Creamy potatoes

These are a new favorite at our house! They are super simple but really good.

6-7 medium russet potatoes, peeled
1 1/2 cups heavy whipping cream
onion salt (about 1 tsp)
fresh cracked pepper

Preheat oven to 375. Butter a 2 qt baking dish.Grate the peeled potatoes with a regular cheese grater and place shreds in a bowl of cold ice water to keep them from turning grey. Once all potatoes are grated- rinse 2-3 times to rinse off all the starch. When done rinsing place on a clean cloth and ring out as much water as you can. You should have 6-7 cups potatoes.Place 2 cups potatoes in prepared baking dish and sprinkle with onion salt. Repeat process until you have used all potatoes. Pour cream all over the top and sprinkle with fresh cracked pepper. Cover dish tightly with foil and bake 40-50 minutes.

Quinoa Salad

I love Quinoa. I buy it at costco because they have the best deal I've found.

Boil for 15 minutes
1 1/2 c quinoa
3 cups chicken broth or water & boullion
Cook & cool some

dressing: 1 1/2 Tbs mustard (djion or brown is what I use)
1/3 c red wine vinegar
1/3 c olive oil
1 Tbs parsley
pepper to taste

Combine with quinoa:
2 chopped red bell peppers
1 1/2 c black olives, sliced
3 green onions chopped
1 shallot finely diced

Avocado
1/4 c fresh cilantro or parsley chopped

Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

I made these once last year and thought they were really yummy. I've been excited to make them again this year.

Candied Coconut Sweet Potatoes

4 C mashed Sweet potatoes (4 med sweet potatoes or abt 2 large sized cans)
6 Tbs Sugar
6 Tbs butter (no margarine), softened or melted
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 can Sweetened Condensed Milk (eyeball it) or one mini can
1 t vanilla

Topping:

1 C brown sugar
1 C sweetened coconut flakes
6 Tbs melted butter

If using fresh sweet potatoes, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prick each sweet potato with a fork and place on foil in the oven. Cook for 40-60 minutes or until tender. Once they've cooled enough to handle, slice in half and scoop out the insides into a mixing bowl. To the mixing bowl add in sugar, butter, eggs, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla. Your butter should be soft enough to blend up easily so nuke it in the microwave before you add it to the bowl if you need to. You could mash it all up by hand, but an electric mixer works great. I don't like it completely pureed, so I mix it just until everything is incorporated but there are still some sweet potatoes in larger chunks.
Spread this mixture evenly into a 9 x 13 pan.
For the topping, combine brown sugar and coconut and then pour melted butter over and combine.Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 40-50 minutes. It will be more or less depending on the size of dish you use, whether you double the topping, etc. But the top should be nice and browned and bubbly so just keep an eye on it.

Yummy Summer/Fall Salad

This is by far my favorite salad. It's one I look forward to each summer because I can use my fresh tomatoes out of the garden.

1/2 pkg bowtie pasta, cooked and chilled (or other of similar size)
1 pkg spinach
3-4 tomatoes sliced in wedges( or 1/2 pkg cherry tomatoes)
1 lemon, juiced and zested
1/2 c. parmesean cheese
1/4 -1/2 c. Brianna's :Real French Vinegrette dressing
optional: 1 chicken breast cooked and cubed.
It's really good with chicken but if you don't have chicken or don't have time to make it I serve it without. You can also serve each person with their own chicken breast to make it a dinner item!

You can mix everything together in a bowl and then wait to put lemon juice and dressing on just before serving.

Avocado egg rolls

Adam took me to the Cheesecake Factory for our 2nd anniversary. It was our first time eating there and we were impressed with the menu. It has such a wide variety unlike most restaurants. As an appetizer we ordered avocado egg rolls. They were delicious and nearly filled us up before our main dishes were brought out. They seemed simple enough and so I did some searching on the internet and this is what I found. I thought this would be a good way for Mom to use those avocados in Hawaii. It is good to eat with just chips. If Ashlyn could talk she would say it is good enough to eat by the spoon. She really likes it.

Avocado egg rolls

1 large avocado

2 tbsp. sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil

1 tbsp. diced (real small) red onions

1 tsp. fresh chopped cilantro

1 pinch salt

Egg roll wraps (found at grocery stores by the salad bags, tofu, or loose mushrooms. The brand is Nasoya.)

I have never measured the ingredients when I make these (just eyeball). I just gave you the measurements to give you an idea. Gently stir together avocado, tomatoes, onion, cilantro, and salt. Distribute filling evenly onto center of each egg roll wrapper. Position a wrapper so that a corner is pointing toward you; fold the bottom corner up, 1/4 of the way over the filling. Brush remaining corners and edges of the wrapper with a beaten egg (water works also), roll up from side to side, fold top corner over all and press to seal. Continue by deep-frying the egg rolls in 375 degree oil for 3-4 minutes, until golden brown. * these are served with tamarind-cashew dipping sauce. I have found a recipe for it but who has tamarind pulp?? What is it? I googled it and it is from India I guess? So we enjoy these without the dipping sauce but if I can get my hands on some tamarind pulp I might just make it.

Memmott Bowtie Salad

This is a good summer salad or anytime salad.. so basically it's a good salad.

Salad:

1/2 lb bowtie pasta

1/2 C. Parmesan cheese, grated

1½ C. frozen corn, fried briefly in olive oil

Green onions, sliced

Grape tomatoes

Fresh basil(can use dried)

Pine nuts(optional)

3/4 C. Olive Garden Salad Dressing

Combine all ingredients 8 hours before serving.

Olive Garden Salad Dressing

1/2 C. Mayonnaise

1/3 C. white vinegar

1 tsp. vegetable oil

2 Tbsp corn syrup

2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese, grated

2 Tbsp Ramano cheese, grated

1/4 tsp. garlic salt or 1 clove garlic minced

1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If the dressing is a little too tangy, add a little extra sugar.

Brady's Favorite Baked Beans

I got this recipe from a cooking class at Kitchen Kneads that mom and I went to. Brady loves it and every time we have anyone over for a BBQ he asks to make my "special" baked beans.

1 21 oz can Pork and Beans
1 onion, finely chopped
1 12 oz bottle ketchup
1 Tbsp yellow mustard
1/8 cup molasses
1/8 cup sweet gherkin juice (any pickle juice will do, I usually just use dill pickle juice)
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
salt and pepper to tase
1/2 lb bacon

Combine everything in a 2-quart casserole dish. I like to cook the bacon and crumble it before adding it so that it is less greasy, but you can add it raw or lay it across the top of the beans. Cover with lid or aluminum foil. Bake @ 350 for 1 and 1/2 hours. Remove foil for last 30 minutes of baking. Serve hot or cold.

Memmott Bowtie Salad

This recipe is from Mom.

Salad:

1/2 lb. bowtie pasta

1/2 c. parmensan cheese, grated

1 1/2 c. frozen corn, fried briefly in olive oil

Grape tomatoes

Fresh basil (can use dried)

Pine Nuts

Green onions, sliced

3/4 c. Olive Garden Salad Dressing

Combine all ingredients 8 hours before serving.

Olive Garden Salad Dressing:

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1/3 c. white vinegar

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tbsp. corn syrup

1/2 tsp. Italian Seasoning

1/2 tsp. parsley flakes

2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, grated

2 tbsp. romano cheese, grated

1/4 tsp. garlic salt or 1 clove minced garlic

1 tbsp. lemon juice

Mix all ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If the dressing is a little too tangy, add a little sugar.