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How does your garden grow?

June 16, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 30 Comments

Mary Mary Quite Contrarymas memoirs How does your garden grow?

How does your garden grow?

With silver bells and cockle shells

And Pretty Maids all in a row?

Uh, no…try this version on for size

Mary Mary Quite Contrary

How does your garden grow?

I live with my brat in a high rise flat

So how in the world would I know?

mas memoirs How does your garden grow?That’s more like it.  That second one is courtesy of Roald Dahl’s Rhyme Stew and though I would never refer to my kids as brats, oh no, not me, I can’t grow a thing!

I love flowers, I do.

I love gardens.

I love herbs.

I love all things outdoors this time of year.

I wish, I study, I pine, and I want my own garden.

I spend hours at the nursery sighing over all the things I’d like to do with my yard.  mas memoirs How does your garden grow?

Then…I leave…empty handed.

Why you may ask?

Because I love the flowers.

I do.

And that’s why I know they’re better off at the nursery.

mas memoirs How does your garden grow?In someone else’s garden.

Someone who won’t kill them.

This season, I have allowed myself a few small, tiny, uh, let’s call them side dishes…

I bought some herbs and some fruits…

I know I know, it’s not right…to the plants I mean, but they’re pretty low maintenance and I’ve only almost killed them once.

Now I didn’t allow myself to actually plant them.

But they’re hanging in there on my deck.

Want to see?

You know I’m going to show you anyway…

Take a gander at these bad boys!mas memoirs How does your garden grow?

It’s my portable herb garden.

It came prearranged and it’s still alive!

It’s got basil, mint, thyme, oregano, rosemary and parsley!

Isn’t it cute?

And it’s saved me a bundle in not having to buy all those herbs at the market.

And it’s still alive!

Oh wait, I said that already.

Can you tell this is new for me?

My other little guy is this one… mas memoirs How does your garden grow?

Isn’t he adorable?

He’s an alpine strawberry plant.

He’s just starting to flower and I can see the itty bitty tiny little buds forming.

I’m so excited I could burst.

Ok, truth be told, I almost killed this guy twice but he’s pretty resilient and seems to be still kicking.

mas memoirs How does your garden grow?Love him!

Just thought I’d share a bit of my garden, or lack thereof, with you.  It’s sort of a confession for me.  Now you know where I get all my fresh herbs and my mom knows what a bitter disappointment I am in the garden.  She certainly did not pass on her green thumb…sorry ma, must not be hereditary.

What are you growing this year?

mas memoirs How does your garden grow? Welcome to my first Wednesday Welcome. If you’re new here, please pull of a chair to the Fitzpatrick’s Family Table. What can I get ya?

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Italian Shepherd’s Pie aka Pastore Pasticcio

May 28, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 27 Comments

dinner Italian Shepherd’s Pie aka Pastore Pasticcio

I can’t believe it!  What a great day!  I’ve been tickled!

Holly over there at 504 Main has chosen me for the amazing honor to kick off her awesome Tickled Pink!

I’m thrilled, I’m touched, I’m quite simply…

TICKLED PINK!

Thanks, Holly I love ya girl.

You’ve got to to check out her blog, she rocks!

So this is a recipe that tickles me, you’ve seen it before, but it’s a winner….

If you’ve been following along you know that I am a sucker for a good shepherd’s pie, or cottage pie as my mum (you know she’s a Brit right?) would insist as it’s only a shepherd’s pie if it’s ground lamb, yadda yadda yadda.  Anyway, I’m flipping through this magazine that someone left at my house, it had food on the cover so you know I’m gonna read it, and this guy had made an italian sausage version of one of my fave pies.  Well his was sort of boring so I took it on, embellished it a bit and came up with this all new amazing dish! You’re going to love it.

