Pomegranate Balsamic Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

If you are like me,  I love pomegranates, but I hate the mess that comes along with them.  Well...I found a clean way to cut a pomegranate that even lets the kids get involved.  Once I was able to get all the seeds out of the pomegranate neatly, I made a yummy vinaigrette dressing.  

First watch this video. I found it extremely helpful.

Link to Video

Pomegranate

garlic or garlic powder

pepper

balsamic vinegar (dark or light)

I put a paper towel on my cutting board to help absorb the juice.  It can stain! 

Have your little ones help by placing the pomegranate in a bowl full of water and removing the seeds.

This is how to avoid a mess.  

Now you are left with just the seeds.

Add all the ingredients together.

Mix in a blender.

Strain to remove any seed bits.

Enjoy.

Gingerbread Fun

This holiday season we are busy, busy, busy!  The boys have been asking to decorate a gingerbread house for weeks.  Last year I made all the gingerbread by hand and I was hoping to do the same this year,  but the season is getting the best of me and I just don't have time.  So rather than over promise and under deliver, I compromised by using graham crackers, recyclable boxes, leftover Halloween candy, a few quick items from the grocery store and home made icing.  We are so happy with the end result.

Our Sweet Gingerbread Village

It is amazing how much Halloween candy is green and red.

The marshmellow roof was a family favorite.  

That and the shaved coconut that we sprinkled everywhere to look like snow.

Ice cream cones make great bases for trees.  Just cover with icing and stick on gum drops.

Our hockey player needed to add an ice rink. 

 Look closely and you can see the pretzels are pumpkins.  

Royal Icing

(I had to triple the recipe)

1 lb. powdered sugar
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
3 egg whites 

Beat on low speed until well blended, then beat on high speed until light and fluffy.

Gingerbread Houses

We used different size recyclable boxes to "glue" (with icing)  the graham crackers onto so they would be sturdy.  This made it much easier for the boys to decorate.  

Have fun and be festive!   

Warm Zucchini Salad

We eat salad with almost every meal, so I am always looking for ways to change it up. 

This is a salad with zucchini, tomatoes, lima beans (I would have used edamame if I had them), garlic and basil.  It is so quick and easy to make.  On cold nights salad tastes so much better when it is warm. Experiment with different vegetables.   

Ingredients

2 zucchinis - chopped into quarters

2 cups lima beans (I prefer edamame for the extra protein)
2 tomatoes - chopped
1 clove of garlic - chopped
1 T basil
salt and pepper to taste
__________________________

Bring a pot of water to a boil.
Add chopped zucchini and beans.
Cook until tender (try not to overcook or they get mushy).
Drain in a colander.

Add garlic and tomatoes to pot immediately after draining zucchini and beans.

Cook until warm.  

Add zucchini, beans,  basil, salt and pepper.

Mix together.

 ( I chopped 3 cloves of garlic below, but only added one).

Top with parmesan cheese.

Meatballs, Meatballs, Meatballs


Spaghetti and Meatballs


Meatball Sub


Italian Wedding Soup

Growing up my mom made meatballs every Sunday morning.  We would have meatball subs for lunch after church and then spaghetti and meatballs for dinner.  It was a tradition that I loved.  So each year as the weather gets colder and we can't grill out as much I begin to make meatballs on Sundays.  I made a big batch this week which we stretched out to 3 meals...
Spaghetti and Meatballs, Meatball Subs, and Italian Wedding Soup.

Meatball Recipe


 1 lb ground veal
 1 lb ground pork
1 lb ground beef
1 onion - chopped
4 cloves of garlic - minced
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmesan/Romano cheese
1 t each - parsley, bail and oregano
2 eggs


Mix all ingredients together.
 Form into meatballs.
I cook them for 10-15 minutes in a 400 degree oven then
I add them to the sauce where they finish cooking.
___________________________

I used my mom's sauce recipe (which I posted a couple weeks back).

Nana's Quick Sauce
2 T olive oil
3 minced garlic cloves
2 (35oz) cans crushed tomatoes
4 cups water
1 small can tomato paste
fresh parsley, basil and oregano - 1t each

1. saute olive oil and garlic
2. add all ingredients
3. bring to boil and then simmer for 1 hour

_____________________________

Meatball Sub

Meatball subs are so easy to make.
 Just use the leftover meatballs and sauce, rolls and mozzarella cheese.
I layered the buns - cheese, sauce, meatball, sauce, cheese.
I also cut the meatballs in half before I place them in the roll.
Wrap them in foil and cook in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes.
Yum!

