Green Bean Bacon Bundles

One way to get your vegetables on Super Bowl Sunday!

You may have tried a similar recipe as a side dish but we’re having these as appetizers. A man pleasin’ vegetable everyone will enjoy!

If you like your green beans a bit crunchy just precook the bacon slightly. Otherwise, if you don’t mind a bit of browning and caramelization to your green beans, wrap without the bacon precooking and roast. That simple!

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Basque Vegetable Soup

It’s 1982 and my husband takes a position as a Deputy DA in Bakersfield, California. Really, you did? It was the first time I would live a distance from my hometown. It was a unilateral decision that significantly changed the lives of many.

It didn’t take long to establish ourselves in this community. We were within walking distance of our new favorite restaurant, Mama Tosca’s. And in old town Bakersfield we loved Luigi’s, quite a hangout for Bakersfieldians. In this same area of town several Basque restaurants were longtime establishments. Can’t forget the Pyrenees Bakery! Basque is a part of Bakersfield culture. The food is delicious and overwhelmingly plentiful at these family style restaurants. Just ordering the setup was more than enough for our family. This included a vegetable soup, beans, salad, pickled tongue, spaghetti, bread … And was there a salsa?

This soup recipe is very much a taste-alike of the cabbage soup served at one of Bakersfield’s Favorite Basque Restaurants. It’s light yet flavorful … a year around soup. Enjoy!

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Au Gratin Potatoes and Peas

This is a side dish with a main dish capability. It’s a great vegetarian meal. Add a hardboiled egg on the side per person for a hearty meal. The recipe comes together quickly with pantry ingredients.

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Super Bowl Perfect Soups and Beans

These are great options for Super Bowl Sunday. New Recipes to come soon!

Barbecued Brisket Soup

Portuguese Chili Beans

Cheeseburger Soup

Portuguese Beans with Linguica

Beef Corn Chowder

Rustic Bread White Bean and Greens Soup

 


Easy Baked Ziti

How about this for a Holiday Meal. So easy and So delicious. Another dinner prepped by my oldest! This recipe uses the canned tomatoes we had shipped from Italy. Check out how we found this delicious tomato sauce. Not to worry, Sclafani Crushed Tomato Sauce is also available on Amazon. It’s worth a try!

This is one of those meals that preps quickly then bakes ’til bubbly. If your family and friends are into pasta they’ll love this.

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A Repost, It’s That Good!

For Winter Solstice our family will celebrate with Mexican Cuisine. We pretty much do this every year. I usually order out for the appetizers and stick to cooking the main dishes. When these are so easy, why? After making my Shredded Beef these Taquitos were a cinch! And I cheated a little with the Guacamole. It’s my son’s, Ian, and his wife’s recipe. Thank you Ann. Ann received her inspiration for their Guacamole from the California Avocado Commission. Check out this site for great avocado recipes of all kinds.

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Creamed Portabella and Spinach

Sometimes you want something rich and ‘meaty.’ I’ve just come off a cleanse and meat dishes seem too heavy today. I’m over the clear broths with spinach and mushrooms. Yep, I’m into a little richness. What might surprise you … there’s very little fat here but the taste is as rich as those heavily laden cream dishes. For me, this is a main dish but realistically it’s a side for two. Enjoy!

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Cheese and Rice Soup

Cheesy Rice Soup! It’s still soup season and this one is sure to warm you. Not only that, but you already have the ingredients … well most! It’s an easy recipe with few ingredients. The secret is in the caramelizing of the onion. This will involve most of your prep time. The rest comes together quickly. Yep, I can’t deny this is a very rich soup but Oh So Good. A cup will do!

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Cornbread Salad

Just a great change-up salad! Goes great with jambalaya, gumbo, chili beans, pot roast and all by itself!

First, make your favorite cornbread. I prefer from scratch with a less sweet version. Mixes tend to be sweeter and more cake like. Cornbread is an easy quick bread. Try this recipe, here. For a fewer ingredient recipe try this.

 

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