Comfort food has returned. ___ Ham cheese rollups 1 tube refrigerated pizza dough 3/4 lb. ham very thinly sliced 8 oz. Swiss cheese very thinly sliced 8 tbsp. butter melted 2 tbsp. brown sugar 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard 2 tbsp. poppy seeds cooking spray 1 tbsp. chopped parsley, optional Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a 9×13 pan with cooking spray. Unroll pizza dough onto a non-stick surface and roll it into a large rectangle, roughly 13×8 in size. Layer ham on top of pizza dough to cover it completely, then layer cheese in same fashion. Starting at one of…
Author: Melanie Behrens
I’m sure you must understand what I mean when I say spellcheck/autocorrect on my ipad and phone can be a real pain in the neck. But then I have mixed feelings. Spellcheck can also be a lifesaver. I use it every day in my communication. Sometimes autocorrect changes the word I want to use (just like my editor does sometimes). It anticipates what I’m going to say as I’m dictating, which I do mostly rather than type. Frequently, it’s not the right substituted word. The problem arises when I don’t read it before I send it. Seriously, I am a…
Maybe at this time of the winter you just need a pick-me-up. How about this? ___ Crab dip 1 8-oz.pkg. cream cheese, softened 1/2 C Miracle Whip Dressing 3/4 C shredded mozzarella cheese, divided 1/2 C finely shredded Parmesan cheese, divided 2 green onions, sliced, divided 1 6-oz.can lump crabmeat, drained 1/4 C roasted red peppers, chopped 1-1/4 C fresh corn kernels, divided Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix cream cheese and Miracle Whip in medium bowl until blended. Add 1/2 cup mozzarella and 1/4 cup Parmesan; mix well. Reserve 2 TBS onions for later use. Add remaining onions to…
That era so long ago For some of us, it “just seems like yesterday.” That’s an old expression I never understood, until the last few years. There was a fantastic era just a generation or so ago. It was only 10 years after World War II. It was a time of rebuilding our country. It was a much calmer, respectful (almost prudish as we look at it today) and certainly safer environment for both children and adults. Electronic devices have brought a wonderful convenience, but have made it possible for the whole world to be spying on each other. Today…
It’s chicken week. These are really different ways to serve chicken. ___ Chicken and spinach 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 2 tsp. paprika Kosher salt freshly ground black pepper 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 10 oz. baby spinach 1 C heavy cream 3/4 C low-sodium chicken broth 1 C shredded mozzarella 1/2 C freshly grated Parmesan crusty bread, for serving (optional) In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 1 tablespoon oil. Season chicken with paprika, salt, and pepper and cook until golden and no longer pink – 8 minutes…
We have all heard of a pun. I’m pretty sure we learned about it in high school English class, but I actually had to look it up to see exactly what it meant. So here’s the formal definition. “The pun, also called paronomasia, is a form of word play that exploits multiple meanings of a term, or of similar-sounding words, for an intended humorous or rhetorical effect.” In addition, “A pun is a play on words that takes advantage of two things: (1) the fact that some words with different meanings sound the same, such as “air” and “heir”; and…
Welcome to my favorite world – pie, gooey dessert bread and candy! ___ Candy cane/peppermint pie 1/2 C unsalted butter melted 36 Oreos crushed Pie filling: 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1-1/4 C confectioners’ sugar 1/2 C (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened 1-1/3 C heavy cream 1 tsp. vanilla (or peppermint) extract 1 3.9 oz. box vanilla or white chocolate instant pudding 3/4 C milk 2 tsp. gelatin powder 2 tbsp. cold water 1/2 C crushed candy cane or peppermint candies 1/4 C mini chocolate chips For topping: 4.5 oz. white chocolate (or white chocolate chips) 1/4 C heavy cream…
I recently came across these reports from happenings in the courtroom. They are said to be taken down word for word by the court reporter. Many of these reporters must have found it very difficult to keep a straight face while doing their job. I love attorneys. They are hard working people who sometimes deal with the craziest circumstances, as you will see. You may know I am closely related to an attorney (husband Dan) here in Marysville who does courtroom work. He reports that none of these are from anything he’s been involved with. Here we go. I know…
This is your choice for a new main dish. ___ Famous shrimp and pasta 1 lb. spaghetti or your favorite pasta of choice 1-1/2 lbs. medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (or 1 lb. boneless chicken, chopped) 1-1/2 tbsp. olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 3 tsp. paprika 1 tbsp. fresh parsley black pepper to taste For the sauce: 1/2 C mayonnaise 1/2 C Thai sweet chili sauce 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp. lime juice 1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes 1/2 tbsp. onion powder In a large bowl, mix all ‘sauce’ ingredients together then set aside. Cook pasta and…
(Editor’s note: This recipe was planned to be published last week, but was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances.) The Super Bowl is just days away. Try these snacks for your party. ___ B T dip 1 lb. bacon, cooked 1 C mayonnaise 1 C sour cream 8 oz. cream cheese, softened 1-1/2 C cheddar cheese 1 tomato, seeded and chopped 1/4 C chopped green onions additional green onions, cooked bacon, tomato, and lettuce for garnish, if desired Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix mayonnaise, sour cream, and cream cheese in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Crumble bacon into mixture and…
Advice is an interesting thing. Even though I know it isn’t a good idea to offer unsolicited advice, nearly everything that follows here could be thought of as that. It’s not that I think I know better than other people (oh, maybe I do), but I have had some experience in life at this point. Here’s some advice from a grandfather from many years ago. When I was whining about something gone wrong, he would say, “Consider it’s better than a stick in the eye.” As a child you can imagine the ugly thoughts that go along with that. I…
Church and many things connected with it bring us peace in life and also are a good source of humor. These church related stories may make you laugh at the crazy circumstances. Be sure to read the last one! “Two boys were walking home from Sunday School after hearing a strong preaching on the devil. One said to the other, ‘What do you think about all this Satan stuff?’ The other boy replied, ‘Well, you know how Santa Claus turned out. It’s probably just your Dad.’” “Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother,…
Winter is the time for comfort food. ___ Chicken carbonara 1/2 lb. pasta Fresh diced parsley or dried flakes 2 C cooked/cut-up rotisserie chicken 1/2 C cream or heavy cream (whipping cream) 1/2 C of freshly grated Parmesan cheese 2 tsp. olive oil 1/2 tsp. salt 2 large eggs 1/2 lb. bacon fried crisp then crumbled 1 small onion finely chopped 1/2 C chopped mushrooms In a large bowl, mix eggs, cream, Parmesan, parsley, salt and olive oil in a bowl and set aside. Next, in a large frying pan, fry bacon until just crisp, then crumble and set aside…
I look at it as the fastest way to get there, but you know, flying just isn’t fun anymore. Mostly that’s because of all the security problems that we have had in the past 15 years. One terrorist tries something and then we all have to put up with additional screening that might save our lives. There was the shoe bomber, so now we have to take off our shoes until we are 75 years old. Another tried to use combustible liquids to blow up a plane. So liquids are limited and have to be shown unless there is a…
It’s cold outside. Here’s some comfort food. ___ Slow cooker beef stew 1 tbsp. olive oil 2-1/2 lbs. beef stew meat salt and pepper to taste 1 onion diced 2 tsp. minced garlic 1 lb, small yellow potatoes halved 4 carrots halved and sliced into 1-in. chunks 3 C beef broth 3 tbsp. tomato paste 1 tsp. dried thyme 1 bay leaf 1 C frozen peas 3 tbsp. flour 2 tbsp. chopped parsley Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season stew meat generously with salt and pepper. Cook meat in a single layer for 4-5…