♥ Humanity

 

A question was once asked of a great man. "What surprises you most about humanity?" And his reply was profound.

"Man. Because he sacrifices his own health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices his money to recuperate his health. He is so anxious about the future that he doesn't take the time to enjoy the present. And the final result is that he doesn't live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived."

~The Dalai Lama

♥ Spaghetti and Meatballs

Sometimes I just get a craving for good old fashioned spaghetti and meatballs with a nice tossed salad and some warm, fresh out of the oven, garlic bread. I have made my own sauce for years and it takes a little time and work. But when I don't have that extra time, I go to what I feel is the next best sauce to my homemade ...now don't get all persnickety on me...but I love Ragu Chunky Tomato Garlic and Onion Sauce in a jar. I love the texture and flavor in that sauce and have been using it more and more often. It has all natural ingredients and mostly the same ingredients that I use in mine. Try it and see for yourself.

Spaghetti and Meatballs
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3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 6 ounce can tomato paste
1 28 ounce can tomato sauce + 1 ½ cans water
2 28 ounce cans crushed tomatoes
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
​
Heat a large stock pot over medium heat and add olive oil. Add onions, oregano, thyme, and basil. and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Add garlic, cook for one minute. Add tomato paste and cook for 5 minutes, stirring often. Add canned tomatoes, water, sugar, salt, and pepper. Turn the heat down to low and allow to simmer. Stir every 10-15 minutes for an hour. Allow sauce to continue simmer over low heat while you prepare the meatballs.
​
Meatballs:
1/2 pound ground pork
1 pound ground beef
1/2 cup ground veal (optional)
1 cup fresh white bread crumbs (4 slices, crusts removed)
1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
2 tablespoons of your tomato sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 extra-large egg, beaten
2 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
​
Place the ground meats, both bread crumbs, parsley, Parmesan, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and egg in a bowl. Combine very lightly with a fork. Using your hands, lightly form the mixture into 2-inch meatballs or smaller if you like bite size as shown in photo.  Melt butter and then add olive oil to large 12 inch skillet. Place the meatballs in the oil and brown them well on all sides over medium-low heat, turning carefully with a spatula or a fork. This should take about 10 minutes for each batch you make. Don't crowd the meatballs. Remove the meatballs to a plate covered with paper towels.  Add the meatballs to the sauce, cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 25 to 30 minutes, until the meatballs are cooked through. Serve hot on cooked spaghetti and pass the grated Parmesan.

♥ Lemon Creme Cookies

If you love lemon, you'll love these cookies.  A sweet little cake-like cookie filled with creamy lemon goodness! 

Lemon Creme Cookies

1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 egg yolks
1 tsp. lemon extract
1/4 tsp. orange extract
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1 1/3 cups. flour
1/2 tsp. salt

Lemon Filling

1 stick butter, softened
2-3 cups powdered sugar
2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, cream together 1 stick butter with sugar. Add egg yolks one at a time, beating between additions. Beat in extract. Beat in flour and salt until fully incorporated. Dough should be the consistency of a soft clay – workable with some stretch, but not runny. Put dough through a large frosting tip into a rosebud. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until tops are just beginning to turn golden brown, then remove from oven and allow to cool completely before frosting.

In a medium bowl, beat butter until creamy. Add powdered sugar a half cup at a time, beating to fully incorporate between additions. When frosting is stiff but workable. Add lemon juice and beat until incorporated. Test for flavor, adding more lemon juice if necessary. Add more powdered sugar until frosting hold soft peaks. Pipe frosting onto cookie bottoms and then press another cookie evenly against the center to create a sandwich. Pipe a dot of frosting on top of each cookie. Enjoy!

Photograph property of ©Welcome Home 2014

♥ Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Raspberry Swirl Cheesecake Bars

Crust
1 1/2 cups crushed chocolate wafer cookies
Pinch kosher salt
1 stick (1/2 cup) salted butter, melted

Filling
2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon pure almond extract
1/3 cup raspberry preserves
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 11 x 7 inch pan.
Stir together crushed cookies, salt and melted butter. Press into prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

Beat cream cheese for 2-3 minutes until softened and fluffy. Add in sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in eggs and extracts on low speed until incorporated, scraping sides and bottom of bowl as necessary. Pour batter into pan. Use an offset spatula to spread evenly.

