Family dinner

About once a week we try to have a family dinner. It is a time for us to get together, relive good family memories and make new ones. Sometimes we have culture night where I research and cook foods from different time periods or cultures or countries. We play themed music, watch videos after dinner, and try to decorate a little, have a trivia quiz or just discussion, and eat food close to the culture but adapted to our taste. Other times, we have old family recipes. Some weeks, it is whatever is quick in the freezer or someone's choice. Tonight it was comfort food. Baked Ziti with extra vegetables, and Grandma Chapman's cobbler. There are not pictures, we ate it too fast. Sometimes you just enjoy the moment.

Grandma Chapman's Cobbler

melt 1 stick butter in a glass 2 quart oven safe baking dish (Square or round with high sides, round better)

mix 1 c milk, 1 c. flour, 1 c. sugar, 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon salt together well

pour into center of melted butter -- DO NOT STIR

pour 1 can pie filling into center of batter -- DO NOT STIR apple is best, then peach, then and not as good blueberry.

bake at 350 for about 40 minutes. til edges brown, center light tan

Baked Ziti

bring pot of water with 2 tablespoons salt to boil

add box of vegi pasta and cook til al dente

meanwhile....

add 2 tablespoons oil to skillet and heat.

add 1 pound sliced muchrooms

and 1/2 pound ground turkey broken into pieces. 

add all purpose seasoning and dried basil

add about 2 cups frozen peas

add about 1/2 cup chopped fresh curly parsley

cook til turkey done, doesn't take long. 

remove from heat

stir in a1/2 small container regular ricotta cheese

drain pasta and return to pot.

add meat mix and 1 jar marinara sauce

stir well. 

in rectangular baking dish put in 1/3 pasta mix

sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and shredded Parmesan cheese (1/3 small bag each) 

layer 1/3 pasta mix, 1/3 of each cheese

rest of pasta mix, rest of cheese

top with 1 cup chopped fresh parsley

bake mostly covered with tin foil at 350  for about 20 minutes. 

let sit for 10 min before serving.

ingredients....1 box vegetable rotini pasta, 1 pound sliced mushrooms, 1/2 pound ground turkey, 2 T cooking oil, 2 cups frozen peas, all purpose seasoning, salt, dried basil, 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, 1 jar marinara sauce, small tub whole milk ricotta cheese, small bag shredded Parmesan cheese, small bag shredded mozzarella cheese