recipe

Submitted by Debbie Sumner

This is so refreshing for summer with the lemony sauce and so light too.
I make the pasta and put out the rest in bowls and my kids pick and choose what else they want to add:

12 oz penne pasta (I use Barilla Plus for more protein)
2 cloves minced garlic
zest and juice of 2 lemons
1/4 cup drained capers
1 15 oz can cannellini beans
1 cuo cooked edamame
1 6 oz can drained albacore tuna
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
crumbled feta to garnish

Make a sauce out of the lemon, garlic and olive oil. Arrange the rest of the pasta as you would like. Enjoy.

Ingredients:

• 4 cups Clamato juice
• 1/2 cup onion – minced
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper – minced
• 3 Tablespoons parsley – chopped
• 2 cloves garlic- minced (we use the kind in the jar)
• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco
• salt & pepper to taste
• 8 medium tomatoes – chopped
• 2 cucumbers – chopped
• 2 avocados – chopped
• topping suggestions:  sour cream, garlic croutons, parmesan cheese

Directions:

Combine Clamato juice, onion, olive oil, wine vinegar, green pepper, parsley, garlic, Tabasco, salt and pepper.   Refrigerate 6 hours or overnight.   Next day:  add tomatoes, cucumbers and avocados.  Refrigerate until all is cold.   Serve very cold with sour cream/croutons/Parmesan cheese or whatever you prefer!

Annemarie Madden’s White Wine Sangria
(I’ve had it and it is FAB-U-LOUS!)

Ingredients:

• 1 bottle dry white wine

• 2-3 cups peach schnapps

• 2-3 cups frozen fruit (we like strawberries, peaches, pineapple and grapes)

• 1 can sprite or ginger ale

Marinate fruit in schnapps in fridge (at least 8 hrs). Add to chilled wine and sprite/ginger ale.  Enjoy!

Yes – he told me how to make this years ago and I don’t usually share my family secrets but I’m making an exception!   I had a few requests for this after you all learned that he got lost after making a trip to purchase the ingredients for his famous mac-n-cheese.   Granddaddy makes huge batches to take to church to his Dominoes group and the senior ladies fawn all over him wanting to take the leftovers home!  Troy and Walt LOVE it too…it is a true family favorite!

Ingredients:

• Block of Cheddar cheese – HAND GRATED not pre-grated (3/4-1 lb – sharp or mild) depends on how cheesy you like it (my mom slices it, Granddaddy grates it)
• Elbow macaroni noodles cooked according to package directions (3/4 of a 1 lb box)
• 1/2 stick of butter (sliced)
• 2 eggs whisked
• salt and pepper to taste
• 2-3 cans of Pet brand evaporated milk

Directions:

• Mix everything together except for the milk in a greased casserole dish
• Pour enough milk over the top of the mixture until everything floats
• cook at 325 for about one hour (but keep checking after about 45 minutes to make sure it doesn’t overcook because oven times vary)
• Enjoy – then go exercise!

I can’t tell you how I LONG to be at the beach.  I know many of you are there for Spring Break at this very moment and I’m sooooo jealous!   This one’s for all my friends at the beach who are tired of waiting for a table at crowded restaurants.  Stay in tonight and cook this for your group!   This is an Anders family favorite whether at home or at the beach but it’s so much better with FRESH SHRIMP from the GULF!!!

Boiled Shrimp Supper
(an easy version of a low country boil)

Prep time:  3 minutes
Cook time:  20 minutes

• 3 quarts boiling water
• 4 (3-oz) packages of dry shrimp and crab boil seasoning (I use Old Bay or Zatarain’s)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1.5 lbs new potatoes
• 1 (16 oz) package frozen pearl or boiling onions (I use whatever onions I have)
• 4 ears whole kernel corn (cut in half to make 8 pieces)
• 2 lemons cut in half
• 1.5 lbs of unpeeled large fresh shrimp
• lemon wedges
• cocktail sauce

Combine first 3 ingredients in a stockpot or large Dutch oven; bring to a boil.  Add potatoes, onions, corn, and lemon halves; return to a boil, and cook 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Add shrimp; cover and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.  Drain mixture; remove and discard seasoning bags and lemon halves.  Serve immediately with lemon wedges and cocktail sauce (and NAPKINS).  Yield:  4 servings.

My kids eat their vegetables and they always have.  Yes, I am proud!  Walt’s previous favorite vegetable was believe it or not….broccoli!   There are only a few things my kids won’t eat… okra and pine nuts are the only things I can think of off the top of my head!

Anyway – I’m rambling…I just want to share a new recipe with you that caused Walt to move asparagus to the top of his favorites list.   My husband also told me after we scarfed down the asparagus:  “Audra, how much asparagus did you cook?  Next time double it please!”

Dressed Asparagus

Servings:  4-6     Prep Time:  5 minutes      Cook Time:  2 minutes

Ingredients

• 1lb of asparagus
• 3 T olive oil
• 1 t Dijon mustard
• 1 T red wine vinegar
• 1 t fresh chopped parsley (I used dried b/c I didn’t have fresh)

Directions:

1. Trim asparagus.  In saucepan, bring water to a boil.  Add asparagus and a little salt.  Bring back to a boil and cook for 2 minutes (depending on thickness) drain.
2. In a small bowl, combine olive oil, Dijon mustard, red wine vinegar, and parsley.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Place asparagus on a serving dish and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Yes, I am somewhat organized…but I have friends who are way more organized than I am.   One of them is my neighbor/friend Amy.   I heard about this grocery list she developed so that she could easily send her nanny to the store with an easy to follow list of commonly purchased items that follows the aisles at Kroger.   She was kind enough to share it with me and I modified it a little to suit my family and am posting both versions for you here in case you find them helpful.

I’d love to hear back from you with other suggestions for shaving time off grocery trips, quick and easy meals, or maybe someone has a Publix version they can share?  It’s ideas and tips from all of you that make the Aha! Connection work!

Kroger Grocery List A

Kroger Grocery List B

• 2 small sweet onions sliced
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 4 TBSP brown sugar
• 4 TBSP unsalted butter
• 4 TBSP balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 lb. pork tenderloin (or bigger)

Cook all ingredients except pork in a skillet over medium high heat until onions are soft and browned.  Place tenderloin in a pan coated with cooking spray.  Pour onion mixture over the meat (let it cool first if you are going to refrigerate it until later).  Cook in oven at 350 degrees for 45 minutes–or until done (read time for weight on pork package).

submitted by:

Michelle Moore

Crocked Lemon Chicken
Submitted by Shari Clark (more…)