails. Then, I had the nerve to complain that I had a busy day.

Meanwhile, PoppaNut could tell I was headed for a Sunday breakdown, even though I had done this all to myself. Why do I do that? Why can’t I just accept help the first time? Why do I say that I don’t need help and then get mad that I’m not getting help even though I know he is more than happy to help me?

Well, I have figured out the reason. I think I’m Superwoman. Instead of MommaNut, I’m SuperMommaNut in my home, and I think I can do everything. And the second reason is that I’m insane.

So, when PoppaNut saw me close to the edge, he sprang right into action. He ORDERED me to sit on the couch and watch countless hours of trashy girly reality-TV shows while he cooked a homemade dinner. How lucky am I? Nothing like Oprah, a bottle of wine and the view of my hubby cooking in the kitchen that makes a Sunday turn amazing!

So, I sat back, watched Oprah, Mob Wives, The Real Housewives of Every County and whatever else I had recorded from the week, and relaxed. It was wonderful. And it reminds me how well PoppaNut really knows me. He knows when I say one thing and mean another. He can tell when I’m saying I don’t need any help, but I really do want some help. He knows when I need some pampering and he jumps into action.

I’m sharing the amazing meal he made me: Bourbon Chicken with White Rice. It was so delicious! And it was so thoughtful and wonderful! I hope you make this at home for your loved one.

 

 

 

 

Ingredients

    • 2 lbs boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
    • 1 -2 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 garlic cloves, crushed
    • 1/4 teaspoon ginger
    • 3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    • 1/4 cup apple juice
    • 1/3 cup light brown sugar
    • 2 tablespoons ketchup
    • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
    • 1/2 cup water
    • 1/3 cup soy sauce

Directions

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet.
  2. Add chicken pieces and cook until lightly browned.
  3. Remove chicken.
  4. Add remaining ingredients, heating over medium Heat until well mixed and dissolved.
  5. Add chicken and bring to a hard boil.
  6. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
  7. Serve over hot rice and ENJOY.

And that’s life in a nutshell … learning when the other person is waving the white flag, and being that knight in shining amour to the rescue (with a bottle of wine in hand).

MommaNut

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Oh, oh, Ocean Prime

17 May

Beep, beep, beep … this noise woke me up out of a deep sleep on Saturday afternoon. It was 3:30 p.m. and I had been taking a little afternoon snooze when my phone alarm woke me up. “How odd,” I thought. “I didn’t set my alarm for 3:30 …”

I was just about to go right back to sleep when I noticed a note, written in PoppyNut’s handwritting. As my eyes began to focus, I read: “I hope you are resting. I’m not at home. You can’t text me or call me. Get dressed to impress and be ready at 4:30. I know you will go crazy trying to decide what to wear (No, I’m not wearing jeans.) So put on your bling and get ready to head out. Go upstairs and shower, but first, go the fridge to get your drink.”

Wow, what is happening? A surprise date night? Now, PoppaNut is great at surprises, and he does a ton of sweet things all the time, so this doesn’t surprise me … but at the say time, WOW! What an amazing treat! What’s even more amazing is that PoppaNut managed to make me a drink, set my alarm, write me a note and take his clothes out to the car without me even noticing!

So, I ran to the fridge, grab my drink and headed upstairs. There, the room was filled with lit candles and a card. I’m going to keep some things private, but the card was very sweet. I took a quick shower, fixed my hair, put on my makeup and went to the closet. What do you wear when you don’t know where you are going? A LBD seemed just right, paired with heals and my Otazu Sex in the City necklace (Carrie wore this necklace in the Sex in the City 2 necklace and now its mine!).

The doorbell rang, and there was PoppaNut … dressed up with a crisp, collared shirt and fresh flowers. It was quite romantic. He took me out on date night, to Ocean Prime in Tampa. We went there on our six-month anniversary as boyfriend and girlfriend, and here we were again. We had the most delicious food … and the best drink. I had a Berries and Bubbles, pictured here. YUMMY!

We took dessert to go … and headed home to spend some quiet time together. It was amazing, and reminds me how lucky I am to have PoppaNut in my life. And that’s life in a nutshell … remembering to surprise your special someone every now and again with a truly wonderful night.

MommaNut

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Sunday Dinner

16 May

As I mentioned last week, I had decided to make PoppaNut something very special on Saturday night for dinner. Turns out, he beat me to the punch and surprised me with an amazing date night (more to come tomorrow). So, I dusted off my old recipe book on Sunday to dream something extra special up.

Turns out, there is a dish that I haven’t made in a while that PoppaNut loves. I used to make it for him when we were dating and I was living with my cousin Ashley. It’s pretty simple, and it makes amazing leftovers.

Here is the recipe. I’ve included notes where I make exceptions.

