ROAST BEEF

3 to 4 pound boneless silver tip roast beef
1 teaspoon thyme
Salt and pepper

1. Oven to 325 degrees.
2. Place roast beef in baking dish, fat side up. Sprinkle thyme, salt and pepper over top.
3. Bake for 20 minutes per pound. After the time is up, leave oven on and check with meat thermometer by sticking it in the center top of the meat. It should be about 145 for medium rare. (Another way that I check the meat is to poke a small hole on top and if the juice comes out clear it is good, if the juice comes out bloody, the meat is still too rare and I continue to cook it.)
4. After removing meat from the oven, let it sit for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
5. ENJOY – Savory is the way for this roast beef!

YORKSHIRE PUDDING

3 Eggs
1 1/ 2 cups flour
1 1/ 2 cups milk
1/ 2 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons drippings from roast beef
(substitutes can be vegetable or canola oil, or bacon grease)

1. Oven to 425 degrees.
2. Beat eggs and milk. Sift salt with flour. Gradually add the flour to the milk mixture and continue to beat until you have a smooth batter.
3. With a spoon, ladle roast beef drippings into 12 muffin cups. (Another option is to use a 9 x 13 baking pan.) Swirl to coat the bottom and sides of muffin cups. Pour batter into cups filling to 2/ 3 of the cup.
4. Bake for 20 to 30 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and center of Yorkshire pudding popovers.
5. After removing meat from the oven, remove from pan immediately. Serve warm. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
6. ENJOY – Bit o’ the English taste for ya!

Roast beef with mashed potatoes and gravy — you can’t beat that for a Sunday diner! If you want to go that extra mile, then add Yorkshire pudding to the menu. The combination makes for a good hardy meal to serve family and friends. Honestly, roast beef is one of the easiest roasts to make; I just keep it simple and only lightly season it. Yorkshire pudding looks quite impressive, but the level of difficulty in preparing it is quite low.

Sunday is family day. This belief was instilled in me at an early age; Sunday dinner was sacred and missing dinner was a major crime in my house. Nearly every Sunday I make a huge dinner and try to invite someone over. Family or friends, it doesn’t matter because there’s always an abundance of food. When my mom was alive, I treasured her presence at our dinner table several times a month.

I will never forget a Sunday dinner that I missed when I was about 10 years old. My girlfriend, Joanne, asked me to go with her to see her dad, a conductor with the Long Island Railroad who was divorced from Joanne’s mom. This particular Sunday was Father’s Day and Joanne was excited about giving her dad a Father’s Day present. We went up to the train station about 8 blocks away and waited; unfortunately, the train was delayed. Finally, the train pulled in and her dad jumped off. Big hugs and kisses went around, and gifts were exchanged. Joanne’s dad gave us a wave goodbye, and their mini visit was over. We headed home feeling pretty good. When I walked into the house I was met by a wall of silence, totally abnormal for a Sunday at home. Seated at the head of the table was my dad, sitting all alone. There was a big bowl of raviolis in front of him, and he was clearly unhappy. I was late, my brother was late and my mom and dad must have had a fight because she wasn’t there either. I had to sit next to my dad and listen to him for the entire dinner describing how upset he was. Repeatedly he exclaimed, “Why were you with Joanne’s dad and not your dad on Father’s Day.” Trust me, I was never late for Sunday dinner again. I learned the importance of Sunday dinner that day and every Sunday thereafter. That is, until my dad died when I was 12 years old. Those sacred Sunday dinners with my entire family stopped.

Now, I carry on the tradition of the Sunday dinner because I realize that time passes quickly and my children will be gone or I will be gone. They need family traditions, holiday traditions and memories to carry with them. They need to pass these traditions on to their families. One day they will appreciate the significance of sitting down to a meal with your family — it is so much more than just a meal, it is a memory.

18 to 22 vanilla wafer cookies
3 eggs
1 / 3 cup sour cream
3 – 8 ounce packages cream cheese, softened
3 / 4 cup sugar
1 1 / 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Oven to 325 degrees.
2. Line muffin pans with foil cupcake liners. Place one wafer
cookie in each liner.
3. In a mixing bowl, beat with an electric beater on medium speed,
cream cheese, sugar and vanilla extract. Add eggs and sour
cream. Continue beating on a lower speed until everything is
blended well.
4. Spoon batter into foil cupcake liners 3 / 4 full.
5. Bake 25 to 35 minutes or until center is cooked. Remove
cheesecakes from muffin pan when cooled. Chill and serve plain
or with different toppings such as preserves, fresh fruit or
chocolate chips.
6. ENJOY! – Mini cheesecakes that have a huge taste!

