I’m a Hero in Her Eyes

On Wednesday night while trying to watch the season finale of American Idol, the weather man interrupted the show to let us know that we were under a tornado warning.  The storm hit us shortly after, bringing with it golf ball sized or bigger hail and heavy rain.  A tornado had been spotted just west of here and we were in the projected path.  Being the drama queen that she is, First Born ran into the other room announcing that a tornado was headed right for us.   She didn’t think about shielding The Rae Rae from the truth and ultimately scared my sweet baby.  I wonder about that child sometimes…

Mini Me scooped the kids up and along with First Born went to take cover in the bathroom.  Mini Me played games with Rae to keep her from being too scared.   By this time the sirens had been activated so Hillbilly and I began looking out the windows to see if we could see anything headed our way.  I realize this is NOT what you are supposed to do but we are Texans and we don’t take cover until the last possible second because we might miss something. 

During the storm Rae was really nervous.  She had already asked me if a tornado was going to get us and I told her that First Born had been mistaken that all we were going to get was a little hail and that’s why she had to stay in the bathroom.  She comes to me when she wants the truth.  She knows Nana is a no nonsense kind of gal.   I explained that she needed to be in there away from the windows.  This made her feel a little better but as she heard the hail hitting the house she told her Mom that Nana needed to come in the bathroom because she could make it stop.  Right after she had said that I had decided that it was time for me to hang out in the bathroom too, just in case.  Mini Me told me what she had said and just like that the hail stopped hitting the house and the rain stopped.  Nana had done it!  She made the hail and wind stop!!!  I’m a hero…at least in her eyes.

Guacamole and Rio Grande Limeaid

Have you been to San Antonio during Cinco de Mayo?  I have and it’s a beautiful thing to see with the colorfully dressed dancers and beautiful decorations.  I’m just doing a little reminiscing this morning.  Just thinking about it makes me want to bust out my sombrero and head down to the river walk to enjoy the fiesta.  I would wear this beautiful blouse while I sipped an ice an ice cold margarita and munched on warm chips and cold guacamole. 


If you can’t make it down to San Antonio today, do what I’m going to do and make guacamole and margaritas, then take a siesta. 
Guacamole

• 3 avocados
• 1 small tomato, diced
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• dash of Worcestershire sauce (secret ingredient)
• dash of Tabasco
• salt and pepper
• a few shakes of  fajita seasoning (optional)
• 1 tbsp fresh lime juice

Mix together leaving avocado slightly chunky.  Please don’t pulverize the avocados.  What did they ever do to you?
Rio Grande Limeade

• 2 (12 oz) cans frozen limeade concentrate, thawed and undiluted
• 3 cups tequila
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups orange liqueur
• 1 cup fresh lime juice
• garnish with lime slices

Stir together first 5 ingredients. Chill 8 hours. Serve over ice and garnish if desired.
This recipe makes a perfect margarita, not too tart, not too sweet.

Macaroni Salad

A great macaroni salad recipe.  Try it with or without ham.  It can be a main dish or a side dish.  It’s up to you…
Ingredients:

• 12 oz bowtie or macaroni pasta  or whatever kind you happen to have in the pantry
• 1 small chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/3 cup sweet pickle relish
• 1 cup chopped ham (for the carnivores)
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese or a little more
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tsp lemon juice
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper

Directions:
Cook pasta al dente according to package directions and cool.   Place in large mixing bowl.
Mix mayo, sour cream, vinegar, lemon juice, sugar, dry mustard , salt and pepper in a separate bowl.  Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
Add onion, celery, relish, ham and cheese to pasta and mix with dressing.  Serve immediately or refrigerate.

As Good as it Gets

It’s been increasingly crazy around my house lately.  Why with children running in and out, Gus constantly into anything he can get in his mouth, trying to look for a job and doing my taxes, I can barely think!  I’ve barely had time to work in the yard, clean house or buy the hundreds of dollars of groceries we are going through. 

We made red velvet cake balls.  It was a bad idea and I won’t be attempting that again, EVER!  It was a complete and total MESS and I won’t be posting that recipe.  I didn’t like them.

I did manage to work in the yard long enough to plant these Lavender Fern bushes on Saturday.  Lavender Fern is an evergreen bush unless the temps get below 20 degrees.  I’ll have to cover them if we get another freak winter like the last one.  I couldn’t resist them though because they bloom almost year round, attract butterflies, they are wonderfully scented and they are beautiful blowing in the wind.  It took me a half day to plant them but I had fun.  I had to dig large holes in our wonderful clay soil.  It was hard because I’m an out of shape middle aged Nana.  OMG, that still freaks me out.  Mentally, I still feel about 30  but my mirror is telling me otherwise.  I loved being 30, it was a great age (that’s when I met Hillbilly and I was still thin).

Gus sunbathed with First Born while I worked in the yard. 

We’re planning a trip to Kentucky to visit Hillbilly’s family in June.  I’ll go unless I happen to land a job between now and then.

Life is busy and beautiful and stressful and I’m guessing this as good as it gets.

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.