______________________________

Italian Wedding Soup


2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup minced yellow onion

1 cup diced carrots (3 carrots), cut into 1/4 inch pieces

10 cups chicken stock

1 cup  arborio rice or small pasta such as tubetini or stars

1/8 cup minced fresh dill

12 ounces kale or baby spinach, washed and trimmed

meatballs

 Heat the olive oil in soup pot. Add the onions and carrots and saute until softened. 

Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. 

Add the rice or pasta to the simmering broth and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, until tender. 

Add the dill and then the meatballs to the soup and simmer for 1 minute. 

Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Stir in the spinach or kale and cook for 1 minute, until just wilted.

Sprinkle with grated Parmesan.

_______________________________

• 
  

Volcano Fun

I was making sauce this afternoon and the boys were looking for something to do.  So I taught them how to make salt dough and turn it into an exploding volcano.  My brother Joe and I played with vinegar, baking soda, clay and plastic green army men for hours when we were kids.
Well, at least until the vinegar ran out.
 I loved sharing this activity with my boys.

Salt dough

 1cup salt

2 cups flour

1 cup warm water

Go in your recycling bin and find a container to use for your volcano.

Mold dough around container.

Ideally, wait a day for the dough to harden.  

We didn't wait and used it right away.  

Our volcano is in a box drying now for next time.

Add 1 T baking soda, 1 squirt of food coloring and enough vinegar to make it bubble.  

As you can see, we tried out all of the colors.  Green was our favorite.

Have fun! 

Mouth Watering Chicken Marinade

I am always looking for a new marinade.  I found one called "Pirate Marinade" that I will use again and again.  It has so much flavor.  You can find it on Eating Well.  I promise it won't disappoint.

Link to Pirate Marinade
(I skipped the dashes of hot sauce.)

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/4 cup red-wine vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 3 tablespoons packed brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons ground allspice
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cook the garlic and onions until translucent.

Add all other ingredients and let cool.

Add chicken and refrigerate.

We made chicken sandwiches with toasted Ciabatta bread, spinach and cheddar cheese.

Yummy!

Quick Lentil Soup

I love lentil soup.  It is so filling and satisfying.  I wanted to make it this week, but I didn't have any onions or celery (which are traditionally used).  That didn't stop me though.  I used garlic, a yellow pepper, green beans and carrots instead.  The soup was still just as yummy.  

It warmed us all up as the weather is getting colder.  

 1 lb lentils

1 can stewed tomatoes

2 boxes broth

chopped veggies  

(use whatever you have or prefer)

thyme

salt and pepper

 Chopped veggies 

(2 minced garlic cloves, a yellow pepper, handful of green beans, handful of carrots)

Saute in 2 t olive oil until tender.

Add a can of stewed tomatoes.

Sauteed until the tomato juice is cooked down. 

Add lentil and mix together.

Add broth, thyme, salt and pepper

Bring to a boil

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes or until lentils are soft.

Thanksgiving Joys


Lobster - Squash - Chicken Noodle Soup - Lasagna - Sweet Potato Gnocchi - 
Cheese - Chocolate Cake - Macaroni and Cheese

We spent Thanksgiving traveling east to see our family and friends. 

We are grateful and blessed to have so many loving people in our lives.

 Our adventure started in Boston where we visited my brother Dave in Quincy.  

He spoiled us with lobster and impressed us with his mouth watering squash.  

The squash was so easy... cut it up, put it in foil, drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill.  So good! 

I am so proud of my brother Dave.  A couple years ago he started his own business selling anything to do with vacuums.  Check it out...  http://evacuumstore.com

___________________________________________

Our next stop was my parents' house.  

My mother is one of those Italian mothers who is always in the kitchen.  

We are well fed when we visit. 

We were greeted by her homemade chicken noodle soup.  

Ooh, it was delicious! 

My dad raved about the noodles.  He says the secret is the noodles.  :)

Nana's Homemade Chicken Soup Recipe

a small onion- chopped

1 lb chicken breasts

2 T olive oil

1 bag of frozen crinkle cut carrots

6 chicken flavor bouillon cubes

12 cups of water

1. Cut chicken into bite size pieces and saute with chopped onion in a large sauce pan.

2. In a separate pan, boil water and bouillon cubes until cubes are dissolved.  

    Add broth to cooked chicken and onions.

