Our Family Secrets

OK.  So we can’t give you the Cavallaro family spaghetti sauce recipe.  That’s TOP SECRET.    But these are the meatballs that Dave makes with them, and they are AWESOME.  We don’t ever make them with beef anymore…

Ingredients:

1/4 cup Italian Breadcrumbs
2 Tbs milk
2 eggs
2 tsp parsley
2 tsp garlic powder
pepper to taste
1 lb ground turkey (not leaner than 93%)
Pam (or other cooking spray)

Directions:

Cover a pan with foil.  Spray with Pam.  Set aside.  Heat oven to 350.

In a large bowl stir together breadcrumbs and milk.  The key to the whole recipe is to not overwork/over mix.

Add two eggs and mix until just combined.

Add ground turkey and spices.  Mix until just combined.

Roll into meatballs around 1.5 – 2 inches in diameter. Put on prepared pan and bake for 20 minutes.

Once done, drop meatballs into your sauce and enjoy!

This is one I make often – especially if we are having company.  This is my Sister-in-Law Laurie’s recipe.  I am definitely making this to bring on Super Bowl Sunday.

Ingredients:

2 Pkg Crescent Rolls
1/4 lb Salami
1/4 lb Provolone
1/4 lb Ham (Boiled)
1/4 lb Swiss Cheese
1/4 lb Pepperoni
Grated Parmesean Cheese
3 Eggs
1 Jar Roasted Peppers (or to taste)

Directions:

Press out 1 roll of crescent roll dough onto 13×9 pan (sprayed with Pam).  Layer meats and cheeses as listed above.  Sprinkle grated cheese over pepperoni.  Spread out roasted peppers.  Beat 3 eggs and spread half of them over the peppers.  Layer 2nd roll of crescent roll dough over peppers.  Brush with remaining beaten eggs.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 30 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 more minutes.  Cool and slice into squares.  Enjoy!

I was looking for this recipe ALL OVER today and I am soooo glad I finally found it filed away in my email.  I must have sent it to someone.  I thought I better post it before I lose it again – it is one of my favorite. 

Ingredients:

1 cup butter flavored shortening
1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 eggs
2 1/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 (11 ounce) package white chocolate chips
1 cup macadamia nuts
1/2 cup Craisins 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Cream the butter & add the sugars.
3. Beat in the vanilla extract& eggs.
4. Add dry ingredients, mix well.
5. Add in white chocolate chips, nuts, and craisins.
6. Combine mixture until well blended.
7.  Drop one heaping tablespoon of dough on ungreased baking sheet (or however large or small you want your cookies to be).
8. Bake for 10 minutes.

It’s ridiculous because it is so dang GOOD!

Ingredients:

Cheesecake:
5 bricks of cream cheese
1 1/2 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 1/2 tsp vanilla

Optional: Cherry pie filling

Crust:
1 3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 stick butter, melted

Directions:

Mix butter and crumbs and press in to pan (springform works best).  Bake crust at 350 for 5 minutes.  Cool.

Mix all filling ingredients except cherries.   Pour half of the filling in pan over cooled, prepared crust.  Pour in cherries and filling (to taste).  Pour the other half of the filling on top and swirl with a fork.

Bake cheesecake in a 300 degree oven for 45-50 minutes.  Turn off oven and leave cheesecake to cool overnight.  Chill and serve.

I got this recipe from my best friend Lisa.  I wasn’t too sure about the poppy seeds at first, but DANG this came out really good!

Ingredients:

4 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cooked (boiled) and cut up
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Cream of Mushroom soup
8 oz. sour cream
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crushed
1-2 tsp Poppy seeds
Salt & Pepper to Taste (You can use Garlic Salt in place of table salt)

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients (except the butter, poppy seeds, and Ritz crackers).  Spray casserole dish with cooking spray, and put mixture in dish.  Sprinkle with poppy seeds (you can put some in the mixture as well if you want), then top with crushed Ritz crackers.  Drizzle with melted butter and bake at 350 until top is lightly browned and mixture is bubbly (around 30 minutes).

This freezes well for a quick weeknight meal.  Even the pickiest eater (you know who you are Derek!) loved this dish.  Thanks Lisa!

OK I don’t normally post “medicinal” type recipes, but I came across this one this AM and had to share… My youngest son was coughing today and I totally ran out of cough medicine and didn’t have any on hand.  I remember my Mom used to mix up a concoction like this one – only more alcoholic (i.e. Puerto Rican rum instead of all that water), but hey that’s how it was in the 70′s!  I tailored this one from a few I found online, and hey – it works!  So i decided to blog it so I could keep it on file. 

Ingredients:

pinch Cayenne Pepper
pinch Ground Ginger
1/2 Tbs Honey
1/2  Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Tbs Water

Directions:

Mix all of the above in a glass until well blended.  Drink in sips (it won’t taste that bad, but it won’t be yummy either) until done.

It really works to help a sore throat and cough.

Of course if that cough/sore throat is persistent please see a doctor. 

This is a new recipe that I adapted from the Jif Peanut Butter recipe – it is my new favorite!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Peanut Butter
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbs Milk
1 Tbs Vanilla
1 Large Egg
1 3/4 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine peanut butter, shortening, brown sugar, milk, and vanilla in an electric mixer on medium speed until well blended.

2.  Add egg, beat until blended.

3.  Combine flour, baking soda, and salt in separate bowl.  Add to creamed mixture in three batches, mixing well between batches.

4.  Drop by rounded tablespoon onto greased cookie sheet (or just use a Silpat if you have one).  Flatten lightly by pressing a crisscross pattern into dough with the tines of a fork.

5.  Bake 8 minutes or until just starting to brown.  Cool.  Eat! 

We LOVE using our waffle maker on weekend mornings, but sometimes the batter can be tiresome to make.  Solution:  We use Bisquick pancake mix.  I  know, I know – you can’t always get that nice crispy outside that you can when you make the batter from scratch.  Problem solved: just separate the eggs and whip up the egg whites, then fold them in – the whites are the secret to a nice crisp waffle. 

Ingredients:

2 Cups Bisquick Pancake Mix
1 1/3 Cup Milk
2 Eggs – separated
2 Tbs Vegetable Oil

Directions:

Whip egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Beat yolks with milk and oil.  Mix yolk mixture in with Bisquick in large bowl.  Gently fold egg whites into batter.  Cook according to waffle iron directions.

We serve these with syrup, fruit and whipped cream…

We made this over the weekend and it was AWESOME.  Tastes just like a certain Italian restaurant chain’s version…

Ingredients:

1 lb ground sweet Italian sausage
1 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 large onion, diced
6 slices of bacon
2 tsp minced garlic
10 cups water
5 cubes chicken bouillon
1 cup Fate Free Half and Half
4 large potatoes, sliced
1 bunch of kale

Instructions:

1.  Brown the Italian sausage and red pepper flakes in a large pot.  Remove from pot, drain excess fat.  Set aside.
2.  In the same pan, saute’ onion, bacon, and garlic until onions are soft (10-15 min).
3.  Pour in water and add chicken bouillon.  Add potatoes and cook till soft; about 30 minutes.
4.  Add half and  half and cook until heated (about 10 minutes).
5.  Stir in sausage and kale.  Simmer for another 5 minutes and serve.

This one is super easy and it a family favorite!

Ingredients:

1 – 1-2lb Pork Roast
4-5 new potatoes, peeled (optional) and cubed
1 1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 – envelope Lipton Onion Soup Mix
1 can Cream of Mushroom Soup (optional – I didn’t have it on hand once and this turned out fine)
1-2 chicken flavored bouillon cubes (I use 2 if I don’t use the cream of mushroom soup)
Enough water to cover
Pepper to taste (you don’t really need to add salt because of the soups)

Directions:

Put everything in the crockpot (veggies on the bottom) and simmer on low for 8 hours (the longer the better).

Enjoy!