He cooks!

Every once in a while, Caleb gets in the mood to cook something. It is often after he has tasted something when we are dining out. I think the first time he had Bread Pudding was in New York with his Uncle Mark and Aunt Margie. He has mentioned it many times and we just decided to finally try it. It is yummy alone, or with caramel sauce over the top, that's how I had mine. We used the basic recipe from my trusty Betty Crocker Cookbook.


2 cups milk

1/4 cup margarine or butter

2 eggs, slightly beaten

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon salt

8 slices bread, dried (we sped this up by using a warm oven)


Heat oven to 350*

Meat milk and butter over medium heat until butter is melted and milk is hot.

Meanwhile, mix eggs, sugar, cinnamon and salt in large bowl.

Stir in bread cubes.

Stir in milk mixture.

Pour into ungreased 1 1/2 quart casserole dish.

Place casserole pan in a larger pan of very hot water, 1 inch deep.

Bake uncovered until knife inserted 1 inch from edge of casserole comes out clean, 40-45 minutes.

Serve warm.

These were Doug's mother's dishes, she had given them to him before we got married. We don't have many left, but I sure like the ones we have.

Next time he may try Paula Deen's recipe for Coconut Cream Bread Pudding, it sounds scrumptious.

I love it when the boys want to cook. Caleb has shown the most interest over the years. This guy has more kitchen appliances than I do, I kid you not! He will be a great room mate some day when he gets his own place!

A recipe for Spring Break!

Last morning at the beach before heading home to cold KS temperatures...burrr!

 We spent the last few days in Florida, catching up on our vitamin D after a long winter without much sunshine. We had a great day at a water park in Orlando, then headed south to Ft Lauderdale to hang out on the beach. The resort was beautiful and the weather was perfect.
Besides being beach bums,
Doug and the boys, minus Drew who was at school,
rented jet skis, and we went on a dinner cruise during which we viewed some amazing homes and incredible yachts that I describe a small cruise ships....WOW! We had a good time and are refreshed and ready to face the rest of the school year...the end can't come soon enough for Caleb who will graduate high school and
 Jonah who will be leaving Jr Hi behind. 

Bring on summer!

 

View from our balcony.

I was really dreading our first trip without all 5 of us. I missed having Drew with us, but realize that the trips we do have all together in the future will be all the more special. 
I'm already looking forward to our trip to New York this summer.

Angel Hair Pasta with Tomatoes, Basil and Garlic

I am bumping this recipe up for Lent, and it now has pictures...hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Here's who we invited to the party, pasta, olive oil, salt and pepper, broth, parmesan, tomatoes, basil and garlic

1 lb angel hair pasta
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon dried basil, I really like fresh, 1/2 tablespoon, minced
4 tablespoons olive oil
5 cups fresh tomatoes, diced
3/4 cup chicken broth, or vegetable broth during Lent
5 tablespoons Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Start a large pot of water for your pasta, have everything ready to go, this dish goes together pretty quickly.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a skillet. When hot, add garlic and cook for 1 minute.

Add tomatoes, basil, salt and pepper. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until tomatoes start to break down.

Add hot, drained pasta to skillet and toss well. I have found that I don't need all the cooked pasta. This is a good reason to add it to the skillet instead of pouring the sauce over the top. I usually use about 3/4  of the amount called for.

Add chicken (or vegetable) broth and stir. You can add more broth if you need to without compromising the finished product, just don't go overboard!

Transfer to serving dish and top with Parmesan cheese.

even using 3/4 of the pasta, it makes a lot!

*Great dish to use up abundant summer tomatoes.

**Grill some chicken breasts to go with it for a real treat.

Get the good Parmesan, you won't even miss the meat...

This makes a great Lenten dish. I have read that it is okay to use chicken or beef broth when cooking on meatless Fridays, however, I choose to play it safe and use vegetable broth. I bought vegetable bouillon and it works great! This is also good during the summer when the tomatoes are fresh from the garden, and you grill up some chicken breast outside to serve with it......heavenly!