3. Add carrots and simmer for 20 minutes.

4. In a separate pan cook noodles according to package directions.

5.  Combine noodle and eat! 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ 

 I treasured my time in the kitchen with my mother.  I love that my mother has no recipes or measurements that she follows.  It is always a little bit of this and some of that.  

We made her lasagna together.  It was so wonderful.

First we made a quick sauce...

Nana's Quick Sauce

2 T olive oil

3 minced garlic cloves

2 (35oz) cans crushed tomatoes

4 cups water

1 small can tomato paste

fresh parsley, basil and oregano - 1t each

1. saute olive oil and garlic

2. add all ingredients

3. bring to boil and then simmer for 1 hour

Nana's Lasagna 

 2 lbs ground veal, pork, beef (or meatball mix) 

3 cloves of garlic - minced

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

1 t each - parsley, bail and oregano

2 eggs 

1/4 cup water

lasagna noodles

ricotta cheese

mozzarella cheese

1. Combine meat, garlic, bread crumbs, Romano cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, 2 eggs and 1/4 cup of water.  Mix together.  Cook meat until brown.  Add a pinch of salt.

2.  Cook lasagna noodles according to directions.  Put olive oil in the water as you are boiling the noodles to prevent sticking.  

3.  Begin to layer lasagna :  noodles, ricotta cheese, sauce, meat - repeat - and then add mozzarella cheese on top.  

Nana always serves dessert!  

So easy...vanilla and chocolate pudding with cool whip and chocolate chips. 

Thank you mom for sharing your recipes and time with me.  I love you! 

___________________________________________

My sister Michele is on a gluten free diet.  She has MS and Crohn's Disease and her dietary change has really helped.  I think she is such a strong women and a great example to all.  She doesn't complain and only worries about what she can control, like her diet.  She took the time to teach me how to make gluten free sweet potato gnocchi.  They were so good.  

 The key ingredient is Gluten Free Flour

Michele's Gluten Free Sweet Potato Gnocchi

4 sweet potatoes

salt and pepper

1 egg

3 cups gluten free all purpose baking flour

grated Parmesan cheese (aged cheese has less lactose in it)

1. Bake sweet potatoes until soft.

2. Peel cooked potatoes and mash until smooth.  Season with salt and pepper.

3.  Add egg  and stir until combined with potatoes.

4. Add 1/2 flour and stir until combined.  

5. Add the remaining flour, in 2 more batches, until a firm dough forms. 

6. Roll out dough into 2 cm- diameter logs.

7. Cut into 2 cm pieces and press with a fork.  

8. Bring a saucepan of salted water to boil.

 9. Add a handful of gnocchi and cook for 3 minutes or until they rises to the surface.

 Mash sweet potatoes

Combine egg and flour

Add flour until dough is firm

Roll out dough

Cut dough

Press lightly with a fork -

My sister said I smashed mine.

Cook a handful at a time.

My sister served them in a garlic olive oil sauce and topped them with grated Parmesan cheese.

1 cup olive oil

4 cloves of garlic - minced

basil

Thanks Michele.  I can't wait to make them again. Love you! 

_______________________________________________

Thanksgiving day arrived.  We spent Thanksgiving with my in-laws.  They have a wonderful tradition where they share Thanksgiving dinner with the Duffy and McGarr families.  It is an amazing group of people and the day is always filled with so much laughter and love.  We felt lucky to be apart of it.

The McGarr family owns a dairy farm in upstate New York.  Our cousin Keeley started her own cheese company.  Please check out her website - www.keeleyscheeseco.com.  She is such a hard worker and We are so proud of her.  Yum, yum, yum! 

Keeley's mother, Connie, made a dessert that people couldn't stop talking about.  She made this incredible chocolate cake.  I need to get the recipe from her so I can post it. 

____________________________________________________________

Lastly, my mother-in-law's sister, Jan, and her children, Sarah and Jesse, made us dinner the day after Thanksgiving.  I have to brag about Jesse's Mac-n-Cheese.  As you can see it was creamy and out of this world delicious!  I know he used cheddar and gruyere cheese.  

Again, I have to get his recipe so I can share it with all of you.