Easy Cherry Cheesecake
Ingredients:
1 pre-packaged graham cracker pie crust
1 – 8 ounce and one 1/3 ounce package cream cheese, softened
Easy Cherry Cheesecake
Chocolate Pudding & Ice Cream
Chocolate Pudding & Ice Cream
Oh yum … this is one of our favorite desserts.
Make a batch (1 box) of chocolate pudding (not instant … the kind you have to stir and cook).
Pour hot pudding into individual bowls (should make 4 to 6 decent size bowls)
Let stand or refrigerate for about half an hour until cooled off but still slightly warm.
Top with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and serve.
Optional: I suppose adding whipped topping, chopped nuts, sliced bananas and/or a cherry on top wouldn’t hurt … if you try a topping on this, please let us know how it works.
This tastes even better than it sounds. 
Bell Pepper Snacks
Bell Pepper Snacks
For parents concerned about getting more nutritious veggies into their kid’s diet, this is a “snack” and a side dish that I use as much as possible:
Raw red, yellow and orange bell peppers are delicious and can be cut into slices (strips not rounds) for kids to munch on. They taste great, most kids love them and they’re loaded with vitamins and other healthy nutrients. (I avoid the green ones because they don’t taste as sweet and what is it in those green ones that is so hard to digest?!)
These are also great as a side veggie with any protein and bread (or potato, pasta, noodles …) to round out a quick, easy and tasty meal the kids will eat.
– For a perfect kid-friendly meal, try chicken cutlets, mashed potatoes and sliced red, yellow and orange bell peppers. Easy, quick, delicious and healthy.
Try bell pepper slices for your kids if you haven’t already … they might like them and they’re a great nutritional snack and side dish.
Fruit Spritzers
Spritzers
In each chilled champagne flute or wine glass, combine
1/2 cup chilled fruit juice (grape, apple, etc.) and 1/2 cup chilled lemon-lime carbonated soda or Champagne.
These are really good served with fruity ice cubes:
Place small strawberries, blueberries, any berry or small sliced fruit in ice cube tray sections. Fill with water and freeze.
Fruit Smoothies
Fruit smoothies are healthy, delicious and kids love them … what could be more perfect?
Fruit Smoothies Ingredients:
– 2 cups fruit juice (orange, apple, grape or combination)
– 1/3 cup yogurt (plain or with any fruit)
– 1 to 2 cups cut up fresh fruit (strawberries, blueberries, bananas, grapes, mangoes, etc.)
– 2 ice cubes
Instructions:
Blend (in a blender) all ingredients until smooth. Serve immediately.
For hundreds of smoothie recipes, check out this awesome e-book:
Amazing Smoothies
Smoothies make great after school treats!
French Toast Soufflé (Baked French Toast)
French Toast Soufflé
AKA Baked French Toast
This is a recipe from Grandma Bobbie who got it from I don’t know where. It’s an awesome breakfast or brunch for a special occasion. Kids and Dad, this is perfect for Mother’s Day.
Ingredients:
– 8 slices fresh bread, cut into cubes
– 2 (8 oz) packages cream cheese, cut into cubes
– 12 eggs
– 1/3 cup maple syrup
– 2 cups milk
Preparation:
Place half of the bread cubes in the bottom of a 9X13 baking pan. Cover bread with cream cheese cubes. Top with remaining bread cubes.
In a medium bowl, beat eggs. Combine maple syrup and milk. Pour over bread cubes. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake for 45 minutes until set. Serve with maple syrup on the side.
Optional: garnish with fresh strawberries or blueberries.
Serves 6
Easy Party Punch
Easy Party Punch Ingredients:
– 1 liter bottle Hawaiian Punch
– 1 liter bottle any lemon/lime soda
– 2 cups vanilla ice cream
– Ice ring
Instructions:
The night before your party:
Fill a bundt cake pan with filtered water and freeze to create the ice ring. (If you only have a large bundt pan, fill it only halfway.) Or make an extra special ice ring with a fun cake pan in the theme of your party or just one you happen to like.
Right before your party begins:
In a large punch bowl, combine Hawaiian punch and lemon lime soda in equal amounts. Add the ice ring. Add vanilla ice cream in scoops inside and along the edges of the ice ring (The ice cream will be floating in the punch). Add more ice cream when the original scoops dissolve.
Ladle into party cups to serve.
Makes enough for approximately 12 guests. If you run out, just add more Hawaiian punch and lemon-lime soda to the original bowl and top with more ice cream. The ice ring should last at least 3 hours.
I always have extra ingredients on hand. This punch tends to go fast as everyone loves it. This works well for an adult party punch, too. Sure, I suppose you could spike it with a little rum. 
Spaghetti Alla Cecca
Spaghetti Alla Cecca (pronounced Keka)
Rexanne’s all time favorite …
Ingredients:
1 pound Di Cecco spaghetti
6 large diced plum tomatoes (ripe but firm)
4 cloves fresh garlic (crushed)
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
Serves 4
Instructions:
Wash tomatoes. On cutting board, slice each tomato in half, lengthwise. Slice lengthwise again. Remove all seeds and membrane from inside tomatoes. Lay each quarter tomato inside down on cutting board. With a very sharp knife, slice tomatoes lengthwise and then across to create finely diced little squares of tomato. The smaller you chop them, the better this pasta will taste, trust me … (although you don’t want them mashed by chopping too fine). Toss diced tomatoes in a medium size bowl.
