My Mom's Brownies

I remember a time in my life when I was content to eat Brownies made from a box. I actually remember thinking, "what's the point of going through the trouble of making them from scratch when the box ones are so good?"

Well, I have now realized that crazy thinking was only because it had been so long since I had these. I couldn't count the number of times I helped my mom make these when I was growing up. She had the recipe memorized, which was a good thing because the actually recipe was faded so much it was illegible. Now I get to enjoy them with my kids. (My mom usually added walnuts to hers, but I hate nuts in them so I don't even know how much she added.)

Thai Chicken and Coconut Soup

• 1 1/2 Tbsp. Cooking Oil
• 1/2 small onion (chopped)
• 4 cloves garlic (minced
• 1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/8 tsp. cayenne
• 1 quart canned low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups (about a can) unsweetended coconut milk
• 3 tsp. Fish sauce or soy sauce
• 2 strips (3-inch long) lime zest
• 1/2 lb. egg fettuccine
• 1 lb. boneless (skinless chicken breasts (about 3) cubed
• 2 Tbsp. lime juice
• 3 Tbsp. chopped cilantro (optional)

In a large pot, heat the cooking oil over moderately low heat. Add the onion and cook (about 5 minutes). Add the garlic, coriander, ginger, black pepper, and cayenne; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.

Add the broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, salt and lime zest. Bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 10 minutes.

Cook fettuccine until just done (about 12 minutes). Drain.

Saute chicken

Add the chicken to the soup and simmer until just done (1 1/2 minutes). Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the fettuccine, lime juice and cilantro (if using). Serve the soup in bowls with a fork and spoon.

Baked Ziti with Prosciutto & Peas

• 1/2 lb. ziti, penne or other tubular pasta
• 1 pkg. Alfredo Sauce Mix
• 2 cups grated mozzarella cheese
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 lb. prosciutto chopped (domestic is fine)
• 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat an oven to 425 degrees.

Cook pasta about 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Drain and rinse under cold running water. Set aside

Follow directions on Alfredo sauce mix. Stir in cheese, peas and prosciutto. Stir the pasta into the sauce and toss to combine.

Transfer the pasta and sauce to a casserole dish. Sprinkle with the bread crumbs. Bake until bread crumbs are golden and the sauce is bubbling, about 20 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Pasta Annalisa

• 16 oz. Farfalle pasta
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
• 2-3 cloves garlic, crushed or garlic slat
• 1 Tbsp. pepper
• 1/2 c. butter
• 1 lb bacon, crumpled
• 1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 (12 oz) Lawry's Mesquite marinade with lime juice

Cook bacon in the oven (400 degrees, convection). Way less messy. Time varies (watch it) usually around 30 minutes. Allow to cool and then crumple.

Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred. Set this aside. About a half hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkles a little bit more shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

Poulet Bon Femme (AKA White Grape Chicken)

• 6 boneless chicken breasts
• 1 can cream of mushroom soup
• 1 can cream of celery soup
• 1 cup cheese grated (Colby Jack or Mozzarella)
• 3/4 cup white grape juice

Mix the soups, cheese and juice together. Place chicken in casserole dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Cover and bake at 325 degrees for 3 hours. Take cover off last 30 minutes of cooking. Serve over rice.

A friend from Arizona gave me this recipe. It is simple and good.