Mama's Little Baby LOVES Shortenin' Bread

Especially on Valentin'es Day!  I confess - I am a SUCKER for shortbread cookies.  SUCK.  ER.  That’s me.  Here’s a fabulous recipe (courtesy of Foodnetwork.com - shameless plug for the best recipe website on the face of the planet!!)

Shortbread Hearts

Ingredients

• 3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature

• 1 cup sugar, plus extra for sprinkling

• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

• 3 1/2 cups flour

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

In the bowl of an electric mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and 1 cup of sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt; then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and roll shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

Roll the dough 1/2-inch thick and cut with a 3-inch heart-shaped cutter. Place the hearts on an ungreased sheet pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature.

Note: The edges of the shortbread are ever so slightly sharper if you chill the cookies before baking them.

Cook 'em up, serve 'em to your sweetie, and have the most fabulous Valentine's Day Ever!!!

Dinner on a Dime... or a Dollar

Feeding your family on a tight budget can be tough; but thrifty divas enjoy finding yummy, crowd pleasing recipes is greatly rewarding.  Here’s an easy recipe I found at http://family.go.com/ that only costs $1.50 per serving.

Almost Lasagna

Hands On Time:  20 minutes

Ready In:  40 minutes

Yields:  6 servings at $1.50 a pop

Ingredients

1 pound elbow macaroni or small pasta shells

1 pound ground beef, turkey, chicken, or sausage

2 eggs

1 pound ricotta cheese

1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese

salt and pepper

1 jar spaghetti sauce (24-26 ounces)

2 cups shredded mozarella cheese

2 cups chopped veggies (zucchini, carrots, brocolli, etc)

Directions

-Brown meat, drain if necessary

-While meat is cooking, stir together eggs, ricotta, grated Parmesan and salt and pepper.

-Mix cooked meat, macaroni, sauce and veggies.  Add ricotta mixture and blend well.

-Coat a 9x13 baking pan with cooking spray or olive oil and spread 1/2 the macaroni mixture on the bottom, topping with a cup of mozzarella and a healthy sprinkle of grated Parmesan.  Add the remaining macaroni mixture and top with another cup of mozzarella  and another sprinkle of Parmesan.  Cover with foil.

-At this point, the whole thing can go in the fridge to be cooked when you’re ready (diva note:  LOVE THIS! Prepare it in the morning so that all you have to do at dinner time is pop it in the oven.  Time saving skills!  Woo-hoo!)

-Heat your oven to 350 degrees F and bake the casserole for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for another 10 - 20 minutes, until cheese on top is lightly browned and bubbly.

Add a bagged salad, serve, enjoy, and bask in the knowledge that you are one penny-wise diva!