Our group is very deversified. We come from all over the United States and even Canada. Here you will find regional specialities as well as many old time family favorites. Most of us love to cook and have spent many hours cooking for our families. We hope you will find many recipes here for your special holidays and everyday family dinners, "From Our House To Yours".

1 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 15-oz container ricotta cheese

1 10-oz package frozen spinach, thawed and well-drained

1 16-oz box large pasta shells

2 Tbl olive ol

1 medium onion, chopped or thinly sliced

4 oz (or more) sliced mushrooms

1 to 4 cloves garlic

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

1 16-oz can tomato sauce

2 large tomatoes, chopped

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside. In a pan treated with cooking spray, saute garlic, mushrooms and onions until onions are translucent. Combine 3/4 cup of the parmesan, mozzarella, ricotta and spinach with the garlic, mushrooms and onions in a large bowl. Mix well. Spoon mixture into pasta shells and place shells in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine tomatoes, tomato sauce, oregano, basil and salt in a bowl. Mix well, then spoon over top of shells. Cover and bake at 350� for 30 minutes. Uncover and top with remaining parmesan cheese. Bake for an additional 10 minutes. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before serving. NOTE: It is very important not to overcook pasta shells in the beginning. Serves 6.

Ingredients

3-1/2 lb. broiler-fryer chicken, cut up

1/2 c. all purpose flour

1 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

6 slices bacon

6 small onions

1/2 lb. mushrooms, washed, trimmed and sliced

4 carrots, halved

1 c. chicken broth

1 c. red Burgundy wine

1 clove garlic, crushed

1/2 t. salt

Bouquet Garni (below)

Wash chicken and pat dry. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Coat chicken with flour mixture. In large skillet, fry bacon until crisp; remove and drain. Brown chicken in hot bacon drippings. Push chicken to one side, add onions and mushrooms; cook and stir until onions are tender. Drain off fat. Crumble bacon and add with remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until chicken is tender. Remove Bouquet Garni before serving. Skim off excess fat. If desired, sprinkle chicken with snipped parsley. (4 servings)

Bouquet Garni

Tie 1/2 tsp thyme leaves, 1 bay leaf and 2 large sprigs parsley in cheesecloth bag.

Use veal tenderloin for the medallions of veal. Pound veal thin, lightly flour and saut� with virgin olive oil until half cooked. Remove veal from pan. In same pan, saut� onion chunks and sweet red pepper chunks until half cooked. Add fresh mushrooms, cut into halves, and cook one minute. Put veal back into pan with onions, mushrooms and pepper. Turn heat very high and when mixture is extremely hot, add 1/3 c. sweet Vermouth. Cover and simmer until Vermouth is absorbed (a couple of minutes). Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir a large spoon of marinara sauce into veal mixture and simmer a few minutes. Use the remaining marinara sauce for sides of pasta to be served with veal.

Marinara Sauce

Put 35 oz. can of whole tomatoes in saucepan and squash tomatoes with hands. Saut� chopped garlic in olive oil until half cooked; add one chopped onion and saut� until half cooked. Add squashed tomatoes and boil over high heat. Add fresh basil, 2 bay leaves, salt and pepper and simmer for 20 minutes (a hot pepper can be added if desired)

This mixture is a great time saver for working families. It can be used to make Stuffed Peppers, Stuffed Cabbage Rolls, Meatloaf, Meatballs, Hamburgers, Saulisbury Steak, Lazagna, Chilli or any recipe that call for ground beef. This makes 40 Individual Portions. Divide it into individual freezer bags. This can be cut in half.

Ingredients

6 pounds ground chuck

4 pounds lean ground pork (all beef could be used)

3 cups finely diced onions

2 cups finely diced celery

1/4 cup diced garlic

1 cup finely sliced green onions

1 cup chopped parsley

6 whole eggs

1 cup 1/2 and 1/2 cream

salt and cracked pepper to taste

Hot Pepper Sauce to taste

In a large mixing bowl, combine ground chuck, pork, onions, celery, garlic, green onions and parsley. Using your hands, mix the ingredients thoroughly until all seasonings are well blended. Add eggs, cream, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Continue to blend until the liquids are well incorporated. Divide mixture into desired portions for later use. Freeze up to three months. To defrost, place in refrigerator overnight. Other ingredients can then be added, seasonings, bread crumbs, etc.

Nothing makes a better fricassee than an old black iron pot.

Ingredients

1 3-1/2 pound fryer

1 1/2 cups flour

1 cup vegetable oil

2 cups diced onions

Cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced bell peppers

1 tablespoon chopped garlic

1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

1 cup sliced mushrooms

1 cup sliced green onions

1/4 cup chopped parsley

1 cup sour cream

salt and pepper to taste

Hot Sauce to taste

Rinse chicken well under cold running water and cut into 8 serving pieces. Drain the chicken well in a colander and season to taste using salt, pepper and Hot Sauce. In a large Dutch oven, heat 1/2 cup vegetable oil over medium high heat. Dust the chicken in 1 cup of flour, shaking off all the excess. Once oil is hot, fry the pieces, a few at a time, until golden brown on all sides. Caution: You may need to adjust the heat on the oil to keep flour and oil from scorching. These pan drippings will be used when making the roux. When done, remove chicken and set aside. Add additional oil to the pot as needed to retain 1/2 cup. Sprinkle in 1/2 cup flour, and using a wire whisk, stir until a golden brown roux is achieved. Add onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Saute 3 to 5 minutes or until vegetables are wilted. Add chicken stock, a little at a time, until stew-like consistency is achieved. Add mushrooms and return fried chicken to the pot. Bring to a rolling boil, reduce heat to simmer and cook until chicken is tender, approximately 45 minutes. Add green onions, parley and sour cream. Blend well into the sauce mixture, then season to taste using salt, pepper and Hot Sauce. Additional stock may be necessary to retain consistency. Serve over steamed white rice or noodles. Serves 6.

Submitted by: Judy Clark, from Florida