One heck of a delicious salad

DELICIOUS SALAD

lemon juice. 3/4 c. oil,1/4 c. lemon juice, 1 T beau monde,1 T accent, 1chopped avacado, and 6 chopped green onions. Then all u need is romain lettuce and parmesan cheese.

I promise you will LOVE THIS SALAD.

Easter Comes Peter Cottontail

A Christian Easter

Easter is the day we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus. He had been crucified and was buried for three days. All his disciples had believed that he was gone for good. None had understood that his sacrifice was the primary purpose of his short life and the only way for us to obtain righteousness and restore our fellowship with God.

That first Easter morning proved that Jesus was the Messiah. He had told the religious leaders and his disciples that He would give His life and on the third day rise from the grave. The religious authorities had remembered His words and tried to prevent it with a large stone in front of the tomb, a Roman seal and guards. But none of that prevented God's plan for that first Easter Sunday.

For 40 days after Easter morning, many people were eyewitnesses to the resurrection. Satan and the religious leaders were powerless to stop the truth. And they are still powerless to stop the spread of the wonderful message of Easter!

The other important days of Holy Week include:

Palm Sunday - Jesus enters Jerusalem.

Maundy Thursday - The Last Supper and betrayal.

Good Friday - The arrest, trial, crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus.

Easter Sunday - The day Jesus rose from the grave.

Lots of Things To See

Let's Get Back To Design

WhoWhatWear

http://www.whowhatwear.com/

A fun site to look for the latest fashion

Paul Renna Freedom

'Paul Renna is a visionary singer-songwriter with the extraordinary ability to raise hidden emotions in his listeners, surreptitiously forcing feelings of love, longing, happiness and heartache from the depths of even the most hard-edged among us. Freedom' CD review from the United Kingdom" » Issue 23 of Mass Movement magazine (based in South Wales, UK) hits the streets in January 2009. The following review of Paul Renna's 'Freedom' will appear in the print edition and can be viewed at the magazine's website www.massmovement.co.uk now. Review by Tim 'The Impaler' Schwader. Paul Renna – Freedom CD (www.rockarmyrecords.com) ‘Freedom’ arrives out of left field with a sound that is distinctly modern, but brimming with the comfortable feel of a treasured mixtape. Renna’s powerful voice commands attention throughout, with a unique style that can be reminiscent of Paul Rodgers when he wails and Stevie Wonder when he gets lost in a groove, while maintaining its own identity. Passion—for life, for love, for the music itself—dominates every facet of the album. The lyrics provide a sense of hope even as they’re causing hearts to break, and the music—clean, Jeff Beck-inspired guitar leads and often funky rhythms accentuated by female backing vocals and colourful bursts of keyboards and horns—creates inspiration in its own fashion. ‘Freedom’ is not typical MM fare in terms of style, but it exceeds all expectations of this ‘zine in terms of substance. Check out Paul Renna on itunes, myspace, facebook, rockarmyrecords.

Sunday Soup from a Blogger

Spinach and Lentil Soup

I adore spinach and lentils! I make this soup for lunch at least once a week. Not only is it easy, but also it is healthy. It’s the ultimate comfort food in my book!
1-2 teaspoons olive oil

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 1/2 cups dried red lentils (brown can be used as well)

3 carrots, peeled and diced

2 litres vegetable stock

1 bunch baby spinach, washed and coarsely chopped

1 lemon juiced

finely grated lemon zest to taste

salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add onion and garlic. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until soft. Add carrots and sauté for another 3 minutes. Add lentils and stock. Bring to the boil.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until lentils are tender. Remove from heat. Add spinach, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Ladle into bowls. Top with lemon zest. Serves 6

Macaroni and Cheese

Macaroni and cheese- the ultimate comfort food.

Macaroni and Cheese with Prosciutto

 

For macaroni and sauce

1 stick unsalted butter

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

5 cups whole milk

1 pound coarsely grated gruyere cheese (6 cups)

1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

5 oz. paper thin parma prosciutto chopped

1 pound elbow macaroni

1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400°F with rack in middle.

Make sauce:

Melt butter in a heavy medium saucepan over medium-low heat and stir in flour. Cook roux, stirring, 3 minutes, then whisk in milk. Bring sauce to a boil, whisking constantly, then simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes. Stir in cheeses (minus 1/2 cup gruyere), 2 teaspoons salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper until smooth. Add chopped proscuitto to sauce. Remove from heat and cover surface of sauce with wax paper.

Make Macaroni:

Cook macaroni in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 tablespoons salt for 4 quarts water) until al dente. Reserve 1 cup cooking water and drain macaroni in a colander. Stir together macaroni, reserved cooking water, and sauce in a large bowl. Transfer to 2 buttered 2-quart shallow baking dishes and top with remaining gruyere cheese.

Bake until golden and bubbling, 20 to 25 minutes.

Prosciutto and Parmigiano Puffs

Cocktail crowd pleaser is a three ingredient, delicious puff of an hors d'oeuvre, that takes only twenty minutes to prepare. The recipe was created one day under duress--a group of hungry friends arrived after an afternoon of tennis and I was left scrambling in the kitchen for something to serve. The bowl of Spanish olives and roasted nuts didn't sate their voracious appetites so I pulled out a hunk of delicious Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and some Prosciutto de Parma. Rolled into little puff pastry bites, the combination made a beautiful pinwheel puff that took minutes to prepare but looked like I'd been slaving all afternoon.
The key to the recipe is the quality of the ingredients--don't skimp! Buy real Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese and Prosciutto de Parma, the complex flavors of these Italian classics marries beautifully in a buttery, delicious morsel. Serve with a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio and enjoy.

