Mimi Day! Oatmeal cookies and Goulash!

Today is another snow day and my boys requested cookies.  I decided to bake a recipe from my Mimi who was my favorite cookie baker in the whole world!  I think I got my love of baking from her.  I was blessed to have two wonderful Grandmas.  "Mimi" and my Grandma Barnaby- I will profile some of my favorites from Grandma Barnaby soon!   You could always count on Mimi for a purse full of Doublemint, Big Red and a few butterscotch disks during church.  She always came over for Sunday lunch.  I spent a lot of time with that lady.  She and Pop were definitely as my Mom always said, "The Cowboy and the Lady"!

My Mimi and Pop.  Such a beautiful couple.  They were both some of the kindest people around.  

The Oatmeal Cookie recipe.  Let's do this! She didn't make the frosting so I won't either!

The ingredients (minus the vanilla- I added it later on a whim!)

Cream the Shortening and Sugars!  Next add your flour, baking soda and salt.

Add the oats!

I added a splash of vanilla.  We didn't do nuts since Jack is allergic so we added white chocolate chips instead!

Roll it in Saran Wrap!

Ready for the oven!

The finished product.  Mollie tasted and squealed with delight!  

After we baked the cookies, we decided to declare it a "Mimi Day" so I put together a goulash for dinner.  My Mimi was well known in my family for her delicious goulash.  She didn't really follow a recipe- just used what she had on hand.  Boy oh boy, was it delicious!  I decided since we were making this in the late morning, I would make it a "goulash bake" so I could pop in the fridge and then bake before dinner.

The ingredients for the Baked Goulash.

Ingredients:
Chopped purple onion
Chopped Bell Pepper- I used red.
1 lb ground chuck
A little minced garlic.  I added around 2 tsp.
1 can tomato sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes
small jar of pasta sauce
Italian Seasoning
A small dip of ricotta cheese- just for creaminess.  That is my twist!
Mozzarella cheese and a small sprinkling of Parmesan.

My devoted helper, Jack.  He is back in action and ready for the task!

Add your ground chuck, onions and peppers.  Brown it!

After it cooks just a bit, add some minced garlic.  Fresh, jarred, garlic powder- Any will do!

Garlic on top!  Yummmmmm......

Okay, they are not not cooking but I have a girls riding toy being pulled with a horse rope.
See, I told you we were half bowman! ha.  Don't mind my dirty fridge.
Stainless and three little 'ens is not a good combo.

Add some Italian seasoning.  I did a generous sprinkle on the meat.

Now, it's browned. Add the tomatoes!

Add the small jar of sauce.  Don't forget to add a little water to "rinse" so you don't waste any of it!

Add the tomato sauce.  Smells so good!!!

Boil any kind of pasta.  I used rigatoni.  Normally, I would use elbow pasta but I didn't have any on hand.  So, I did what Mimi would do and I just used what I had!

Add a dip of ricotta cheese.  Yummmm. Creamy, Goodness!

Add a little parm cheese on top.  Stir to combine!

Order up! as Connor says.  Pasta is ready.  You don't want it too soft as it will cook a bit more in the oven.

So tasty looking!

Put it in your Grandmothers casserole dish!  It enhances the flavor!  Add cheese on top.  Just don't drop cheese on the counter like I did!  I used a little mozzarella and cheddar.   Then send to the fridge until ready to bake or go ahead and bake at 350 degrees.  Really good!   Don't forget the iced tea to drink!!!