As that old saying goes, “if you can’t take the heat, get outta the kitchen.” Taken literally, that’s some good old-fashioned advice during upcoming days of summer. Are you so hot that you don’t even feel like eating? I totally get that. I didn’t have air-conditioning in my home until about a few years ago when we finally upgraded our circuits to handle the extra power needed. Who gets excited about eating dinner let alone dessert when you’re too hot to move? Except maybe kids, they never seem to have a problem eating dessert whatever the temperature. These mini cheesecakes are in the top ten list for my grandchildren any time of the year.

As a creative cook, it’s my job to solve this dilemma, and I want to share the solution with you. First, avoid large heavy pies and cakes; cute smaller desserts will be the lighter option and appear more refreshing. For example, a regular sized cheesecake in the summer will never be touched on the dessert table. But check out the difference when you serve mini cheesecakes cold from the fridge. Top them with fruit or a dollop of fresh cream and watch then fly off the table. Ice cream is another excellent choice to serve in the summer, over something or all by its lonesome. I serve a lot of coffee cakes and/or plain pound cakes, already sliced before placing on the table.

Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, Father’s Day, July 4th and Labor Day are very big party celebrations around here and are usually celebrated outdoors. I don’t think I have ever attended any indoor parties for these holidays, as partying indoors seems so unnatural when the sun is shining and spirits are high. At every one of these parties there is always someone who brings a red, white and blue cake in honor of the American flag. I don’t know about you, but for me, there is nothing appetizing about a cake made with those colors. Truthfully, I don’t know how they taste because I have never tasted one. The only cake that ever looked close to appetizing in red, white and blue was a strawberry shortcake someone had made using blueberries and strawberries for the blue stars and red stripes on the flag. The rest of the cake was covered in white whipped cream for the white stripes.

Hmmmm…..that gives me an idea….maybe you could use blueberries and strawberries on top of your mini cheesecakes! Whichever way you serve these mini cheesecakes you will be sure to get star spangled responses from your guests!

Reblogged from Somebody's Mom: Home Cooking Recipes and Cookies for our Troops:

1 pound beef flank steak for braciole
1 / 4 to 1 /2 cup Parmesan/Romano cheese, grated
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 / 4 cup chopped parsley
salt and pepper

1 to 2 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil

4 cups spaghetti sauce

1. Pound flank steak as flat as possible. Cut into more than one piece.
2. In a bowl mix garlic, parsley, cheese, salt and pepper.
3. Spread mixture on top of flattened beef. Roll up and secure with string.
4. Add butter and olive oil in a large frying pan. Add beef braciole and brown on all sides very slowly on a low flame for about an hour, turning frequently. Remove some of the fat, but leave in about 2 tablespoons. Pour spaghetti sauce into frying pan covering the braciole. Simmer long and slow until tender, about 2 hours.
5. Serve over pasta with extra sauce.
6. ENJOY! – For the meat and spaghetti person this is the perfect match!

Flank steak is not exactly the most economical cut of meat, but my husband and I remember eating it often, right along with our pasta. During the lean years, when money was tight and jobs were scarce (sound familiar?), we switched to more chicken and less beef. When things were on the upswing, we returned to our beloved beef Braciole once again; it’s just so perfect and mouth watering when it’s cooked until it just falls apart with a mere touch of a fork.

My husband loves to eat, but he also enjoys cooking, so there used to be a bit of competition in our kitchen. Finally, I smartened up and kicked up the praises regarding his cooking and drop kicked my competitiveness. Who needs to be in the kitchen 24/7? My hubby can put together a mean fried chicken cutlet, certainly better than mine. So, it became “honey, these are the best chicken cutlets, I could never make them as good as you.” I have not had to fry chicken cutlets since I uttered this sentence many moons ago in the early years of marriage. Besides, frying is not my thing.

A few years ago, my husband decided he wanted to make beef Braciole, and his braciole is top notch. Yep, another dish I handed over to the man. Why should I cook and expend all my precious energy when I can share some of the work with my home chef husband?

In any case, it sends a great message to the kids. Seeing their father cook, the kids realized that cooking was not a chore or skill for women only. My son cooks also and has cooked since he was a teenager. By the time he went to college, he was very comfortable finding his way around the kitchen. My son is married now, and his lovely wife prepares dinner during the week. Come weekends, he often takes over the kitchen. We talk food now, and I love that we have this connection.

Let the man in your family into the kitchen, but don’t let him out! Praise and then praise his cooking some more. You will find that the benefits are all yours!

(Just a note – I prepared this Beef Braciole pictured here on this website by myself to photograph.)

3 cups flour
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 sticks butter, softened
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 cup pistachios, shelled

extra flour for hands

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place your oven racks closest to the middle of the oven as you possibly can. To bake evenly the middle is the best place to position your cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl beat, with electric beater on medium speed beat butter until light and creamy.
3. Beat in sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract.
4. In a separate bowl, sift together flour and baking powder.
5. Gradually add the dry mixture into the large bowl until blended well. On the lowest speed gradually add pistachios and chocolate chips. Form into a ball. Remove the dough from the bowl to a pastry sheet.
6. Cover an ungreased cookie sheet with parchment paper. Sprinkle the dough and your hands with flour. Shape the dough into four 12-inch by 3 inch logs or as close to these dimensions as you can. Bake logs 25 to 35 minutes or until the logs are lightly browned and firm when touched in the middle. Remove from the oven. Leave the oven on.
7. Cool logs on cookie sheets for 10 to 12 minutes. If possible place the biscotti log on a cutting board, or leave on the parchment covered cookie sheet and cut with a serrated knife (bread knife) into about ½ inch diagonal slices. After slicing biscotti, space the cookies sporadically standing up the cookie sheet. Bake the biscotti for 10 minutes or until lightly toasted in this position. Remove from oven and let the cookies cool completely before serving. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry area.
8. ENJOY – Biscotti is best when baked with love…..

Biscotti are my favorite cookies, especially homemade pistachio biscotti. Pistachios don’t come cheap, but their flavor really comes to life when added to biscotti so they are definitely worth the cost. Problem is, everyone wants to snack on these little green jewels, so I’m forced to hide them until it’s time to make biscotti again!

When I was a young girl, biscotti were cookies that my Gramma dunked in her wine. I never really saw anyone dunk their biscotti in wine until recently when I traveled to, and fell in love with, Italy. My husband, Tom, and I had the pleasure of meeting his cousins for dinner one balmy night, after which we were served biscotti for desert. The sight of one of his cousins dunking a biscotti in his wine glass brought that touching vision of Gramma front and center……I felt very much at home.

My paternal Gramma was a tiny, 4’ 10” Italian lady who resided with my family in Queens 6 months of the year, and the other 6 with my father’s sister in Long Island. Gramma spoke with an Italian accent even though she was born on the Lower East Side’s Little Italy section of Manhattan. She loved to stay with us in Queens because she could walk to church and the local park, the two places closest to her heart. She was always coming or going to church, her rosary beads in tow. Coming home from school I would find her in her tiny room off the hallway either reading, watching TV, or praying the rosary … which I almost sensed were attached to her fingers! She also had a habit of twiddling her thumbs, which she could continue for hours. Some rare moments I find myself doing this to remind me of her. The park was Gramma’s other home away from home. She brought me there when I was in kindergarten, and I would sing and dance for her friends. In the days before there were senior centers, the benches in parks were filled with seniors who would gather there, talking about their children, grandchildren and just plain reminiscing.

Gramma lived to 90 years old and drank a glass of red wine 3 times a day; a small glass of wine at breakfast, then one at lunch and lastly one at dinner. She was always smiling and happy to see me. Anytime I went into her room to watch a TV program she would gladly change the channel to accommodate me. There was a dollar for me every holiday from Gramma. If it was Ground Hog’s Day I would get a dollar and, even if there were no holidays, she would make one up. How could I not adore this woman?

Biscotti will always remind me of my wonderful Gramma. Those memories are the nearest and dearest to my heart, and I will always bake biscotti in her honor!

I received a great Christmas present this year, an automatic car starter. My old car starter, my husband, thought it was a great gift for him and me. The first appointment that he could schedule for installation after the holidays was the first Sunday in February.