In a small bowl, stir preserves and lemon juice together until preserves have loosened. Place into a piping bag or freezer zip top bag. Snip corner pipe lines onto batter. Use a knife or offset spatula to swirl preserves lightly.

Bake the bars for 22-26 minutes, or until set. The bars will still jiggle a bit when pan is shaken, but should not be wet.
Cool on a wire cooling rack until cooled, then cover and transfer to refrigerator for at least one hour before cutting and serving.

http://www.dixiecrystals.com/print-recipe/Raspberry-Swirl-Cheesecake-Bars

♥ Citrus Potpourri

I love to mix different things to make my own potpourri and simmer it in my slow cooker or on the stove all day. There is nothing that smells more fresh and clean. 

Citrus Potpourri

2 whole oranges, cut into pieces
4 sticks of cinnamon, broken into 3 pieces each
1 tablespoon whole cloves
water to cover

Add orange, cinnamon, and cloves to pot to simmer on top of the stove or in your slow cooker. Then add water until pot is almost full. Monitor water level frequently, adding more water as needed. Store in the refrigerator each night and it will last you for about a week.

You can add other things to the brew as well. Sometimes, I throw in a couple of slices of lemon. You could also add cranberries, nutmeg, pine needles, or whatever you like. Experiment with it and let me know what you try!

http://do512family.com/2011/11/christmas-time-is-upon-us-like-it-or-not/

♥ Homemade Meatball Subs

Sometimes I like to make meatballs ahead of time so that I can use them for spaghetti and other pasta dishes. Today I made Meatball Subs. Sometimes I like to just serve them with rice and call it a meal. 






Meatball Subs
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1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
3/4 pound ground beef
3/4 pound ground pork
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup bread crumbs
2 large eggs
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon of milk
 
Marinara Sauce (or use your favorite store bought brand)
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1 tablespoon olive oil
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 fresh basil leaves, torn into small pieces
Two 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes, with their juices
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
​
For the sauce: In a large pot, warm the olive oil at low heat. Add the garlic and cook until golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in the basil. Pour in the tomatoes with their juices, bring the sauce to a boil, and then add the salt. Simmer on low heat for at least an hour. The sauce will thicken as it simmers. At the end of cooking time, stir in the balsamic vinegar.
​
For the meatballs: In a large bowl, combine the pork and beef along with garlic, bread crumbs, eggs, Parmesan cheese, parsley, salt, a couple of grinds of pepper and milk. Mix together well with hands. Roll into 1 and 1/2-inch balls and place on a baking sheet. Place the meatballs into the freezer for 5 to 10 minutes to firm them up slightly.
​
Heat a olive oil and butter in a large pot or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the meatballs, turning to brown all sides. They do not need to be cooked through. Add the meatballs and marinara sauce and stir gently. Heat over medium heat until the sauce begins to bubble. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes, stirring very gently a couple of times during simmering.  Serve meatballs and marinara sauce into stuffed toasted sub rolls. Add Mozzarella or Provolone cheese on top and toast until rolls are warm and toast and cheese is melted.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home 2014. 

♥ Peanut Butter Bundt Cake

One of my many projects today was to make you my peanut butter bundt cake with vanilla glaze and peanut butter drizzle. This cake is so incredibly moist and delicious...f you like peanut butter you don't miss this one.

Peanut Butter Bunt Cake

1 cup plain yogurt
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 cup smooth peanut butter
1 ¼ cup brown sugar, packed

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Grease and lightly flour your bundt pan. Using a fork or a whisk, combine the yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and maple syrup in a medium bowl. In another medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt with a fork or whisk. In the bowl of a mixer or a large mixing bowl, add the butter, brown sugar, and peanut butter. Using a mixer, cream for about 3 minutes on medium-high. With the mixer on low, add a third of the dry mixture to the creamed mixture, then half of the wet mixture, then another third of the dry mixture, then the last of the wet mixture, and finally the last of the dry mixture. Scrape the sides of your bowl between additions.

Turn the mixer on medium-high and beat the mixture for about 1 minute. Scrape the batter into your prepared bundt pan and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a tooth pick comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. 