Sunday Dinner3 cups (8 oz.) farfalle (bow-tie pasta), uncooked
4 cups  broccoli florets
3 Tbsp. KRAFT Roasted Red Pepper Italian with Parmesan Dressing
6 small  boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.) (I cut this into little pieces instead)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups  tomato-basil spaghetti sauce
4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) PHILADELPHIA Neufchatel Cheese, cubed
1/4 cup  KRAFT Grated Parmesan Cheese
 
COOK pasta as directed on package, adding broccoli to the cooking water for the last 3 min. of the pasta cooking time. Meanwhile, heat dressing in large nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add chicken and garlic; cook 5 min. Turn chicken over; continue cooking 4 to 5 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170ºF).

DRAIN pasta mixture in colander; return to pan and set aside. Add spaghetti sauce and Neufchatel to chicken in skillet; cook on medium-low heat 2 to 3 min. or until Neufchatel is completely melted, mixture is well blended and chicken is coated with sauce, stirring occasionally. Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm. Add sauce mixture to pasta mixture; mix well. Transfer to six serving bowls.

CUT chicken crosswise into thick slices; fan out chicken over pasta mixture. Sprinkle evenly with Parmesan cheese.

So, we watched our recorded “Saturday Night Live” and hung out on the couch eating this delicious dish. And that’s life in a nutshell … eating a favorite dish with your favorite person on a Sunday evening.

MommaNut

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Dreaming of a New Dinner

9 May

Monday is always a tough day. Work and errands fill the day, leaving little time to think about what to make for dinner. PoppaNut and I often have the same thing: plain chicken breast and steamed veggies with rice.

I can’t say I don’t like it; I do like it. It’s light and tasty, especially with a little cheese on the veggies. But I’m ready to challenge my cooking skills a bit more. I have decided to make a homemade meal on Saturday night, something that will warm PoppaNut’s tummy and leave his lips smacking for more.

Plus, it makes it easier to eat chicken and veggies during the week when I know something good is coming. I’m scouring websites looking for just the right dish.

I found a few really good options on BettyCrocker.com. Who knew Betty did more than baked goods? Seems like Betty is a busy woman, because her site has it all: party menus, videos, cooking tips and TONS of recipes.

This recipe for Garlic Shrimp Pasta looks delicious.

Here is the recipe:

8 oz uncooked multigrain angel hair (capellini) pasta or spaghetti
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 1/2 cups halved cherry tomatoes
3 teaspoons olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped (1/2 cup)
1 1/2 lb fresh medium shrimp, peeled, deveined and tail shells removed
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry white wine or Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/4 cup Progresso® reduced-sodium chicken broth (from 32-oz carton)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
 
In 5-quart saucepan or Dutch oven, cook pasta as directed on package. Drain; return to saucepan. Stir in spinach, tomatoes and 2 teaspoons of the oil. Cover to keep warm.

While pasta is cooking, in 12-inch nonstick skillet, heat remaining 1 teaspoon oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir 1 minute. Add shrimp, garlic and pepper flakes; cook and stir 2 minutes.

Stir in wine, broth, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until shrimp are pink and firm. Remove from heat; stir in parsley and butter until butter is melted. Add shrimp mixture to pasta mixture in saucepan; toss to mix.

Makes 6 servings
 
We also got a slow cooker for our wedding, and it has been sitting in the cupboard for awhile. I pull it out every now and then when I’m making homemade sloppy joes (I’ll share the recipe another time). But, I think it might be time to dust it off for this delicious recipe. What do you think?
 
Slow Cooker Layered Enchilada Dinner
 
1 lb lean (at least 80%) ground beef (I think I would use shredded chicken instead)
1 small onion, chopped (about 1/3 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 can (10 3/4 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 can (4.5 oz) Old El Paso® chopped green chiles
1 can (10 oz) Old El Paso® enchilada sauce
10 corn tortillas (6 inch)
3 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese (12 oz)
Paprika
Chopped fresh cilantro
 
In 10-inch skillet, cook ground beef, onion and garlic over medium-high heat, stirring frequently, until beef is thoroughly cooked; drain. Stir in soup and chiles.

Spray 3 1/2- to 4-quart slow cooker with cooking spray. Spread about 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce in bottom of slow cooker. Place 4 corn tortillas over sauce, overlapping and breaking in half as necessary to make an even layer. Top with 1/3 of beef mixture, spreading evenly. Drizzle with about 1/4 cup enchilada sauce. Sprinkle with 1 cup of the cheese.

Repeat layering twice, using 3 corn tortillas and half of remaining beef mixture, enchilada sauce and cheese in each layer. Sprinkle paprika over top.

Cover; cook on Low heat setting 4 hours 30 minutes to 5 hours 30 minutes.

Let stand about 5 minutes before serving. Sprinkle individual servings with cilantro.

Makes 6 servings
 
And that’s life in a nutshell … finding the perfect dinner to make the one you love. I’ll let you know when I end up making!
 
MommaNut
 
 
 

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