dinner Italian Shepherd’s Pie aka Pastore Pasticcio

Serves: 8  Prep Time:  20 minutes  Bake time: 1 hour 20 minutes

1 unbaked store bought pie crust

1 lb bulk italian sausage

1/2 lb ground beef

1 onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, diced

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

1 T worcestshire sauce

2 cups leftover mashed potatoes

1 egg, beaten

1/2 cup cottage cheese

1/2 cup cream cheese

2 T melted butter

1/4 cup sour cream

1 T dried oregano, divided

1/2 t dried parsley

1/2 t dried basil

1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1/2 t garlic powder

S&P

1 cup shredded cheddar and mozzarella cheese combined

cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 cup fresh basil, shredded

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Lay the pie crust into a pie plate and cover with heavy duty tin foil.  Bake at 450 for 7 minutes.  Remove from oven, remove foil and set aside.  Reduce the oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium skillet, brown the sausage and beef over medium high heat.  When browned, add in your onions, garlic, and 1/2 T oregano.  Allow the onions to soften, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in worcestshire sauce, tomato sauce, and season with S&P.  Allow to simmer on low while you prepare the potatoes.

In a large bowl combine potato with egg, cream cheese, cottage cheese, melted butter, sour cream, oregano, parsley, basil, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese.  Season with S&P.

Transfer the sausage mixture into the bottom of the pie crust.  Top with potato mixture.  Bake at 375 for 50 minutes.  Remove and sprinkle with cheese and return to oven for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven.  Arrange tomatoes around the sides of the pie and add basil to the middle.  Serve with salad.  It’s amazing.dinner Italian Shepherd’s Pie aka Pastore Pasticcio

I saw a version of this in a magazine and thought, what a great idea. I embellished it a bit and came up with this amazing dish! You’re going to love it!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Quattro Formaggi Chicken Fettucine

April 29, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 12 Comments

When you’re craving some good ol’ fashioned stick to your ribs creamy gooey goodness then throw this bad boy together.  You and the family will not be disappointed.
dinner Quattro Formaggi Chicken Fettucine

Serves 6 Prep Time:  20 minutes Cook time: 30 minutes

1/2 cup butter

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 garlic clove, diced

1 small onion, diced

S&P

1 can condensed cream of mushroom and garlic soup

1 8 oz package cream cheese, cubed

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 cup chicken stock

1 T italian seasoning

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 cup shredded swiss cheese

3/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

3 cooked boneless chicken breasts, cubed

1 lb fettucine pasta

Topping:

1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs

3 T butter melted

2 T parmesan cheese

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Heat a large pot of water over high heat and cook fettucine to al dente, about 12 minutes.  Drain.

While the pasta cooks, heat butter over medium high heat.  Add in mushrooms and onions and cook until soft, about 5-7 minutes.  Add in garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Season well with S&P.  Stir in cream cheese, soup, cream, and italian seasoning.  Allow cream cheese to melt and add in chicken stock. Stir in remaining cheeses and turn the heat down to medium low.  Season to taste with S&P.  Fold in chicken and allow to heat through.  Pour in pasta and mix well.  Pour into a greased 13×9 baking dish.

Combine the ingredients for the topping and sprinkle over dish.  Cover and cook at 375 for 25 minutes.  Uncover and bake and additional 5 minutes until topping is golden brown.

This was inspired by a dish I saw in Taste of Home magazine by Rochelle Brownlee .  I thought her use of cream cheese was a stroke of genius!  Thanks Rochelle.

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes, Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Linguini with white wine cherry tomato and clam sauce

March 15, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 8 Comments

dinner Linguini with white wine cherry tomato and clam sauce

Rachael Ray’s Delicious Recipe

  • Salt
  • 1 pound linguini
  • 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 5 to 6 anchovies
  • 1 pint small cherry tomatoes
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 stems oregano, leaves stripped and finely chopped
  • A handful flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped ( I add mine at the end)
  • Black pepper
  • 1 cup dry white wine
  • 3 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
  • 3 pounds Manilla clams, scrubbed (I used littlenecks)
  • 1/2 cup basil leaves, torn

Bring water to a boil for pasta, salt water and cook pasta just shy of al dente.

