Mother's Day Dinner-recipe Suggestions

Shelly-
I am a pampered chef consultant and have based my business on teaching quick and easy wow recipies. I have a few on my website at www.pamperedchef.biz/learn2cook
You can call me (phone on website) if you want something different or want to borrow any of the specialty cookware. BUT off the top of my head I recommend an easy pork loin with mango chutney... For fathers day the short ribs are amazing!!! Oh oh!!! Tres leches trifle !!! With the fresh strawberries and creamy spoonfuls- it's amazing!!!!

That's a lovely idea for mom.
Here's a semi-homemade meal to impress mom... Chicken Alfredo is super easy and probably what moms order most at Olive Garden! Cook noodles in salty water. Saute raw cut up chicken breast in olive oil. You can add italian seasonings or marinate in italian dressing to add color and flavor. Knorr makes a really good powdered envelope Alfredo sauce full of herbs. (get 2 packages) Just add milk and heat. Noodles + chicken + sauce. Couldn't be easier. You can add brocolli to bump up the nutrients. Garlic bread and salad. Good to go!

My advice to people interested in cooking is...
1) Check out www.Allrecipes.com Very helpful features for beginning or advanced cooks.
2) Think of things you like and find the key ingredient. Look on the back of the box and you will probably find a good recipe. For example: best cookie recipe ever is on the back of Chocolate chips.
3)Think of things you would order in a restraunt and break it down. Example : Cajun shrimp pasta at Red Lobster. So good. So expensive. So boil some noodles! Saute shrimp in butter and cajun seasoning. Buy some alfredo sauce and add cajun seasoning to it. Voila.
4) Watch some cooking shows. Semi Homemade, $10 Dollar Dinners, 5 Ingrediants or less, and Paula Deen are all good for beginners.

My daughter is cooking for me, and she's fixing a mushroom and spinach fritatta (like a quiche), blueberry muffins, and a fruit salad. Simple, delicious, and all my favorites. Ask your mom if you aren't sure what she'd like. It's like turning her kitchen into her own personal restaurant! (You have to clean up, of course!) PS. Healthy is for everyday---holidays are for something special.

One of the easiest things I can think of is to bake chicken breasts in Fat Free Italian Dressing. (bake at 350* until fully cooked, time varies based on thickness of the chicken). Serve it with whole grain brown rice and veggies or over pasta with either tomato sauce or fetuccini sauce.

When I first started cooking, I followed recipes to a T to ensure I didn't screw anything up. So, to get started, google something you think would be yummy and search for the easiest ways to make it. You can even start by buying lasagna noodles (non-boil pre-cooked are easiest) and following the recipe on the side of the box. If you know your flavors and spices, tweak the recipe a little to suit your tastes (ie add a clove of minced garlic even though the basic recipe doesn't call for it).

I would suggest practicing today. Make the meal today that you will cook for Sunday, serve it to your fam and taste it yourself and see what you think!

Some easy things I started off making are the following:

- lasagna and bread with salad(vegetable or cheese cheese and more cheese are our favs)
- beef and noodles with salad
- I have a GREAT recipe for something called "wet burritos" that is just divine. It is super easy and REALLY good. I cook a LOT and it is my hubby's fav meal I cook! Email me if you want it! It is very healthy too.

Good luck and Happy Mother's Day!