Natalie's Creamy Tomato Pasta Sauce

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 can Italian-style diced tomatoes, undrained

1 tablespoon dried basil

3/4 teaspoon white sugar

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon butter

Directions

In a saucepan, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Make sure it doesn't burn. Add tomatoes, basil, sugar, oregano, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and continue to boil 5 minutes or until most of the liquid evaporates. Remove from heat; stir in cream and butter. Reduce heat and simmer 5 more minutes. Serve over your favorite pasta.

Dave’s Honey Hickory BBQ Sauce

8 oz. tomato sauce

½ cup honey

1/8 cup white vinegar

1 Tbsp. molasses

2 tsp. salt

2 tsp. paprika

1 ½  tsp. liquid hickory smoke

1 tsp. onion powder

1 tsp. dry mustard powder

½ tsp. cinnamon

pinch ginger powder

Mix all ingredients together

Blueberry Cream Cheese Over-night Bread Pudding and Fresh Blueberry Syrup

Blueberry Cream Cheese Over-night Bread Pudding

12 slices French bread (one of the large loaves works fine) cut into 1-inch cubes
2  8oz packages cream cheese, chilled and cut into 1-inch cubes (I use low-fat, and about 1 1/2 pkgs.)
1 cup fresh blueberries (frozen works fine)
12 eggs
1/3 cup maple syrup (don't worry, you don't taste the maple, but you can use karo syrup instead)
2 cups milk

Grease 13x9 pan.  Place half of the bread cubes evenly in pan.  Scatter with cream cheese cubes and sprinkle with the rest of the bread cubes.  In a large bowl, whisk eggs, milk, and syrup.  Pour over bread mixture, cover with foil and chill overnight.

The next morning, preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Let the mixture come to room temperature for about 45 min.  Bake covered with foil for 45 minutes, then uncover and bake an additional 45 minutes, until puffed and golden.  Remove and serve with fresh blueberry syrup.

Fresh Blueberry Syrup

1 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1 cup water
1 cup fresh blueberries (if using frozen, let thaw overnight)
1 Tbsp butter

In a small saucepan, combine sugar, cornstarch, and water over med-high heat.  Cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until thickened.  Stir in the blueberries and simmer 10 minutes more, or until most berries are burst.  Add butter and stir until melted.

James's Favorite Spaghetti Sauce

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 tsp. oregano

1 large onion, chopped

1 pkg. Lawry’s Spaghetti Sauce mix

1 quart whole tomatoes

dash Worcestershire sauce

2 cans tomato sauce

1 pkg Italian sausage (I use spicy)

2 cans tomato paste

1 green pepper, chopped

1 lb sliced mushrooms

In a large heavy pot, brown the beef and sausage. Remove meat. Sauté onion,

pepper (and mushrooms) in the same pot. Drain off grease. Add everything else

and simmer for at least two hours (four hours is better). Ladle on top of pasta.

Then, of course, you need to sprinkle the top with parmesan cheese.

Buttery-Cinnamon Syrup

¾ cup butter
1 ½ cup sugar
¾ cup buttermilk
1 ½ t. baking soda
½ t. vanilla extract
1/2 - 1 Tbsp. Cinnamon

In sauce pan melt the butter, then add the sugar and buttermilk. Bring to a boil.
Then add in the baking soda (it will bubble VERY HIGH when you add this, I suggest you remove from heat and whisk in the baking soda), vanilla, and cinnamon.

Cucumber Sauce for Salmon

Bake the salmon with salt and pepper. Then, you use this sauce for on top of the salmon after it is cooked.

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded
2 TB mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
1 TB fresh lemon juice
salt and ground pepper to taste
dried dill weed to taste

Shred cucumber in food processor (if you don't have food processor, I just use a cheese grater) and drain on paper towels. Mix together with remaining ingredients. Serve with salmon.

Really good Pesto

¼ c. walnuts

¼ c. pignolis (pine nuts)
3 T. minced garlic (9 cloves)
5 c. fresh basil leaves, packed
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 ½ c. good olive oil (I prefer using 1 1/4 c.)
1 c. freshly grated parmesan cheese

Place the walnuts, pignolis, and garlic in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 30 seconds. Add the basil leaves, salt, and pepper. With the processor running, slowly pour the olive oil into the bowl through the feed tube and process until the pesto is finely pureed. Add the parmesan and puree for a minute. Serve, or store the pesto in the refrigerator or freezer with a thin film of olive oil on top. Makes 4 cups.

Dave's Original BBQ Sauce

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce
1/2 cup honey
1/8 cup white vinegar
1 T. molasses
2 t. salt
2 t. paprika
1 1/2 t. liquid hickory smoke
1 t. onion powder
1 t. dry mustard
1/2 t. cinnamon
1 pinch ginger

Whisk together. Keeps well in fridge. This is my favorite BBQ sauce. I love that I always have the ingredients on hand. (Printed with permission from Hollee.)

Hot Fudge Sauce

4 (1 oz.) squares semi-sweet chocolate (or the equivalent in chocolate chips)
2 T. butter
1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 t. *vanilla
dash of salt

In heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter; add remaining ingredients. Stir constantly (about 5 minutes) until sauce is slightly thickened. Serve warm over ice cream.

To reheat: In small saucepan over low heat, combine desired amount of sauce with small amount of water. Stir until heated through.

*May substitute vanilla with 1/2 - 1 tsp. peppermint extract.

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Chicken Broccoli Alfredo

Alfredo Sauce
1/4 cup of butter
2-ish tsp garlic
1 can chicken broth
1-ish cup of cream
1/2-ish cup of half -n-half
3/4 container of Kraft shredded parmesean
1/4 - 1/2 cup Kraft Three Cheese blend
1 big spoonful plop of low-fat mayonnaise
Salt to taste (approx. 1 - 2 tsp.)
pepper to taste
Fresh chopped parsley, several Tbsp.

Melt butter over med-low heat, add garlic and saute. Pour in chicken broth then cream and 1/2-n- 1/2. Add salt & pepper and cheeses and continue to heat over medium to medium-low heat until cheese melts into sauce. Plop in mayonnaise and stir in. Add fresh chopped parsley just before pouring over noodles, chicken sausage, and veggies.

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Cook fettuccini noodles to al dente in chicken broth.
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Saute chopped chicken sausage (Bistro Sensations, smoked mozzarella with artichoke and garlic) in chicken broth. Add more chicken broth, add chopped broccoli and chopped red bell pepper. Cover and steam for a few minutes.

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Combine everything and serve with garlic bread and Ceasar salad.