garlic bread.

Homemade garlic bread with mushroom in white cream sauce. Perfect for a Tuesday evening.

Ingredients: Bread, butter, parsley, garlic, mushrooms, cream cheese, mozarella.
Step 1: Melt butter in a pan. Fry garlic in said melted butter. Throw in some dried or fresh parsley and stir for ten seconds.

Step Two: Cut up some fresh crusty bread and press one side down and allow it to soak up the butter.

See, so simple!

Step Four: Arrange in baking sheet and sprinkle some mozarella cheese on top of the bread.

Step Five: Bake in oven at 375F for about ten minutes.

Yummy!

Now, for second item on the menu. In same pan, fry some mushrooms.

Add a dollop of cream cheese, a few drops of water and let it thicken into a creamy sauce. Stir and simmer till the mushroom cooks.

The post-dinner garlicky breath was totally worth it.

vegetables in white sauce.

Ingredients: Carrots, potatoes, beans. Any vegetable you prefer. Salt, pepper, garlic. Milk, butter, flour.

Chop carrots, potatoes, beans. Boil in salted water. I add some red pepper flakes and garlic for flavor. Add peas and corn if you have any.

Drain once tender.

In a pan, melt one spoon of butter. Fry one spoon of flour in it. Add one cup of milk.

[This pan clearly wasn't dishwasher-safe.]

There, now you're all privy to my mother's awesome not-so-secret 1:1:1 white-sauce recipe. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes for taste.

Add the boiled vegetables and mix well. Let the sauce thicken.

Mix in one large spoon of cream cheese to mellow the dish out. Serve as a delicious side to roast chicken.