One Crazy WEEK!!

Our family week in August is always jam-packed with fun and craziness. Add the girls' boyfriends this time, plus a few of their friends---well, let's say it was extra nuts around here. We were really happy that Mindy got to come home for 2 days. We went to Bowling Green, KY one day to The Lost River Cave. That was pretty lame, but you just never know about these things.

Before everyone arrived, the refrigerator was packed full. By Tuesday, ALL the food I bought for the whole week was GONE!! I did a lot of cooking---several new recipes. Sandy always makes a point of trying new things when I visit, so I decided to return the favor.

I made 3 BIG meals (Crispy Baked Pork Chops, Crunchy Hot Chicken Salad and Spicy Shrimp Liguine), 2 smaller meals (sandwich meals---BLT's and White Castle Burgers) and 3 desserts (Cherry Cheese Trifle, Praline Cake and Lemonade Pie). I thought I'd share some of the recipes. They were all pretty good hits.

Linguine with Spicy Shrimp

8 oz. uncooked linguine (I substituted angel hair---my favorite)

2 tbsp. butter

1/2 cup chopped onion

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 tomatoes, diced

1 lb. medium shrimp, peeled, deveined

1 1/2 tsps. Cajun seasoning

1/2 tsp. ground red pepper

1/8 tsp. salt

1/2 cup half and half

1/3 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (just realized I completely forgot this)

1. Cook pasta and drain.

2. Melt butter in skillet. Add onions and saute for 3 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes and saute for 2 minutes. Sprinkle shrimp with Cajun seasoning, red pepper and salt. Add to pan. Saute 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink.

3. Add half and half to shrimp and pour over pasta.

I tripled the recipe but quadrupled the pasta (I cooked 2 lbs.) This was really good.

Praline Cake (this recipe is from my friend Karolyn Broussard)

1 stick butter, plus 3 T., softened

1 cup light brown sugar

4 T. light corn syrup

2 cups chopped pecans

1 box butter pecan cake mix

1 1/4 cups water

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 eggs

Mix first 4 ingredients in a small bowl. Spray a 13x9 pan with Pam or Baker's Joy and spread pecan mixture over the bottom. Prepare cake mix using water, oil and eggs as directed on the package. Pour batter slowly over the pecan mixture. Bake at 350 for until cake is done---about 45 minutes. When done, immediately invert pan on heatproof tray or covered board. Leave pan over cake for 2-3 minutes only. Remove pan. Top with ice cream or cool whip.

Sweet and Hot Cheese Spread

1 --8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

apricot preserves

1/8 tsp. ground red pepper

1/4 cup slivered almonds (sliced is okay)

Crackers (I use Wheat Thins)

Top cream cheese with preserves. Sprinkle with pepper and almonds.

Layered Black Bean Dip (I had planned to make this, but never got around to it)

1--8 oz. pkg. cream cheese

1 cup canned black beans, rinsed

1 can Rotel tomatoes, drained

1 cup Mexican style shredded cheese

Top cream cheese with beans, tomatoes and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Cherry Cheese Trifle

1--8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 can Eagle brand milk

1--12 oz. container Cool Whip

1/2 tsp. almond extract

1 prepared angel food cake

2 cans cherry pie filling

sliced almonds for garnish

Combine cream cheese and Eagle milk until smooth. Stir in half of the Cool Whip and almond extract. Tear angel food cake and place half in trifle bowl. Spoon half the cream cheese over filling and top with can of pie filling. Repeat layers and top with remaining Cool Whip. Sprinkle with sliced almonds.

Crispy Baked Pork Chops

Pepperidge Farm corn bread stuffing, crushed

Eggs

Milk

Mix a little milk with the eggs. Dip pork chops in egg mixture and then crumbs. Bake at 400 for 30 minutes or until done.

White Castle Burgers (I got this recipe from my niece, Marci)

1 lb. ground beef

1 pkg. dry onion soup mix

3" of Velveeta, cubed

Brown meat, add soup mix, add cheese until melted. Do not drain grease (I did anyway).

Serve over buns. I tripled this recipe--everyone loved it.

We had several poker and game nights. We watched Glee. We swam everyday for hours on end. We shopped. We ate out. We did a little of everything.

Damage report---and this is only what I saw---who knows what else happened:

Bathing Beauty figurine in the pool bath broken

Picture frame broken

1 spilled drink in the family room

2 spilled drinks in the dining room (during poker game)

1 spilled drink---bounced down the rec room stairs---I heard a voice say, "why did you knock my drink down the steps"---and then a person, who shall remain nameless, came down and got the roll of paper towels.

When the family is here, I just close my eyes and don't "wig out" about anything. When they leave, I do the clean up. On Sunday, I wiped the spill marks all along the wall to the rec room--it was obvious that the drink bounced down. And just when I thought I didn't need gloss paint anymore. I won't even mention the laundry.