Cheesy Polenta

Ingredients

9 cups of water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 1/2 cups Yellow cornmeal or Polenta (I used Presto Pronta, bought in an Argentine store, Grazianos)
1 1/2 cups of any Cheese you like best (I added Yellow cheddar and swiss cheese)
1 1/2 cups of Milk
10 tablespoons of your favorite butter
1/3 cup of Parsley, chopped
More cheese and/or Parmesan cheese for topping, optional.

 Instructions

Bring 9 cups of water to a Boil. Then, Gradually add the 2 1/2 cups of Italian Polenta

Add salt. Gradually whisk Polenta. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring often, until polenta is tender. Be very careful not to burn yourself.

Remove pot from heat. Add in the cheese, milk, butter and parsley.

Blend well, until cheese and butter have thoroughly melted. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Transfer to a serving dish.

Top it with more cheese.

Enjoy! add parmesan cheese if desired.

Love, Mari

Spring Pasta Salad

Ingredients
1/2 lb.(or about 1 1/2 cups) Mini Farfalle
1 cup of Cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
15-20 Asparagus, cooked and chopped in thirds(I used Belle Solé)
3-5 Bay leaves, chopped
Feta cheese, to taste.
Salt and pepper to taste
2-3 handfuls of Baby spinach, washed and chopped
1/2 a of a lemon juice
Olive oil to desire

Instructions

First, add pasta in boiling water with some salt, lower heat from high to medium, let it simmer for about 10 minutes or until pasta is tender to desire. 

Grab asparagus.

Place Asparagus in a pot with water, bring water to a boil and then remove from heat, cover and let it sit for about 5 minutes. This is so the Asparagus isn't so spicy, but if you like them the way they come then you can just skip this part of the process.

Meanwhile, chop the bay leaves.

Add to the tomatoes and sprinkle some salt.

Add the Asparagus sliced in thirds.

Wash the baby spinach.

Chop and add it to dish along with the drained pasta.

Add olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste. Then mix well. Lastly, sprinkle Feta cheese.

Enjoy!

Love, Mari.

Sesame Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients

3/4 softened butter or margarine

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup milk

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups quick or old-fashioned oats

Sixlets chocolate (optional, as much as you want)

about 1/4 cup of sesame seeds

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit.

Have everything ready.

Combine butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar, milk, egg and vanilla.

Beat until light and fluffy.

Add in the Flour, Cinnamon, Baking soda and salt like so.

Mix.

Until well blended.

Add the oats

Fold them in.

Then the sesame seeds.

and for last the sixlets.

Stir in.

Then on a non-stick cookie sheet drop Tablespoonfuls.

Bake 12-15 minutes. Remove from baking sheet. As they cool they will harden.

Makes about 3 dozen cookies.

Enjoy 1!

or 2..

Maybe 3..

They're addicting so eat as many as you'd like. :)

Love, Mari