Category: Family Recipe

Johnny Marzetti – Updated

One of my mom’s favorite meals was Johnny Marzetti. When I was Googling the history of the name of Johnny Marzetti, I noticed a lot of the recipes bake it. The difference with my recipe is that I don’t. My recipe is more of an American goulash.

It was named after a restaurant in Columbus that shut down in 1972 when the owner died.

When I made it this week, I modernized or added some depth to the spaghetti sauce that I used in the dish. I added a splash of dry red wine while the sauce was simmering. So delicious!

It’s a simple pantry item dish. Here’s what you need to make the dish.

  1. ground beef – I know the price for ground beef has increased. I get the frozen ground beef at this current time because it is cheaper.
  2. spaghetti sauce – I used a simple spaghetti sauce from Aldi. Less than a dollar for the jar.
  3. dry red wine – Doesn’t need to be expensive. Or use beef broth for a deeper flavor.
  4. onions
  5. elbow macaroni – Aldi has 3 pound boxes for less than $1.50
  6. shredded cheddar cheese
  7. Spices: Dried oregano and Italian seasoning – Salt and pepper to taste
  8. optional: mushrooms and green peppers

Johnny Marzetti

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1 pound of ground beef
  • 1 small onion, chopped or 1/2 of a medium or large onion, chopped
  • 1 (24 to 26 oz) jar of spaghetti sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. dry red wine or beef broth
  • 1 lb or 2 c. dry elbow macaroni
  • 1 c. shredded cheddar cheese
  • Optional: 1/4 c. white or Bella mushroom, chopped
  • Optional: 1/2 green pepper chopped

Steps:

  1. Cook the elbow macaroni according to directions. Drain and set aside.
  2. Brown the ground beef in a medium sized pot on medium heat. Drain and remove from pan. Set aside.
  3. Add the onions, mushroom (if using), and green pepper (if using) to the pan. Add some oil to the pan if needed. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
  4. Add the cooked ground beef, spaghetti sauce, and red wine to the onions. Simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Add the pasta and shredded cheddar cheese to the pot. Stir to combine.
  6. Enjoy with garlic bread and a salad.

You can leave the wine out if don’t want to use wine. I just used it to add some depth to the dish.

Printable Recipe

Stay kind!

Have a magical day,
Traci

What I Like About Fall and “Soy Sauce” Pork Chops (GF, DF, Paleo, W30)- Blog Post #13

writer's workshop

I didn’t feel good on Wednesday night so I did not get this post up for the week.  Headache and tiredness.  Yuck!  It was an early night for me.

This week’s prompt is what do I like about fall.

  1.  The flavors of fall – cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves

    pumpkin pie spice
    Pumpkin Pie Spice

  2. Pumpkin Spice Latte, Maple Pecan Lattes, and Blackberry Pie Lattes.
    I get the Blackberry Pie Lattes from a local coffee shop called Winans.
    IMAG4072
  3. The crisp air – I can wear my Mickey Mouse hoodie.IMAG0170
  4. My Autumn Glory Maple Tree
    Taken in 2014
    Taken in 2014
    Halloween – My town is known for decorating for Halloween.  They usually have a parade celebrating Halloween.  We’ve never done it though.
    2014
    2014
    The boys are getting too old for trick or treating.  Insert sad face.
  5. The decorations

    Bonfires
    10736073_10205372661619449_321267593_n
  6. Our dog can go on more car rides because it’s not too hot.
    IMAG4031
  7. Thanksgiving
    The last Thanksgiving with Tanya (2015)
  8. The trees changing colors
    The two things I don’t like about fall are :
  1.  Foggy mornings
    IMAG4060
  2. Extreme Storms – Rain or wind or a combo of both

Mama’s Losin’ It

When my father-in-law was alive, he would marinade pork chops in soy sauce.  Hubby loved those soy sauce pork chops.

Soy sauce has wheat in it.  So for a gluten free diet, it’s a no go.

For a while I switched to gluten free soy sauce but at over $4 a bottle, I didn’t like those prices.

Then I did the Whole 30 in April/ May of 2017.  I began to use coconut aminos.

The problem with coconut aminos is that it is $6 a bottle.  Yikes!

Then I found out Trader Joe’s has their coconut aminos for $2.99 a bottle.  WIN!

So I stocked up on the coconut aminos.

Now I can make Asian dishes and “soy sauce” pork chops without feeling sluggish afterwards.  YEAH!

My family loved my “soy sauce” pork chops.  They did not know the difference.

If you don’t eat gluten free, you can use regular soy sauce.

IMG_2295

”Soy Sauce” Pork Chops

  • Difficulty: easy
  • Print

Ingredients

– 1 lb. boneless pork chops

– ¼ c. coconut aminos

– salt to taste

Directions

  1. In a container or Ziploc bag, place the pork chops and coconut aminos
  2. Allow the meat to marinade for at least 2 hours or overnight.
  3. Cook on a medium high heat for 5 minutes on one side.  Season with salt before flipping the pork.
  4. Flip and cook for 3 minutes on the other side.
  5. Enjoy!

We ate our dinner with pressure cooker applesauce, plain white rice, and mixed veggies.  If you were doing the Whole 30, I would serve it with the applesauce, cali rice, and green beans.  Yum!

Happy eating,
Traci

My Grandma’s Fudge – Christmas Making and Baking 2016

Have you ever done or bought something but did not know why?  A few weeks ago, I bought some marshmallow creme/fluff because I wanted fudge.  Then I kept looking for a recipe that used marshmallow creme.  I didn’t find any recipes that I would want to make.   Continue reading “My Grandma’s Fudge – Christmas Making and Baking 2016”

Aunt Missy’s Easy Skillet Chicken Parmesan

A few years ago, my aunt sent me a little stand up photo album with family favorite recipes.  When I was menu planning this week, I decided to check out those recipes.  I ended up choosing to make her chicken Parmesan.  It’s a one skillet recipe and done in less than 30 minutes.  Score!

I was so excited about the recipe that I’m already putting it on the blog!

Hubby loved it!  In fact, he had seconds.

IMG_0126

Aunt Missy’s Easy Skillet Chicken Parmesan

Stars of the recipe:

  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 lb. chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch. cubes
  • 1 (14 oz.) can or 1 & 3/4 c. chicken broth
  • 1-1/2 c. spaghetti sauce (Hubby suggests a spaghetti sauce that is cheesy flavored.)
  • 1/2 tsp. dried basil
  • 1/2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 3 c. dried small cut pasta such as penne
  • 1 c. grated Parmesan (& more for serving)

Steps:

  1. Heat a skillet to medium high heat.
  2. Melt the butter in the skillet.
  3. Add the chicken.
  4. Cook until pink.
  5. Add the chicken broth, spaghetti sauce, basil, and oregano.
  6. Turn up heat to high.  Allow the spaghetti sauce and chicken broth to boil.
  7. Add the pasta.  Stirring until pasta is coated.
  8. Turn down heat to medium low.  Cover and allow to simmer for 15 minutes.  Stirring occasionally.
  9. Sprinkle cheese over the pasta.
  10. Enjoy!  Add more cheese to the pasta when serving if desired.

Thank you Aunt Missy for the recipe!

miz-helen-badge-alt5

Happy eating,
Traci

Pudding Fruit Dip

About 15 years ago, my mother-in-law and father-in-law were on the Adkins’ diet.  They created a dip/ dessert that we used to eat with cut strawberries.  Their recipe contained sugar free pudding.  Usually the pudding was either cheesecake flavored or white chocolate flavored.

When I was a new teacher, I would make this recipe with regular pudding to take to carry ins.  One of the retired teachers loved this dip.  She would request it every time there was a carry in.

I posted this recipe back in 2010 when this blog was still new.  I didn’t have any pictures to go along with the recipe.  This would be a good side dessert for Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner.  You can serve it with a tray of fruit.  That way people can pick and chose their favorites.

Pudding Fruit Dip

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1 c. heavy whipping cream
  • 1 small box of pudding mix (I highly suggest white chocolate flavor or cheesecake flavor)

Steps:

  1. Pour the whipping cream into a mixing bowl.
  2. Open the box of pudding and pour it over the whipping cream.
  3. Using a hand mixer, whip the pudding and whipping cream until it is stiff.  (I usually start at the lowest setting and gradually move toward the highest setting.)
  4. Serve.

My Aunt Janet’s Pecan cookies – Christmas Making and Baking

This blog post was originally posted in 2013.  I did not have any pictures of the actual cookie so I’ve added a picture of the cookie.

Sunday was All Saints’ Sunday.  I got nostalgic so I decided to make these cookies.  I didn’t realize when I made the cookie that it made a BIG batch.  I made at least 6 dozen cookies.  

So I decided to take some of the cookies to school to share with my co-workers.  They thought they were delicious.

My Aunt Janet's Pecan CookiesHere is the original post:
The other night, the Wee One handed me a box and asked me what was in it. As I looked through it, I found blank cards and recipe cards. The treasure was two recipe cards written by my grandma. She died Christmas Eve of ’08 so it was nice to see her handwriting one more time.

My aunt Janet was actually my grandpa’s sister so technically she was my great aunt. I still called her aunt without the great. We spent a lot of time with her. She and my Uncle Mitch had a farm that had willow trees and a pond. I remember going up to the farm for family gatherings and walking around the pond.

She was diagnosed with lung cancer in 2004 and within less than a week had passed away. My whole family misses her.

Pecan Cookies

aunt janet recipe20130303-125522.jpg

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1 C. shortening, margarine, or butter
  • 2 1/2 c. brown sugar
  • 1/2 tsp. baking soda
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 2 1/2 C. flour
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 C. pecans

Steps:

  1. Cream shortening, margarine, or butter with the sugar.
  2. Add eggs and beat well.
  3. Add flour, salt, and soda. Mix well.
  4. Fold in nuts.
  5. Drop from spoon onto greased cookie sheet about 2 inches apart.
  6. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.
  7. Cool for about 1 minute and then remove to wire racks to completely cool.
  8. Enjoy!

Store in an airtight container.

Christmas Making and Baking

Happy Eating,

Traci

Cream Soda Ice Cream

This is our family’s favorite ice cream that my in-laws make.  They only make it for special occasions   At the end of the school year, my mother-in-law contacts my sons’ teachers and asks if they mind her bringing some of the ice cream to share with their classmates.  It is a way for them to celebrate their birthdays because they both have summer birthdays.

Warning:  You do need to have an ice cream machine to make this.

IMG_8161[1]Cream Soda Ice Cream

Stars of the recipe:

  • 2 cans of sweetened condensed milk
  • 2 liters of red cream soda (You can use other flavors of pop.  Lemon lime soda is yummy but root beer tastes flat.)

Steps:

  1. Combine the cream soda and sweetened condensed milk in the ice cream machine.
  2. Follow the instructions for your machine.
  3. Put in a freezer safe container in your freezer.
  4. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Grandma’s White Salad

I have so many memories of this salad.  One of my best memories is from when I worked at Walt Disney World in 1995.  My grandma sent me various family recipes so that I could have a little bit of home while down there.  When Thanksgiving time came, I decided I would make a Thanksgiving meal for my friends and me to share.  We had a Thanksgiving meal with all the trimmings except we had chicken instead of turkey.  One of the dishes I made was grandma’s white salad.  For two weeks afterward, I would take portions of the Thanksgiving meal to work for my lunches.

That Thanksgiving weekend was also the weekend I almost met Rider Strong and Ben Savage from Boy Meets World.  At Disney-MGM Studios, now Hollywood Studios, they would have celebrities put their hands in cement at the Chinese Theater.  Both Rider and Ben put their hands in the cement and then went to have a talk.  I “ran” along the side of their convertible as they traveled between venues and then ended up sitting behind their families.  Too bad, Fred Savage was not there.  I would have gone up and said hi to him.

My Grandma’s White Salad

Stars of the recipe:

  • 1 sm. lemon or lime  jello
  • 2 c. hot water
  • 1 (8 oz.) package of  cream cheese
  • 1 (15 oz.) can of crushed pineapple drained (med. can)
  • 1 & 2/3 c. mini marshmallows
  • 1 & ½ c. chopped pecans or walnuts (My grandma used pecans.)
  • 1 (8 oz.) container of Cool Whip

Steps:

  1. Mix jello with water.  Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
  2. Put in fridge until semi-solid.  Remove and then put in the rest of the ingredients.
  3. Chill.

Or how my grandma made it:

  1. Mix jello with water.  Add cream cheese and beat until smooth.
  2. Put the rest in ingredients in an in a flat pan (9 by 13 glass dish).  Put it in the fridge to chill.

This recipe is linked to Mommy’s Kitchen for Potluck Sundays and Eat at Home’s Ingredient spotlight!

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