On the Side : Garlic Bread to Write Home About

I wasn't expecting rave reviews about something as second fiddle as garlic bread, but last night at a house party I prepared this easy (and really cheap) garlic bread that got noticed!

What you need:

• 1 loaf (or however many loaves you need) of french bread fresh from the bakery
• a baking sheet
• a few garlic cloves, peeled
• some olive oil in a shallow bowl
• a basting brush
• salt
• pepper

What to do:

• arrange your oven so that the top rack is 6 inches below the broiler
• cut the bread diagonally (this matters) in 3/4 inch slices
• place bread on baking sheet and broil for 2 minutes on the first side, flip the bread over and broil another 1 to 1 1/2 minutes (watch it so it doesn't burn)
• cut a garlic clove in half (it works best with really big cloves) and rub the inside of the clove all over the bread
• brush each slice with olive oil
• sprinkle each slice with salt and pepper
• eat it...before someone else does

If you really like garlic-y garlic bread, this is the way to do it. I didn't expect rubbing a little raw garlic on hot bread would do much, but it really left its mark!

We also had some super yummy italian meatballs, and I will get the recipe and post it as well.

October 28 - November 10, 2006

I'm a little behind on meal plans! Here's what's cooking...

28 S – Chicken and Dumplings, Mixed Veggies
29 U – Frozen Pizza
30 M – Salmon Casserole , Mashed Potatoes
31 T – Call FM Event (Harvest Festival)
1 W – church dinner
2 R – Grilled Chicken Quarters, Scalloped Corn, Green Peas
3 F – Chicken Foil Packets
4 S – Call FM Event (UMC "Country" Fair)
5 U – Hot Wings, Sweet Potato Fries
6 M - Pork Loin with Potatoes, Broccoli, Carrots
7 T – BBQ Pork Sandwiches, Mac & Cheese, Baked Beans
8 W – church dinner
9 R – Hamburgers, Tater Tots, Carrots, Pickles, Olives
10 F – Tortellini Sausage Alfredo, Salad

In all honesty, I'm not using the recipes linked to the Salmon or the Corn, but I think they are somewhat generic recipes. If you happen to use one of those recipes and they happen to be spectacular, I'd like to know about it!

Pork Loin with Potatoes - sounds yummy doesn't it! It did to me too until I started pricing out the pork loin at the grocery store! Eating on a budget demands that you get a little creative. I'm going to substitute pork shoulder, which is still good and the leftovers will make yummy BBQ pork sandwiches.

Soups On: Tortellini Soup

Words that describe this dish? Cheap, Easy, Tasty

Tortellini Soup*

1/2 large sweet red pepper, chopped
1/2 cup diced carrots (8 baby carrots or 2 medium carrots)
2 garlic cloves, diced (or 1/4 tsp garlic powder)
4 cups chicken broth
9 oz fresh, frozen, or dry cheese tortellini
3 cups baby spinach (1/2 a bag) with stems removed

Saute pepper and carrots in a large pot coated with cooking spray for 4 minutes, add garlic saute 1 more minute. Add chicken broth and boil (gently) 5 minutes. Add tortellini and cook until tender. Remove from heat, add spinach and stir until it is wilted. Serve with crusty french bread.

*Parents Magazine, March 2006, pg. 164