Hello all! I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that Santa was good to you! We had a wonderful time here. My pork tenderloin on Christmas Eve was SO delicious, my father-in-law could not stop raving about it. My daughter ate more of it than I thought her little belly could hold! Then we opened presents and she got really spoiled by her grandpas, it was fun to watch her jump up and give them a hug and say thank you after she opened each and every one. Too funny!
On Christmas Day we weren't awakened too early by our excited kid and actually got some coffee before the craziness began. It amazes me how patient she can be when it comes to opening gifts. Anyway, she got the acoustic guitar she wanted from Santa along with a bunch of other stuff and was very happy. My husband spoiled me with lots of things I wanted too. He also got me a Cuisinart Sandwich Maker, which I did not ask for - it was an impulse buy on his part. It is a nice machine, but I can do what it does with little extra effort. I have been trying to think of a nice way to say "take it back" when I thought of what I really do want instead - an ice cream maker! Now I can tell him that although it was a lovely thought what I really want to do is make ice cream. I have been saving recipes from magazines for a year now and I was going to ask for the ice cream maker for Mother's Day.
On Christmas Day I made stuffed shells for dinner - yum! I make mine by cooking the jumbo shells according to package directions. While that is going, I mix a 16 oz. container of ricotta cheese with 1 egg, 2 tsp. of garlic powder and 1 tbsp. of parsley. Then I mix in 1 cup of shredded mozzarella cheese and a healthy sprinkle of parmesan cheese. I rinse the cooked shells with cool water so I can handle them and shake off as much water as I can. I stuff the shells with the ricotta mixture and place them in a greased 9x13 pan. Then I pour a jar of pasta sauce over the top and sprinkle with 1 more cup of shredded mozzarella cheese. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. They are so good and not to hard to make once you get the hang of stuffing the shells - they can be slippery!
Last night I made veggie pitas for dinner - so good! I love the tang of the sauce and feta with the crunch of the veggies. Tonight I am making meatball subs, but I am not making my own meatballs. We found Farm Rich frozen meatballs on sale at Target so I decided to give them a try. I'll put them in a large pot with a jar of pasta sauce and cook according to package directions - I'll let you know how they taste tomorrow. I always serve my meatball subs on hot dog buns. We have tried french bread in the past, but it always seems like too much bun.
Happy eating!
Glad to see you back and to hear that Christmas was wonderful at your house :)
ReplyDeleteI wish I had gotten a piece of that tenderloin, yummy. The Shells sound delish too, I am going to be putting them on my try soon list :)
That's my favorite brand of frozen meatballs. I usually cook them for a few minutes in water in the microwave and then drain them really well so they aren't as greasy. I want to try that yummy sounding tenderloin out. I've never done one in the crock pot.
ReplyDeleteglad you had a nice Christmas! it is neat that your little one stopped and thanked her grandpas after each present! touching gesture I think on her part :)
ReplyDeletehow fun with the guitar! is she going to take lessons?? good age to start them at if she is :)
(my husband's been playing guitar for 45+ years)
love your stuffed shells recipe; we do one but we put ground beef in the shells with some other things. Its not too bad stuffing them like you said; just takes practice
good idea to get an ice cream maker; that sounds like a fun investment
betty
Yum, now I'm hungry.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year!
Oooo, I'd totally be vying for the ice cream maker instead of the sandwich maker, too. ;)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great holiday season in your house, food and all!
Hope 2010 brings you lots of happiness, love and laughter!