Bowties and Sausage

I made this recipe for our Alpha shift Sunday dinner yesterday. Every Sunday that Bryan works we have lunch after church in dispatch. I look forward to it and to seeing everyone because a lot of times regular people don't really understand what law enforcement life is all about. It's hard and it's stressful and it helps to spend time just enjoying a nice meal and catching up with everyone. I was asked for the recipe and while typing it up I decided I'd share it on the blog.

Bowties with Sausage

1 box bowtie pasta

2 T olive oil

1 pound sweet or hot Italian sausage, casings removed and crumbled

 

½ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes

 

3 cloves of garlic, minced

½ cup diced onion

28 ounces stewed tomatoes, drained (and I usually smash them up with my hands)

1 ½ cups heavy cream

Salt and pepper to taste

 grated parmesan

In a large skillet over medium heat, brown sausage and red pepper flakes in the olive oil. Stir in onions and garlic and cook until onions soften. Add tomatoes, cream, and salt. Simmer about 10-15 minutes until sauce thickens a little. While sauce simmers, cook pasta, then drain and add to the sauce. Serve with grated parmesan. If I have basil from the garden, I'll garnish with it and it really sends this dish over the top, in my opinion... but I love basil.

 

This is one of Bryan's favorite meals and since food is my love language, I really enjoy making it for him. And it's so easy so you can't beat that.

 

~Tara

To Honor my Grandma

My last grandparent passed away on June 28. My Grandma lived in the lower part of the state, so we've lived apart my whole life. We visited a few times a year when I was a child and less as I became an adult and had a family of my own. I know that's sounds so shameful, but life often does that to us, it keeps us busy and separated. Earlier in June, my Grandma was hospitalized and during that time the doctors found a cancerous spot on one of her lungs and a tumor in her brain. She fought hard for 2 weeks and then was graciously ushered into Heaven on a peaceful Saturday morning. I am thankful her doctors and nurses were compassionate and prevented any pain and suffering as best they could. I am thankful her children were all given time to spend with her individually and as a group, even if toward the end she wasn't aware that they were even there. I am thankful that I took the kids to her 90th birthday party in May and my last memory was me hugging her when we said our goodbyes. I know by going through this past month that I come from a long line of tough women and that makes me proud. My Grandma lived a hard life, some of which I watched, most I heard stories about. But don't we all endure some kind of hardship in life, that's part of being a human in a sinful world. I hope it can be said of me that I fought hard and that I will one day pass peacefully just like she did. It is one of the greatest desires of my heart to hear, "Well done, my faithful servant."
I was interested to know that my Grandma was known for her outstanding culinary skills and that she worked in a cafeteria for quite some time. She retired, finally, at the age of 80. I like to think she passed her love of cooking through the blood, because I don't ever recall being in the kitchen with her. She did pass on this recipe for an awesome coconut cake, one I affectionately have named...

Grandma Cotton's Coconut Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 16 oz sour cream

2 c sugar

1 10 oz bag of coconut

1 8 oz cool whip

Bake the cake mix according to it's instructions in 2 round pans. Mix sour cream, sugar and 3/4 of

the bag of coconut. Once the cake layers have cooled cut them in half making four layers.

Spread the coconut mixture between the layers, top with cool whip and remaining coconut.

*** My Grandma's original recipe says to let the cake sit in the fridge for 3 days.***

This has never been possible, ever, in the history of my making this cake. 

This cake is so moist and delicious. It usually slides off itself in the cake plate and we have to just flip the cake plate and scoop it out when we serve it.

Like Daddy says though, the ugliest cakes always taste the best.

I am going to make this cake this week in her honor and send it with Bryan to share at work. I may let it sit a few days just like Grandma made it. I have a feeling it will be better on the third day, maybe Grandma was onto something. I'm sure she was hoping we'd learn to slow down and enjoy the good stuff.....

