the perfect hard boiled egg

I got this from www.oopsredone.blogspot.com

1. Place eggs in the saucepan, it does not matter if it is 2 or 12 eggs, this way works. Just cover them with cold water, not too deep. Do NOT salt the water. Place on burner on HIGH heat.

2. Place on burner on HIGH heat. Once they start to boil turn on the timer to 3 minutes.


3. When the timer goes off, quickly take off the heat, put on the lid and reset the timer to 26 minutes.

4. When 26 minutes are up, take to sink and run cold water over them for about a minute, let them soak a bit to cool off. They will peel best if you set them in the refrigerator for about 1/2 to 1 hour, but you can eat them now!


5. Never have gray yolks again!

Happy Easter everyone!

Pasta with Pumpkin and Sausage

This is from Rachel Ray's 30 minute meals cook book. So perfect and festive for this time of year. I loved loved it.

Ingredients:

1 pound Rigatoni pasta
extra virgin olive oil
1 pound Italian sweet sausage
1 medium onion chopped
4 cloves garlic minced
1 bay leaf
4-6 fresh sage leaves slivered or dried
1 cup white grape juice
1 can chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 pinches ground cinnamon
3 pinches ground nutmeg
Romano or Parmesan cheese for over pasta

Cook Pasta Al Dente.
Brown sausage with a little oil and put on paper towel-lined plate
In same pan add a little more oil and saute onion and garlic for 5 minutes until soft.
Add bay leaf, sage, and grape juice- reduce for 2 minutes.
Add broth and pumpkin to combine-stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble
Return sausage to pan
reduce heat and stir in heavy cream
Season with cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and pepper and simmer 5 minutes

Add pasta to pot you originally cooked it in. Remove bay leaf from sauce and pour sauce over pasta. Toss pasta and sauce 1 or minutes over low heat so pasta can absorb flavors. Then put it in a beautiful bowl to serve of course.

Romano or Parmigiano on top of each serving.

Butter Cream Icing

Here is a really yummy frosting for your sugar cookies- from my mom's recipe book.

1/4 cup Crisco shortening
3/4 cup butter
1 lb powder sugar
2 TBSP milk
1 tsp Almond extract
pinchy pinch of salt

Mix all ingredients together until light and fluffy, scraping bowl often. Add food coloring if desired.

Ginger Bread House Recipe and Pattern

Here is the recipe - if you want to make your own. There are two pieces- an isosceles triangle and a rectangle (cut 2 of each shape for one house). The triangle measures 5 1/4" on the two long sides and 4" on the short side, the rectangle measures 5 1/4" x 3 1/2. I cut out a little door on one triangle per house...then I glue it so it is half way open and attached to the house. You can also glue the bottom of the house to a square of foiled covered cardboard - so it doesn't move when you decorate it.

2/3 c. molasses
1 egg
1/3 c. brown sugar
½ c. oil
3 c. white flour
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 tsp. baking powder
½ tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves

Mix together all ingredients. Roll out onto sprayed upside down cookie sheet and then cut out pieces using a pizza cutter and template (give a little space between each piece because they do expand a bit in the oven)... this way you don’t have to move the pieces – just remove the extra dough around the pieces. I use a template traced onto cardstock as I cut out the pieces. Bake at 300 for 15-20 minutes.

Glue houses together with caramelized white sugar. Just put a couple cups of white sugar in sauce pan on the stove and slowly heat it until it melts. It gets really hot...be careful this can seriously burn you. Carefully dip piece by piece as you glue it together...it glues nice and hard like a glue gun. Make sure you do this with no children around....it is dangerous and needs your complete attention.

Makes 3 houses.

Click here for tips & pictures on how to cut out your house!

Click here for pictures on how to assemble the pieces!

Not Your Mamma's Green Bean Casserole

Not Your Mamma's Green Bean Casserole

5 cans Fancy cut/ French cut beans
8oz cream cheese
8oz sour cream
1 Pkg Uncle Dans Southern Ranch mix
1 lb shredded Swiss cheese
corn flakes

Mix 5 cans green beans (drained) with ranch mix, sour cream, cream cheese, and half of shredded cheese until smooth. Spread in glass 9X13 baking pan, top with rest of shredded cheese, and then top with crushed corn flakes.