While water comes to a boil, heat extra-virgin olive oil over medium to medium-high heat. Add anchovies and melt into oil. Add tomatoes, onions and garlic to the pan, season with crushed red pepper flakes, oregano, parsley and pepper, saute until the tomatoes and onions are soft, 8 to 10 minutes.

dinner Linguini with white wine cherry tomato and clam sauce

The hubs couldn't wait til we sat down to dig in...

Add wine and reduce for 1 or 2 minutes, melt butter into sauce and add clams to pot. Cover the pot and cook clams until they open, 6 to 7 minutes.

Remove any unopened clams and add pasta to the pan. Toss linguini with sauce for about 2 to 3 minutes so the pasta absorbs the flavors. Add basil to pasta and taste to adjust seasonings. dinner Linguini with white wine cherry tomato and clam sauce

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Sauteed Spaghetti Squash with herbs

January 12, 2010 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 3 Comments

appetizers Sauteed Spaghetti Squash with herbs

Serves 6  Prep Time:  5 minutes  Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

1 spaghetti squash split with seeds removed

1 t olive oil

1 t butter

2 cloves garlic minced

1/4 cup chopped parsley

2 T cup chopped sage

1/4 cup chopped basil

2 T chopped oregano

2 T parmesan cheese

S&P

Preheat your oven to 375.  Pour 1/2 cup of water into the bottom of a 13×9 baking dish.  Place squash flesh side down and bake at 375 for 45 minutes.  Remove and allow to cool slightly. appetizers Sauteed Spaghetti Squash with herbs

Scrape down the squash with a fork to create the spaghetti like strings.  In a large skillet melt butter with olive oil.  Saute garlic for one minute.  Add in spaghetti squash and toss to cover with garlic, oil, and butter.  Toss with fresh herbs and cheese.  Enjoy!

You can also add some marinara sauce to this dish.  The kids love it!

Filed Under: Appetizer Recipes For Kids, Healthy Recipes For Kids, Healthy Side Dish Recipes For Kids, Recipes For Kids, Vegetable Recipes For Kids, Vegetarian Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , ,

Fitz Family Taco Night

November 12, 2009 By Alex aka Ma, What's For Dinner 2 Comments

dinner Fitz Family Taco Night

Serves: 6     Prep time: 15 minutes  Cook time:  10 minutes

1 1/2 pounds ground beef

1 T Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup beef stockdinner Fitz Family Taco Night

1 small can diced tomatoes with green chiles

1 T ground cumin

1/2 T ground coriander

1/2 T garlic powder

1/2 T onion powder

1/2 T chili powder

1/2 T dried oregano

S&P

Taco Shells

1 head romaine lettuce shredded

3 roma tomatoes chopped

1/2 onion chopped

1/4 cup cilantro chopped

1 avacado chopped

1 can sliced olives

sour cream

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup shredded pepper jack cheese

hot sauce

Preheat your oven to 300 degrees.  Set a large skillet over medium high heat.  Once pan is hot add in your ground beef breaking it up into small pieces.  Allow to brown.  Once meat is browned pour off the fat and return to heat.

dinner Fitz Family Taco NightPour tomatoes into pan with the meat and mix.  Add cumin, coriander, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, oregano and S&P.  Stir and allow to simmer together for 3-4 minutes.  Add in Worcestershire sauce and beef stock.  Bring to a boil and then turn down to a simmer.  Allow to simmer for 10 minutes while you assemble the toppings.

Chop your lettuce, tomato, and onions.  Arrange on a plate and sprinkle onions with chopped cilantro.  Shred your cheese and arrange on a another plate.  Open sour cream, hot sauce and olives.  Either transfer to a serving dish or place next to other plates.

dinner Fitz Family Taco Night

Put your taco shells on a baking dish and bake in a 300 degree oven for 3-4 minutes until just warm.  Allow your family to make their own tacos with whatever toppings they choose.  That is part of the fun.

Ole!

Filed Under: Dinner Recipes For Kids, Kid Favorite Recipes, Recipes For Kids Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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