Carrot Cassarole

This past Sunday we had a family dinner with Don and Lois, Mary and Fred along with Steve and Jackie. We had a wonderful spread which included my new fav, Carrot Cassarole!

8 Cups sliced carrots or baby carrots
2 medium onions, sliced, trust me if you don't like onions it is still good
5 T. butter, divided
1 can cream of celery soup, undiluted
1/2 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 c. seasoned croutons, I find that the larger ones work best, like Italian garlic!

Place carrots in a saucepan and cover with water; bring to a boil , boil until crisp and tender. Meanwhile in a skillet, saute` onions in 3 T. butter until tender. Stir in soup, salt, pepper, and cheddar cheese!

Drain carrots add to onion mixture; transfer to a greased baking dish, sprinkle with croutons.
Melt remaining butter and drizzle over the top of croutons. Bake uncovered at 350* for 20-25 minutes.

Mangia~

Spring Salads

Salads are so popular during the spring and summer months I thought I would give you a recipe that the family loves.

You can add other nuts, sometimes I use walnuts, cashews, or pecans if I don't have the honey roasted

peanuts....

Martha Vineyard Salad

2-3 heads Romaine Lettuce

1 Medium Granny Smith Apple

1/4 c. cran-raisins

1 pear cubed

1 c. chopped honey roasted nuts

1 c. shredded swiss cheese

Dressing:

1/2 c. sugar

2 T. lemon juice

1/4 t. salt

1/3 c. apple cider vinegar

2 T. minced onion

2/3 c. Vegetable oil

Mix all the salad ingredients together and place in a large bowl. Mix all the dressing ingredients and place in a shaker jar. Pour desired amount over the salad.

Mangia!~

Pre - Orders

Everyone is screaming for my cook-books! So I decided to go public. If you are interested in a cook book, I am starting with Volume I, The Brandi Family Cookbook! I am taking pre-orders for them. I am not sure when they will be ready however that depends on how many I need to make, if you are interested send an e-mail to Krisbrandi@att.net . What I do is get a journal book and hand write the recipes, it takes time and patience. Did I just say both of those things in the same sentence? I have neither! HAHA! The cost is $10.00. $5.00 covers the cost of the book. The other $5.00 I am donating to the American Cancer Society. (Probably locally, I will get in touch with the gang at Dr. Bartniks office to figure out where to send the money.) ~ They are wondrful people up there at his office and they are taking very good care of my mom and many other people!

In case you don't know, my mom has been diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma. Cancer if the Lymph Nodes. She is doing well. We are almost done with her Chemo treatments and when we get the news that she is cancer free then we are going to celebrate. This year is the big one for both her and me, she turns 80 and I turn 40!

She is the best mom in the whole wide world, epecially if she has put up with me all these years!~

So if you are interested please send me an e-mail!

Thanks~

Mangia~

K~

BUFFALO CHICKEN DIP

After a tramatic day, I am pooped however not too much that I couldn't post Recipe #3, what to share, what to share, I think it will be one of my fav's :

Buffalo Chicken Dip

2 - 8 oz. cream cheese

1 can shredded chicken

1/2 c. Red Hot

1c. Ranch dressing

2 c. shredded colby-jack cheese

Mix ingredients together and put in a crockpot, stirring occasionally. When warm serve with tortilla chips, pita chips or crackers!~

It is so ez!

Mangia~

CREAM CHEESE STRAWBERRIES

We have started with a yummy spring appetizer, now lets add something sweet!

My FB friend Andi won't share her recipe for her Cream Cheese Strawberries, so I decided to serve this, they are great!

4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/3 c. sour cream
3 T. confectioners' sugar (powered)
1 T. Milk
1/4 t. almond extract
1 pint fresh strawberries
1/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

In a bowl, beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sour cream, sugar, milk and extract. mix until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Place the strawberries and the crumbs in seperate bowls. Dip strawberries into cheesecake mixture, then into crumbs.

Mangia~

BRANDI BRUSCHETTA

Spring is coming and I think that I will add one of my favorite recipes that I received from my cousin Franny. It is Bruschetta, which is an Italian version of salsa, but we eat it with french bread, haha not Italian. Also, the Roasted Garlic Triscuits are wonderful with it!





I have made some changes so we will call it:





Brandi Bruschetta


1/4 cup olive oil


1/2 tube of Basil paste (found in the produce section of the grocery store)


4-5 garlic cloves, pressed


1/2 t. salt


1/4 t. pepper


2 cans diced tomatoes


2-4 fresh roma tomatoes diced


2 T. parmesan cheese, grated


1-2 loaves French bread, slice





Drain the diced can tomatoes and mix the rest of the ingredients together. If you press the garlic instead of mincing it you get this wonderful garlic aroma. It is wonderful.

*The reason for the basil paste is because of the wonderful flavoring. I swear the flavor is ten times more potent then fresh basil. It is awesome. You may use fresh basil. like 3T. or whatever your tastebuds like.

Now with the bread you can do one of two things, when you buy it fresh it in just wonderul sliced and served soft. However you can lay out the slices on a cookie sheet and brush with olive oil and rub with garlic also. If you have the grill on, you may grill the bread. You can then broil the bread until it changes color.





Also, don't forget the Roasted garlic Triscuits, they are
yum-O~





Mangia!~

Getting started....

I love to cook and bake. I love trying nw recipes! I have made 4 cookbooks for family, 3 were all of the recipes we have tried over the years..... then a kopy kat cook book which included recipes from all your favorite restaurants! If there is something that sounds good and you don't have time to try it send it my way and maybe I will try it.

I look forward to share new recipes with you!

Now my dream is to be a full-time caterer, however I have a full-time job and it does not permit me to do it, If anyone is interested in hosting a summer party or graduation party let me know and maybe my catering needs can be of service.

be patient as I grow my blogspot and my facebook page.

See ya soon,

Mangia~!

~K