I put all the cheeses, creams and ranch mix in the blender first- A lot easier! Then mixed in the beans.

Bake 350 until bubbly and corn flakes start to brown. (Approximately 30-40 min.)

Resurrection Rolls

Easter is coming up! This recipe is an annual tradition in our home.

1 can Pillsbury Crescent Rolls
8 large marshmallows
Melted butter
Cinnamon and Sugar mixed together

Give each child one rectangle section of dough. This will represent the cloth wrapped around Jesus' body. Give each child one large marshmallow. This represents Christ's body. Let each child roll their marshmallow in the melted butter. Then, dip the marshmallow into the cinnamon sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices that prepared Christ's body for burial. Have each child place the marshmallow on their section of dough and carefully wrap it. Make sure all edges are pinched tight! Place the rolls in the oven. Tape the door shut and place a guard - stuffed animal or child. The oven represents the tomb. Bake the rolls, following the directions on the package. Open the tomb/oven. Only the cloths remain! Christ's body is no longer there! Read accompanying passages from Scripture, such as John 19: 38-42 and John 20.

valentine fudge cookies and sauce

Ok so this recipe is from my dear institute teacher's blog- ARLENE and knowing her and her...her everything- you know, those amazing homemaking skillzzzz- I am sure this recipe is just amazing.

Arlene: This year I've made fudge and used my heart shape cookie cutter. Easier than sugar cookies.

I know there are several variations on this recipe. This is my favorite.
The recipe card is rumpled and stained.
Proof positive that it is the favorite.
We call it "Pats' A LOT fudge"
Because it makes A LOT.
And Pat is the friend that shared it with me.

PAT'S A LOT FUDGE

In pot mix:
4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cube butter
1 large can canned milk
Slowly bring to a boil.
Stir occasionally.
While that is coming to a boil.
In large mixing bowl mix:
12 ounces chocolate chips (2 cups)
8 oz Hershey candy bar (with almonds is my choice)
.....my recipe says 8 oz...that tells you how long I have had it, I think they are now 7 ounces so use the 7 or buy two and use 8 and eat the rest.....
7 oz marshmallow creme
...I am not sure they are 7 oz any longer either..doesn't matter.

When sugar mixture comes to a full boil..stir and cook FIVE minutes.
Pour this hot sugar mixture over the chocolate chips - marshmallow cream - candy bar mix in the bowl.
Stir until completely mixed/melted together.
Pour into a 9x13 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Drop chocolate chips on top and just barely tap them down and about into the fudge.
Cool and cut.
Eat.
Eat.
Eat.
You can make this into Rocky Road Fudge by first putting FROZEN miniature marshmallows in the baking pan and pouring the fudge mixture over the top. DON'T stir or marshmallows will melt.
Just pour over and leave alone until set.

I've flattened a mini-loaf liner and put in cellophane for gift giving.

ALSO....
this recipe makes a delicious hot fudge topping.
Just make the fudge and then when time for the topping - stir in milk or cream or canned milk and remelt on low heat to the desired consistency.

Here is the recipe without all the chatter.

Fudge
In pot mix 4 1/2 cups sugar
1 cube butter
1 large can canned milk
Slowly bring to a boil.
Stir occasionally.
While that is coming to a boil.
In large mixing bowl mix:
12 ounces chocolate chips (2 cups)
8 oz Hershey candy bar (with almonds is my choice)
7 oz marshmallow creme
When sugar mixture comes to a full boil..stir and cook FIVE minutes.
Pour this hot sugar mixture over the chocolate chips - marshmallow cream - candy bar mix in the bowl.
Stir until completely mixed/melted together.
Pour into a 9x13 baking pan sprayed with cooking spray.
Drop chocolate chips on top and just barely tap them down and about into the fudge.
Cool and cut.