Mela was gracious enough to drive me to PC Richards on Central Avenue in Yonkers, for my appointment and then take me out to breakfast while my car was being worked on. Since I began writing these breakfast reviews for Patch, Mela and I have really enjoyed discovering new places to eat breakfast. Little was discovered on my computer for breakfast in Central Avenue, Yonkers searches. I know there are places out there that possibly are not listed on the internet.
I remembered seeing a diner on top of a hill driving south on Central Avenue. Turns out the Mont (that is the correct spelling) Olympos Diner was literally right before PC Richards.

The parking lot at 9:30 am was pretty filled up already. This is always a good sign. Right off the bat, our waiter, Carlos Ramirez, from Yonkers, was on the ball. We were served good strong coffee and water without having to request it.
There was no Splenda, but Carlos got it ASAP and not just one or two, but about eight packets. Not being stingy on the Splenda says a lot. Another plus was we were offered more coffee no less than four times.

We ordered the Florentine egg white omelet with home fries and toast, a Belgian waffle with a side of bacon. With arms full of dishes Carlos realized he forgot my rye toast. Sometimes you finish your meal and then get the forgotten item, not with Carlos; we had it in a jiffy. As Goldilocks says, the bacon was perfect, light and crispy, but not too hard, just right. The waffle was tasty and cooked just right. Get the picture. Real butter was served and I have the photo to prove it.
The syrup served in those little square containers, Mommas Cabin Syrup, contained as the first ingredient, corn syrup and the second ingredient, high fructose corn syrup. We requested maple syrup and offered to pay extra, but none the less, they don’t have any other syrup. Unfortunately, once you’ve had real maple syrup, it’s hard to go back.

Moving on; when ordering the omelet we specifically asked if the spinach was fresh and we were told yes and it is steamed. But Mela and I had our doubts about this. The spinach in the omelet was soft but didn’t have the color or texture of fresh spinach but that of frozen spinach. The Feta cheese wasn’t overbearing and of good quality. Overall the omelet was good and the combination really served our taste buds.

Lastly were the home fries. On this item, Mela and I agreed to disagree. She likes her potatoes seasoning free, and I like some onions, peppers and some seasoning added. But we both agreed that the season-less home fries tasted fresh and had just the right crunchy topping.

At $22.82, without tip, our breakfast was the most economical so far. Who would have guessed that I could find a really good place for breakfast in Yonkers the old fashioned way, my memory and without using the computer!

Mont Olympos Diner, 1 Fort Hill Road, Yonkers, NY 10710
(914) 961-4677, www.montolymposdiner.com

2 pounds potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
¼ parmesan cheese, grated
¼ romano cheese, grated
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 cup Italian seasoned Italian bread crumbs
1 cup flour
3 eggs
4 to 6 cups Canola oil

1. Boil potatoes in water with a little salt until tender. Drain and add butter, milk, salt, pepper, cheeses and parsley. Beat until mixed well.
2. Cover and chill in refrigerator over night or for 5 hours.
3. Heat the oil in a medium pot or fryer over a medium flame.
4. In a small bowl beat eggs. In a shallow dish toss flour. In a third dish toss Italian bread crumbs.
5. In a line place your potatoes first. Next in order place the flour dish, the eggs and last the bread crumbs. Form the potato mixture into 2 to 3 inch size tube shapes. Roll in flour, then in the eggs, then in the bread crumbs.
6. Deep fry the croquettes in the oil, using a wire strainer, shaking and rolling the tubes around to evenly cook them, until they are golden brown.
7. Serve immediately. Makes about 2 dozen. Great side dish for any entrée.
8. This recipe has an Italian flavor to them. If you don’t like the parmesan/ romano cheeses, eliminate the cheeses and try adding ½ grated onion to the potatoes instead.
9. Enjoy – You say potato and I say po-ta-toe, lets call the whole thing off. Instead lets say croquettes!

Family has surrounded me all my life. When I was a kid, my family shared a two family house with my mom’s sister and her family. We entertained in the basement which had a kitchen, bar, and a very rustic stone wine cellar. Every holiday, my mom and aunt would cook and entertain family and friends together as both their kitchens were too small and neither had a dining room. The basement was open, the tables were lined up to accommodate a crowd of family and friends, and everyone left feeling full and happy.

They made it look easy; I didn’t realize how many days they worked on preparing those wonderful dinners until I did my own entertaining!

