You are here: Home / Archives for family
Apr 26, 2016

Classic Movie Night Snacks

By · Leave a Comment

Grab your family’s favorite movies and curl up in the living room with these cute twists on classic theater treats from FamilyFun magazine. These simple and fun recipes are the perfect way to get kids excited about helping in the kitchen before a fun family movie night.

102704950

Image courtesy of FamilyFun Magazine

BLUE RASPBERRY SLUSHIE

Little movie critics will slurp this super slushie right up.

Makes 2 servings

  • 2 cups cream soda
  • ½ tsp. Kool-Aid Ice Blue Raspberry Lemonade powdered mix
  • 3 cups crushed ice
  • 2 drops blue food coloring
  • 2 Rainbow Twizzlers
  1. Help your child measure the cream soda and Kool-Aid into a blender. Add ice and food coloring, and blend until smooth.
  2. Cut the ends off Rainbow Twizzlers, stick them in the drinks as straws, and all the kiddos will have to worry about is brain freeze!
102704952

Image courtesy of FamilyFun Magazine

TINY STROMBOLI

This pizza-parlor staple goes mini—turning it into the perfect food for your viewing party.

Makes 5 servings

  • 2 cans refrigerated smallbiscuit dough
  • 60 slices pepperoni (about half a 6-oz. package)
  • 20 one-inch cubes of mozzarella cheese, cut from cheese sticks
  • 1 Tbs. olive oil
  • ¼ tsp. dried Italian seasoning
  • ⅛ tsp. garlic powder
  • 1 jar (14 oz.) pizza sauce, warmed
  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.
  2. Help your kids roll out each biscuit to ⅛-inch thick. Place 3 slices pepperoni and 1 cube cheese on each round. Pull the edges up around the filling, and pinch dough together at the top. Place in the pan, with the seam side down.
  3. Repeat with all the dough rounds, slice two vents in the top of each, and brush with olive oil. Sprinkle with dried herbs and garlic powder.
  4. Bake 30 to 35 minutes, until golden brown and cooked through. Serve with pizza sauce.
102704951

Image courtesy of FamilyFun Magazie

POPCORN CRUNCH

Sweet! Salty! Crunchy! This pumped-up popcorn is a winner.

Makes 5 servings

  • 10 cups popped popcorn
  • 1 cup broken pecans
  • 1 cup chopped dried apricots
  • 2 cups thin pretzel knots, broken into pieces
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • ¾ cup butter
  • ½ cup light corn syrup
  • 1 tsp. kosher salt
  • ½ tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  1. Heat oven to 250°F. Line two baking sheets with nonstick foil.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the popcorn, pecans, apricots, and pretzels.
  3. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, and salt (an adult’s job). Cook over medium heat until it boils. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in vanilla and baking soda.
  4. Pour caramel over popcorn, stirring. Spread onto baking sheets. Bake for 45 minutes, stirring twice. Remove from oven and cool completely. Break into chunks and serve.
Filed Under: family, sponsored ·
May 30, 2014

Venison Cheese Enchiladas

By · 2 Comments

This recipe is from my husband’s Aunt April (whom we fondly call Aunt Pokie).  She’s famous for these bad boys, and Dustin started making them a few years ago  for us.  They’ve quickly become a favorite in our house, and we think of Pokie every time we make them.

Venison Cheese Enchiladas | Sarafina's Kitchen

  • 1 lb ground venison
  • 1 medium onion, finely chopped
  • 1 package Lawry’s Enchilada Sauce Mix  (3 cups water, 6 oz. tomato paste)
  • 8 flour-corn tortillas
  • 1 cup Velveeta, shredded
  • 1 cup Mexican blend cheese, shredded
  • Handful fresh parsley, chopped

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Brown the ground venison with half of the onion.
  3. While the venison cooks, prepare the enchilada sauce according to package directions.
  4. Lightly coat a 9×13 baking dish with nonstick spray.
  5. Take the first tortilla, dip it in the enchilada sauce, lay it in the pan.
  6. Fill it with the meat mixture and a handful of the Velveeta.
  7. Roll it up, with the seam side down.
  8. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, lining them up in the pan.
  9. Pour any remaining sauce over the enchiladas.
  10. Cover with the cheddar cheese and remaining chopped onions.
  11. Bake for 15-20 minutes until the cheese is melted and the enchiladas are heated through.
  12. Top with fresh parsley and serve.
Filed Under: family, main_course · Tagged: , , ,
Apr 15, 2012

