Baked Potato Salad

Here is a new spin on an old classic.  This delicious potato salad is made with baked instead of boiled potatoes and it tastes very similar to a loaded baked potato.  It would be great along side a steak or some grilled chicken. 

• 3 lbs red potatoes
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 pkg ranch dressing mix
• 5 bacon strips fried crisp and crumbled
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 4 boiled eggs, chopped
• 1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
• salt and pepper to taste

Drizzle potatoes with canola oil and bake at 425 degrees for 30-40 minutes, depending on size of potato.  Be careful not to get them too soft or they will fall apart when you stir the salad together.  Cool completely and then chop in bite size chunks and place in large mixing bowl.  Next, add bacon crumbles and sliced onions.
Mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, ranch mix and vinegar.  Pour over potato mixture and stir gently to combine.  Season with salt and pepper and then give it a taste and adjust if needed.  Add cheese and chopped egg and gently stir just until incorporated.  Refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight before serving.

Vinaigrette

This is a tasty vinaigrette.  It’s way better than anything store bought and easier on the waistline than our family favorite, Ranch dressing.
Ingredients:

• 1/2  cup canola oil
• 1/8 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp pepper
• 1/8 tsp garlic powder
• 1/8 tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp mustard powder

Directions:
Wisk it all together and chill.

Chicken and Spinach Alfredo Lasagna

Ingredients:

• 3 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tsp Italian seasoning
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• 1 stick plus 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp minced garlic
• 1/2 cup flour
• 7 cups whole milk
• 2 cup grated parmesan cheese, divided
• 3 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 lb lasagna noodles
• 16 oz ricotta cheese
• 2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
• additional 1/2  stick of butter cut into pats for top of casserole

Directions:
Heat olive oil in a skillet, season chicken with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, onion powder, cayenne and salt and pepper and cook until done, shred and set aside. 
Meanwhile cook lasagna noodles according to package.
In a large pot on medium heat,  sauté onions in butter until soft, add in garlic and cook for a couple more minutes.  Add the flour and season with salt and pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes while stirring.  Slowly add in milk and continue to stir.  Cook for 4-5 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.  Once sauce is thickened add in spinach, stir until wilted and then add 1 1/2 cups parmesan cheese, shredded chicken and nutmeg.  Taste and adjust salt and pepper, remove from heat.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Now it’s time to assemble.  Coat the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking pan with 1/2 cup sauce.  Next, add 3 lasagna noodles then a thin layer of ricotta, 1/3 of the mozzarella.   Repeat layers 2 more times using 1/4 of sauce at a time, ending with layer of pasta covered in the sauce.  Sprinkle remaining 1/2 cup of parmesan and dot with butter.  Bake for 40-45 minutes until top is lightly browned and casserole is bubbly.  Let sit for 15-20 minutes before slicing. 
*notes—you will probably use less than the entire lb. of pasta.  Be sure to fill in any gaps with the broken pieces.  Mushrooms can be added, just saute with the onions.  Leave the chicken out for a vegetarian dish.

Sweet Cheeks

Pa calls her “Worm” because she wiggles all the time.  I’m thinking she needs a better nickname than that but I haven’t came up with anything fitting yet.  We have to nickname everyone in this family.  We can’t help ourselves.  It’s just what we do.  You don’t even want to know what we call the people we don’t like.  It might not be very nice.

Just look how round that little face is getting.  I just want to pinch those sweet cheeks.  Hey…Sweet Cheeks…that could work.

Spring Overachievers

This is Lady Banks Rose.  It only blooms for a short time and it is absolutely gorgeous right now.

Just look at all of those blooms.  She’s definitely an overachiever. 

My Japanese Maple is fuller than ever.  When we move to a new place someday I know I will shed a tear or two over leaving this tree.

This is by far the worlds largest strawberry.  You can’t really tell it in this picture but this baby is HUGE!   I would like to see the bush that it came off of.  It’s like a strawberry on steroids.  I think it needs its own zip code.  I’m not kidding, really. 

