Have you ever bought fresh basil in the grocery store only to have it go bad the next day? That’s why I stopped buying it.

We started growing our own basil and found that cut sprigs will stay fresh in a jar for days.

I can pinch off leaves whenever my heart desires. I put basil in salads, soups, sauces, omelets, on grilled mozzarella cheese sandwiches, and pizza!

And because tonight was a football and band night, we had our quick pizza night. Here’s how we made them. But as you know, you can make pizza however you want.

Quick Delicious Pizza (assemble in this order)

• Tandoori flatbread (the garlic one is yummy and you can buy large packs at Costco)
• Olive Oil (my boys didn’t want tomato sauce)
• Cracked black peper
• Mozzarella
• Italian seasoning
• Garlic powder
• Parmesan
• Bake at 400 directly on oven rack until cheese starts bubbling (not long)
• Sprinkle with fresh basil
• Mangia! Mangia!

 

 

 

 

I love Nutella and have a hard time throwing bananas away. So, I combined the two! A match made in heaven!

Banana Nutella Bread

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray pan with cooking spray.

Wet ingredients:

1/2 c butter

2/3 c milk

2 lg eggs

1 tsp vanilla

 

Dry ingredients:

2 1/2 c flour (substitute 1 c flour w/wheat flour-I do when trying to be healthier)

1 c sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

 

Add after all ingredients are mixed:

2 ripe bananas

1/2 c chopped nuts (optional–I don’t)

1/4 to 1/2 c Nutella

 

Mix butter and wet ingredients, including sugar. (When using wheat flour, I add my substitution here to soften the wheat flour). Slowly add dry ingredients until smooth. Mix in bananas until smooth. Gently mix Nutella until just swirled. Bake approx. 50-60 min or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

I’ve always admired friends who do once a month cooking. I’m just not that patient to plan menus/ingredients, shop half the day, and cook all day. I tried it once and left out some ingredients, had all those pots and pans to wash, and was dog-tired when all was said and done.

But I’ve found out what does work for me. I’ve been cooking double (or quadruple, since there are four of us) meat entries once or twice a week. I immediately put the second half in the freezer. So far this week we’ve had plans Monday and Tuesday, so I’ve used the extra frozen entries, with only making a veggie and salad for sides.

Tomorrow night we have nothing on the calendar so far. So I will double (or quadruple) cook again and will either have an extra meal next week, or a meal available for a family in need due to sickness, having a baby…

What are some shortcuts you make in your cooking?

As I’m watching Biggest Loser, the smell of Pumpkin Crunch Cake fills the house. I cooked it for Brunch Day for my Bible study group tomorrow.

My friend, Karen and I stumbled upon this yummy recipe at a Tea Room. We ordered a piece to share and enjoyed it so much we asked for the recipe. The Tea Room was actually giving the recipe out for those who made a donation to breast cancer research. Ever since then, it’s one of the first fall recipes I make each year.

I’m not a big fan of pumpkin, except for pumpkin seeds but this cake is so delicious. It has the base recipe of a pumpkin pie but then turns into one of those classic dump cakes with dry yellow cake mix and pecans sprinkled on top and butter dotted on top. The cake, pecans, and butter soften the strong pumpkin flavor into irresistible goodness that you’ll want to go back for more and more.

• 1 can of pumpkin (14-15oz)
• 1 large can of evaporated milk
• 1 ½ C of sugar
• 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 eggs
• 1 box yellow cake mix
• 1 ½ cups of chopped pecans
• 1 to 2 sticks of butter

Grease a 13×9 inch pan. Beat together the first 6 ingredients and pour into greased pan.  Sprinkle dry yellow cake mix evenly over the mixture in pan.  Sprinkle chopped pecans over cake mix. Slice the butter and place on top of the pecans.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes.  Serve slightly warm with whipped topping.  Enjoy!

 

If you know me well, you know that when I eat Mexican food I prefer fajitas or a fajita salad. One of my weekly standby dinner recipes is taco salad with warmed fresh tortillas for the guys (I’m cutting back on carbs). I don’t really eat Mexican or spicy food. My stomach doesn’t like the spice, bell or jalapeño peppers, I’m allergic to avocados (not pretty), and believe it or not, I don’t like beans.

