Another Snowy Day.. Buttery Short Bread Cookies.

Its snowing out their pretty heavy.

 not a lot compared to some.

  but we are finally getting our share for January..

I think we got seven inches.

I did take a few pictures so here they are..

the pictures were missing on my blog unfortunately.

This one above was posted on our local weather for Chicago.

As was the one below.

Two Doves in our tree yesterday..

I know your probably thinking the bird lady..

So glad I filled up the bird feeders they have been coming in droves.

The one above made the 5:30 news..

He looks cold

Lonesome Dove..

 He was hanging around yesterday with the two that were together in the tree.

Abbie and Sally seen a rabbit run from under the deck, that's where he lives.

A Lady leaving the school stopped to clean off her car.

 I hope you see something you like.

I also made these

Short Bread Cookies they are so so good..

It tastes just as good as the ones at Panara and at Starbucks..

Short Bread Cookies

3 1/2 cups cake flour

Regular flour can be used
but I like the cake flour for this recipe.

3 sticks softened butter
1 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla or lemon extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 350
 Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet or spray lightly with Pam.

Mix together first 5 ingredients in food processor or hand mixer.
I used a Mellon scoop and roll dough into hand and place on prepared cookie sheet.
Flatten each cookie with fork slightly until the desired thickness not to thin.
sprinkle tops with granulated sugar
 Bake 15 to 20 minutes until lightly browned around edges
Do not overbake.
after slightly cooled remove to wire rack

optional
 melt 3 bars of Hershey's chocolate in the microwave
drizzle over cookies.

ENJOY

Slow Dance _ Winter Beauty..Southwestern Ranch Chicken Salad

Southwestern Ranch Chicken Salad

I have leftover baked chicken this recipe sounds good to me.. YUMMM

2 c. shredded cooked leftover chicken
¼ c. Ranch dressing
1 Chipotle pepper in Adobe
1 garlic clove
2 T. Lime Juice
2 tsps. Chopped Cilantro
¼ c. corn (cooked or use canned, rinsed and drained)
¼ c. black beans (cooked or used canned, rinsed & drained)
¼ c. sliced red onion (caramelized – cooked in a bit of oil until soft but not burned)
¼ c. diced avocado
¼ c. diced tomatoes
Salt & Pepper to taste
Shredded lettuce, flour tortillas, chips or anything you’d like to serve it.

In food processor, combine Ranch, chipotle pepper, garlic, lime juice & cilantro. Process until smooth.

In large mixing bowl, combine chicken, Ranch mixture, corn, beans, onion, avocado, & tomatoes, tossing until evenly coated in Ranch mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Serve on shredded lettuce as a pure salad, put in tortillas as a wrap, or use with chips as a dip. You can even serve this warm!



 Thanks for looking

Diane Louise



Here we are into the first five days of the New Year

Now Behind Us!

  I have been running to Vets with Abby and Sally for months especially Abby. I cant say how much money Im afraid to add it up... This week Abby finally had bladder  stones removed from her bladder. Hope fully the results will be in her favor..

I  switched Vets in the beginning of the year a place closerto our house about a mile away compaired to 4 miles.. silly me.. They just kept trying to desolve them to no advale. The place is a Natural Healing Vet.. my family didnt like the new vet they thought they we taking advantage of me.  I wouldent listen I kept thinking they were OK ..  The Vet told me Abby needed surgery it wasent desolving and wanted me to go a  long distance to have them removed and said their wasent any one around here that would do it.. I knew better!! our old vet was an animal hospital they must have thought I just arrived from outer space and didnt know what was going on.. I finally got my sences and called and went back to my old vet and they removed the stones right away after messing aroumnd for 6 or more months with the Natural vet..

 Poor Abby what she has been through..

Thats enough about boring me..

 Ill share a couple of photos hope you like something I will post..

Sally really missed Abby.

Sharing a meatball sandwich recipe I plan on making that tomorrow.

I seen the recipe on TV last night and thought I havent made that for a while.. 

One of my favorite sandwiches.

 

Spaghetti & Meatballs plus Meatball Sandwiches

Nick Stellino

My new favorite Chef..
He cooks my kind of food
Enjoy!

Ingredients

For the meatballs:
2 cups stale bread, cubed
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons garlic, finely chopped
¼ cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 eggs
2 cups freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon nutmeg
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 pound lean ground beef
1 pound ground veal
1 pound ground pork
8 tablespoons Pompeian® Extra Light Tasting Olive Oil

For the meatball gravy:
3 cups tomato sauce
¾ cup beef stock
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

1 pound DaVinci® pasta—spaghetti, rigatoni, ziti or tortellini
2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, chopped

For the meatball sandwiches:
1 cup shredded provolone
1 cup grated Romano cheese
8 warm meatballs, cut in half
4 Italian rolls, split in half
2 cups warm meatball gravy
To prepare the meatballs:

Place the cubed bread in a stainless-steel bowl and cover with the milk. Let sit for at least 20 minutes, pour off the milk that has accumulated at the bottom of the bowl, and squeeze the bread cubes to get rid of the extra milk. Break up the softened bread into small pieces; they should look like wet oatmeal.

Mix the pieces of bread with all the remaining ingredients except the olive oil, working until the ingredients are completely incorporated. Shape the mixture into oval meatballs, using ⅓ cup of the meat mixture for each ball.

In a large saute pan set on high heat, heat the olive oil until sizzling, about 2 minutes. Brown the meatballs for 2 to 3 minutes

on each side. Don't crowd the meatballs in the pan when browning; you will need to brown them in several batches.

Remove the first batch of meatballs from the pan and drain on a paper towel or brown paper bags. Repeat with the remaining meatballs. Set aside.

To prepare the meatball gravy:
Combine the tomato sauce, beef stock, salt and pepper in a big pot, stirring well, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the meatballs to the pot and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 30 minutes.

While the gravy is simmering, add the pasta to boiling water and cook until just tender. Drain the pasta well and return it to the pot. Add half the gravy from the meatball pot and toss it with the pasta. Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl or platter, and top with the meatballs and the remaining gravy. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve.

To prepare the meatball sandwiches:
To prepare the meatball sandwiches:
Preheat the broiler.

Mix the provolone and Romano. To make each sandwich, place 2 meatball halves on each half of an Italian roll. Moisten each sandwich half with a tablespoon of tomato gravy.

Divide the cheese mixture among the 4 sandwiches.

Place the meatball sandwiches, open-faced, on a baking tray big enough to hold all 4. Cook under the broiler until the cheese begins to brown.

Divide the remaining meatball gravy into 4 portions. Serve each sandwich with a side of the gravy for dipping, along with lots of paper towels - it will be messy!

Until Next Time