Prosciutto and Parmesan Puffs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees
1/2 sheet of Puff Pastry (Pepperidge Farms)

2 ounces thinly sliced Prosciutto de Parma

1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
Thaw pastry according to package directions.

1. Put pastry half of 17 ounce Pepperidge Farm box (one sheet) on lightly floured surface. Cut into 3 long pieces and work with one piece at a time.

2. Press grated cheese gently into pastry, making a light cover

3. Lay slices of prosciutto in a single layer on top of cheese. Leave 1/4 inch on side so filling doesn't fall out.

4. Gently roll pastry into pinwheel-should be 3/4 inch wide for mini bite but can be made larger if desired.

5. Cut pastry into 3/4 inch slices

6. Lay the slices, cut side down, on a cookie sheet.

7. Cook until puffy and golden, about 15 minutes

Vivre

http://www.vivre.com/  A wonderful shop. Elegant and interesting items. Check it out!

Swedish Meatballs

1 pound ground sirloin

1 pound sweet sausage removed from casing

2 1/2 slices white bread

1/4 cup of milk

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 jumbo eggs

1/8 cup all purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon allspice

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 cup freshly chopped dill, divided

3 cups of beef broth

2/3 cup heavy cream

1. Tear the bread into small pieces and place into a small mixing bowl with the milk and set aside.

2. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter with one tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet on medium heat. Saute onions for 3-4 minutes until soft.

3. In a large mixing bowl, combine meat, eggs, bread mixture, seasonings, half the dill and cooled onions. Combine thoroughly and shape into small walnut sized balls.

4. Heat 1 tablespoon of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil in a skilled on medium low heat. Cook meatballs until golden brown and thoroughly cooked through, about 7-10 minutes.

5. Spoon meatballs into cassarole dish.

6. Using the same pan with the meat drippings, decrease the heat to low and add flour, whisking for 1-2 minutes until lightly browned.

7. Add the beef broth slowly and wish until the mixture begins to thicken.

8. Add the heavy cream and cook for 1-2 minutes until completely incorporated and thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

9. Spoon gravy over meatballs and garnish with dill.

SUPERBOWL LET'S EAT...

I needed something different for our Superbowl game meal, eagerly anticipating the big Colts vs. Saints  game. Since we are normally Cowboy fans, this game was for fun and deserved some fun food. I wanted to make something fan friendly and delicious and what could be better than hot and spicy buffalo chicken. A few tarts along with some homemade guacamole and chips, which seemed to satisfy the big game appetites. The buffalo chicken was a real crowd pleaser.
This tart is easy to make and works beautifully as an appetizer or for dinner with a salad. If you like your food really hot, add more hot sauce.

Hot and Spicy Buffalo Chicken Tart

1 box Pepperidge Farms Puff Pastry

1 rotisserie chicken, white meat
3 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons Frank's hot sauce

4 oz. soft cream cheese
4 oz. blue cheese
salt, to season
preheat oven to 400 degrees
Roll the puff pastry on a floured board to fit a 9 inch tart pan. Place into tart pan and prick lightly with a fork. Bake for 6-7 minutes until slightly puffed.
Shred white meat from the rotisserie chicken and add to a large bowl. In a small saucepan melt butter and add hot sauce, toss with chicken to coat thoroughly. Add the cream cheese and salt, mix well. Top tart with chicken mixture and crumble blue cheese on top. Bake for 3-4 minutes until heated through and put under broiler for one minute until cheese is melted.

Much thanks to Hampton Hostess for the meal recipes.

SPAGHETTI ALLA PUTTANESCA

Salty and spicy, a steamy bowl of Spaghetti alla Puttanesca is the perfect meal for a cold winter night. This simple southern Italian dish has a rather sordid past; it is said that the dish got its name, translated prostitutes spaghetti, because it was an easy and quick meal for working girls to prepare. No matter its origin, Spaghetti alla Puttenesca is delicious and practically foolproof to prepare-just add or subtract the amount of anchovies, capers or olives to suit your taste and you've got a quick and fabulous meal!

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon crushed red peppers

4 anchovies, packed in oil

1/2 cup pitted black gaeta olives

2 tablespoons capers

1 28 oz. can chopped San Marzano tomatoes

1 pound dry spaghetti pasta

 

In a frying pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add garlic and red peppers and saute for 1 minute. Coarsely chop anchovies and add to frying pan along with olives and capers and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add chopped tomatoes and cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Cook spaghetti according to directions and serve with grated parmesan cheese.

 

Florence, Italy

A beautiful dinner in Italy. When you think of a romantic beautiful setting perhaps travel thousands of miles in memory or fantasy and enjoy what the Italians are known for. Beauty, passion, and wonderful food. "Salute"

Freesia and Dusty Miller highlight the tablescape

Lavendar ad Purples line the family style dinner table

A wash of colors highlight the after dinner activities. Sit on the sofa and enjoy.

Cocktails anyone!

Dinner began with foie gras terrine w/ Muffato wine sauce

baby wild salad and green beans

Next course included risotto with pumpkin blossom and scampi

The main course was a delicious fillet Turbot with fresh tomato and basil

sauteed vegetables and thyme

Men dessert included a crunchy cappuccino with meringue

cinnamon ice cream on the side

Women enjoyed a warm puffy pastry with fresh strawberry sorbet

with calamint herb

Rich Elegant and Showplace