This Week in My Life

By · Leave a Comment

20120415-135328.jpg

Filed Under: family, journal · Tagged: ,
Jun 14, 2011

Banana-Blueberry Dream Pie

By · Leave a Comment

Recipe #5 for Forster-Bazzano Week, and by far, my favorite.  This was also my Grandma’s recipe, and it’s my mom’s favorite pie.  Grandma (her mother-in-law) made it for her every year for her birthday.

  • 1 container Cool Whip (4.5 oz)
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1/2 pkg cream cheese (8 oz package) @ room temperature
  • 3 bananas, medium
  • 1/2 can blueberry pie filling (1 lb can)
  • 1 baked pie shell

Mix together in a bowl whipped topping, cream cheese and sugar.  Beat at medium speed until smooth and creamy.  Set aside.  Next, slice 1 1/2 bananas and arrange in the bottom of the pie shell.  Spread half of the blueberry pie filling over sliced bananas, then spread half of the whipped topping over the filling.  Repeat the layers again, ending with the whipped topping.  Chill for about one hour before cutting.

Filed Under: desserts, family · Tagged: , ,
Apr 28, 2011

7-Can Soup

By · Leave a Comment

Recipe #4 for Forster-Bazzano Family Week.

  • Hamburger, 1 lb
  • Onion, chopped, one
  • Minestrone soup, 3 cans
  • Ranch-style beans, 2 cups
  • Whole tomatoes, chopped, 1 can
  • Ro-tel diced green chilies, 1 can

Brown the hamburger and onion and drain.  Mix together the seven cans of soup, beans, tomatoes, and Ro-tel.  Heat through.

Filed Under: family, soups ·
Apr 27, 2011

Green Bean Salad

By · Leave a Comment

Recipe #3 from Forster-Bazzano Family Recipe Week.

  • Cut green beans, drained, 1 can
  • Celery, chopped, 1/4 cup
  • Green onions, chopped, 1/4 cup
  • Sharp cheddar, grated, 1/2 cup
  • Capers, 1/2 Tbsp (whole if small, chop if large)
  • Green Goddess Dressing (about 1/4 cup)
  • Salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients. This is  better if prepared and refrigerated several hours before serving to blend flavors.

Filed Under: family, salads, sides ·
Apr 26, 2011

Shrimp & Eggplant Casserole

By · Leave a Comment

Recipe #2 for Forster-Bazzano Family Reunion week!

  • 2 lb cooked shrimp
  • 2 medium eggplant, peeled and quartered
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 1 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/4 tsp cayenne
  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 2 tbsp onion, grated
  • 1 cup coarse cracker crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup thin cream

Steam eggplant in 1/2 cup of water and 1 tsp of salt until tender.  Drain and mash with pepper, cayenne, butter, onion and remaining 1/2 tsp of salt.  Add cracker crumbs, egg, and thin cream; mix well.  Fold in shrimp and turn into a greased casserole.  Sprinkle top with fine cracker crumbs.  Bake at 325 oven for one hour.

Filed Under: family, main_course ·
Apr 26, 2011

Company Chicken

By · Leave a Comment

In honor of the 10th anniversary of the Forster-Bazzano family reunion this weekend, I am going to be sharing a week’s worth of my family recipes with you.

First up is my Grandma Clara’s Company Chicken.

  • 1 package frozen chicken breasts and thighs
  • flour for dredging
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 can cream of mushroom soup
  • 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
  • 1 can sliced mushrooms, 4oz

Dredge chicken in flour, salt and pepper.  Brown in a little oil thoroughly on all sides.  Place chicken in a large casserole.

Stir soup into pan drippings.  Add curry and mushrooms, along with 1/2 soup can of water.  Pour over chicken and bake for 50 minutes at 300 degrees.

My notes: I use 1 lb (approx. 4) chicken thighs, freshly sauteed mushrooms, and white wine or dry sherry in place of the water.  Even without those changes, it’s still a very simple and tasty recipe.

Filed Under: family, main_course ·
%d bloggers like this: