nini’s marsetti casserole

10 / 2 / 13

Our newest little neighbor just turned one week old yesterday. Yay! This lucky little man came home to one adorable brother, two darling sisters and a very busy mom and dad!! In an effort to give them an extra few minutes of time, I decided that they needed a casserole. Yes – a casserole. Not some fancy gourmet meal that you have to “prepare“… a one-dish wonder that has but one requirement. Turn on the oven. Pondering the possibilities the other day, a memory popped into my head. One of my kids favorite meals when they were little… Nini’s Marsetti Casserole. Yep. That’s it.

Nini. My husband’s grandmother; my children’s great-grandmother; and one heck of a classy lady!! She had a zest for life that was absolutely contagious… Nini was, however, not exactly what you think of when you think “great grandma“… Not by a longshot. She had it all going on. The hair, the nails, the bling, the make-up… perfection. Her clothes were polished and crisp and tailored. She was educated and articulate; always up-to-speed with current events. She was a great golfer and an excellent piano player. She loved her life in Florida, but she also loved to travel. In this world of rush, rush, rush… Nini taught us the true meaning of “dining…” when we went out to dinner. More than anything, however, Nini loved her family and friends! xo Her social life would have made you dizzy! Her favorite time of the day… “Cocktail Hour”! WooHoo!! Yes – Nini taught everyone around her, by example, what it meant to live each and every day to the fullest. And she did so until the very end – October 18, 1995. At 89 years young, when her time on this earth was finally complete, she said goodbye during “cocktail hour”, decked out for a party with friends. Little did she know that there was a whole new group of friends waiting to meet her that evening.

Thanks to Nini, Heaven will never be the same… xo

Nini’s Marsetti Casserole

1 pkg (12 oz) thin spaghetti, broken into pieces & cooked

2 lbs. ground beef, browned *

1 lg. onion

½ green pepper, chopped *

1 jar (8 oz) sliced mushrooms

Minced garlic, to taste *

1 t. pepper, oregano & basil *

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 (14.5 oz) cans tomatoes

1 small can tomato paste

S&P, to taste

8 oz. Parmesan cheese

In a large pot, combine browned beef, onions, peppers, mushrooms and garlic; Simmer until tender. Add in seasonings and tomatoes. Mix well; then add in cooked spaghetti and 4 oz. Parmesan cheese. Pour into a 13×9 pan and top with remaining cheese. (Note: Can be frozen before – Just be sure to thaw before baking.) Bake at 350 for about an hour.

* I’m not a green pepper fan, but I love red peppers. An easy sub! When I am making for a family with kids, I often omit peppers altogether! I have also subbed in turkey Italian sausage for the ground beef, which is yummy. Whatever floats your boat…! Over the years, I added in the garlic and increased the seasonings a bit. xo

new neighbors

4 / 18 / 13

So it looks like we’re getting some new neighbors.

The first clue was discovered amidst the sweet little pansies on the front porch. I had planted them next to the front door at the very first sign of spring. They are cheerful little survivors… and for me, a real sense of hope after a LONG winter. I say that because here in the midwest, “springtime” teeters on the edge of full blown winter. Yep. Sure does. As I type this, the cold (winter) wind is a’howlin…

OK – so anyway… I went to take the dogs out last night for their last “potty break”. The front porch was covered with; well… birdie poo-poo. Right up next to the front door. Actually, it was even ON the front door. Weird. Clue #1.

It was then that I noticed that it looked like a wild (and angry?) rodent had thrown a temper tantrum in that little “shreddy filler stuff” that I had carefully tucked around the pansies in the planter. There was a big hole where the shred had been “removed”, and it was then haphazardly strewn about in little piles everywhere. Hmmm… Clue #2.

We have little birdies that used to come every spring and build a nest. That is, until my hubbie decided that he didn’t like the “ambiance” of a front porch covered with “birdie droppings”. And a wife that wouldn’t let him use the front door once “the babies” arrived. So he decided that HE was smarter than a bird. He put bricks up at the top of the pillar… kinda like taking the “vacancy” sign down. Well, it worked for a while…

It wasn’t until morning when I took the girls out for their morning potty break that I saw the final clue. (OK – Is it me, or does this whole post seem to revolve around one basic subject??)

You see, we have TWO pillars. Ouch!! Being outsmarted by a bird… that stings.

If you’re keeping score… Birdies – 3 points. Hubbie – 0

I will update you when the “family” moves in….

cleaning sinks; making muffins

8 / 29 / 12

Some things in life are straight forward, clear cut, black and white. You know what to do, maybe you’ve even been there before. Everything just seems to make sense.

Some things don’t.

