marinara sauce

 You'd think that as a family with two young girls we would eat spaghetti on a regular basis, but as it turns out, I can't remember the last time I made traditional spaghetti with marinara sauce.  So when my 5 year old started requesting we have spaghetti this past week, I knew I could not do her any grave injustice by not making it, because seriously, kids and spaghetti go hand in hand, right?! 

Into the pot went onion, carrot, celery, garlic and olive oil  -- all sauteed until soft.  Next came the crushed tomatoes, bay leaf and dash of salt and pepper.  It simmered throughout the afternoon and the house smelled soooo good. Then I had to sneak a taste to make sure all of the flavors were coming together:

And so my daughter got her wish and we all enjoyed classic spaghetti for dinner tonight!  Nothing will go to waste; the remainder of the marinara will freeze for up to three months.  The next time spaghetti is requested, it will be as easy as heat and serve! 

(recipe)

caesar dressing

A couple of weeks ago, I made a caesar salad with homemade dressing and it was definitely better than any bottled variety.  Today, I got real adventurous and made caesar dressing with one extra ingredient:

 Anchovy paste -- a definite first for me.  I thought I'd go big and see if this made any noticeable difference in the taste of the dressing.  And, oh my, yes, it enhanced the flavor in a wonderfully subtle way.  It added dimension, depth and an almost salty-spice to it.  Way cool and really good!  I am not scared of anchovy paste!  But ask me to use real anchovies with little eyeballs looking at me and I think I'll pass!

Caesar gourmet for lunch, yum!

whole-grain spaghetti with lemon, basil, and salmon

Take the fresh and light flavors of summer -- basil and lemon -- and add it to whole-grain spaghetti, olive oil, garlic and capers.  Toss and place over a bed of baby spinach leaves and top it with a pan seared salmon fillet.  I love salmon and this was a great way to showcase and surround it with complementing flavors!

pesto macaroni salad

Macaroni salad goes GREEN by adding basil pesto and fresh green beans.  Make it extra yummy by adding fresh mozzarella balls and torn basil leaves throughout.  Sorry mayonnaise, you are not invited to this party.

energy bars

With a hard workin' husband and two daughters' snacktime, these energy bars fit the bill. 

 Organic corn flakes,

oats, sunflower seeds, and raisins make these delicious and nutritious.

wild west corn

I love.this.corn. I ate this off of the serving spoon before I could even get it on the plate. Twice. It was just going to my family so they don't care about double dipping!  What makes this picture so accurate is the Monterey Jack cheese stretching its way up and up as it clings to the corn.  Who knew that baking corn, Ro-tel, and Monterey Jack together could marry into such a perfect union together?  To top it off, I crumbled these crackers on top to form a crust:

And since there are plenty of leftovers, I will get to enjoy this tomorrow all over again!

potato-beef bake

Some nights call for comfort food in the form of casseroles.  This is a good ole meat and southern-style-hash-brown potatoes kind of meal.  I served this next to hot crusty buttered French bread.