Vanilla Glaze 

1 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted                                                                           

1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons whole milk
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Stir together sugar and salt in a small bowl. Whisk together butter, milk, and vanilla, and stir into sugar until mixture forms a smooth paste. Keep glaze at room temperature until ready to drizzle over cake. Before using, whisk until smooth.

Peanut Butter Drizzle

1 tablespoon peanut butter
1 tablespoon milk
1/4 cup powdered sugar

In a small bowl, mix peanut butter, 1 tablespoon milk and the powdered sugar. Drizzle over cake.

NOTE: For the cake in the photo I used a 2 small 6 cup bundt pans, which was a perfect size to share one and keep one. But you can make a full size cake using a 12 cup bundt pan. Here is the link for the 

Nordic Ware 2 Piece Non-stick Bundt Pan Set, 6 Cup & 12 Cup. It's on sale right now for only $20.50 for both pans while supplies last. Once this item is sold out, Amazon will stock it at regular price. Keep in mind whatever you purchase through Amazon through Welcome Home, you donate to the NO KILL Advocacy group to save the lives of dogs and cats who are killed unnecessarily while waiting for their forever home.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00004W4UX/ref=as_li_ss_sm_fb_us_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=213733&creative=399837&creativeASIN=B00004W4UX&linkCode=shr&tag=welchome08-20&qid=1379295197&sr=8-41&keywords=mini+bundt+pan

Photograph is the property of ©Welcome Home 2014

♥ My Homeless Friend

"I Give Not Because I Have Much. I Give Because I Know What it's Like To Have Nothing."

 My Homeless Friend

There is a homeless man that walks along a major highway in my town. I have seen him walking that same stretch of highway for more... than 10 years now. He doesn't beg. He just walks along the road with his old torn backpack strapped to one shoulder as the other strap is broken. He is so worn and tired and so cold during the winter months, but he never begs for a thing. I sometimes pull over and hand him a few dollars for a cup of coffee or I buy him a Burger King sandwich or breakfast if I see him during that time of day. I visit him frequently and he has become my friend. Not in the sense that you might think. For you see, he has never spoken to me.

For all the years that I have been visiting him, he has never acknowledged me. He doesn't give any eye contact and he never says a word. I see him walking along that major highway, and I pull over on the shoulder just ahead of him. He continues to walk with his head down. He will not come up to the car window or even stop walking so you have to time your stop just right in order to hand him anything. He keeps his head down at all times and he never speaks.

One day, I saw him walking in front of a gas station while I was pumping gas. Afterwards, I went inside to pay and asked the gas station attendant if he knew anything about the homeless man. He said he did. I asked if he could talk or if he was just shy. His answer broke my heart. He said the man was scared. He said that many years ago he actually did talk to the man and learned just how hard his life really was. He told me that the reason he keeps his head down and will not give you any eye contact is because he lives in fear.

He said there were many times when cars pulled next to him and spit at him or threw bottles at him. He said that one time a car stopped and called him over to give him food. As he stood there, the teenagers inside threw hot scalding coffee in the mans face and then drove off laughing. He has been doused with gasoline and a lit match caught his coat on fire. Another time, he was beaten and robbed of his food and blankets. He said the man has learned to hide his basic essentials under an underpass down the road and he never carries them with him. He no longer stops or speaks to anyone. He is alone and afraid and has no one. But he has me.

I became his friend a long time ago and twice a week I make him up a homemade meal with a jug of lemonade and take it to him. I have to search for him at times but it has become my weekly ritual and just a part of my life.

Last Christmas, I wanted to give my old friend a special present. So, I stopped at the Burger King that he walks past on that same stretch of highway and I bought some gift cards that would last him a while. Then I went next door to Costco and bought a brand new super sized backpack and I filled it with juice packs and some small canned goods like Vienna sausages and Spam. I added some crackers and cookies and some snacks like beef jerky and Slim Jims. I added some hand and foot warmers and 3 pair of heavy wool socks and some warm gloves and a wool cap. I put some chap stick and a pair of sunglasses to protect his eyes. Finally, I put a daily prayer and inspirational book inside along with some magnified reading glasses just in case he needed them. I wrapped the filled backpack in a soft wool blanket and tied a warm winter scarf around it.

