What a great spring break I had this year! I did not do a thing but hibernate in my house. In fact, I think I may have set a record.
I got home from church on Sunday at noon and did not leave until that Friday. The only reason I left then was for a hair appointment.
Spring break arrives just after basketball season has finished its long run. After countless numbers of games, I think I’m just glad to be home. I will admit that I am a homebody. Steve likes to head out to the farm, and I just want to stay put.
One thing I enjoy doing during the week is cooking. I plan what meals I will prepare and I also like to try a few new recipes. I strategically plan my grocery shopping trip to assure that I have all my needed ingredients. The refrigerator hasn’t seen that much action since Christmas!
I cleaned out closets, drawers and cabinets. When the garbage man came, I’m sure he thought we were moving. At least I did do something constructive.
For the last couple of days, we had our 3½-year-old granddaughter, Leila Rose, over to spend the night. Let’s just say she is high maintenance.
• She wanted to make a real cake, not a pretend one, and she wanted it to be pink. We did.
• She wanted to play games — Match Game, Cootie and Princess Cupcakes. We did.
• She wanted to watch the Cinderella movie and dance at the ball. We did.
• She wanted to go see the baby goats and donkeys. We did.
• She wanted to ride to the farm and look for alligators. We did.
This was the first time she had stayed overnight with us, so we were a little apprehensive about what the night might bring. We went to bed and turned the TV on for her. She said that was “so cool” to watch television when you are going to sleep.
After I had slept for about four minutes, I woke up with her foot in my mouth. From then on, she was like a roller coaster. Leila woke up at 6:30 a.m. and said she did not want to spend the night and was ready to go home. I told her to put her head back on that pillow. She slept until 8 a.m. I forgot to mention that other than the three of us, we had our dog, her dog and two cats in the bed. It was quite a night!
I’m glad I was rested up from the week before. I really needed another week to recover from just those two days. I know why God gives children to young people.
Hope you enjoy this week’s recipes. We recently had a Flemming family get-together when our Alabama niece, Elizabeth, came for a visit. I was responsible for the menu. These were some of our favorites. Thanks for reading.
ELAINE’S FAVORITE SALAD
2 heads iceberg lettuce, chopped
8 ounces fresh baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
8 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1 pound bacon, cooked and chopped
4 whole tomatoes, chopped
1 bunch green onions, sliced
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen green peas, partially thawed
Dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
2 tablespoon sugar
Fresh dill, chopped
In a clear glass bowl, layer the salad ingredients in the order they appear above. End with the layer of peas.
Combine dressing ingredients in a separate bowl, and mix well. Pour over the top of the peas and spread to cover, bringing dressing all the way out to the edges of the bowl. Sprinkle with fresh dill.
Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least eight hours.
JAN JAN’S POTATO CASSEROLE
6-7 medium white potatoes, sliced thin
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 small can Pet milk
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup grated cheese
Butter
Additional cheese
Prepare a sauce with soups, milk, cheese, Worcestershire, salt and pepper. Layer potatoes with sauce in a 13- by- 9-inch baking dish and dot with butter. Cover with foil and bake for an hour and a half at 350 degrees. Remove foil and add addition cheese and return to oven until cheese melt.
SPINACH AND ARTICHOKE CASSEROLE
1 (14-ounce) can artichoke hearts, drained and halved
1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, cooked and well drained
½ cup chopped onion
½ cup butter, melted
1 (8-ounce) sour cream
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper
Dash of cayenne pepper
Arrange artichoke hearts in a lightly greased 9- by- 9-inch baking dish. Saute onion in butter. Stir and cook until tender. Stir in spinach, sour cream, ¼ cup cheese, salt and peppers. Spoon spinach mixture over the artichokes and sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.
This recipe doubles easily.
• Contact Lee Ann Flemming at lafkitchen@hughes.net.
