Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti with cottage cheese instead of ricotta and using a white sauce along with the red sauce. I use this recipe for trips to places that have an oven as I freeze it in an aluminum pan. I have even packed it in luggage frozen.

Baked Ziti
1 pound of cottage cheese
2 large eggs lightly beaten
3 ounces grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup of finely chopped parsley
1 pound of ziti pasta or other pleasing shape
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 garlic cloves pushed through a garlic press
1 28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 14.5 ounce can of tomato sauce
1 teaspoon of dried oregano
1 teaspoon of dried marjoram
1 teaspoon sugar
black pepper to taste
1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves or 1 teaspoon of dried
3/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 cup heavy cream
8 ounces of mozzarella cheese shredded or cut into cubes

Preheat oven to 350 F
Mix together the cottage cheese, eggs, parsley and 1 cup of the Parmesan cheese and set aside.
Bring a large pot of water to boil then add pasta and cook until just underdone. Drain pasta in colander and set aside.
In another pot or large skillet heat oil and add garlic and cook until fragrant but not brown. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, spices, sugar and pepper. Cook until slightly thickened about 8 minutes. Remove from heat and add the fresh basil. If using the dried basil add with the oregano in the first stage of the sauce.
Mix the cornstarch and heavy cream together in the empty dutch oven bring to simmer and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add the cottage cheese mixture, 1 cup of sauce and 3/4 cup of the mozzarella cheese. Stir to combine. Add the pasta and stir until coated.
Pour into a 13x9 baking dish. Spread the remaining sauce over top and sprinkle with the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses.
Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes then remove foil and bake for another 30 minutes until bubbly and browned. Let cool slightly before serving.

Note: I sometimes add 1 pound of meat to my ziti by precooking and slicing Italian sausage or meatballs cut in half or quarters depending on their size.

Hot Fudge

I worked at a drugstore soda fountain on weekends when I was a teenager and one of my many favorite things was coming in early and plugging in the hot fudge pot and smelling the chocolate as it heated up as I passed by. By far coffee was the dominant smell as town people piled in for their moning coffee, pastry or english muffin and newspapers. Cigarette smoke, coffee and an occasional whiff of chocolate was Sunday morning. The early before church coffee crowd would clear out and we would gear up for the after church crowds. First the Episcapalians, then the Congregationalist and finally the Catholics would come in for their morning coffees and extended fellowship. People crowded to the counter and drank their coffee standing. Coffee only cost 50 cents and we served old fashioned egg creams, ice cream sodas, malted milks and brown cows. The soda fountain consisted of flavor syrups and a tap for seltzer water. Sadly, the owner took out the soda fountain when the town refused to allow him to expand onto a porch area then he sold the drugstore to a chain and the chain has closed it. The building remains vacant.

Hot Fudge Sauce
3/4 cup (180 ml) heavy cream
1/4 cup (60 grams) packed dark brown sugar
1/4 cup (40 grams) unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cup (125 ml) light corn syrup
6 ounces (170 g) bittersweet or semisweet chocolate chopped best quality
1 tablespoon (15 g) salted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the cream, brown sugar, cocoa powder, and corn syrup in a large saucepan. Bring to boil and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 seconds.

Remove from heat and add the chocolate and butter and stir until melted. Stir in the vanilla. Serve warm.



Store leftovers in an airtight container and reheat in a glass bowl in microwave or in a saucepan.

Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal cookies are a cookie that you can and almost feel like you are eating healthy, and, heck, what is an extra 1 or two, they are good for you! I must be careful with oatmeal cookies! Oatmeal, butter, cinnamon, and brown sugar make a lovely combination.

Oatmeal Cookies
makes about 4 dozen

Preheat oven to 350 F

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter softened
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup white granulated sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups of uncooked oats - whatever kind you have on hand. I use the regular Quaker kind.
1 cup of raisins - optional - my family doesn't like the raisins though I do.

Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking soda and salt in medium bowl and mix with whisk.
Beat together butter and sugars until creamed.
Add the eggs and vanilla and beat well.
Add the flour mixture gradually to the butter and egg mixture.
Add the oats and raisins and mix well.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until golden brown
Cool on wire racks.

Biscuits

Baking Powder Biscuits
makes about 12 biscuits
preheat oven to 450F

2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
6 Tablespoons of cold butter cut into 1 inch or so cubes
2/3 cup of milk

Mix the flour, salt, and baking powder together in a large bowl. Add the ice cold butter cubes to the flour mixture making sure they are not clumped together.

Cut the butter into the flour with a pastry cutter or two knives until you have about large pea size pieces - it is important not to over do this.

Stir in the milk until the ingredients just come together. Turn out onto a floured surface and knead 1 or 2 times until the shaggy dough comes together. Pat into a rectangle about 1/2 inch or so high. Cut into rounds with a biscuit cutter or glass dipped into flour.

Place on a greased sheet placing close together. I use a cast iron pan for this. I find crowding the biscuits helps them rise even higher.

Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.



Note: If you are making biscuits for shortcake add 1/4 cup of sugar to the dry ingredients.

Sloppy Joe Sandwiches

Some week nights I am scratching my head at what to make for dinner. I want something nutritious, delicious, quick and with a fairly easy cleanup. Sloppy joes are my quick and easy go to meal. They satisfy a children and adults of all ages. I like to serve mine with coleslaw and macaroni and cheese for the ultimate American style meal.

Sloppy Joes
Serves 4

Olive oil
1 medium onion chopped finely
1 garlic clove run through a press
1 teaspoon of chili powder
1 pound of ground beef or turkey
1 teaspoon of brown sugar
1 cup of tomato sauce
1/2 cup of ketchup
splash of water, if needed
salt and pepper
Tabasco sauce to taste

Brown onion and a pinch of salt in a bit of oil in a large saute pan. Cook until lightly browned about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and chili powder and cook until fragrant. Add the ground beef, brown sugar, and some salt and pepper and cook until meat is browned, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the tomato sauce, ketchup, and water. Cook until slightly thickened. Season with Tabasco and salt and pepper.

Serve on rolls.

Spring Birthday Wishes

It has been said before, children grow up so quickly. Even knowing intellectually that sage knowledge of my elders, I cannot believe how quickly time has passed! My babies are no longer babies; they firmly have both feet steeped in teenager life. I have so strongly identified with my mothering role and now I feel a shift. A shift that makes my eyes fill with tears but makes my heart happy because this is the path of time and I am grateful for it. Their needs are changing and I must adapt and let them live - let them make their choices - celebrating successes and learning from mistakes. I wish for them to always do their best and keep their minds open.