Garlic Spaghetti

Do you love garlic as much as I do??? Do you love spaghetti but are tired of using the same old tomatoe sauce every time, you might want to give this garlic spaghetti a try...

Ingredients

9 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup olive oil

6 tablespoons butter

1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound spaghetti, cooked al dente

2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

Grated Parmesan, for garnish

Directions

In a small saucepan, cook the garlic in the olive oil for 30 minutes on low heat. Stir occasionally to keep the garlic from drying out. In a medium saucepan, add the butter and tomatoes, and stir until well blended and the butter is melted. Stir in the garlic oil and season with salt and pepper. Allow the flavors to meld for 10 minutes. Toss with the spaghetti and serve garnished with basil and Parmesan.

 

Creamy Polenta

Ingredients

Vegetable cooking spray

1 cup milk

1 1/3 cups half-and-half, divided

2 tablespoons butter, divided

1/3 cup coarse polenta, or corn grits

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Special Equipment: slow cooker

Spray the insert of a slow cooker with cooking spray (for easier clean up) and preheat on high.

In a medium saucepan, add the milk, 1 cup half-and-half, 1 tablespoon butter, and polenta. Season with salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, whisking constantly to keep the mixture lump-free. Boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker and cook on high for 2 hours, stirring once or twice per hour. Once you are ready to serve, open the slow cooker and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter, remaining 1/3 cup half-and-half, and Parmesan. Salt and pepper conservatively since the polenta will be served with a robustly salted dish.

Ingredients

3 pounds bone-in country-style pork ribs

• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, chopped
• 1 stalk celery, chopped
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 1/2 cups chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Pat the ribs dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the ribs on all sides, working in batches if needed. Remove the ribs and set aside. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the Dutch oven and reduce the heat to medium. Add the onions, carrots, celery, salt, and pepper and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, to remove the raw flavor, about 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, and then add the red pepper flakes and bay leaves.

Add the ribs back to the pan and add enough stock to reach halfway up the sides of the ribs. Bring the pan to a simmer, cover, and place in the oven. Braise until the meat is tender, about 1 1/2 hours. During the last half hour, uncover to allow the liquid to reduce and the pork to brown.

Serve the ribs with Creamy Polenta, spooning the sauce on top, and garnishing with parsley.

Roasted Balsamic Onions

Ingredients

• 3 large white onions, peeled and quartered
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In a large bowl, toss the onion quarters with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sugar, and season with salt and pepper. Place in an ovenproof, large, nonstick skillet, spreading them out in an even layer. Cover the skillet with aluminum foil. Roast for 20 to 25 minutes, and then remove the foil. Toss the onions well to coat with the reduced balsamic glaze and put back in the oven to roast another 20 to 25 minutes. Serve warm.

Flower cupcakes

This was my sister's idea, since I like baking and creating she thought I would be the right person to make this adorable cupcakes. What you need will be: cupcakes, gum drops in various colors and pretzel sticks. Make cupcakes as directed on box or make your favorite recipe, let them cool and set aside. You will need to roll out the green gum drops to about 1-inch round and cut four strips(with scissors) to use as leaves. Roll out various colored gum drops and cut them into tulip shaped flowers as shown above making two V shapes. Lastly assemble the flowers: take a pretzel stick attach two green leaves and place one tulip shaped flower on top and then insert into the cupcake. You may frost the cupcake if you'd like before inserting the flower.

Piña Colada Cupcakes

I made this cupcakes for my brother on his birthday, it was a special request by my dad because he doesn't like the frosting used on cakes. I love baking cupcakes because there are so many different flavors you can make them and everyone loves them from the littlest person to the very oldest person. I used my mini bundt cakes pan and I think they turned out adorable..

1 box yellow cake mix
3 eggs
1 tsp. coconut extract
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 small can crushed pineapple
1 recipe whipped cream

Mix together cake mix, eggs, coconut extract, buttermilk, and pineapple with juice. Pour batter into paper liners and fill 3/4 full. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-18 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched. Remove from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

Frost with whipped cream you can sprinkle toasted coconut if desired.

recipe is from 101 Gourmet Cupcakes

St. Patrick's Rice Crispies

Had so much fun making green rice crispies with the kids they are so easy to make and fun to eat.

3 Tbsp. butter
4-5 cups of mini marshmallows (depends how gooey you like them)
6 cups rice crispies

Melt butter in a large sauce pan then add marshmallows. Add rice crispies, stir well, then pour into pan and press down. Best when eaten the same day or keep in an air tight container up to two days.

After your butter and marshmallows are melted drop in a few drops of food coloring.

drop in your rice crispies

keep stirring until all of your rice crispies are well coated

then pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan

press evenly with a greased spatula or spoon

end result, enjoy!!