Ada Lucille Driggers Cotton

May 14, 1924 ~ June 28, 2014

Secret Recipe

I make a super easy cake that is so wonderful. Bryan's shift and dispatch usually always request it anytime they have a meal together at work. This morning I got up early to make one and it's shameful how easy my semi-famous White Wine Cake is.... and I'm gonna share the recipe!

White Wine Cake

1 yellow cake mix

1 small box vanilla pudding

1/2 cup sugar

2 tsp. cinnamon

1 pinch nutmeg

4 eggs

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup canola oil

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Coat a bundt pan with Crisco, sprinkle nuts in the bottom. Mix all the ingredients and pour over the nuts.

Bake one hour at 325.

Poke holes in the cake with a knife when it comes out of the oven.

Make this glaze.

White Wine Glaze

1 stick butter

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

1/4 cup white wine

Melt butter, sugar and water on low heat for a couple minutes.

Remove from heat and add wine. Pour glaze over the cake and let it rest a while and become magical.

Turn the cake out onto a cake plate and enjoy!!

Don't cry too much if the cake doesn't come out of the bundt pan perfectly, mine rarely do, but the better you grease the pan the better your chances are.

"Ugly cakes still taste wonderful"~ according to my dad! 

~Tara

Maddie's Culinary Creation

Maddie is entering a culinary competition at school. Her challenge was to create a original, healthy, kid friendly sandwich.
We brainstormed together and came up with this masterpiece..

Kickin' Club Wrap

1 burrito sized tortilla

1/3 cup mayo

1/4 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1 Roma tomato, diced

1/2 cup black beans, rinsed

1 slice each Boar's Head turkey, ham, and chicken

1 oz. grated monterey jack cheese

shredded lettuce

salt and pepper

Mix mayo, garlic powder, and chili powder in a small bowl.

Mix tomatoes, black beans, and a pinch of salt and pepper.

To assemble the wrap, spread some mayo over the whole tortilla.

Place each slice of meat all over the tortilla making sure that you don't stack too high.

Spoon tomato bean mixture on top of the meat. 

Top with cheese and lettuce. 

Roll the wrap up carefully and enjoy!

~Tara

New Recipes

I love to cook!! My dream job would pay me lots of money to cook a few wonderful things a day and people would come from all over to eat whatever my heart desired to cook that day. A girl can dream right. In the meanwhile, I'll continue to cook for my family and enjoy it in the process. My crew consists of adventurous eaters, not picky whiners who won't touch anything other than chicken nuggets and fries. This is one of my proudest accomplishments while being a mother, I can make almost anything and it will go over well. I love trying new recipes and I find most of them on other blogs. Here's a few I have tried recently and have made their way into my cookbook...

Hungarian Potato Goulash - this recipe is wonderful and I have to double it to have enough for everyone to have seconds and leftovers for lunch. Despite the name, my kids love it.

Best Ever Homemade Brownies- these were made when my sweet husband requested a fix for his sweet tooth. They were so easy and good. They didn't hang around long.

Here's a few I'm going to try next...

Queso Fundido- this looks so delicious and I'm sure it is wonderful. That's the problem, I'm scared to try it because I know we will love it and it's not so much on the healthy side. It will have to be a once in a while treat for sure.

Honey Mustard Chicken

Bloomin' Onion Bread- this would have to be made with a healthy soup for sure.

Pumpkin Muffins

The recipe of the season at the Long house has been Pumpkin Muffins. I found this recipe on Shay's foodie blog and it is so easy. 

Pumpkin Muffins

1 box spice cake mix

1 can of pumpkin

1 cup chocolate chips (I use mini's)

Mix cake mix and pumpkin. I have found using the hand mixer is best to get all the lumps out of the cake mix. Add the chocolate chips and stir with spatula.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. 

This recipe makes about 18 muffins and they last maybe two days at our house.

**I also made this recipe with a cinnamon quick bread mix and it was equally as delicious. Madalynn actually said they were better because they were lighter and more fluffy. The originals can be a little dense.**