However, I can’t get enough of this salsa!

The recipe is derived from an online recipe for Tito’s Tacos. This taco dive was an old high school haunt that is still in W. Los Angeles today. But my sister-in-law doesn’t think it’s their original recipe after just traveling there. However, it’s close.

I altered the recipe to fit my tastes. For example, I really like cilantro and lime, so I added those two ingredients.

Possible Tito’s Tacos Salsa with You Rock Mom’s Twist:

Ingredients:

• 8 Roma tomatoes cut up
• 2 pickled jalapeños from small can (Wimp here uses 1!)
• 2-3 pickled carrots from same can
• 1-2 tbsp liquid from same can (I use 1 tbsp )
• 1 slice of white onion
• 1 tbsp lemon juice (I use lime juice instead)
• 1 tsp salt (I like sea salt)
• 1/4 tsp pepper (or a few grinds of fresh ground pepper)
• 1 tsp sugar (I think my sister-in-law uses an apple slice instead)

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Add more from the can if you need it hotter. (I’m sure you will! I will not!) Let it sit for an hour in the refrigerator before serving.

For taco salad dressing, I mix about a tablespoon of sour cream and a couple of tablespoons of salsa. Yum!

For gifting, I like to give a jar of salsa with twine tied around it, along with a salsa bowl, and a decorative spoon.

Enjoy!

I’m making these cookies this evening without eating them or the dough. God, please help me!

I came across this recipe in my early 20s but I’ve altered it to make it my own. The original recipe is supposed to be Mrs. Field’s of which some college student got angry about being billed $200 for. Therefore, the recipe was passed around my place of employment.

Truth or not, I’ve never made another chocolate chip cookie recipe since. But, like I said, I altered the recipe and now I know and make it by heart for my sons.

Tomorrow is the last day of school and my oldest is swimming at a friend’s house. The cookies were requested!

I know your kids and adults will enjoy them as well! Test it! You will rock!

You Rock Mom
 Chocolate Chip Cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1 lb of butter (4 sticks)
• 2 cups dark brown sugar (packed)
• 3 eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla
• dash of almond extract

• 6 cups of flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 ½ tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 bags chocolate chips (I typically use 1 milk choc. & 1 semi or dark choc.)

In a large bowl blend butter and brown sugar and scrap down sides.  Add one egg at a time, scraping the sides each time. Mix in extracts.

In a separate bowl mix together dry ingredients. Mix in two cups at a time to batter. Mix in chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for approx. 15 min. or until tops of cookies crack and lightly brown.  Makes approx. 7-dozen cookies depending on cookie scoop size.

I consider myself an accidental cook, not like my husband who is a great cook, especially on the grill, smoker and camp fires.  He researches recipes and makes his own spices, experiments with BBQ rubs, sauces, and perfects recipes…

Most of my standby recipes are accidents that turned out delicious but nothing I researched out to perfect. For example, my banana bread recipe originated out of the cookbook that came with my bread machine which has a cake cycle; however, I no longer make it in the bread machine because the top never cooked all the way.

After I resorted to baking the bread in the oven, I also altered the recipe and added two of my favorite ingredients, vanilla and cinnamon. More often than not, I double the recipe because I usually have more than two ripe bananas and I share the wealth with friends.

Here’s the recipe for your eating pleasure:

AuntiEllen’s Accidentally Delicious Banana Bread!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and spray pan with cooking spray.

Wet ingredients:

1/2 c butter

2/3 c milk

2 lg eggs

1 tsp vanilla

Dry ingredients:

2 1/2 c flour (substitute 1 c flour w/wheat flour-I do when trying to be healthier)

1 c sugar

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 tsp cinnamon

Add after all ingredients are mixed:

2 ripe bananas

1/2 c chopped nuts (optional–I don’t)

Mix butter and wet ingredients, including sugar. (When using wheat flour, I add my substitution here to soften the wheat flour). Slowly add dry ingredients until smooth. Mix in bananas until smooth. Bake approx. 50-60 min or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.  Your house will smell amazing.

If you can wait until it cools, try it with Nutella.

So accidentally delicious!