July 4, 2016

I've tried to capture our holiday with a few collages and photos.  We had the best time.  It was great to see all my nieces, my nephew and my nephew-in-law!  There were lots of laughs, good food, cold beer, fun games, campfires and music!  Who could ask for more?  I hope you enjoy!

Potatoes Romanoff

I discovered this recipe on the Williams-Sonoma website and it is fantastic!  This has become my family's favorite holiday potato dish. It's fantastic with roast beef and ham, but it will also go well with pork or chicken too! It's become a tradition to serve this dish to my family. I've also introduced it to some friends and they enjoyed it too! I hope you do!

photo from Williams-Somoma, my photo was not good!

Ingredients:

• 3 large russet potatoes, about 2 lb. total, unpeeled and scrubbed  
• 3/4 cup minced shallots 
• 2 1/2 cups grated white cheddar cheese 
• 2 tsp. kosher salt 
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground white pepper 
• 1 1/2 cups sour cream 

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 425ºF.

Wrap each potato in aluminum foil and pierce several times with a fork. Place the potatoes directly on the oven rack and bake until tender, about 1 hour. Remove the foil and let the potatoes cool to room temperature. Place the potatoes on a plate, wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat the oven to 350ºF.

Using the large holes of a box grater, grate the potatoes, including the skins. Transfer to a bowl and sprinkle the shallots, 1 3/4 cups of the cheese, the salt and white pepper on top. Using your hands, gently toss the mixture together to combine, then fold in the sour cream in 2 additions.

Transfer the potato mixture to a 1 1/2-quart gratin dish; do not compress. Sprinkle the remaining 3/4 cup cheese on top. Bake until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serves 6 -8. 

Pineapple Stuffing

A delicious side dish that is perfect when serving ham. This has become a new family favorite!  I hope you enjoy it too.

Pineapple stuffing in the fore front.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup margarine 
• 1 cup white sugar 
• 4 eggs 
• 1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 
• 5 slices white bread, cubed 

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9 inch baking pan. 
• In a mixing bowl, cream margarine and sugar. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then add the pineapple and bread cubes. 
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Let sit a few minutes to firm up before serving.

Vegetable Tian

This was delicious, in fact, it was so delicious I made it twice in one week.  I'd suggest using a mandolin for quick slicing!  It will save oodles of time!

After Baking

Before Baking

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Medium Yellow Onion
• 2 Cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 medium zucchini
• 1 medium yellow squash
• 1 medium potato
• 1 medium tomato
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• to taste salt & pepper
• 1 cup shredded Italian cheese

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF. Finely dice the onion and mince the garlic. Sautê the onion and garlic with olive oil over medium heat until the onions are soft and transparent (about 5 minutes).
2. While the onion and garlic are sautéing, thinly slice the remaining vegetables. Make sure the potatoes are very thin so that they soften quickly while in the oven.
3. Coat the inside of an 8x8" casserole dish with non-stick spray. Spread the sautéed onion and garlic in the bottom of the dish. Arrange the other sliced vegetables, stacked vertically like dominos, in an alternating pattern. Season the top of the vegetables generaously with salt, pepper, and dried thyme.
4. Cover the dish with foil and bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and top with the shredded cheese. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, or until the cheese is golden brown.

A Family Wedding

My beautiful niece married her handsome beau on New Year's Eve.  Here is my wish for them.

May your marriage be filled with all the right ingredients; a heap of love, a dash of humor, a touch of romance and a spoonful of understanding.  May your joy last forever.  Congratulations!