Secret Ingredient Spaghetti

Spaghetti is always my go to dinner, but sometimes it tastes the same. Adding the "secret ingredient" spices a regular jar of spaghetti sauce up without completely changing the taste. The tomatoes can be found next to the other styles of canned tomatoes, just find the jar that says "ready for chili". This recipe is perfect for a little subtle change to an already easy and great family dinner.

4 T butter
2 Pounds ground hamburger (beef, chicken, or any other ground meat)
1 Medium yellow onion, chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 Jars spaghetti sauce (your favorite is perfect)
1 16 oz can stewed tomatoes, ready for chili
2 Packages fresh button mushrooms, sliced
2 T parsley
1 tsp basil & oregano
Spaghetti pasta (tailor the serving size to your needs)

Brown burger, onion and garlic in butter until done. Add sauce, stewed tomatoes, mushrooms, & spices. Simmer until mushrooms are cooked and sauce is well incorporated. Meanwhile, cook pasta in lightly salted water. Drain. Serve with spaghetti sauce and enjoy!

Fluffy Cream Cheese and Marshmallow Fruit Dip

What sounds better in the summer than fresh fruit! This quick and inexpensive dip recipe will be a must at parties and family gatherings. The richness of the cream cheese and fluffy texture of the marshmallow go perfect with juicy fresh fruits. Add different extracts such as almond or mint, lemon zest, or food coloring for a theme party, and you have a wonderful twist on the same great recipe!


Fluffy Cream Cheese and Marshmallow Fruit Dip

1 8 oz. brick of Original Philadelphia Cream Cheese®
1 7 oz. jar Jet-Puffed® Marshmallow Cream

Soften cream cheese. Place cream cheese in a medium mixing bowl, add marshmallow cream. Blend well with a mixer. Spoon into serving dish and enjoy! Refrigerate if desired.

*Suggested fruits- Peaches, Apples, Strawberries, Kiwi, Bananas, Pineapple, Grapes

Summer Punch!

So it's been a while since my last post...I've been caught up in the fun of summer, which actually inspired this current post. For most parts of the country, the summer is heating up, and what's better than a sweet, cold drink to cool you down!

This drink was perfected by my dad and is a must for family holidays and birthdays. The layers of flavor, sparkle of the soda, and smooth finish of the sherbet make this drink a guaranteed favorite! It's a wonderful inexpensive non-alcoholic party drink that can easily be spiced up with a great liqueur or vodka.

Pink Punch

1- 1 Liter bottle of 7up soda
1- 2 Liter Fruit Juicy Red Hawaiian Punch
1 Carton Raspberry Sherbet

Empty the 7up into a large punch bowl. Pour half of the Hawaiian Punch into the bowl with the 7up. Use less or more Hawaiian Punch to reach the desired amount of fizz or sweetness. Add entire carton of Sherbet into punch. Stir until foamy, waiting until Sherbet is slightly melted before serving.

Pork Chops & Sauerkraut

If you have never tried sauerkraut this recipe is a wonderful first try. Sauerkraut has a mixed reputation, and simply put, if you don't like the sour taste, simply rinse it before adding it to the pan. Sauerkraut adds wonderful texture to the dish and caramelizes beautifully in the tasty juices from the pork chops and beer. As always, make the recipe your own by adding or eliminating anything you want.

Pork Chops and Sauerkraut

4 pork chops
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 C flour
Granulated Garlic
Allspice
Pepper
2 eggs whisked
1 large can sauerkraut, drained
1 can light beer

In large skilled melt butter. Whisk eggs in a shallow pan. Season flour to tasting. Place pork chops in flour and lightly coat. Transfer to egg pan until chop is well coated. Transfer back to flour and lightly coat. Place in skillet and fry until almost done (about five minutes). Drain sauerkraut and add to skillet, arranging pork chops so they are on the top of the sauerkraut. (This gives the sauerkraut a chance to caramelize on the bottom of the skillet). Add beer until kraut is moistened but not drowned. Cover and let cook for 5-8 more minutes or until chops read 160 degrees. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

In the mood for something sweet? This recipe is easy and turns out wonderful every time. With the help of extra brown sugar as compared to other recipes, the cookies stay chewy and moist until they are all gone...which won't be long! Add dried fruit, different nuts, or try peanut butter chips or white chocolate chips. Enjoy!

* 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
* 1/2 cup granulated sugar
* 1 cup packed brown sugar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
* 2 large eggs
* 2 cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate chips
* 1 cup chopped walnuts

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in small bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Gradually add in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate chips and nuts. Drop rounded tablespoons onto ungreased baking sheets, spaced evenly apart.

BAKE for 9 to 11 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

TIPS- Adding extra brown sugar and reducing the amount of granulated sugar will result in successful chewy cookies every time.
Do your cookies stick on your cookie sheets? Use a Silpat pad, found at your local kitchen supply store. It is a wonderful reusable mat made of silicon and fiberglass that prevents sticking.
Store cookies in a sealed container with a piece of sliced bread. When the bread dries out, simply replace with a new piece and your cookies will stay fresh and moist!

Garlic Green Beans

After posting the tips for Garlic, I thought I would give you a recipe to try your Garlic skills on. Tweak this recipe to your liking by adding your favorite spices, like Paprika, or different veggies. The amount of Garlic can be adjusted to your taste...just remember the two rules...low and slow, and less is more. Enjoy!