Does anyone have the number to the Guinness Book of World Records?  I need to call them.

Smooth Sailing

I’m thinking positive today.

Gorgonzola Dressing

Ingredients:

• 3/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons sour cream
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Pinch Salt
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 ounces Gorgonzola, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• Pinch cracked black pepper

Directions:
Wisk together mayo, sour cream, lemon juice, red wine vinegar, buttermilk and salt and pepper.  Stir in Gorgonzola and chill.

Spring Break is FUN

We’ve been doing a lot of this here at the ponderosa.

We are also filled with excitement over Spring Break.  The girls had a horseback riding lessons yesterday because they are Nana’s Cowgirls.  Earlier in the day they went to Bounce Time which is a big warehouse containing 15 bounce houses.  Nana didn’t attend that outing because it sounded like it might be pure hell.  I’m quite sure that it was.

Sadly we only have iphone pictures of the horseback riding.  I’ll be sure to attend with my camera the next time. 
We ended the day with pasketti (spaghetti) and meatballs and ice cream sundaes.

Have a great weekend.

Sweet and Tangy Salad

I'm linking up to Funky Junk Interiors

This delicious salad was adapted from Ina Garten’s Cape Cod Chopped Salad.  It was served at my daughter’s baby shower and everyone asked for the recipe.  I made a couple of changes because I’m a rebel like that.  Here is what I did. 
Ingredients

• 8 ounces thick-cut bacon
• 16 oz lettuce of your choice
• 2 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced
• 1 cup brown sugar pecans
• 1/2 cup dried cranberries
• 6 ounces blue cheese, crumbled (I like gorgonzola)

For the dressing:

• 3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp grated orange zest
• 2 tbsp freshly squeezed orange juice
• 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp sugar
• Kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2/3 cup olive or vegetable oil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
Place a baking rack on a sheet pan and lay the bacon slices on the rack. Roast the bacon for about 20 minutes, until nicely browned. Allow to cool.
In a large bowl, toss together the lettuce, apple, pecans, cranberries, and blue cheese.
For the dressing, whisk together the vinegar, orange zest, orange juice, mustard, sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, and the pepper in a bowl. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.
Chop the bacon in large pieces and add it to the salad. Toss the salad with just enough dressing to moisten. Sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss well. Serve immediately.

Spring Blooms in Cowtown

The birds are chirping and it feels like spring so I'm doing a little planting today.



This hardy flower is the only thing that has bloomed in my yard so far.  The freeze took out all of my jasmine.  It makes me sad.

These purple flowers and the orange ones below are going in a flower pot.

I'm also planting a tomato plant, herbs and some pepper plants.  I better get out of this computer and get busy.  I love digging in the dirt.

Scaredy Dog

Gus is such a scaredy cat dog, a whimp, a wuss, a pansy, a big baby, a sissy, a mamby pamby moma's boy.  If he doesn't "man up" he'll never make it as a cowdog.  The following is a short list of things that Gus is scared of.

1. Sheep dogs, I thought it was an isolated incident at the dog park but a few weeks ago I took gus to the groomer and a big sheep dog on one of the tables barked at him.  Gus wet in the floor.  For shame.  *sidenote--bulldogs and great Danes don't scare him at all
2. Things that touch his tail, don't ask me how I know.
3. Things that blow in the wind, good grief!
4. Anything out of place in the house, garage or yard, maybe he is OCD.
5. Golf carts, Hillbilly brought one home from his son's house last weekend and Gus growled at it for hours.  (We ended up taking it back because it needed more work than we thought, besides that, I don't think Gus would have ever gone in the garage again.)
6. Trailers (the kind that haul golf carts), see above
7. Air compressors,, Hillbilly turned on the compressor to work on the golf cart the other night and Gus took out a table and two full drinks.  It was a mess of epic proportions, it took me an hour to clean it up.

His only saving grace is he has a big mean sounding bark.  I'm hoping he grows out of some of his skiddish behavior.  It's probably our fault somehow...  I know my kids blame me for everything wrong with them or their lives.  Gus probably will too.