Last Friday morning my friend’s husband passed away very suddenly. He was only 58. We are a group of friends and neighbors, all in our 50’s, kids close in ages. We “girls” get together regularly for “coffee”… which is really just codeword for “therapy”. We have been there for each other through thick and thin, laughter and tears… We are a diverse group. Very diverse. And that really works for us. Never, however, have we had to be there for each other like this.

So what to do…? Your mind fills with a laundry list of things you can’t do. You can’t bring him back. You can’t turn back time. You can’t take away her pain. So you do what you can. Whatever “that” is. For me, it was helping to clean her house for the onslaught of people who would converge on her in the coming days. Then I made muffins… and casseroles… and phone calls… and trips to Target. In my state of “helplessness”; I found great strength in the “doing”.

So our little group has suffered a terrible blow. Times two. The devastating loss of a treasured husband and father last Friday, and then our friend, Mary, left on Monday to follow her heart, and her dreams, to Maine. (See previous post; the “Maine” goodbye) We will, obviously, never be the same – but we will survive. This is definitely unchartered territory, so we will just have to “wing it” I guess. We will be there to help in any way that we can in the days, weeks, months to come… Though we are all very different, we will do whatever we can; what we do best… whatever “that” is.

Banana Nut Muffins

2 c. flour

1 T. baking powder

½ t. salt

½ c. butter

3/4 c. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 c. ripe banana, mashed

1 c. chopped toasted pecans

Sift together dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in mashed bananas. Add dry ingredients all at once, stirring just enough to moisten. Gently stir in nuts. Spoon into greased muffin tins, filling about 2/3 full. (about 15-18 muffins) Bake at 350 for 18-20 minutes or until golden brown.

a sweet little fourth of july

7 / 2 / 12

So the Fourth of July is a “midweek holiday” this year. Kind of a fun way to put a little fun, family and friendship into an (otherwise) ordinary week. Perhaps you’re heading to the lake, popping over to the neighbors or entertaining in your own backyard… I will tell you that I have a tendency to focus more on the main part of the meal when it comes to entertaining – and the cocktails and desserts are often an afterthought. (I can hear some of you laughing already… Perhaps “cocktails” are where you START your planning…? Ha!) Anyway – I thought it would be fun to share a few little last-minute “sweet” ideas for the Fourth of July holiday that is upon us!

Well – First of all – I have got a recipe here for a “Double Berry Margarita” that is calling my name. Loud. And it’s not even noon yet. (Houston – we have a problem…) Anyway, I’m going to share it with you in the hopes that you will make it for the 4th, or sometime this summer, and share your “results” with me. (Well, maybe not ALL of your results. We’re sticking with a “G” rating here, friends! )

Double Berry Margarita

1 oz. tequila blanco

1/2 oz Cointreau

1/2 oz Chambord

1 splash sweet and sour mix

2 raspberries, muddled

2 blackberries, muddled

2 lime wedges, muddled

Combine ingredients in a mixing glass. Shake hard and serve in a glass with a salted rim. Garnish with a lime wedge, raspberry and blackberry. Oh my, that sounds good!!

Doing a little “last minute” entertaining? Need something quick & easy in the beverage department?? Well, icy cold lemonade – or pink lemonade – works great for any outdoor entertaining… perfect for the kiddos, and even more fun for the adults (Hint, hint: Keep a bottle of citron vodka in the freezer for an icy little “adult lemonade cocktail”!!)

As for dessert, nothing is sweeter and simpler than a cupcake. These cupcakes can be made with your favorite cupcake mix/recipe (Red Velvet, perhaps?) and a simple white buttercream frosting. I just fell in love with the simplicity of these decorations…

Stars & Stripes

Tint 1 cup buttercream a bright blue with gel-paste food color. Transfer to a pastry bag fitted with a small plain tip (#4). Frost each cupcake with a smooth layer of untinted buttercream.

To finish, cut red licorice laces into seventy-two 1-1/2 inch long pieces and seventy-two 3/4 inch long pieces. Arrange three longer pieces and three shorter pieces to form a flag pattern. With blue frosting, pipe nine dots in each open corner to form “stars”.

Need something for the kids to help with while you are sipping on your “Double Berry Margarita”?? Staying with our “sweet” theme – a little project that will give an ordinary blue napkin a festive feel in a simple way… Starlight Spangled Napkin Rings!! Not a lot of supplies and simple directions. Just trying to give the kiddos something to do while you are busy sipping on your margarita…!!

OK – so there you go. A few “sweet” little ideas for your upcoming Fourth of July holiday!! Say a prayer for our troops, and the families who are missing them. Be proud, be safe, be American; Keep calm and eat a cupcake!

Happy Fourth… Live happy