If you love peanut butter and a sweet snack, then try these with a cold glass of milk! 

Peanut Butter Cookies
Makes 2 dozen
 
½ cup sugar, plus a small amount for top of cookies
½ cup packed brown sugar
¾ cup creamy peanut butter
½ cup butter flavored shortening
1 large egg
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 tablespoons milk
1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon salt
 
 
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
 
In a large mixing bowl add the first seven ingredients and blend with a handheld mixer.  Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.
 
Use a 1 1/2-inch scoop to from balls and place 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet or use a silpat on a baking sheet.  Using a fork flatten the top of each cookie ball in a crisscross pattern, and then lightly sprinkle with sugar.
 
Bake 9 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown. 

Last weekend our daughter and her fiancée were home for the weekend and we decided to invite some friends over for dinner.  My daughter and I spent the morning looking over recipes and deciding what would be a crowd pleasing menu that would be easily prepared before our friends arrival.  The weather was perfect so we decided to surprise our friends with an outside dinner lakeside. 

For the table we kept it simple with tall colorful candles and clay pots with fresh herbs.

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These are sweet and tangy!  Perfect for an appetizer or served on a salad.

Pickled Beets & Eggs
 
4 eggs
1 (15 ounce) can sliced or whole no-sodium beets, juice reserved
½ red onion, chopped
1/2 cup white sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
6 whole cloves
 
 
Place eggs in saucepan and cover with water. Bring to boil then cover and remove from the heat and let eggs sit in the hot water for 12-15 minutes. Remove from hot water and let cool slightly then peel.
 
In a bowl add the whole peeled eggs, beets and onions. Set aside.
 
In a small saucepan, combine sugar, reserved beet juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaves, and cloves. Bring to a boil, lower heat, and simmer 5 minutes.
 
Pour hot liquid over eggs, beets and onions so that the eggs are completely covered with the liquid. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for two days.
 
To serve, drain liquid and place beets and onions on a serving platter, slice eggs lengthwise and place on top.

I was at the grocery store the other day and saw an assorted package of fresh mini sweet peppers and was inspired to make something with them… wasn’t sure at that moment what I wanted to do with them but stuffing them came to mind.  The next day a friend of mine called, well actually texted and invited us to join her family and some friends over for a last minute get together and to bring an appetizer.  Perfect, I wanted to do something with these peppers so I decided to make a low-calorie turkey stuffing for my mini sweet peppers.  They were a hit and even my husband that doesn’t really care for peppers went back several times to grab one.

Mini Stuffed Sweet Peppers
 
1 pound mini sweet bell peppers (assorted colors)
8 oz. lean ground turkey
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 small yellow onion, shredded (using a cheese grater works great)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz. fat-free cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
 
Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and using a small teaspoon scoop out the seeds and pith (Helpful hint: Even though my kids are older I still have a couple of baby spoons that work perfect for this task). Arrange peppers on a baking tray and roast for 5 minutes then remove from the oven to stuff.

In a large sauté pan over medium heat cook the turkey for 5 minutes then add the Italian seasoning, red pepper flakes, onion and garlic.  Cook until the turkey is fully cooked then add the cream cheese and Parmesan cheeses and parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Stuff each pepper then bake for 20-25 minutes.

These can be made up to a day ahead and stored covered in the refrigerator until ready to bake.

Easter Brunch

Easter Tablescapes – Every year I have so much fun creating a special tablescape for our family Easter Brunch.  Only 6 more days until 2013 Easter — I’ve been thinking about what I would like to do for this year and have lots of ideas and projects in mind and now it’s time to gather my supplies and pull it all together.

Below is my 2012 Easter Tablescape and Easter Brunch Menu.

Easter Brunch Menu
 
Huevos Rancheros
Roasted Potatoes
Pizza Rustica
Italian Easter Grain Pie
Mixed Greens with Citrus Vinaigrette
Fresh Strawberries and Blueberries
Croissants
 

                                                                                Pineapple Pound Cake
                                                                                Easter Cupcakes and Cookies
                                                                               Mimosa and Juice Bar

Easter flower container filled with jelly beans, assorted Easter candies, Easter cookies and Easter cake pops!

Easter flower container filled with jelly beans and Easter cookies.

Easter Table 2011

My children, nieces and nephew had fun decorating eggs and then we had our traditional Easter egg hunt.  Afterwords, I placed the colored eggs in baskets filled with straw as my center pieces!  So cute and the kids loved looking at them all day.

My new FAVORITE pasta, it’s thin and delicious and pairs wonderfully with this beef & mushroom ragu.

Filet of Beef & Mushroom Ragu with Tagliardi Pasta
Serves 4
 
1 pound filet of beef, trimmed
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 small yellow onion, diced (1 cup)
¼ cup diced carrots
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1-2 slices of pancetta, chopped (optional)
½ cup red wine
1 tablespoon tomato paste
28 ounces crushed tomatoes
2 cups beef broth
5 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Fresh parsley, chopped
Shaved Parmesan cheese
9 ounces dried Tagliardi Pasta
 
 
Cut the trimmed beef into medium chunks and season with salt and pepper.
 
In a Dutch oven or large saucepan heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, turning occasionally, until browned on all sides, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the beef and set aside.
 
In the same pan heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in the saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and carrots and cook for 4-5 minutes then add the garlic, thyme and pancetta cook 1-2 minutes.  Next, add the red wine to deglaze the pan, stirring until almost evaporated.  Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring, until slightly darkened, about 1 minute more.
 
Return the beef to the saucepan and add the beef broth and tomatoes. Simmer over low heat covered, stirring occasionally, until the beef is tender, 45-60 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.
 
Cook the pasta according to the package directions and drain.
 
Add the mushrooms to the saucepan and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8-10 minutes.  Check for seasoning then toss the pasta with the ragu and the Parmesan cheese.
 
Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and shaved Parmesan cheese.