Pasta Salad

This pasta salad recipe is a family favorite. I've been eating this since I was a kid. It's one of those recipes that all of my mother's children know how to make. It's a staple, particularly in the summer or at a potluck. And it's one we always get compliments on. Better yet, it's extremely easy!

Pasta Salad


16 oz. Rotini pasta, cooked and cooled
1 large bottle of Italian Dressing
1 packet dry Zesty Italian Seasoning Mix (This is KEY! You must not leave this out!)
Cheese (Cheddar, Colby, whatever), cubed
Tomatoes, chopped
Cucumber, chopped
Pepperoni, sliced


Toss all of the above ingredients together in a large bowl.

Onion Strings

These were so yummy! This recipe comes from the Pioneer Woman Cooks. The PW is amazing! I don't know where she learned to cook, but I would love to spend a weekend at her ranch learning from her!

Onion Stings

Source: Pioneer Woman Cooks

1 large onion

2 C buttermilk

2 C all-purpose flour

1 T salt

Black pepper (she just says "plenty")

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

Oil for frying

Peel the onion. Slice into very thin rings. Separate the onion slices and place in a shallow baking dish. Pour the milk over the top. Press the onions down with a fork so they are soaking in the milk. Let sit on the counter for 1 hour. Half way through, stir them so they all get coated.

In a bowl, combine the flour and spices. Pour 1-2 quarts of oil in a large pot or dutch oven and heat to 375.

Using tongs, remove a handful of onion and immediately toss in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour and put into the hot oil. Break them apart with a slotted spoon and let them fry until golden. This doesn't take long. Continue with the remaining onions.

Mashed Potatoes

This were perfect with our chicken fried steak for dinner. Warning...NOT healthy! But yummy :)

Mashed Potatoes

2 1/2 lb. red skinned potatoes, quartered
1/2 C whipping cream
1 stick butter
1 T salt

Bring the potatoes to boil in a large pot. Once boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Drain the potatoes. Add the cream, butter, and salt to the potatoes. Using a potato masher, mash the potatoes. Enjoy!

Easy and delicious!

Snap Beans

Charlie and I made a trip to the Farmer's Market last weekend. We bought some yummy green beans, or I like to call them, snap beans! I remember as a kid my family growing them and having to snap the ends of off...Good times!

Snap Beans

Fresh green beans, snapped

1/2 c. water

1 tbsp. sugar

1/2 stick butter

Garlic salt or 1 clove garlic, minced

Place all in a pot, cover and cook on medium 10-15 minutes. YUM!

Stuffing

We had this with our turkey for Thanksgiving. It was delicious and much tastier than a box of Stove Top!

Stuffing

Source: Food Lion

8 oz. bread crumb stuffing mix

1/2 C chopped onion

1/2 C chopped celery

1 C chicken broth

1/2 stick butter

Saute onion and celery in butter. Add chicken broth. Stir in bread crumbs and fluff.

Cinnamon Baked Apples

My grandma makes this all the time! They are so delicious! They just fall apart in your mouth. YUM!


Cinnamon Baked Apples
Source: MawMaw


Sliced apples
Cinnamon Candies (the soft, chewy kind)
Brown sugar


Place your apples in a baking dish. Sprinkle candy over top, as much as you can stand! Sprinkle brown sugar to coat. Bake at 35o for about 30-45 minutes.

Mac and Cheese

I've been looking and looking for the perfect mac and cheese recipe. I love mac and cheese. The creamier, the better! I made a Real Simple recipe a few weeks ago and wasn't impressed. So the search continued. So on to the story of this mac and cheese.

We were invited to hang out with some friends last weekend. The plan was to bring dessert. Charlie requested this gem. YUM! Then...he volunteered me to make mac and cheese as well! Oh no! I was almost in tears. I hadn't found a recipe I liked yet. Then I remembered Krystal. I've mentioned Krystal before. Shoot, she's probably the one who even reads this blog! Krystal is my sister. And this is her mac and cheese recipe. So yummy!

When I asked for the recipe, she said it wasn't really a recipe. And that is what I love about it! It's one of those things that's so easy you can remember it off the top of your head. There are only a few ingredients and it's super easy to make!

Krystal says to use the block cheese and shred it. She swears it makes a difference....So listen to her! I hardly shred my own cheese anymore. I remember this was my job when I was a kid...pre-bagged shredded cheese days. Of course, I ate half of it before I finished! It really does taste more yummy than the bagged stuff.

Mac and Cheese
Source: Krystal Kerns

16 oz. elbow macaroni
1 large block of cheddar, shredded (the largest block you can find!)
1/2 stick of butter
Fresh ground paper

Cook the macaroni and drain. Shred the cheese. Butter the bottom and sides of a large baking dish. Pour half the noodles in the dish. Spread half the cheese on top. Layer with the rest of the noodles. Top with the rest of the cheese. Place pats of butter around the top of the cheese. I used 8. Sprinkle with fresh ground pepper, but not too much! Bake at 375 for 20 minutes.