Kathie's Italian Sauce

1 pound hamburger
1 pound Italian sausage (if using "hot" sausage start with 1/2 a pound)
garlic
oil
1 tablespoon sugar
large can of tomato puree
16 oz can diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings
2 small cans Italian paste with Italian seasonings.


Brown garlic in oil. Put in meat, break it up and brown. Drain oil. Add both cans of Italian paste and simmer for a couple of minutes. Add tomato puree and stir. You might need 1/2 can of water (use the puree can so it's more like tomato flavored water by rinsing can). Add diced tomatoes. Stir together. Then add sugar and simmer sauce low for 1/2 hour to hour.

Depending on how it tastes sometimes I add basil or oregano. If it is too thick, then add water. If it is too thin, let it simmer more.

The rest is really up to how you want it to taste. I don't add salt, but you may feel it needs it. Sometimes I put pepper in. Just play around with your spices.

Sometimes at this point, I feel it is "Perfetto" that I don't add anything.

I always use name brand products -- Del Monte, or Hunts, there's another brand that I buy by sight -- can't think of the name -- but it's Italian. I just feel that some of the generic sauces don't have the flavor I'm looking for.

So at least this is a beginning point for you and what you like.

Buona fortuna e cucina felice!

by Kathie C.
(made it for us the day of Mom's funeral)

Pumpkin Bars

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 cup oil
2 cups pumpkin (1 can)
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup nuts (if desired)

Cream the oil, sugar, and eggs. Add pumpkin, cinnamon, salt, soda, and flour.
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. (Make in a long bar pan.—I use
a heavy cookie sheet.) Cool. Frost with recipe below.

Frosting
2 cups powdered sugar
3 oz. Cream Cheese, softened
¾ stick Margarine (6 Tablespoons)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cream or milk

from Annette... :)

Jan's Breakfast Enchiladas

I combine a few recipes so I will give it a try here! Glad you liked it, it is pretty spicy.

2 cups of Western Hash brown, (the ones by the eggs, not frozen)
8 large eggs
8 oz of chopped ham (package all chopped easiest)
1/2 cup salsa (maybe a little more)
package of shredded pepper jack cheese

12 tortillas

Monteray Jack Cheese or Mexican cheese

Enchillada sauce

Brown hash browns in vegetable or olive oil as directed on package
Add ham, brown a little. Add eggs to potatoes, scramble until lightly done, add salsa and mix

In a 9x12 oiled pan sprinkle 2 tablespoons or so of cheese into a tortilla, add egg and potato mixture, turn up sides of tortilla and roll. Repeat until pan is full, 12 does it for me but only 10 tortillas come in a package, so sometimes I use 10.

They can be frozen at this point if you want to make them ahead for a crowd. They also can be frozen individually.

Before baking, pour a can (jar) of enchilada sauce over the rolled shells, place 1.5 cups of Monteray Jack cheese over top, I sent quesedilla with you.

Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes

Jan P. brought this over after Mom passed away!

Fudge

MILLION DOLLAR FUDGE

1/2 c. butter
4 1/2 c. sugar
1 (12 fl. oz.) can evaporated milk
3 (12 oz.) pkgs. Baker's real semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (7 oz.) jar Kraft marshmallow creme
3 c. chopped nuts
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
Bring butter, sugar and milk to a full rolling boil in heavy 4 quart saucepan, stirring constantly.
Boil 5 minutes over medium heat, stirring constantly to prevent scorching.
Remove from heat. Gradually stir in chocolate chips until melted. Add remaining ingredients; beat until well blended. Pour into greased 13x9 inch pan. Cool, cut into squares.
Makes 6 pounds of fudge.
Prep. time: 5 minutes. Cooking time: 20 minutes.

from Annette

Grilled Salmon

Marinate Salmon in Italian Dressing for about 15 minutes.
Pam Spray.
Skin side on grill or foil 3-4 minutes on each side.
Lemon Juice after.

Shrimp Pasta

1 pound raw shrimp
Coat w/ Italian style bread crumbs.
Butter & Olive oil- Saute with fresh garlic.
Add Basil, Oregano, Salt & Pepper.
Add shrimp and Saute until pink.
Put in 1 can of Italian style stewed tomatoes.
Simmer.

Serve over linguine.

Yum!

Lemon Chicken

Boneless chicken breasts (works well if you pound them first between wax paper)
In a marinade tub put salt, pepper, basil, garlic powder on the chicken.
Squeeze juice from 2 lemons on them. Shake a lot.
Marinate for about 10 minutes.

Dip the chicken breasts in flour.
Fry in 1/2 olive oil & 1/2 vegetable oil until done.
Take out the chicken and put on a plate.
Add white wine to the marinade tub. Shake around to get all of the spices and lemon.
Put it in the pan. Add garlic, basil, salt & pepper.
Boil down.
Thicken with cornstarch if necessary.

Serve over fettucini noodles.

From Rick N.

Chocolate Banana Bread

1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup sugar
2 bananas, mashed
1/4 cup butter, melted & cooled
1 egg
2 Tbsp milk
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

In small bowl combine flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. In large bowl combine sugar, banana, butter, egg and milk, beat well. Add flour mixture. Stir in choc chips and nuts. Spread in greased loaf pan. Bake 350 for 65 min. Cool and remove from pan.

Hope you like it!!

from Pepita

Egg Bake

1 Large Pepperidge Farms White Bread (cut off crust)
24 Ham or Canadian Bacon
2 bags Shredded Cheese (a lot)
2 dozen Eggs
4 c. Milk
Salt-pepper- dry mustard
1/2 c. Butter (melted)

Sauce over top: 1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup & 1 c. Sour Cream

Spray 9x13 w/ Pam.
(2 layers of bread)
Layer bread, meat, cheese, bread, cheese.

In large bowl, combine eggs, milk, salt & pepper, dry mustard.
Pour over the bread layers. Cover & refrigerate.

Heat 375. Just before baking, top with the melted butter.
Bake for 40 minutes.
Heat the sauce, don't boil it. Serve it on the side.

from Liza B.

Sloppy Joes

3# ground beef

1 lg. onion

1 12 oz. chili sauce

1 14 oz. ketchup

4 T. flour

2 T. sugar

2 T. dry mustard (or reg)

2 T. white vinegar

Brown meat and onion. Add chili sauce and ketchup.

Mix flour, sugar, mustard, vinegar. Stir well. Add to rest and cook until done. Too much grease, add 1/2 c. cornflakes.

Enchilada Casserole (Sandy's)

Sandy's Enchilada Casserole

2# ground beef

1 cup onions

(Brown then add 1-1/2 teaspoons salt, pepper, cumin. and 4 teaspoons chili powder.)

1 cup water. Simmer 10 minutes or until water gone.

2 cups taco sauce

12 corn tortillas (Ted uses an extra layer.)

1# shredded monteray jack cheese

1 cup sour cream

Layer 1/2 c. sauce, 6 tortillas, 1/2 c. sauce, all of beef mixture, sour cream, 1/2 of the cheese, rest of the tortillas, rest of the sauce, then top with cheese.

Bake 375 degrees for 40 minutes covered. Uncover bake another 5 minutes. Let set a little while before eating.