This past Saturday was the auction and gala for Veritas Christian Academy. It was a wonderful night full of great energy and fun. The school was able to raise around $100,000! That is amazing in this economy.
I was able to offer my services by giving parents the opportunity to pre-purchase large black & white head shots of their children and have all the proceeds go to Veritas. We used these portraits to help decorate the room for the gala. Here are a few samples:











It was the perfect backdrop for the evening. At the end of the night, parents were able to take the portraits home.


Fast Frames on Hendersonville Road (by the new Tupelo Honey) was so gracious and gave everyone who purchased one of these pictures a gift card for $30 towards any custom frame. If you ever need anything frames, I highly recommend them. Maggie and her husband own it and are the nicest couple ever! Her background of being an artist shines through in her ability to match the right frame for a picture. She is able to pull out color and texture in a portrait simply by choosing the right mat and frame.

I love this meal. I make it for my family, for friends and even for big dinner parties. It is a perfect spring/summer dish. Pair it with a Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay for a nice touch.

ARTICHOKE CHICKEN

2 (18 oz.) jars marinated artichoke hearts
6 chicken breast (for big groups I use tenders)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup white cooking wine
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped green onions
4 or 5 cloves of garlic, minced
8 oz Muenster cheese, sliced (optional)

Spread artichokes and marinade in a 9x13 baking dish. In a shallow dish, mix Parmesan and bread crumbs. Coat chicken in bread crumbs. Arrange over artichokes. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. While chicken is baking, combine olive oil, wine, parsley, green onions and garlic. Whisk until well blended. REDUCE OVEN TEMPERATURE TO 350 DEGREES. Pour dressing over the chicken. Bake for 20 minutes longer. Top with Muenster cheese. Let stand until cheese melts. Serve immediately.

I don't usually use the muenster because of added cost and fat. I serve this with angel hair pasta and a salad. To plate it, put the pasta on the plate first then the chicken on top and spoon the sauce and articoke hearts over it all. This recipe is great when cooking for a group that may have vegetarians. They can leave out the chicken.


Now a great dessert to go with this is Lemon Cake. This is SO EASY because the base is a box mix!


LEMON CAKE

1 box yellow cake mix
1 pkg (3.4 oz) instant lemon pudding mix
3/4 cup vegetable oil
3 eggs
1 cup sprite or 7 up
1 cup powdered sugar
2 TBSP lemon juice

In a mixing bowl, combine the cake mix, pudding mix, oil and eggs. Beat on medium speed for 1 minute. Gradually beat in the soda. Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until cake springs back when lightly touched in center. While cake is baking, combine powdered sugar and lemon juice until smooth; carefully spread over warm cake.

Tip: be sure to use only 1 cup of soda. I can't tell you how many times I have gotten over confident, not looked at the recipe and poured in the whole can.


I have made this for a baby shower. Really cute! Cut the cake into squares. Pile squares in a pyramid shape on a large plate and place heads of 5 daisies here and there.

This week I have come across so many recipes that I think, "Oh, I have to share this one next!" I am really excited about this and I hope you are too. I have had a couple of requests from sweet friends, so I will post those this time.


The first was requested by my friend Lynda back in Jackson, TN for Zucchini Squares. I actually got this recipe from Jackie who goes to our old church back in Jackson. It is a great recipe that I have used as an appetizer and at a brunch.


ZUCCHINI SQUARES


1 cup Bisquick
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 TBSP parsley
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp season salt
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp pepper
1 minced garlic clove
1/2 cup oil
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups thinly sliced zucchini

Combine all ingredents except zucchini. Blend well then fold in zucchini. Place in a greased 9x13 pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Cut into squares.

The other request was from my new friend here in Asheville, Debbie. It is for my homemade croutons. I used these with the French Onion Soup recipe so the bread is already bite size. They are VERY easy and a good use of old bread. The seasoning, called Essence, actually came from a different recipe from Emeril Lagasse.


HOMEMADE CROUTONS

Cut french or sourdough bread into 1 inch size chuncks. Spread on a cookie sheet lined with foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with Essence. Use your hands to toss the bread to get well coated with oil and seasoning. Spread out to a single layer. Bake at 375 degrees for around 5 - 8 minutes. Keep an eye on it. I'm just guessing on the time.

ESSENCE (Emeril's Creole Seasoning)

2 1/2 TBSP paprika
2 TBSP salt
2 TBSP garlic powder
1 TBSP black pepper
1 TBSP onion powder
1 TBSP cayenne pepper
1 TBSP dried oregano
1 TBSP dried thyme


I keep this in an old spice container and use it on all kinds of things from green beans to fish to croutons.

Enjoy and have a great weekend! Next week I will do my favorite lemon cake. SO EASY!

I know, I know! I said I would leave a recipe a week and I have already gotten behind. Well, I will make it up now.


Having lived most of my life in Texas, I'm a HUGE fan of Tex-Mex. Last week we had some friends over for a Tex-Mex dinner. These are some of my tried and true recipes that friends have asked for many times.

ABBIE'S TEXAS SALSA (Abbie is a friend in Jackson, TN who is actually a Texan.)

1/2 an onion, coursely chopped
1 small can whole jalapenos
3 big "pinches" fresh cilantro
1 large can of diced tomatoes, do NOT drain
2 garlic cloves or 1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/3 c. water

Throw ingredients in this order in a blender or food processor and blend until desired chunkiness. I like it well chopped. Use less jalapenos if you can't take the heat.

The next recipe I actually got when I was in collage from one of my Elementary Ed. Professors. I've added a few of my own twists to add flavor. It is a little work, but so worth it. Usually, Fred heats the tortillas while I fill and roll them.

