Cinnamon Toasted Tortilla Chips

I am in a book club that meets once a month to share in our love of reading and to chow down on some great food. This month we read "Like Water for Chocolate." The book is wonderful! The book is written in 12 chapters by months and with recipes. It was great to read, although I don't know if I could actually cook the recipes inside. We themed out our meal this month to go with the book. So, I made these to go with our Mexican Ice Cream. The girls loved them too and they are baked! Very easy to make and would make a great addition to any dessert. We are reading "True Grit" next month, so I am looking for a good grits recipe.

1/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
4 flour tortillas
2 tbsp. butter, melted

In a small bowl combine sugar and cinnamon. Brush tortillas with melted butter. Then sprinkle with 1 tablespoon of sugar mixture. Cut each tortilla in 8 triangles. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place tortillas sugar side up on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until crisp.

Sweet Potato Wedges

Summer is almost here! I am so excited, although we have had so much rain it has been hard to enjoy it to the fullest. Let me remind everyone that this a great time to be shopping for in season fruit at the grocery store. The prices are great and the tastes are better. We had grilled corn (4 for a dollar), grilled mango (3 for a dollar), and sweet potato wedges (typically cheap) with our burgers tonight. I saw the idea for sweet potato wedges on TV the other day and thought I would try them. I am always looking for easy healthy dishes. Give it a try-

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes
• Salt and Pepper
• Olive Oil

1. Slice sweet potatoes into long wedges (slice length-wise). I was able to get 8 to 10 out of one potato.

2. Pour about 2 teaspoons of olive oil on the potatoes until lightly coated

3. Salt and Pepper

4. Back at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes each side (or starting to brown)

This dish adds a bit of unexpected sweet to a meal. Each person only needs three to four wedges each.

Meatballs

Tonight I made Spaghetti and meatballs for dinner. The meatballs were super easy and they freeze well. They could be used for multiple dishes, too. I will post more ideas for thier use as I try them out, but I want to make a meatball soup and try them as an appitizer. So, here it is-

Ingredients
1 lb ground beef (we also use ground turkey)
1 small onion, chopped (approx 1/4 c)
1 egg
1/2-2/3 cup dry breadcrumbs (also use dry oatmeal)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon of garlic
1 teaspoon of pepper

Directions
1. Combine all ingredients and shape into small 1 inch round meatballs. (I got about 25 to 30)
2. To oven bake: Place in ungreased 9x13 pan (you may want to line it with foil for easier clean-up).
3. Bake 20-25 min or until light brown and cooked through; turn meatballs halfway through, if desired, to help maintain a round shape.
4. To pan fry: Cook in skillet on medium heat, turning as needed, until brown (approx 10 min).

Au Gratin Potatoes

Happy Mother's Day!

Most people would say getting a kitchen appliance for Mother's Day would be a big no-no, however when you ask for it, I think it is okay. I have been wanting a food processor for a while now, and after talking with my friend LeeAnna about hers, I was definitely envious. Clay was listening and got one from he and the girls for Mother's Day. The one Clay got for me has the regular processing blade, one for breads and cakes, one for shredding, and one for slicing. I was looking for things to "process." Clay thought it was funny! So, I made Au Gratin Potatoes. It took about one minute to slice the potatoes and another to blend the other ingredients. It was almost fun.

1 1/2 baking potatoes (about 3)
1 large onion
6 ounces of shredded cheese (1 1/2 cups)
1/2 tsp of salt
1/4 tsp of garlic (I used more)
1/4 cup of butter or margarine melted

Slice potatoes and then onion into thin slices. Place into a greased baking dish. Season Potatoes with salt and pepper . Alternate layers of potatoes, onions, and 1 cup of cheese. Top with reserved 1/2 cup of cheese.

Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove foil and bake 15 minutes or until golden and potatoes are tender.

Dark-Chocolate Covered Strawberries

We are heading out tonight to a silent auction and bake sale in honor of some friends. One of my friends is baking a chocolate bunt cake for the bake sale. I told her I would contribute some Chocolate covered strawberries to place in the middle. I have to say they are delicious. This was quick and easy to make. Give it a try!

6 ounces Dark chocolate
3 tablespoons Half and half cream
1/2 tablespoon Unsalted butter
20 Large strawberries or 30 medium strawberries.


Preparation

In a one-quart glass bowl combine chocolate and cream. Heat in microwave oven on high 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until smooth. Add butter and stir until melted.
Dip each strawberry into the chocolate mixture allowing the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl. If necessary, add additional cream to the chocolate to achieve desired coating consistency. Transfer the coated strawberry to a baking sheet lined with foil or waxed paper and repeat process.

Allow the chocolate to cool and then chill the strawberries until chocolate is set, about 20 to 30 minutes.

Joe's Grilled Corn on the Cob

My husband Joe loves to grill corn on the cob. He came up with this method a few years ago and it's a standard when we grill out in the summer time.

Ingredients:
Fresh Corn on the Cob
Aluminum Foil (Heavy duty works well)
Butter or Margarine
Garlic Salt
Garlic Pepper
Salt
Pepper

Shuck and clean the corn. Tear off about 18 inches of foil and lay on the counter. Place the corn at the end of the foil Place about 1 tablespoon of butter on the corn (be generous because this is the liquid that the corn will cook in...you won't actually eat all of it). Season with Garlic Salt, Garlic Pepper, Salt and Pepper (you also add any other flavorings that you like). Roll up the corn, butter, and seasoning. Fold the ends of the foil over onto the corn so that the butter doesn't leak out and make a mess. Place corn on a hot grill for 20 minutes (flip half-way through).

It will be delicious and it's hard to mess up!

I've also cooked the corn this way on my stove-top griddle and it works just as well.

ps- I'm not sure if it's clear in my instructions, but you put only ONE corn on the cob in a piece of foil. We generally grill one corn per person that we are serving.

I have to say I am enthralled with what is going on right now. The organic movement, the getting back to basics trend, and the overall analysis of the American people of our excesses. You can see so much of it in food. NPR has been running a series on "Thrifty" cooking. Part of me is excited to see the basics coming back, part of me is proud to have always done that. (My mother taught us well.) I am posting two links from NPR. The first one is about Cook Books for lean times. The other is the Neelys who take the $10.00 meal challenge. Give it a try yourself!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103056442

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=103667636