. yum yum * german potato salad .

click image to view/print recipe

when summer finally got here, it came with 90 to 100 degree heat and boy... it is HOT HOT HOT! where is the summer going? it gets here late at the end of july? hope everyone is having a great one with families and friends. here is a favorite summertime side dish, my sister's german potato salad... and what a cook she was.
i will be using a lot of her recipes... so stay tuned!

. yum yum * potato soup

OMG!!! is spring here or not? getting anxious to get in my garden and flower beds... spring is my favorite time of the year, it reminds me of new beginnings. flowers and trees start to turn green, farmers in the field, a new cycle of life begins.  my recipe this week changes every time i make it (which drives my daughter-in-law CRAZY), depending on what i have in the refrigerator.  i despise going to the grocery store for one or two items because you never buy just what you need... and spend more $$$. i'm all for semi-homemade! my husband does not like lumps of potatoes in soup or potato salad or anything else chunky. everything has to be thin and crispy. this week is my "ever changing" potato soup...

Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 pkg mash potatoes

(found in cooler section)

5 slices bacon

celery

onion

sour cream

milk

shredded cheese

in a pot on the stove, start browning your bacon which has been chopped into small pieces.  add some diced celery and onions (as much as you desire) and let them continue to brown until the bacon becomes crispy. add 2-3 cups milk. stir to get all bacon off the bottom. add mashed potatoes and stir until mixture becomes a smooth consistency. add 1 cup sour cream.  at this point if you like a thinner soup just add more milk a bit at a time until you reach your desired thickness.  as your continue to stir your soup, taste it and you may want to add some salt or dill weed or sage or chives... whatever your taste buds like. place some shredded cheese in your soup bowls and add your soup over top.

i love presentation when i serve a guest...either with the food or on the table. add a bit of shredded cheese with some chives on top of the soup. voila! garlic flavor bagel chips and any flavor wine goes well with this soup. enjoy!

until next week Bon Appetit!



. yum yum * pizza .

i long for friday nights. it's the end of the week at work... time to de-stress, and enjoy time with neighbors, friends, and family.  we have a wonderful neighbor we look forward to getting together with on most friday nights.  we make sure we plan something that is very simple and good.  last night we made home made pizza, wedge of salad, and stress relief...gin and tonic!  my neighbor sherry and i cook together on these nights, and this pizza is so easy that she can make it!



Pizza

Crust:

3/4 c warm water

1 T sugar

1 pkg yeast

(combine these ingredients and let yeast foam)

Mix together in bowl (i use my kitchen aid mixer with dough hook)

2 c flour

1 T olive oil

pinch of salt

yeast mixture

mix together until it forms a ball.  take the ball out of bowl and with olive oil on your hands form a nice round ball. place in bowl, cover with cloth, and let rise approximately 20 min.

now the fun begins:

press dough in your pizza pan with olive oil on your hands (i prefer a pizza pan with holes in the bottom... as my husband has to have a thin and crisp crust)

put pizza sauce on crust and add anything else that you desire...

(we had hamburger, fresh spinach, mushrooms, onions, american and mozzarella cheese)

some of my favorite suggestions:  sauerkraut, sausage/hamburger, fresh tomato slices, and fresh herbs

Bake your masterpiece for 8-12 minutes at 375 or until cheese is melting and bubbly.

Salad Wedge

cut a head of lettuce into fourths. place wedge on plate and let them add whatever they want... how easy is that? that's what i'm talking about EASY and GOOD!

it is fun to make pizza with your grandkids because they can add what they like. a couple of mine (skylar and colby) want pizza almost every time they come and spend the weekend with us... or maybe my special macaroni & cheese (that recipe for another time)!

oh yes and i almost forgot the gin and tonic... nice spring, summer, and oh heck... anytime drink.  i add a little extra something to mine thanks to my granddaughter torri's suggestion of a tablespoon of lime-aid concentrate.  ahhhhhh the weekend is here...

until next time Bon Appetit



. yum yum * brownies .

i love to entertain and have family and friends over. i also really enjoy having a dinner party with a theme...have you tried that? so much fun can be had!! and the spur of the moment get togethers are the absolute BEST!! for instance, this past weekend it started out as a nice dinner for our friend's birthday, a party of six. we ended up with twelve guests...it was so much fun to just expand the table, put some more food on the grill, pick up some more garlic bread, and have plenty of wine on hand.  a wonderful example of how life is so short and we need to ENJOY it while we can! the recipe for this week is from my late sister...she would make it when she was having family over. i hope that when you try it, that you will think of wonderful memories from your past as well.

Brownies

Ingredients:

2 c flour
2 c sugar
1 c cold water or coffee
4 T cocoa
1/2 c wesson oil
1 stick butter
1/2 c sour milk (add vinegar to milk)
1 t soda
2 eggs
1 t cinnamon

mix flour and sugar together. bring water, cocoa, oil, and butter to a boil. add flour/sugar mixture and the remaining ingredients and mix well. place in inch cookie sheet or a 9x13 pan. bake at 400 for 18-20 minutes.

Frosting
Ingredients:

1 stick butter
4 T cocoa
6 T milk
2 lbs powdered sugar
1 c nuts
1/2 t salt
vanilla

beat all ingredients until smooth and frost.

enjoy with a glass of wine.  i love these with a glass of After Dark made by Mac's Creek here in Nebraska.  thanks Jo for your recipe...i'll have a glass for you.

untill next week...Bon Appetit!!

. yum yum * family noodles .

you know, i am going to reach another milestone in my life next month....but my question to you is this, why is it so hard on us when our children have their birthdays?  they seem to be getting older, but i'm not getting older....hmmmm how is that possible?  i refuse to get old, my children and grandchildren are keeping me young.  my two children both have birthdays this month... a hard month to get through for me.  so i am dedicating this week to my daughter and son who love this very simple recipe.  we have to make it on ALL holidays!  and guess what my grandkids are asking for now? 

Fried Noodles

Ingredients:

1 lg package wide noodles (cooked)
olive oil
3 eggs
salt/pepper


place olive oil in skillet and warm so when you add the noodles to the skillet they will sizzle. get the noodles hot through out and add a beaten egg in three different spots in the skillet over the noodles. stir the eggs and noodles together. stir and keep adding olive oil as needed until the noodles become brown and as crispy as you like. when done add salt and pepper. serve as a side dish, either plain or with gravy.  i hope you enjoy them as much as our family.

until next time... Bon Appetit!!!

. yum yum * comfort soup .

i guess winter is not over yet... luckily mama gayle decided to warm us

up today with some down home comfort.  meet gayle, our fabulous chef,
 on her bon appetit section at the top of the page...  

Sauerkraut Soup

Ingredients:

1 qt. Sauerkraut w/ juice (homemade if you have some...thank you Cherese for mine!!!)

1 large carton sour cream

1 Kielbasa beef sausage (cut in small pieces)

4 medium potatoes

dill weed

caraway seeds (optional)

start with peeling potatoes and cutting in very small pieces.  place them in pot with enough water to boil in until tender. then add to the pot your sauerkraut and sausage, cook till hot (not boiling). add sour cream and as much dill weed and caraway seeds as you like. heat thoroughly. the sour cream will make soup creamy... add water if you would like your soup juicier.  this is a simple soup with good flavor that makes you want to have more than one bowl!

until next month...Bon Appetit!!!!