1 Pound fresh green beans
3 Tbsp butter
4 Garlic cloves, minced
Salt
Pepper

Wash and trim fresh green beans. Steam until almost tender. Set aside. In a large saute' pan, melt butter. Saute' garlic until slightly brown. Add green beans, salt and pepper to taste, sauteing until thoroughly cooked.

Cooking with Fresh Garlic!

Most people enjoy cooking with garlic, though not many cooks use fresh garlic. While powder garlic brings flavor to a recipe, cooking with fresh garlic can add a wonderful spice to fresh vegetables, sauces, and meats that powder garlic loses in the dehydration process. Knowing how to cook with fresh garlic is always helpful as many minor mistakes can leave your amazing dinner in the garbage.

Getting the Garlic Out:
Perhaps one of the first things that stops people from using fresh garlic is not knowing how to get it out of the pesky skins! It's much easier than you'd think. First, break a single clove out of the whole garlic clump. When you have a single garlic clove free, take a wide kitchen knife and lay it on its side on top of the garlic clove. With your fingers out of the way, use your fist to "punch" the knife in order to smash the clove open. This breaks the outer casing of the clove, making it easier to peel it off the actual garlic clove!

What to use Garlic in:
Fresh garlic can dress up almost anything! Fresh garlic is wonderful smashed, diced, chopped, ground or minced. Add a little flavor to your mashed potatoes by adding whole garlic cloves to the salted boiling water. Saute' minced garlic in butter before adding mushrooms and wine for a rich, spicy addition to Sauteed Mushrooms. Rub fresh garlic on toasted bread, top with cream cheese, diced chives, and diced garlic for a zesty meal starter. Use fresh garlic in a recipe that calls for powder garlic for an added punch to the dish. Just follow the simple conversion:
1 clove of garlic= 1/8 tsp powder garlic.

Now You've got it...Just Watch Out!
Fresh garlic is one of the herbs' most potent forms. Use caution! If you are not used to a lot of garlic flavor, it's ok to use just a little bit...you can always add more later. Garlic can become quickly overpowering so less is more in garlic's fresh form. Also, the most important thing to remember when cooking with garlic is to heat slowly. Fresh garlic cooks quickly and burns even faster. If you think your recipe is going to blow your dinner guests out of the water, burnt garlic will send them running! Burnt garlic has a very bitter, metal taste and ruins a great meal quicker than anything. But don't be scared! Follow two rules: less is more, and low and slow. Following these two simple rules will make cooking with fresh garlic fun and successful! Keep your eye out for more recipes with garlic coming soon!

Grilled Corn on the Cob

This recipe is simple and so tasty! My husband created this recipe to escape the hot house in the summer. Done outside on the grill, there is no reason to heat up the house on a beautiful summer day. This method can be adapted for camping as well...just cook the corn on a grate over the open flames of a campfire! Change up the recipe and try different vegetables or add chopped fresh garlic or chives!

4 ears of fresh sweet corn on the cob
4 tbsp butter, softened
Salt
Pepper
Powder Garlic
Cayenne Pepper
4 12x12 squares of Aluminum Foil

Shuck corn. Place one corn cob on one individual aluminum foil sheet. (You should have four individual sheets with one corn cob on each sheet.) Spread one tablespoon of butter on each corn cob. Sprinkle with Salt, Pepper, Garlic, and Cayenne to desired amount. Wrap aluminum foil around corn, making sure to seal edges tightly. Cook on grill 15-20 minutes.

*If you prefer to not use aluminum foil, soak corn in water until husks are moist. This will prevent burning. After this, simply follow the butter and spice directions above and place directly on grill for the same amount of time, checking routinely for burning.

As the weather turns to Spring (!) and the days get longer, I'm getting the bug to travel and photograph. Being a third generation Montanan, the history of the state is dear to my heart. Though it's photographed a lot in this area, I LOVE photographing the state's many ghost towns. Bannack, Garnet, Castle Town, and Nevada City are among my favorites. The subject is such a transport in time and a fun reason to get out and travel MT! Here is an image from Bannack, MT. Enjoy!

Spring!

Ok, so I know as soon as I post this it will snow, but I just have to keep the good spring feeling going! I have just got done writing a paper outside in the beautiful sunshine! Birds are chirping, two Canada geese just flew overhead, and my one eyed Golden is sleeping in the grass...it's getting my photo bug going! Here is an image taken in Bozeman late spring last year. Enjoy and I hope it gives you hope for good weather!

Happy March

So growing up in Montana has had its fair share of snowy springs, but I refuse to accept the possibility this year. My favorite part of spring is of course the evidence of new life! Here is a cute photo of a foal napping in the spring sunshine. Enjoy and Happy March!

Looking Back

I have been backing up my computer and going through last years images. I found this one tucked away and thought I would bring it back into the spotlight. I love photographing Senior portraits because of the FUN! I have with the kids! They are always so creative and want the most unique images. The Senior portrait experience keeps me trying for the latest styles and techniques. I can't wait for this year!

Here we go!

Thank you for visiting my blog! I am currently a student at Montana State so between classes and work, I will be trying to update this blog often! I hope you enjoy my work...I would love to hear from you!