The only thing I remember my dad making...

Spaghetti carbonara - super easy. Recipe for 2 follows below...

Enough spaghetti for the two of you
1/2 lb bacon
3 eggs
Parmesan cheese

Boil water for the pasta. Meanwhile, cook the bacon to desired doneness. Crack the eggs into a bowl and scramble with a fork or whisk. Add in parmesan to egg mixture.

After pasta is done and drained, pour the pasta back into the pot. Over low heat, mix in the cheese egg mixture. Once it starts gelling, throw in the crumpled bacon and voila! Instant dinner! Add more cheese on top if desired.

Adjust amounts for more kids/hungrier kids :-)

Killer chocolate brownies

Like fudgy, extra chocolaty brownies? Me too. Here ya go

4 squares dark chocolate
3/4 cup butter
1 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3 jumbo eggs
14-16 oz. chocolate chips
1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350. Melt the chocolate and butter in the microwave. Combine with flour, sugar, eggs and vanilla. Add in chips. Place in 9" square pan - bake for 35 minutes - start checking at 30 minutes. Baking time will vary with ovens. If you want a more cakelike brownie, don't add in chips - add in 1/2 cup more of flour. Another variation is to add butterscotch chips. Ex-girlfriends ask for these!

Pizza, Pizza, Pizza

Use the dough we made last time - hunk off a grapefruit sized piece. Let rest for an hour.

Meanwhile, preheat your oven to 500. Get your pizza stone out - dust with cornflour if you have it, otherwise regular flour is fine - it just won't give it that some finesse. Roll out the dough after it rests to as thin as you can - we're talking 1/8 inch here- don't worry about holes - trim excess off somewhere else and fill the holes.

for easy pizza - take a small can of tomato paste, spread it around the crust. Take 4 ounces of shredded mozzarella cheese - add it - and please feel free to add more cheese - or different cheese. Add other ingredients - onions, garlic, peppers, whatever.

Pizza is done when the crust is golden brown - about 10-12 minutes - but check! At that high tempurature, it definitely depends on the heat you oven puts out.

No knead bread recipe

This recipe is based on the one from "Artisanal Bread in 5 Minutes A Day". It keeps in your fridge for 2 weeks - just hunk off a grapefruit sized piece, let it rest for an hour, and bake. Presto! Fresh baked bread. You can also use the dough for pizza, cinnamon rolls, breadsticks, and many other things.

1 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon salt
6 1/2 cups warm water
13 cups flour
Herbs to taste
Parmesan Cheese (optional)

Combine the yeast, salt and water. Add flour. With a wooden spoon combine without overdoing it - you don't want to knead it, just mix it. Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap for an hour or two - then it's ready for the fridge.

When you're ready for some bread, take a nice grapefruit sized hunk off and recover the bowl. Let it rest for an hour. If you'd like to add cheese or herbs, now is the time to do it. Gently shape into a loaf. If you want uniform bread, put into a breadloaf now, otherwise just let it be on the counter.

Insert pizza stone on your oven's middle shelf. Pre-heat your oven to 400. Carefully place dough on pizza stone and let 'er bake for 30-40 or until golden brown on the crust. If you're using the breadpan, same instructions apply. Take it out and enjoy!

It's great warm with butter, herbed butter, or garlic butter over it. I'm getting hungry now...