I have a small diningroom which can just about handle 8 people comfortably or 10 tightly for a sit down dinner. My husband’s family is now too large for us to host a holiday dinner. So a few years ago, I invited just my sister-in-laws, their spouses and a cousin and wife to a formal dinner in February. There are 9 of us, making it a comfy fit around the table. This has been my fourth formal dinner in February for the same guests. I had been hosting the dinners on Saturday nights, but switched to Sunday afternoon this year. From now on, they will always be on Sundays, because I realized how much I needed the extra day. The week before the dinner, I start to put together a menu and by Friday I’m food shopping.

This year, just a day before my big Sunday dinner, my husband had to work, leaving me to my own devices. I cooked all day on Saturday, straightened out the first floor of my home, and set the table. I know you know that setting a proper table with china, special silverware, special wine glasses and linens is an art and a bit time consuming. However, it’s worth it to show my guests how much I appreciate them.

These potato croquettes were prepared especially for my two brothers-in-law, Kevin and John, real meat and potato guys. For this kind of crowd I tend to double the recipe and make 5 pounds of potatoes for the croquettes. I whip the potatoes the day before and let them get very cold in the refrigerator overnight; it makes them easier to mold and handle while breading and frying. These potato croquettes were, without a doubt, the highlight of my dinner. Everyone seemed to love them, especially Kevin and John, who raved about them and my daughter, Mia, who was thrilled to eat the leftovers the following day. If you plan on making these potato croquettes, by all means make extra, because you will be glad you did!

All this planning for one dinner that isn’t even a holiday, yes! Is it a workout? You betcha, more than any 40 minute Zumba or spin class. To have family and friends together, sharing a meal, conversing, enjoying each other’s company, is truly priceless. They are memories in the making, and I so value these times together even if it takes me three days to prepare for it!

1 pkg 16 ounces lasagna noodles
1 pkg 8 ounces mozzarella cheese shredded
3 cups ricotta cheese
6 to 8 cups homemade tomato sauce
1 cup steamed spinach, drained
6 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 small onion chopped
4 to 6 garlic cloves, minced

1 10 ounce pkg of frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained thoroughly
1 – 3 carrots, sliced and steamed
1 – 3 zucchini, sliced and steamed

White Sauce
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
3/ 4 cups half and half
3/ 4 cups milk
salt and pepper

1. Prepare lasagna noodles according to package. Use a drop of oil in water to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Cook 1 to 2 minutes less than the directions, so the noodles are not too soft. Run noodles under cold water immediately after draining them. Spread out long sheets of wax paper. Lay the noodles side by side until no room left on sheet. Then place a sheet of wax paper on top and continue until all noodles are used. This will prevent them from sticking to one another.
2. In the meantime, in a large frying pan, sauteed the garlic, chopped onions and tomatoes, cooking till tender. Add spinach and continue to sauteed till everything is heated. As an option for a different version of vegetable lasagna try it with – 1 10 ounce pkg of frozen chopped broccoli, cooked and drained thoroughly, 3 carrots, sliced and steamed, 3 zucchini, sliced and steamed.
2. Oven 375 degrees.
3. Mix in a bowl the spinach sauteed mixture with ricotta and 4 ounces of mozzarella. (I use whole milk, or part skim ricotta and mozzarella.) The other 4 ounces of mozzarella should be set aside to sprinkle on top of lasagna.
4. In two 9 x 13 x 2 oven baking pan, spoon sauce on the bottom.
5. Layer 3 to 4 noodles over the sauce. Spoon the cheese vegetable mixture onto the layer of noodles. Spoon some sauce over the cheese mixture, then top with a layer of noodles and continue until entire pan is almost full but not all the way to the top of the pan. The last layer should be noodles with sauce covering them and some mozzarella sprinkled over the sauce.
6. Cover and bake for 40 minutes.
7. In a medium saucepan, melt butter. Add flour gradually and stir with a wooden spoon and continue to stir. Slowly add half and half and milk with salt and pepper. Cook and continue to stir until the white sauce thickens a bit. (The sauce will be smooth and thin, but it thickens the longer it sits.) Cover and heat just before serving.
8. Remove cover and bake for 10 minutes longer.
9. Let lasagna sit for 10 minutes after removing from oven before serving and slicing. Serve on the side the white sauce. I serve it in a gravy boat and tell my guests to pour it over the lasagna the desired amount.
10. Makes about 8 servings. Serve with bread and salad.
ENJOY – Vegetarians everywhere unite for lasagna…..