Add olive oil, salt, pepper and crushed garlic. Mix thoroughly. You may refrigerate if pasta is not yet ready.
In large pot, bring salted water to a full boil. Add spaghetti (and a drop or two of any cooking oil). Cook until al dente. Drain spaghetti, reserving about 3/4 cup of cooking water. Pour spaghetti and water in large serving bowl or platter. Add tomato mixture and mix well. Top with chopped basil.
Serves 4
When serving this pasta, dig from the bottom of the bowl as the tomatoes tend to amass on the bottom of the serving platter. I have a serving spoon handy to top off the first portions served with the “goodies” from the bottom of the bowl.
This dish is good served with Bruschetta; crusty Italian or French Bread, brushed with a mixture of half melted butter, half olive oil and crushed garlic (subtle, about 1 large clove for half a loaf). Lay coated bread on baking sheet and bake for approximately 10 minutes in preheated 350 degree oven or until slightly golden. The tomatoes from the pasta can be scooped onto a piece of bread … delicious!
* Since this sauce is not cooked, it’s great to serve on hot day.
** This recipe, minus the spaghetti, is what I use to make Bruschetta (Italian garlic bread).
Spaghetti ala Carbonara
Spaghetti ala Carbonara
Ingredients:
1 pound Spaghetti – Di Cecco is the best but any spaghetti works (cooked in boiling salted water until ‘al dente’)
2 TBSP melted butter
2 eggs (beaten)
2 TBSP heavy cream (optional)
1 cup grated imported Parmigiano cheese (can use Parmesan but imported Parmigianno is better)
1 cup chopped pancetta, cooked until crisp (if you must, substitute with 8 slices of crumbled crispy bacon)
Approx 1/2 tsp course ground pepper
Instructions:
Cook pancetta (or bacon) until crisp.
In a big bowl, combine melted butter, beaten eggs, cream and pepper, mix it all together with a wire whisk. Dump hot spaghetti (Leave a few tablespoons of pasta water) into all this and toss to coat. Add the cooked pancetta (or bacon) and Parmigiano and toss s’more. Serve at once.
Makes 4 adult portions.
Pesto Sauce
Pesto Sauce:
Ingredients:
– 3 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves (stems removed)
– 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
– 2 large garlic cloves (crushed)
– 1/2 cup grated Parmigianno (or Parmesan) cheese
– 2 tbsp. sour cream (optional)
Instructions:
Combine all ingredients (except sour scream) in a blender – Blend on chop setting until completely mixed to form a “paste.” You will need to push the ingredients down toward the blades several times (not while the blender is in motion) to keep the mixture moving. I use a small spatula.
If you prefer a creamy version of pesto, add the sour cream after blending all ingredients and blend again for a few seconds to completely mix the sour cream into the pesto. Do not use any other form of cream as it will curdle the ingredients in the blender.
Cook 1 pound of Di Cecco spaghetti in salted water. Drain, reserving about 1/4 cup of the water.
Pour pesto sauce over hot, cooked spaghetti. Use a little of the reserved hot water to slosh around in the blender to loosen the remains of pesto and pour over the spaghetti. Toss well.
Serve immediately.
Makes 4 adult portions.
Pesto can also be used as a dipping sauce for bread or veggies.
Chicken Cutlets
This is an easy way to make chicken cutlets, Italian style. Kids love them and they are a good finger food, too! You can call them “Chicken Fingers” if your kids will respond better to the fast food word.
These are also great as cold snacks when there are some left over.
Ingredients:
1 pound (approximately 12) skinless, boneless chicken tenders*
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano (or Parmesan) cheese
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup any vegetable (or olive) oil
salt & pepper to taste
Instructions:
Wash chicken tenders and dip in beaten egg.
In large, sturdy plastic bag, add bread crumbs, Parmesan cheese, salt & pepper. Shake to mix well
Add egg-coated chicken tenders to bread crumb mixture in bag. Shake well to coat completely.
Heat oil in large skillet on medium high heat. When oil is hot, add chicken tenders. Cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from skillet onto paper towels to absorb the excess oil. Blot tops with another wad of paper towels.
Serves 4
Enjoy!
*I always have a bag of flash frozen chicken tenders (the little piece of rib meat that is always tender and the perfect size for cutlets without having to cut into pieces) in my freezer. Whenever a recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts, I use these and adjust the cooking time for the thinner tenders. This recipe cooking time is for tenders. If using thicker breast meat, you might have to cook them another minute per side to cook through. You will also want to cut the larger chicken breasts into 3 or 4 pieces. Do not overcook either the tenders or the breasts or they’ll be tough.
Zipper Baggie Omelets
This is the coolest food prep trick I’ve seen in years and it works just great!
Have guests write their names on quart-size Ziploc freezer bags with a permanent marker.
– Crack 2 eggs (only 2, large or extra-large) into each bag, shake to mix.
– Set out a variety of ingredients such as shredded cheeses, chopped ham, chopped onion, chopped green pepper, chopped tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc.
– Everybody adds they’re own ingredients to their baggie of eggs, shake to mix again.
– Squeeze air out of bags before zipping.
– Place bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes (I’ve tried playing with the time – don’t bother … nothing else works). 6 to 8 bags should fit in a large pot. Use another pot for more, don’t crowd.
Unzip each baggie and slide omelet onto each person’s plate.
– Be prepared for amazement. The omelet will be perfectly shaped and perfectly cooked. This recipe does not work well for a runny omelet. I add plenty of shredded cheese to make my omelet appear more runny.
