About Anita

Ketchup

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Ketchup For Our BBQ

ketchup

 

 

My garden is producing so many wonderful fruits and vegetables. I’ve made sauces and soups. Roasted and BBQ’d vegetables. Served fresh berries. Enjoyed the salad cucumbers. What can I do now? It’s time for a family barbecue. And what condiment do many enjoy at a barbecue with their roasted potatoes, beans, hamburgers, hot dogs and even steaks? Ketchup!

And when you realize how easy it is to make ketchup and the deliciousness of the homemade variety … well, you’ll have this on your menu all summer long!

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National Donut Day

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Happy National Donut Day!

National Donut Day

And a great day to revisit my donut posts: Spice Cake Donuts, Filozes Portuguese Donuts, and Donuts With An Attitude.

The Spice Cake Donuts still stand tall! I love cake donuts!

This Portuguese donut recipe is a variation of filozes … made without yeast. Whipped up in minutes and meant to be eaten immediately. The traditional with yeast is on the menu soon.

Donuts with an Attitude was my attempt to recreate the famous croissant donut cross. While it was delicious the appearance and lightness were not close enough to the original. I haven’t given up.

If you need an excuse to eat a donut … today is your day!

Gazpacho

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Gazpacho Recipe

Gazpacho

A family favorite for all these years! Nope, we haven’t changed the recipe either. OK, maybe a little with the drizzle of olive oil and basil garnish, no one was into olive oil in those days. I most likely wouldn’t have tried a raw tomato if this hadn’t been my husband’s favorite soup. Now it’s my fav cold soup.

The secret in this recipe is to chop the ingredients very small and to remove the seeds from the tomatoes and cucumbers. Chill this in the freezer for a very short time to get it really cold or serve it on ice.  What a really refreshing meal on a hot summer day!

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Italian Cream Cake

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Italian Cream Cake

Italian Cream Cake

 

 

This is absolutely my favorite cake! There are plenty of decadent cakes I would never turn down but usually one or two bites of these satisfy … not that I stop at that! But with this Italian Cream Cake I find myself wishing I had another piece. It’s a very dangerous cake for me to bake unless it’s going to be eaten up by guests immediately.

If you like German Chocolate Cake, Carrot Cake … And what is the recipe going around recently … Hummingbird Cake … I believe you will like this one. And maybe better!

Enjoy!

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Gnocchi

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Gnocchi

gnocchi

Gnocchi gets a bad rap. This pasta is often described as heavy and chewy … And even called gut bombs. While gut bombs is really only one family’s affectionate description … if you have experienced heavy or chewy gnocchi know it is in the preparation. They should melt away in your mouth with one or two chews. I can’t say I didn’t fear my first attempt at making gnocchi. After all I have this critic who’s nonna was an expert.

Served with a fresh light marinara or a butter basil sauce sprinkled with Parmesan this pasta is a delightful change from the usual. And yes, you will say this is delicious!

This is an inexpensive recipe and is not time intensive. It  may produce a little hesitancy until you see how simple it truly is.

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Change Up Chopped Salad-A Repost

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Change Up Chopped Salad-A Repost

A Meal In Itself

Change Up Chopped Salad-A Repost

The secret of this salad is in the chopping. It can be used as a side but initially was created as a main course. The chopping of the ingredients creates a heavier more dense fork full … making this a satisfying main course. You can make changes to give it a little different taste … satisfying your family’s likes.

This is a much loved salad by my whole family. Yep, I have meat and potato guys who love it.

For the recipe click on this link Change Up Chopped Salad

I hope you enjoy this simple beautiful satisfying green salad!

Blueberry Pie

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Blueberry Pie Recipe

 

Fresh blueberries … the choices! Snacking, muffin making, blenderizing … today pie making. Ripe fresh blueberries need little sweetening. In fact, this berry requires so little preparation I’ve decided to devote more time to the crust just for fun.

Blueberry Pie

This is an easy recipe. One the whole family will appreciate this Memorial Day Weekend or anytime.

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Potato Salad

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Potato Salad Reinvented

This is coming up just in time for Memorial Day

Potato Salad

You might be asking why reinvent? My children all have different tastes and my goal is to provide a recipe all will enjoy. Yes, it is possible … not always! For Memorial Day I have this idea for a new potato salad recipe. Sweet potatoes! Okay, this is not going to go over well with Stephen. But I’m adding equal amounts of white potatoes and sweet potatoes. I can’t wait! If you aren’t into a combination use one or the other. It still works!

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Stroganoff

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Stroganoff Recipe At Its Best

Try this one! Made with Chicken

Looking through my recipes I came across one for beef stroganoff … My friend Cathy’s recipe carefully handwritten for me. Thank you again! I did make this recipe over the years and shared it with a friend or two. It was wonderful.

As I looked at the ingredients I realized I could make some changes … for one, beef to chicken. Recipes as friendships need a little change up to fit the changing times … Sometimes to become healthier and provide more exciting ingredients for the sophisticated palate of today. The other major changes, no cream of mushroom soup … chicken broth instead, and fresh mushrooms added. This is a simple recipe and fast too. On the table in thirty!

Try this Stroganoff at its Best with Chicken! Hope you enjoy it too, my dear friend.

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Chocolate Brownie

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Five Minute Mix Chocolate Brownie

Chocolate Brownie

This is my go to recipe for a quick homemade chocolate dessert. Rich Moist Chocolate Brownies! It’s so quick and easy. And you probably have everything in your pantry to whip it together.

There may be a box mix for brownies out there that I might like but I haven’t tasted it yet! This is so much cheaper and just as fast! And you can tell it’s homemade!

Once baked add ice cream, creme fraiche, or whipping cream. Or go it naked!

This is a dessert that will please your family or guests. The edges are chewy, my favorite piece, the center is moist and the crust is thin and slightly crunchy. I love nuts! But it can go without and still impress!

 

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