I set out last Christmas Eve to find him, and as I drove along the highway I felt such a sense of excitement and joy. It was so cold and windy that day and at first I couldn't find him. I thought maybe he had found shelter from the cold and I looked under the underpass and he wasn't there. But after driving up and down that same stretch of road for about an hour, there he was on the opposite side of the road. I hurried and did a quick U-turn and slowed down the car so that I wouldn't scare him. He walked towards the car staying to the far side of the shoulder, with his head down as if I wasn't there. I rolled down the window and waited as he approached the side of my car.

"Sir, I am not going to hurt you. I will never hurt you. I have seen you walk this road for a long, long time and I am ashamed that I haven't done more for you, but tonight I would like to share the spirit of Christmas and give you this gift of love." 

He reached out and took the blanket wrapped gift and just kept on walking. He didn't say a word. He never looked up. He never made eye contact. He just kept on walking with his head down. My eyes filled with tears of both joy and sadness as I sat there and watched him continue his journey from my rear view mirror. And then it happened. As he got a little farther down the road, I watched as he just stopped and fell to his knees with his hands raised in prayer to the heavens above. He lifted his new gift in the air above his head as if to give thanks and glory to God. And then he stood up, turned and looked directly back at my car, nodded his head and continued his journey.

I will leave this world knowing that I may have impacted some lives in my time here on earth, but none like this man who needed so much love on that cold and windy Christmas Eve.

So please give to those who are in need. Please don't judge them or question their motives or think twice about who they are or might be. Just give from the kindness of your heart and know that it could be you one day. And don't make excuses.  I hear so many stories about how people don't give for fear that the person isn't really homeless or that the person will just buy alcohol or drugs. Alcoholism and drug addiction is a deadly and fatal disease and I can assure you that they don't want to be in the situation they are in. They have no choice and without that fix they can have seizures and convulsions and die. But if it makes you feel uncomfortable, then don't give money. Give them food or clothing.

Please give to those who have nothing. It will make such a huge difference in your life and God will truly bless you for helping and sharing your blessings with one of his less unfortunate children.

~Marty

♥ Dutch Apple Pie

I love the way my house smells right now...apples, cinnamon, nutmeg and brown sugar....yum. This is my Mom's old recipe she used when it was apple season and she wanted a change up from your typical American hot apple pie. I always loved this one. 





Dutch Apple Pie

Pie Crust (Or buy a pre-made refrigerated pie crust)

1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

In a food processor, briefly pulse flour, salt, and sugar. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal, with a few pea-size pieces of butter remaining. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons ice water. Pulse until dough is crumbly but holds together when squeezed (if necessary, add up to 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon at a time). Don't over mix.

Turn dough out onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Fold plastic over dough; press to shape into a 1-inch-thick disk. Refrigerate until firm, at least 1 hour (or up to 3 days).

On a floured piece of parchment paper, roll dough to a 14-inch round with a floured rolling pin. Wrap dough around rolling pin, discarding paper; unroll over a 9-inch pie plate (opposite). Gently fit into bottom and up sides of plate (do not stretch dough).

Filling

5 1/2 cups peeled cored sliced cooking apples
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

Topping:

3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1/3 cup butter, room temperature

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Fit pie crust into pie plate and trim off edges. In a large bowl, mix sliced apples, lemon juice, both sugars,flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. pour into crust.

Prepare topping:In a medium bowl, with a pastry blender or a fork, mix flour, both sugars, and butter until coarsely crumbled. Sprinkle evenly over apples.

Bake at 375 for 50 minutes. (If your crust gets too brown early on, cover the edges of the pie crust with tin foil and continue baking)

Photograph is the property of ©Welcome Home 2014

Roast Beef Wraps

Today it's just a simple wrap for lunch. Fresh tortillas with lots of Deli style sliced Roast beef...topped with lettuce, tomato and a new mayonnaise that compliments this wrap so well!

Roast Beef Wraps

1 flour tortilla
Kraft Chipotle Flavored Mayonnaise...

lettuce
Deli style roast beef, thinly sliced
cheddar or pepper jack cheese
thin tomato slices

Heat the tortilla for ten to fifteen seconds in the microwave.
Spread the chipotle spread lightly on the tortilla. Place lettuce on top of the spread. Add the beef and cheese. Add the tomato slices. To fold the wrap, fold in the sides of the tortilla and then roll from the bottom up. Cut the wrap in half.

Photograph is copyrighted and the property of ©Welcome Home 2014.