CHICKEN ENCHILADAS

3 - 4 chicken breasts
olive oil, salt & pepper
24 oz. sour cream
2 cans chopped green chilies
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/8 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground chili powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
vegetable oil
1 pkg corn tortillas
12 oz. shredded Colby/Jack cheese

Drizzle chicken with olive oil, then sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper. Use your hands to rub oil and seasoning into chicken. Grill (this can even be done the day before). Finely chop chicken or put in food processor.

In a medium sauce pan, slowly heat sour cream, green chilies (can substitute jalapenos for more heat), soup and spices. This mixture just needs to be heated. Do not boil.

In a seperate bowl, place chopped chicken and HALF of the sour cream mixture and stir. This is the insides of the enchiladas.

Heat 1 - 2 TBSP veg. oil in a skillet over low heat. Place one tortilla at a time in the skillet to soften each side. Take out of pan and fill about 2 TBSP of chicken mixture and roll tortilla. Place in a greased 9x13 or larger pan. Repeat until all chicken mixture is used up. Enchiladas can be snug up against one another.

Pour the left over sour cream sauce over the whole pan of enchiladas and top with cheese.

Bake at 375 degrees until it gets bubbly. Serve immediately. If it sits awhile the tortillas start absorbing the sour cream sauce and it is not as creamy.

MARGARITAS

We use the frozen Margarita mix with a little extra Bicardi Rum that the can calls for. Our secret to a good margarita is a fresh lime. Grate about half of the rind into the mixture, then juice the lime. Blend.

Like I have said before, I enjoy good food! But, the food I cook needs to be fairly simple with ingredients that I can find at any regular grocery store. Being a mom with two school aged kids means trying to cook dinner while helping with homework, breaking up sibling brawls and serving up drinks to neighborhood kids (non-alcoholic, of course). It can get pretty tricky at times. During the week, I try to make crockpot meals or ones that can either be prepped in advance or doesn't require me to stand over the stove stirring. The weekend is when I make the fun, more attention needing recipes.

Being that most people who view my website are moms, I thought I would share some of my favorite "mom tested" recipes once a week. It is always good to change things up a bit and try something new. You don't have to be stuck in the rut of "Meatloaf Monday" and "Taco Tuesday". (By the way, I have a great Meatloaf recipe.)

This week I made my CROCKPOT LASAGNA. I have made this for years for my family, for dinner guests, for large group dinners (I borrow a friends crockpot to have two going). This is a great recipe that I usually make after lunch since it only takes about 4 - 5 hours to cook on low.

This week I made it on a beautiful spring day. Around dinner time, neighbors were working in their gardens, taking walks and the kids were playing at the playground. It was great to hang out and visit knowing that dinner was ready when we were. Knowing that it makes plenty, I invited a couple of neighbors over. We had such a good time. It fed 5 adults and 4 kids with a little left over (we had salad and bread too).

Try it this week. I'm sure it will be a new favorite.

TIPS: Use the Reynolds crock pot liners (find it by the foil) for easy clean up. It is SO worth it.
If you have a small family, freeze the leftovers.

CROCKPOT LASAGNA

1 lb ground beef or turkey
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (29 oz) tomato sauce
1 can (6 0z) tomato paste
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 - 2 TBSP dried oregano
1 pkg (8 oz) no-cook or reg. lasagna noodles
4 cups (16 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese
1 large container cottage cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

In a skillet, brown meat, onion & garlic. Turn off heat and drain. Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, water and spices. Mix well and taste if needs more seasoning. In a bowl, combine all the cheeses. Line crockpot with the Reynolds liner. Spoon in about 1/4 of the sauce in the bottom of the crockpot. Lay a single layer of lasagna noodles - I usually break the edges so they fit. Spoon 1/3 of the cheese mixture on the noodles. Repeat the process until the sauce is the last thing on top. Don't worry if it doesn't cover all the cheese. Turn the crockpot to low for 4-5 hours or high for 3 hours.

I love food! I love fresh, flavorful food. I admit I love butter - I buy it in bulk! Most things I cook are all natural without perservatives, but I don't watch the fat content. I figure I can exercise the fat away, but the perservatives stick with you.

Anyway, I found this new recipe by Rocco DeSpirito. It is an alfredo sauce that only uses a tablespoon of butter! Trust me; I was sceptical, but it turned out awesome!!! You have to give it a try.


healthy alfredo 
1 TBSP butter
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp constarch
Pinch of ground nutmeg
3/4 cup low-fat, low-sodium chicken broth
3/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
3/4 cup 5% Greek yogurt
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Directions:
Melt the butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until it is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Meanwhile, combine the cornstarch and nutmeg in a small bowl. Whisk in the chicken broth until smooth. Pour the mixture into the saute pan, raise the heat, and bring the sauce to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Whisk in 1/2 cup of the cheese until it has melted. (I found it very lumpy, but don't worry. It melts when you add hot pasta.) Remove the saute pan from the heat and whisk in the yogurt until the sauce is smooth.
To the sauce, I added a box of cooked bowtie pasta, chopped grill chicken (salt, pepper and olive oil) and about 2 handfulls of fresh spinach. Mix well - the lumpy cheese will melt. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Top the pasta with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese, and serve.
Serves 4.
The stats below are the sauce with an 8 oz box of cooked whole wheat fettuccine and sauce.
Before: 75 g fat, 1,220 calories
After: 10.4 g fat, 336 calories
Protein: 18 g
Carbohydrates: 47 g
Cholesterol: 27 mg
Fiber: 5 g
Sodium: 745 mg