The first time my dinner guests eyeballed my Vegetable Lasagna with white sauce, the silence was deafening. I could sense their disappointment! I knew most of them were expecting the traditional lasagna; pasta loaded with tomato sauce, not this white stuff. I had prepared a different kind of lasagna with a chicken broth and cream based sauce that the ladies felt might not be a winning combination. One friend actually made a face when I told her to “just try it.” She did, and fell in love; I won everyone over at the first bite….al dente, of course. Yep, they even came back for seconds.

The combination of spinach, tomatoes and onions was what I had to work with at the time. Feel free to experiment with any other vegetables. If I had broccoli I could probably substitute that instead of spinach. Carrots are a little sweet so they can add to the flavor, while zucchini can be somewhat bland so no extra flavor there, however, when sautéed together, they can add a punch of flavor. Hey, it’s also an easy way to get your family to eat more vegetables. As far as the white sauce is concerned, I like a very smooth, light sauce to cover the lasagna. Thick sauces tend to be overbearing so other more subtle flavors risk getting lost.

My co-worker, Victor, and I discuss recipes all the time. He used to be a cook in an Italian restaurant and we really enjoy kicking around new ideas. Victor told me to try the white sauce over the lasagna. I know no fear when it comes to cooking; I’m not afraid to fail even when serving friends. I find that people are so grateful when you cook for them that they don’t care if you never made it before. They don’t mind being guinea pigs! I would love if I was a guest for dinner and someone was trying a new recipe on me and wanted my honest opinion. I would feel very privileged to be included in their taste testing.

I consider myself to be a very unpretentious, easy-going and laid back person, and I believe that this is reflected in my cooking. Baking and cooking are fun to me, and I really can’t imagine losing this joy. After all these years, I still love it! OK, cleaning is another story…….

In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy and explore the world of cooking and baking. I hope you continue to enjoy taking the journey with me!

2 Cans Grand biscuits
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cinammon

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter

1 cup walnuts

1. Oven 350 degrees.
2. Spray a Bundt pan with a canola oil spray.
3. Quarter the Grand biscuits toss in a bag with sugar and
cinammon. One can of biscuits for the first layer. Sprinkle
1/2 cup of walnuts all around. Repeat biscuit and walnut
layer again.
4. In a sauce pan, melt butter and add brown sugar. Stir over
heat until well blended. Pour over nuts and biscuits.
5. Bake 35 to 45 minutes, until done. Let sit for 5 minutes
only. Place a dish over the cake. Reverse and let the cake
fall onto plate. Take another dish and re-reverse the cake
onto the dish you want to serve it on. Serves 10.
6. Enjoy – Great bread for your little monkeys!

Monkey Bread has been around forever. My first experience with monkey bread was when my friend, Edith, made it for me many, many years ago when we were having a playdate with our kids.

Well, now the kids are grown and going on playdates with their own kids. And Monkey Bread is still with us and even making something of a comeback. Why? My guess would be that Pillsbury refrigerator biscuits have been on sale lately, and in this economy, products on sale look very attractive! The fact is that it is also one of the simplest coffee cakes to make when time is of the essence.

There’s nothing like trying to save both time and money, now is there? A sale on anything will determine my shopping list. I shop whatever is on sale. Always have and always will. That is not to say I don’t buy anything unless it is on sale, but it really doesn’t help when planning my weekly menu. If my husband and I are in the mood for something, like steak or shrimp, we just buy it. Usually, I am faithful to the supermarkets’ weekly flyers. There are three stores that I check for sales and will shop at the one with the best prices for the items I need that week. For example, toilet paper and paper towels are pricey and we are always in need of both. If one of the supermarkets is having a sale on either one of these items, and I have a coupon for that particular item, then that will determine which store gets my business that week. It drives me crazy to pay full price for something if I don’t have to. As the saying goes, “penny wise, pound foolish”, really is true. You’re really not gonna save any money if you need to drive an extra 15 miles to find that sale. With the rising gas prices today, some sales are just not worth the trip.

Oh yes, now back to that Monkey Bread…..some monkey bread recipes call for icing. I never make it that way, because of personal taste. Monkey bread can be prepared anyway you like it, with nuts or without, with icing or without; it’s just one of those breads that can be enjoyed with or without the frills!

Reblogged from Somebody's Mom: Home Cooking Recipes and Cookies for our Troops: