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Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rolls and Batman and Cats...Yeah, Just The Normal Stuff At This Casa

4/12/2015

 

Oh my goodness gracious!! 
It has been almost 
THREE MONTHS 
since I last posted!



I LOVE LOVE LOVE blogging and have missed posting all 
the good (yum yum) 
the bad (NOT so yum yum)
and the ugly (blech-worthy) dishes
I've been making.
 
But I have been soooooo busy with 
#1. 
Work 






And #2. 
Life

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Um. Yeah. Don't ask. This is just between you and me, K??!! 







And #3. 
Hanging out with our #1 and only grandchild 
Little Boy Blue!!!!
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Oh yeah, I almost forgot.








#4.

Shooing cats out of the year-end records boxes...


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Gino 
says, 

"Now you see me..."





"...now you don't, sucka!"
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Giblet Pearl-Thanksgiving Day Kitty 

is smart,

she knows that humans 
never give much attention to the lids.
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Gino, however, 
continues his 
stare-down with
"The Man" 
(aka Angie) .










In fact, Gino recruited sweet Noodle to assist him in his defiance of 

"The Man".
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Noodle says:
"The Man can kiss my grits! Wait, what? The Man is my human momma, Angie?? I didn't mean it, Mom! I love uuuu Mom!!! Pick me up and love on me, moooommmm!" 





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"Dude. 
I'm just here for my twice daily treat,"
 
says the always elegant Baby.





"Although it will always be my job  to investigate every empty box that enters my kingdom."
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Gino, unflinching to the repeated requests to 

GET THE HECK OUT OF THE BOX, reiterates his defiant stance.

 "Listen lady, if I told ya once, I told ya a million times, I ain't goin' down without a good paw whack."






So yeah, 
not much has changed in three months.

Except....

SPRING!!!!!
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Toys on the sidewalk.


First sign of Spring, eh? 
:)





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Pots waiting to be potted.




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Green  peeking through 
brown soil.




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Llilies that will 
bloom orange.





And a Christmas wreath by the barn that needs put away.
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Course, 
the wreath has been there about five years. 


What?

Clearly I have an inability to follow through on boring tasks, 

like putting things back where they belong.
*Sigh*









Okay, let's get to some serious food 
stuff now.
LOOK AT THESE!!!
Oh my! 
These are cute little 
Butternut Squash and 
Spinach Lasagna Rolls.
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I've made these five times in the last two months and Ima make them again tomorrow night!!
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These are little nuggets of individual lasagna rolls, filled with a creamy spinach ricotta mixture and topped with sweet butternut squash and a dollop of cheese.




Here's the fixins for these Lasagna Rolls from skinnytaste.com!
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I was out of shallots so I subbed a white onion. Worked great!






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Whether you boil or bake this butternut squash,


 it all comes out awesome.




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Nice and earthy bake here...





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Boil up your lasagna.

This dish makes 9 lasagna rolls so I usually cook up ten strips.

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I use this brand because its whole wheat.




Prep up the garlic, shallots, parsley and I added some chopped sage leaves this time.

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Defrost the spinach and wring out the moisture.


So the recipe calls for an immersion blender to mash the cooked butternut squash. I didn't want to get mine out so I got out my regular blender.
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Dear Readers,

Do NOT do this. It's ridiculous. Just mash with a potato masher, takes like one minute and 

NO MESS.

Love,
Angie




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Saute up the shallots and garlic. 


I added additional garlic and chopped sage for added flavor as this can be a tad...missing something.




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Add
the butternut squash into the skillet.




If the squash mixture is a little too thick, add some liquid or some of the pasta water. I added wine according to some recipe reviewers. 
Add salt and pepper and a bit of the Parmesan too.





In a separate bowl, combine the spinach, ricotta, Parm, egg and salt and pepper.
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Will look like this when combined...creamy but maybe missing just a tad flavor, that's why I added the garlic and sage to the butternut squash topping.
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Lay out your lasagna noodles. 
I laid them on wax paper that had been sprayed with olive oil spray so they wouldn't stick.
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Spread the ricotta and spinach mixture evenly over 
the nine noodles.
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Spread some of the squash mixture on the bottom of the dish.




Roll up those lasagna sheets, they roll up very nicely in fact, each and every time.




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Top
each roll with the squash mixture and cheese.

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.





They look delicious just like this, don't they?
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But throw them in the oven for 40 minutes and this is how these little cuties come out.

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I really liked these! 
At the first bite, you might be expecting a big burst of flavor but that big burst is not there. The sweet and savory and creamy flavors are subtle here and that's okay.
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I keep making and making these, 
I don't know why, they are kind of addicting though.
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These are cute too, with the ruffly edges.
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Mmmmmmm, creamy ricotta spinachy goodness.
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Okay, I drizzled some maple syrup over each roll for a bit more oomph so that's a nice option too. 
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Here's the recipe! 
(Remember I added some chopped sage and extra garlic.)
Butternut Squash and Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Staight outta the Skinnytaste.com website...go there for full recipe and directions!!!

Ingredients:
For the Butternut Parmesan Sauce: 
  • 1 lb butternut squash, peeled and diced
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil
  • 1/4 cup shallots, minced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp fresh grated parmesan cheese
  • kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Lasagna:
  • 9  lasagna noodles, cooked (use gluten free noodles for gluten free)
  • 10 oz package frozen chopped spinach, heated and squeezed well
  • 15 oz fat free ricotta cheese (I like Polly-o)
  • 1/2 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 large egg
  • salt and fresh pepper
  • 9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim shredded Italian Blend Cheese (I used Sargento)
  • 1 tablespoon parsley, minced

For full directions, click right here to go over to the exact recipe on skinnytaste.com for all the directions!! It's worth it!!

Or go to Epicurious where the recipe and directions are posted and people give great advice on the reviews!




Okay guys, that's all I got for today!! 
Hope I didn't bore you too much with all these pictures of cats and a Batman man and a displaced Christmas wreath.



Little Boy Blue (who is now 3 1/2 yrs old) says...
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"My young, 
very hip, 
cool 

Grandma Angie 
hopes you come back and visit her blog again soon. 

My Grandma makes yummy bacon and oatmeal!"

For full disclosure purposes, the words 
"young" 
and 
"very hip" 
and
 "cool" 
uh, may have been the blog author's words. 
Wink, wink.




Hope to get another post or two up 
this week!!!!
Have a great week!!
Talk at ya soon!!















Dudes Love This Super Easy, Quick, Cheesy Skillet Gnocchi.....Also, Favorite Cookbooks....OH STOP SNORING...I CAN HEAR YOU!

1/10/2015

 

I am committed this year to cooking out of those cookbooks there on the shelf...

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Yup, that's right...I already have begun cooking a few dishes which I will be sharing over the next few months.

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These are the cookbooks Ima be concentrating on....
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Ina Garten is 
Barefoot Contessa. 

This book is just recently out in Fall 2014. 

All of the recipes can be made ahead of time. 


I've made one recipe so far and it was dang good. 

No surprise considering it is Ina Garten.




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Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa D'Arabian 
of Food Network.
Published in 2012.
 
Melissa shares recipes for a family of four that can be made for $10 and under.

I've made a couple recipes and they're easy and pretty spot on! 

No fancy ingredients here!



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Thug Kitchen cookbook was born from a popular cooking blog.

Published in 2014, this excellent cookbook shares all vegan recipes but you would never guess they are vegan. 


Entertaining and delicious, this cookbook uses naughty words in the descriptions, so buyer-cook beware.




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Vegan Before 6:00 
by famed New York Times culinary journalist and columnist Mark Bittman. 

Mark has a style of writing that is friendly and interesting and relatable.

Vegan Before 6:00 was published in 2013 and narrates with recipes his journey to lose weight and reduce his cholesterol numbers, utilizing a vegan before 6:00pm philosophy, thus never feeling deprived.




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Ahhh, how I love me the Nadia G with Bitchin Kitchen. 

Nadia is an Italian Canadian and she uses humor in her show and this cookbook from 2009 to share yummy recipes. 


She does often use ingredients not always commonly found in your pantry, so that is a barrier but other recipes are spot on for a fun meal/dish.




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Plenty.
Yotam Ottolenghi is an Israeli chef, writer and restaurant owner. 

This popular cookbook from 2010 shares vegetable recipes. 

Ottolenghi has a new cookbook out in 2014 called Plenty More that also has done 

very well.
I plan on making lots of these dishes this year.




And lastly, again, 
Mark Bittman. 
The Mini Minimalist.


 Mark has a NYTimes column and food cooking show called The Minimalist.

These recipes are easy with few ingredients. This printing is small though, because the book set is very small. 
If you are an old hag like me, you will def need your reading glasses :)
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Okay, you would think that I would be sharing a recipe from one of these cookbooks but alas, I am not. 

Am instead sharing this 
Cheesy Skillet Gnocchi. 
The mens of the world LOVE this! 
I think it's the spicy Italian sausage. 
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This recipe came from the cool cooking blog DinnersDishesandDesserts.com
Erin has fantastic recipes and information, check it out, just click on her website there.


So why is this dish so special, you ask? Well...
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Yummy gnocchi in a tomato sauce mixed with Italian sausage and mozzarella.

Spicy!
Bursting with flavor!
Filling!





Here's the simple fixins for this 
hearty dish!
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Okay, so gnocchi is thick, 
soft dough dumplings.
 Packages can be found on the shelf in the pasta section at bigger supermarkets OR in the refrigerated section by the fresh tortellini and such. 
I imagine you can find them frozen too.





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I buy the 
whole wheat gnocchi that I find at Hy-Vee in the specialty pasta aisle. 
These are made with whole wheat and 
sweet potatoes.






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Also I use 
FIRE ROASTED 
tomatoes in this recipe. Makes a HUGE flavor difference! The smokiness of these tomatoes with the sweet, spicy Italian sausage...yum!





Now this is going to go quick, so keep that in mind...a quick, hearty meal in 20 minutes!!
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Start by browning up the gnocchi in a couple tbsp of 
olive oil.




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Only takes 5-8 minutes to get a nice color on these little dumplins'.




Remove the gnocchi to a bowl and brown the Italian sausage.
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The guys loved this Italian sausage. 


To make this a leaner meal, I may use a turkey breakfast sausage next time.





Remove the sausage to the same bowl as the gnocchi and wipe the grease out of the skillet.
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Add 
the fire roasted tomatoes 
and garlic into the skillet.





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Don't forget the seasonings! 


Salt, pepper 
and Italian seasoning.




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Add the 
gnocchi and sausage into the tomato base.





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The dish 
is coming together good, amIright?





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Add a bit of cream, 


1/4 cup...



Stir and simmer until completely warmed through...
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Top with some yummy fresh mozzarella.


My preference is the fresh mozz ball instead of the packaged shredded stuff.

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See, that's it!! 
20 minutes and no chopping of a thousand vegetables!!




Plate some up....





This dish is bursting with hearty flavor of the Italian sausage, fire roasted tomatoes, the gnocchi dumplings and creaminess from the cream and mozzarella.

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If you have men in your family, they will go back for seconds and thirds.
Tim called this dish "killer" and kept insisting that it can't be good for him cause it's so ding dang good.
Our son-in-law and 3 year old grandson LOVED it too!! 
So see, it crosses three generations here.





Okay, here's the recipe straight outta the DinnersDishesandDesserts website...

Erin had adapted this recipe from Cooking Light.
Cheesy Skillet Gnocchi
dinnersdishesanddesserts.com
Cheesy Gnocchi Skillet is a one pan, quick and easy dinner. A healthified
version of pure comfort food.
Serves: 4
Ingredients
1 (16 oz) package gnocchi
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
12 oz Italian sausage
1½ cups tomatoes, diced (or 1 can diced tomatoes)
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
½ tsp black pepper
¼ cup heavy cream
½ cup Mozzarella cheese
Instructions
1. Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add oil, and cook gnocchi for about 7 minutes, or until lightly
browned. Remove from pan.
2. Add sausage to the pan, and cook until browned. Remove from pan.
3. Add tomatoes, garlic, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper to the pan. Cook for about 7 minutes, until
tomatoes are soft. Add gnocchi and sausage back to the pan. Pour in cream, and stir until everything is
warm.
4. Top with cheese, heat until melted.

Click here to go directly to the recipe on Erin's page.



Okay, so the night I made this Cheesy Skillet Gnocchi dish, 
Little Boy Blue (our 3 yr old cutie patootie, one and only grandchild) and his mom and dad were staying over and I caught them in high spirits singing one of their favorite family songs, I've Been Working On the Railroad. 
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Little Cutie Patootie-He's-So-Adorable-I-Just-Want-To-Eat-Him-Up Little Boy Blue asked to sing it 
over and over again!
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The kids stayed over because the weather had gotten freaky deaky blizzardy unexpectedly.  I tried to take a picture that night of the awfulness but this was the best I could get...

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I think I was probably in my stocking feet out on the front porch in the middle of a nor'easter and was shaking from nerves and oh, I don't know, THE FACT THAT IT WAS A BLIZZARD OUT THERE and that is why this picture is so crappy and shows absolutely nothing of what I just talked about. Sigh...



OH WAIT!!   DON'T GO YET!!!! 
I have one more picture I want to show you!! 
See, it has been sooooo cold and snowy, 
the cats sit in the window sill alllllll day long....
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....depressed and pale from lack of Vitamin D.











Oh wait, that's me.










KIDDING!!




They're actually depressed because a squirrel has been tormenting them every day from that
 tree outside the window.
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Hello playmate squirrel, come out and play with us, and bring your dollies three, climb up our apple tree, climb down our rain barrel, we'll open up the cellar door and we'll be jolly friends (hehehe) forever more, more, more more more more.
Note: My cats are wienies. Any squirrel or groundhog or butterfly could take any one of them :):)





Okay, that's all I have for today, kiddos!! 
Stay warm this weekend (except for when you bake up a New York Style cheesecake and deliver it straight to my house of course, duh), 
but other than that...stay cozy warm and we'll talk 
at y'all soon!

















Lasagne Alla Bolognese ala Cooking Channel's Extra Virgin Cooking Show, This Creamy, Smooth Lasagne Is For Folks Who Do Not Like Ricotta Or Cottage Cheese!!!!

12/3/2012

 
Apparently there are some people who love lasagna
but
do not care for ricotta or cottage cheese.



For those folks I say..........WHAT?????



But then I say
WAIT!
I HAVE THE RECIPE FOR YOU!
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Lasagne Alla Bolognese
via
actress Debi Mazar and her husband Gabrielle Corcos who is from Tuscany.
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cookingchanneltv.com
How cute are they?
Their cooking show Extra Virgin is on the Cooking Channel. Their show is funny and entertaining and they share great Italian recipes.
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And there's not a dollop of cottage cheese or ricotta in this lasagna.

They use a
white besciamella sauce
as a replacement.

Creamy and smooth!


Here's the fixins for this really creamy
Lasagne Alla Bolognese...
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This calls for three different kinds of meat.
I used ground turkey, ground pork and ground beef.
Plus the super yummy pancetta.


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So chop up the onions, carrots, and celery.






Saute the vegetables in the olive oil...
And down below are the three meats I used..the ground pork, beef and turkey.
On the right is the pancetta.
Pancetta is kind of expensive, $5 for that package.
It's probably not totally, 100% necessary to have it for this recipe.


So throw the pancetta and three meats in the dutch oven with the veggies...


Meanwhile pulse the tomatoes in a food processor...HEY, no food processor?
Seriously, just chop up very small, you'll be fine!!



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Throw the parsley and red pepper flakes into the meat.



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Now pour the wine in...



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Season 'er up with the goods,

salt and pepper....




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Mix it all up...




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And let it simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours.



Meanwhile, put away the groceries and clean the kitchen.





JUST KIDDING on cleaning the kitchen!! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA








Yeah so anyway, after 1 1/2 hours, finish the bolognese sauce by adding the milk in. Set aside and let cool a bit.



Now we is a-gonna start the besciamella sauce, the white sauce that is used in place of the ricotta or cottage cheese.
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Melt a stick o' butter.




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But first butter up the casserole dish you're gonna be using.




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....and grate up that FRESH PARMESAN CHEESE...none of that packaged shredded Parm for this recipe...no siree! I love fresh Parm, it's amazing!




Okay, so mix the flour into that melted stick of butter...
easy enough.


Pour FOUR CUPS, FOUR CUPS! of milk into another pan to warm the milk up.




Remember when the bolognese was simmering for
1 1/2 - 2 hours and I said I was gonna put away the groceries and clean the kitchen?


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HAHA
HAHA

HAHA
HAHA


HA

ha.
Crap.





Slowly pour the warmed milk into the pan with the butter and flour. WHISK CONSTANTLY.
Season with nutmeg, and salt and pepper.


       
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Okay, now get the work station ready.
OH

WAIT!





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These are the lasagne noodles that must be used; the no boil flat noodles. Look for them at your grocery store, if they don't have them (and they should) go to another grocery store and buy them. Only use these no boil lasagne noodles for this recipe. DO NOT use the other ruffly kind.




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Okay so spread some of the sauce in the bottom of the dish...
I used a 9 x 13 dish.



Add the first layer of lasagne noodles, see how flat they are? Then add a layer of meat sauce on them. Cover all the noodles.



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Get ready for that
creamy besciamella sauce....




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Ladle a layer of besciamella on...



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Now sprinkle the Parmesan generously.



And then do it all over again...





Make sure to eat some of that Parmesan, don't waste it all on the lasagna. Duh.



And then do a third and or fourth layer...




On the final layer, top with meat sauce and the besciamella...then add Parmesan on top and some dollops of butter.
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Cook for 30 minutes in a 375 degree oven.....
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Yummy!! I was hesitant though,
no ricotta and not much cheese....
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But there's plenty of the Parm to get your cheese fix...




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And that besciamella white sauce created the smoothest, creamiest lasagne I ever had.




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And not a stitch of the ricotta or cottage cheese to be found.


This lasagna is worth the time it takes to make!
Now this is not your typical lasagne folks, this has no basil or mozzarella piled on it.
The flavors are much more subtle.  If you have any sauce left over, freeze it! I actually used all the sauce so I had none left over to freeze.


Here's the recipe...by the way, if I'm gonna make a lasagne for Christmas, I would definitely choose this recipe over the others I have made. It's just smoother and creamier and would partner better with the big cookie and candy spread :)

Here's the recipe! Printable recipe is at the end...
Lasagne Alla Bolognese
Gabriele Corcos and Debi Mazar, Extra Virgin show on the Cooking Channel
www.cookingchanneltv.com
New episodes are shown on Wednesday nights
Courtesy www.turnkeyqualitycars.com
Total Time:  3 hr 45 min
Prep:  3 hr 0 min |
Inactive Prep: 3 hrs (includes simmering time)  Cook: 45 min
Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients
    Butter, for the pan
    1/2 batch Bolognese Sauce, recipe follows
    1 1/2 (9-ounce) boxes no-boil lasagne noodles
   Besciamella, recipe follows
    3/4 cup grated Parmesan, plus more for serving
    Extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

    Bolognese Sauce:
    5 tablespoons olive oil
    1 red onion, medium chop
    3 carrots, medium chop
    3 celery stalks, medium chop
    5 ounces pancetta, cut into small cubes
    1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
    2 handfuls fresh flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked and chopped
    1 pound ground beef
    1 pound ground pork
    1 pound ground veal  Angie’s Note: I used ground turkey instead of veal.
    1 cup red wine
    3 (28-ounce) cans pelati tomatoes*… pelati tomatoes are whole canned tomatoes
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    1 cup whole milk

    Besciamella:
    1/2 cup butter
    1/2 cup all-purpose flour
    4 1/2 cups whole milk
    Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Notes
Because you are working with pasta that does not require boiling, you have to make sure that there are no pieces of lasagne sticking out of the sauce because they won't cook.

When you decide to tap into your reserve of frozen lasagne, keep in mind you need to thaw the frozen lasagne overnight before reheating.

Pelati tomatoes are whole canned tomatoes.

Notes
If the sauce is too thick, add a little more milk, if too runny, return to the heat and add a pat of butter mixed with an equal amount of all-purpose flour. The most important thing though is: besciamella should not taste floury. If you think your sauce is ready, but you can spot a hint of "flouriness" when you taste it, think again, and keep on cooking it for a few minutes more.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Butter the lasagne pan well and add a very thin layer of meat sauce.

Add the first layer of lasagne noodles and in order, cover with meat sauce, about 3 ladles besciamella, and a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese. Repeat the same process until you reach the top of the dish. Make sure the lasagne noodles are soaking into the sauce.

When done layering the ingredients, top the lasagne with a final ladle of meat sauce and some besciamella, add a few thin slices of butter and finish with some grated Parmesan.

Bake for about 30 minutes.

Heat a broiler. When your fantastic lasagne alla bolognese is cooked, give it a nice crisp top by broiling it for about 5 minutes.

Always serve this dish with extra-virgin olive oil and some grated parmesan, to taste.

Directions Bolognese Sauce:
Saute the onion, carrots, and celery in about 5 tablespoons olive oil in a large rondeau until soft. Add the pancetta to the soffritto (onion mixture). Cook on a medium-high flame for about 7 to 10 minutes, then add the meat; break it up well with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: You can jack up the heat a bit, and keep stirring until all the ground meat is browned. Add the red pepper flakes and the parsley and cook for just 1 minute.

Add the wine now and cook until the alcohol is completely evaporated, scraping up the browned bits on the bottom of the pan.

Pulse the tomatoes smooth in a food processor and add them to the meat, season generously with salt and pepper, lower the flame to medium and cook for about 2 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Finish the sauce by adding the whole milk, stir well and set aside, to cool off.

Directions Besciamella:
Melt the 1/2 cup butter in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the flour with a wooden spoon. Cook's Note: This is an important moment, as you have to slowly toast the flour without burning it. This will help you lose the flowery taste.

Warm up the milk and gradually ladle into the pot with the butter-flour mixture, whisking constantly while bringing the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat, and simmer for about 15 minutes. Season the sauce with freshly grated nutmeg, salt, and pepper.





Here's the printable one...



Okay now, the reason it took me FOREVER to type this post up is because while I was TRYING to type, these two NEEDY animals kept getting on my laptop
Sunday night. 
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Yes, that is Mindy Peaches's head and floppy ear on the keyboard which is on my lap and yes, that is new Kitty-cat sprawled out on my sweatshirt.... WHILE I WAS WEARING IT, facing the laptop, refusing to get off me.

So that is why I have been a little tardy getting posts out.
Well, that and the lazy factor :)

Okay, have a good Monday night guys! Hopefully I can get another post out sooner than two weeks. :)
I've been cooking, just not very successfully. Wow, there's a lot of bad recipes out there. :):):) hehehe

Talk at ya soon!!
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Update: Monday (tonight) 6:02p...just a minute ago...See!!! Told ya! I can't get any work done!! That cat is asleep on my keyboard!sxw2333333eFV

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6:05...she moved even MORE onto my keyboard!!

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6:10...the madness must stop! I must get work done!

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6:13...oh? Did you wake up kitty? Okay, now skeedaddle.

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6:19p...I swear she moved on her own...swear!!!

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6:20p
Now does that look like a baby who was forcefully displaced? I think not.


Okay, enough of the crazy cat lady commentary!
See ya soon! Meeeoooowww!

Apple and Cheddar Penne Pie - Man This Is Rich - A Dish For Christmas Entertaining - So I Made A Sweet Potato /Squash Soup Too

10/16/2012

 
Apple and Cheddar Penne Pie....I was confused....
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Is it a pie?   Is it a main dish?
I don't understand, it has pasta in it? Whaaaatttt????



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It's a main dish! Albeit a very decadent main dish.





It's very good.




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Because it was so rich,
I made up this quick, thrown together
Sweet Potato Squash Soup,
you know, kind of like a healthy side dish to counter the decadence.



So here's the line-up for this scrumptious, decadent Apple and Cheddar Penne Pie that would be wonderful for Special Occasions.
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Here's the recipe, the printable recipe is at the end of the post...
Apple Cheddar Penne Pie
from BHG Holiday Recipes magazine 2012


2 tablespoons butter, softened
2/3 cup panko bread crumbs
3 teaspoons snipped fresh thyme
12 ounces dried penne pasta (3 1/2 cups)
2 cups chopped, peeled tart cooking apples (3 medium)
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion, such as Walla Walla
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup apple cider
6 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut up
1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
Fresh thyme sprigs (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease a 10-inch springform pan with 1 tablespoon of the softened butter. Sprinkle sides of pan with 1/3 cup of the panko to coat; set aside. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon softened butter. Stir the remaining 1/3 cup panko and 1 teaspoon of the thyme into melted butter; set aside.


2. Cook pasta 2 minutes less than directed by package directions; drain. Return pasta to pan; set aside.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan cook apples and onion in the 3 tablespoons of butter over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until tender. Add flour, salt, and pepper to saucepan. Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Stir in milk and apple cider. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Reduce heat to low. Add cheeses and the remaining 2 teaspoons of thyme; stir until cheese melts.

4. Add sauce mixture to pasta; stir to combine. Spoon pasta mixture into prepared pan. Sprinkle with reserved panko mixture.

5. Bake, uncovered about 40 minutes or until edges are bubbly. Let stand on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove sides of pan. Using a serated knife, cut pie into eight wedges. If desired, top with fresh thyme sprigs. Makes 8 servings.


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So start by cooking and draining the penne, cook it two minutes under al dente.

Then notice that you have a picture showing the melted part of your cheap colander...


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Take a better picture,

hiding the melted part of the colander,

so that people don't know you use crappy, cheap stuff from auction in your kitchen.
There. Now that's better.




Picture
Do your prepping, chop the apples and dice the onions, cut the cream cheese into small chunks and shred the white cheddar.


You will need a spring form pan for this dish by the way!

Picture
Now butter up that spring form pan,

you will need a spring form pan for this recipe if you want it to look fancy.

Picture




Sprinkle the sides of the pan with panko.




Melt butter in a pan, add the panko and thyme...
Picture


And this is how the crunchy mixture will look.




Now melt more buttah and add the onions and apples in and saute for about 5 minutes...
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Add the flour and salt and pepper in...



Picture








It should look like this consistency.



Picture
Add the whole milk in.
Now I gotta tell ya, one can lighten up this recipe easily by using
1. Whole wheat penne
2. Whole wheat panko crumbs
3. Maybe olive oil instead of butter
4. Skim milk
5. Light cream cheese
6. Lower fat white cheddar


No wonder this dish is so rich, all that butter, whole milk etc...but I must say, this is awful tasty :)

Now add the cider vinegar in and stir....


Now add the cream cheese and white cheddar and thyme...




Picture



Rich creamy white sauce....

Picture




To be poured over the cooked penne.

Picture


Stir gently....




Picture




Spread into the spring form pan...



Picture


Sprinkle with the panko crumbs...




Picture



So your dish is ready to go in the oven.



Bake for 40 minutes.
Remove and let cool on a wire rack....
Picture



Picture




Take a knife and work your way around the pan.




Picture


Gently take off the bottom plate....




Picture

Set on a pretty cake plate.




Picture


And this is a close-up of the top with that crunchy panko and some apples and penne sticking out.

Yum.



Picture




Go ahead and dig out a piece of deliciousness.



Picture


Now this is a rich dish,

so I went ahead and made up some quick, quick root vegetable soup to counter the decadence of the dish...



Picture


I simply took some sweet potatoes, onions, garlic, apples and squash (crap, forgot to put the butternut squash in the picture)...



Picture


I cut the vegetables up in chunks and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper and the rosemary, then I popped the baking sheet in the oven.





Picture




I roasted these for 35-45 minutes.



Picture

So this is supposed to be pureed but I was lazy and didn't want to get out the food processor so I used a hand mixer.


Uh no.

Just no.




Picture


So I hauled out the food processor and deposited the chunky veggies in there.

OH, add several cups water or broth...I added water.

Picture


Yup,


much much better!


All that healthy roasted taste in a bowl...the squash and sweet potatoes meld nicely with the sweetness of the chopped apples and onion with a hint of garlic.

Picture


Now these two dishes paired up well. I don't have a recipe for the soup, just throw your root vegetable together with a couple apples, sweet onions, garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper and roast. That's it!
Picture

What would pair nicely with this Apple and Cheddar Penne is roasted asparagus too!!!!!!!
Picture




Okay guys, that's all I got for today!!

It's a beautiful day in Iowa today, hope everyone is having a good day!

This is a picture of somebody's porch down by Morning Sun.
I was traveling through there last week and spied this casually festive porch and asked the homeowner if I could take a picture of her fall decorating and she kindly obliged.
Picture
Picture
Okay, have a good day and we'll talk at ya soon!

One Hundred Years Later I Share With You Blackened Chicken, Jalapeno Rosemary Alfredo and Pasta Salad

1/16/2012

 
So,
remember back about a hundred years ago when I shared my birthday meal with you that included a Twice Baked Sweet Potato recipe?

Well, the other dishes I made and served up that night were Blackened Chicken served with a
Jalapeno Rosemary Alfredo and
a Pasta Salad that I threw together on my own.

I'll be sharing the recipes for that Blackened Chicken, the Alredo Sauce and that Pasta Salad today....here's a quick peak at the meal...
Picture
Remember, that Jalapeno Rosemary Alfredo sauce isn't just a sauce for pasta, Ima tell ya, this makes a great dipping sauce too.
I used it as a dipping sauce so-to-speak for the Blackened Chicken Breast.

This alfredo recipe is so easy!

Picture

And the Blackened Chicken recipe is soooo easy too!!

And real tasty, not too spicy even.
Works great on fish too, we used this recipe for tilapia and it was fantastic as well.


Here are these easy Blackened Chicken and Alfredo sauce recipes embedded below.
The recipes are also listed at the end of the blog too.
Picture

These two recipes are so easy in fact,

I feel like I want to

shout it from the
rooftop.


I'm going up right now to the rooftop to shout the ease of these tasty dishes.










Picture
Image: opentravelinfo.com
HEY!!!
Wait a minute!
Who are these people on.my. rooftop?!?!!!!

In.my.pools!!!

What the heck??? 
Hey you guys, GET OUT!
You're tresspassing!
That's illegal!





Okay.
So that picture up above isn't necessarily my rooftop.

Mine's a bit more, uh, scaled down shall we say.

I'm a little embarrassed actually how crappy my rooftop is but I still want to shout how easy the recipes are.
So here's my real rooftop I'll be shouting the news from.







Picture
Image: unstitchedblog.com...a very pretty blog actually


WHAT?????


 
How do YOU KNOW that's not where Tim

and I dine every night?

Out on our roof.
top.
By the ocean.




Okay FINE! I'll come clean.

Unfortunately this picture really DOES seems to be most reminiscent of our roof. 
*Sigh*





Picture
Yup. I'm B-U-S-T-E-D.

Oh well.
Shall we move on?

Picture
Fixins for the Blackened Chicken



So these are the fixins for the Blackened Chicken...not a lot of ingredients huh?

And yet the chicken is moist and tasty when completed!

I went ahead and fileted (is that what it's called?) or sliced the breasts lenghtwise in half so they would cook quicker and be a more even size all around.
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Smokin' hot skillet. Doesn't look like it, but it is. Sizzzzle.





Now grease a baking sheet and heat up the skillet until smoking hot.

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The terrible lighting in this picture is strategy, that way you don't notice the dirty counter top.

Mix together the
paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper and onion powder.

Oil the chicken breasts with cooking spray on both sides, then coat evenly with spice mixture.
Place the chicken in the hot pan and cook for 1 minute. Turn and cook for another minute on the other side.
Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet. Bake in the oven until no longer pink, about 5 minutes.
And wallah!!!
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Still moving along quickly...
See how easy that was?

I made the Jalapeno Rosemary Alfredo while I waited for the chicken...
Picture
Fixins for the Jalapeno Rosemary Alfredo.
Fixins for the best sauce recipe you will ever eat in your whole entire life you will like it so much you will want to pay me but I am a kindly person and say just keep the money yourself and buy a nice new skillet or spatula or pretty dress or something.

T'aint much for ingredients here, is there?




Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat.
Cook and stir the garlic and jalapeno pepper in the hot oil until fragrant.
Add the heavy cream, reduce the heat to low.
Stir in the Parmesan cheese and rosemary.
Continue cooking until the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.


Okay,
so the alfredo sauce is staying warm, let's start on that

Pasta Salad.
Uh, I did not use a recipe, I just kind of threw stuff in that I knew were the basics.
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Looks like these are the fixins for the pasta salad.
I sort of just winged it and added ingredients used in a basic, tasty pasta salad.

Picture

Before you prepare to make the salad, be sure to slice off a piece or two of that fresh mozzarella. And then eat it.

You don't have to use ALL of it in the salad.
After all, the cook's gotta keep their energy up.

Picture


Cube up your mozzarella and halve the cherry or grape tomatoes and throw them in the bowl with the cooked whole wheat pasta.

Picture



Toss in some chopped basil, pepper and salt, red wine vinegar, a tablespoon or so of capers and freshly minced garlic. Finally, drizzle with olive oil to taste.




Now, doesn't it look yummy?
And because I used whole wheat pasta, so very healthy.
Picture


And the full meal once again just in case you haven't been bored to death already!
Picture
Picture


OH!!!

By the way,
the next day,
I made up a chicken  sandwich with the leftover Blackened Chicken and Alfredo sauce...



Picture





And stuck it in the new panini griddler....



Hello Loverly!
Picture



And now I will include the recipes down here so certain people (hey Ma!) can access them and write or print them off...
Blackened Chicken
From www.allrecipes.com submitted by Karena

Courtesy of www.turnkeyqualitycars.com

Karena says, “Take the bait and try this spicy charred chicken-a Cajun favorite.”

Ingredients:
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet. Heat a cast iron skillet over high heat for 5 minutes until it is smoking hot
2.Mix together the paprika, salt, cayenne, cumin, thyme, white pepper, and onion powder. Oil the chicken breasts with cooking spray on both sides, then coat the chicken breasts evenly with the spice mixture.
3.Place the chicken in the hot pan, and cook for 1 minute. Turn, and cook 1 minute on other side. Place the breasts on the prepared baking sheet.
4.Bake in the preheated oven until no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, about 5 minutes.
Jalapeno Rosemary Alfredo
From www.allrecipes.com submitted by: MsDo
Courtesy of www.turnkeyqualitycars.com

MsDo says, "This Alfredo sauce recipe is given a bit of a kick with the addition of fresh jalapeno pepper, as well as the herbal deliciousness of rosemary."

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1 pinch salt and ground black pepper to taste

Directions:     
Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook and stir the garlic and jalapeno pepper in the hot oil until fragrant, about 5 minutes; add the heavy cream and bring the mixture to a simmer. Reduce heat to low. Stir the Parmesan cheese and rosemary through the mixture; continue cooking until the cheese is completely melted, about 5 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to serve.



And finally the pasta salad.

If you read all the way through this post,
you have much patience.
And I salute you!

The Pasta Salad That Angie Made That Tasted Good But She Can’t Remember All The Ingredients and Amounts
Courtesy of www.turnkeyqualitycars.com

Ingredients
8 oz. whole wheat fusili or spiral pasta, cooked to al dente (I sound so knowledgeable when I say “al dente”) al dente, al dente, al dente.
Package of cherry tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved (not the package, the tomatoes)
Fresh Mozzarella, I think 8 oz., cubed
About 1 Tbsp. fresh garlic, minced
Maybe 1 Tbsp. capers
A spot of red wine vinegar (maybe a Tbsp. but “a spot” sounds so much hoitier)
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper

Directions
1. Cook the pasta.
2. Cut up the mozzarella and tomatoes. Eat a bit of each.
3. Mince the garlic cloves.
4. Scour the pantry for that jar of capers that you know is there and get disgusted by how a pantry can get so out-of-control so quickly after Christmas.
5. Look in the fridge for the capers and find them stuck way in back. Opened.
6. Throw everything together in a too small bowl and have lots of the spiral pasta spill out on the counter. Put all the stuff in a larger bowl and curse because now you’ve dirtied two bowls and it’s still not big enough.
7. Get out the third, more appropriate size bowl.
8. Toss the overflowing pasta, mozzarella, tomatoes, capers, and garlic from the too-small bowl in the appropriate size bowl.
9. Splash your red wine vinegar in there with the salt and pepper and olive oil.
10. Look at the floor and hope the dog will eat the pasta that spilled off the counter.
11. Wash hands, take off apron, grab a plate, take lots of boring pictures to bore readers even more so than normal.
12. Eat up!
Yum! This really is an excellent, basic, pasta salad guideline.
Enjoy!

Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta and Sweet Little Boy Blue

12/4/2011

 
Oh I've been busy all week.

With work of course.

ALWAYS, always lots of car work.

But also with Sweet


Little Boy Blue...
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Hi Gramps, what's with all that facial hair?



Picture
Little Boy Blue had front row seat in the kitchen several nights this past week.

Wait, that's an empty seat. Where is Little Boy Blue?




He better not be under the haystack fast asleep again.




PictureBut I like laying here and getting all excited over that Christmas bulb Grandma taped up there.



Little Boy Blue!!! What are you doing hanging with Cookie Monster?

Come into the kitchen and help me cook, I promise you'll get lots of attention and lovin' on in the kitchen too.


PictureSomebody loves Little Guy.






See,

told

ya!!!

Lots of kisses for Little Boy Blue.

Picture



The kitchen is a good place to hang out,

cuz everyone who walks by wants to give Boy Baby hugs and kisses.

Picture
Little Boy Blue,
is 5 weeks too young to ask for your help in cleaning up the kitchen? 

I'll bet you'll pull that whole "Well I'm not even old enough to eat solids, why should I have to help clean up" excuse thing.

Little Boy Blue, you sound like your mother.
In fact, let's get started on cooking this Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta recipe for your Mama and Daddy.


So this Squash and Bacon casserole, as I would call it, is so exceptionally tasty; it's the perfect combination of sweetness with the sweet potatoes and savory with the spices and salty yumminess of the bacon.
I'm fairly certain I won't be winning any literary culinary-language awards with that last sentence, but bear with me please. 
You will not believe how tasty this dish is.
Warning, you'll want to make a batch and a half or double the recipe if there is more than four people in your family, it's that good.

(If you can not see the recipe below, please use Mozilla instead of Internet Explorer.)
To see this Cooking Light Roasted Butternut Squash and Bacon Pasta recipe, 
CLICK HERE!!
PictureI heart bacon.
And these are the fixins you will need to begin this fantastic dish.


See that bacon over there?


In the words of KC And The Sunshine Band..
That's the way aha, aha
I like it aha, aha
That's the way aha, aha
I like it aha, aha


Picture

So anyhoo, preheat oven to  425 degrees.
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with cooking spray.

Also spray an 11x17 inch baking pan.

That's an exciting photo, a sprayed cookie sheet, isn't it?



Picture


In a small bowl, combine salt, rosemary and pepper.

Place squash cubes on the prepared baking sheet. Sprinkle with the spice mixture.







Bake 45 minutes until squash is tender and slightly browned.

Increase oven temp to 450 degrees.

HEY! Get your hands off the cooked squash, save some for the actual dish please.

Cook pasta according to directions; drain and return to pan to keep warm.

Picture

In a large non-stick pan, cook the bacon slices...I used that expensive thick cut Applewood Smoked bacon, verrrry expensive but verrrry goooood!

Like how I used all those extra letters?
No?
Annoying?
Yes?

Moving on,

cook bacon until crisp, remove from pan and reserve 1 1/2 teaspoons bacon drippings in pan.

Picture
Increase heat to medium high.
Add the shallots or onions (I used a mild yellow onion, shallots were too expensive for as much as this recipe calls for) and saute for approximately 8 minutes or until tender.

Mmmmm, you can smell that sweetness caramelizing.

Picture



Remove onions from heat and add squash mixture,
crumbled bacon and shallots or onions;

set aside.

In a large pan or pot, mix up the flour and salt.
Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly with a whisk, bring to a boil and cook until slightly thick, approximately 1 minute.
Remove from heat and add the Parmesan.
Spoon pasta into prepared dish.
Top with the squash mixture.
Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan.
Picture






Bake for 10 minutes or until cheese melts and just turns brown.

Remove from oven and serve.



Weeelll, if you INSIST!

Picture

This dish is seriously good eats! Little Boy Blue's mother ate four helpings of this.
She said she couldn't stop eating it because it was so sweet with the cooked squash and caramelized onions. She said it was very filling.

I imagine it was filling after FOUR servings!


I hope you try out this recipe! You won't be disappointed.
I'm certain I've steered you wrong on a couple things but I am 1000% positive you will love this dish :)



By the way, when I asked Sweet Little Boy Blue to help me clean up the kitchen afterwards,

he pulled this number on me...











Picture
Somebody is dreaming about Grandma and Grandpa and how much he loves them because they are so cool and young and hip and they'll make sure I have a cool car when I turn sixteen and Grandma will cook anything I want and Grandpa will ride go-carts and minibikes with me and they are way more funner and laid back than they were with my Mama and Auntie. Yeah, I think my Gram and Gramps are keepers.


That's okay, he was tuckered out.
Guess all that love and attention and kisses can tire a wee one out!

Have a good Sunday!
Will probably have another post up tomorrow too:)
After all, Christmastime is here!!! HoHoHo!

This Recipe Will Not Knock Your Socks Off But It's Good Baked Penne With Asparagus and Turkey

8/29/2011

 
Picture
This Baked Penne recipe will
NOT
knock your socks off.

It will

NOT
knock your earrings off.

And it certainly will NOT

blow you away like some of those hurricane winds this weekend.

Picture

Instead,

this
Baked Penne will leave you fulfilled.

Where you still have energy to spare.

Yet not feel overstuffed at all.

How many pasta recipes can claim that??!?


Picture
This is one of the easiest Clean Eating recipes I make. I tend to make it a lot in the winter but you know, it's fine for summer and fall because it's a lighter pasta dish and so healthy and clean and kind to the waistline.
See, not many ingredients here. Very quick and easy. The hard part is stopping yourself from eating all the mozzarella cheese before it can be layered into the penne!

Baked Penne
Jan/Feb 2009 Clean Eating magazine

 INGREDIENTS:
12 oz whole-wheat penne
3/4 lb thin asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
Olive oil cooking spray
3/4 lb lean ground turkey breast
3 cups no-salt tomato sauce (such as Muir Glen)
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp sea salt or coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 oz. part-skim mozzarella cheese, grated (1 cup), divided
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated


INSTRUCTIONS:
ONE Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook penne according to package directions. When pasta is 1 minute from being done, add asparagus and boil for 1 minute; drain and return to pot.


TWO Meanwhile, coat a large skillet with cooking spray and heat to medium-high; add turkey and cook, stirring often, until lightly browned, about 7 minutes. Add tomato sauce, basil, garlic powder, salt and pepper, and simmer until heated through. 3 to 4 minutes.




THREE  Add turkey meat sauce and penne and asparagus together, stir to combine.


FOUR Lightly coat a 2-QT baking dish with cooking spray; add 1/2 the penne mixture and sprinkle with 2/3 of the mozzarella.




Picture



Add remaining penne, then sprinkle remaining mozzarella and top with Parmesan-Reggiano.














Picture

Bake for 18-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Let it rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Try garnishing with fresh oregano or basil, if desired. (oops, Angie forgot that one.)


As  I mentioned earlier, this dish will not knock your socks off

BUT it is

1.  Easy on the taste buds, very mellow. Tasty but mellow.

2. Easy on the pocketbook.

3.  And easy on the waistline.
Picture
Bon Apetit!

Have a great Monday!!!


Somebody's gonna be making Butterscotch Cheesecake Bars tonight.
Fat free.













NOT!
Hope I don't eat them all before taking a picture for you :)

Old School Lasagna And A 1971 Chevelle SS

8/4/2011

 
Ya got me! I got nothin' to post on a 1971 Chevelle SS.
Other than an image in my head with me at the wheel, rockin' out to old school AC/DC, Van Halen, and the Bee Gees (shut up about the Bee Gees!)

Do you KNOW how much a '71 Chevelle SS goes for??!!
A girl can dream.

I have an Old School Lasagna recipe though.
Come join me, pull up a stool, grab yourself a beverage, let's chat...
Picture
All the fixin's for this delicious, low key lasagna.
This lasagna is delicious but low key.
The flavors of the fresh tomatoes really pop.
You can pair this lasagna with bolognese sauce if you wish.
I usually just pair it with sauteed peppers as a side dish and a hunka big ol' whole wheat garlic bread.
Also, I use whole wheat lasagna noodles, but I imagine the regular semolina noodles are delicious too.

Old School Lasagna
Adapted from Alex Guamaschelli - Food Network

Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and chopped
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled and chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
4 pounds ripe or overripe red toamtoes, washed and chopped
3/4 cup lightly -packed fresh basil leaves, washed
8 quarts water
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 pound lasagna sheets
1 pound shredded Mozzarella
1 pound shredded Parmesan

Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Tomato Sauce:
In a medium pot, heat the olive oil and add the onions and garlic.Season with salt and pepper, to taste. When it turns light brown, add the thyme, bay leaf and tomatoes. Simmer for 20 minutes, then taste for seasoning. Add more salt and pepper, if desired. Remove and discard the thyme and bay leaves. Stir in the basil leaves and shut off the heat to allow the sauce to "rest."
HEY! No comments on the man-hand!

Pasta: Bring the water to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt and the lasagna sheets Cook for 4 minutes, drain and rinse under cold water. The pasta should still be very firm to the touch. Separate the sheets carefully so they don't stick together.


Picture
Ahhh, I never tire of processing a car sale :)
Oh, oh, oh! Stop the presses!
Turn down the sauce!!!
A nice young couple who are getting married in a couple weeks are buying a Grand Prix GT and I process paperwork with them. Gosh, they were cuter than cute, real nice folks.

Okay, paperwork completed, now back to the cooking....
Assemble the lasagna:
Spoon a thin layer of the sauce in the bottom of the baking pan. Arrange a layer of pasta sheets over the sauce. Sprinkle some of the Mozzarella and Parmesan over the pasta and another thin layer of sauce. Repeat the layering process 2 more times. It is important there be remaining cheese and sauce for the top. When you finish, there should be 4 layers of pasta and 5 layers of filling.
Cover the dish tightly with aluminum foil and put it in the center of the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Raise the temperature of the oven to 450 degrees F and remove the aluminum foil. Bake until the top browns slightly, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool for 15 minutes or so before serving.
Peppers were on sale, yay!!
I didn't have to sell a prized painting either to afford them.
I love it when I don't have to pay 10 gazillion dollars for one red pepper.
So as a side with this dish, I usually make sauteed peppers in olive oil with salt and pepper.
Easy, healthy and a nice complement to the lasagna.

Angie's Note: The finished lasagna actually looks better than the pictures show......and it truly is mellow and delicious!

Top Five Things Heard On The Car Lot/Stormy Weather/Marinara Of Course

7/22/2011

 
Top Five Things heard On The Lot:
1. Where do you get all your cars?
Answer: Most of our vehicles are dealer trades from a few specific dealers. We only buy cars in good mechanical condition. Each car is thoroughly inspected and goes through our service and detail. Many of our cars presell before making it to our car lot. Be sure to keep checking our website or stop out or give us a call if you have any questions about any of our vehicles.

2.  Is the car as nice as it looks?
Answer: Yes. All our vehicles are thoroughly inspected, serviced and detailed and are completely ready-to-go.

3. It seems like you move your cars quickly.
Response: We are blessed to have many repeat customers in and out of the community. We've had many families buy multiple cars from us, the most to date being seven cars (Thank you Mr. Johnson :).  Referrals are a large part of our business and factors into our inventory moving quickly as well.

4. You have your cars priced right.
Response: It comes down to low overhead, an advantage of living and working in Frytown, IA.  We ARE the largest volume mover of cars in Frytown after all. *giggle*

5. It's so peaceful out here.
Response: Yup, we love it.

These really are the top five things we hear on the lot. We had no problem naming and listing them. As always, please let us know if we can be helpful. Call, email or just stop on out! We'd love to hear from you.



Did It Get All Dark And Stormy Last Night Where You Are? Did You Run For Cover Like A Sane Person? Or Did You Stand Outside And Take Pictures?
Angie's Go-To Marinara Recipe
This marinara recipe is from Bartolino's restaurant in St. Louis and was featured in the March/April 2005 Midwest Living magazine. This recipe has a kick to it. I make this marinara and serve it with toasted ravioli. I also make it for pasta when I am time-limited and starved.

Marinara Sauce
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 28 oz. can tomatoes, cut up
1/4 cup dry red wine (optional)
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp. black pepper
1/4 cup snipped fresh basil
2 tsps. sugar

1. In a medium saucepan, cook onion and garlic in hot oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, wine (if you like), salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper.
2. Bring to a boiling, reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered 25 to 30 minutes or until desired consistency, stirring occasionally. Stir in basil and sugar. Cover; cook 5 minutes more. Makes 2 1/2 cups (4 to 6 servings).

Okay, so these pictures don't do justice to the tastiness of this marinara, especially with that big old piece of bread slapped on the plate. I always use whole wheat pasta and usually grate some fresh mozzarella on top. At times, I will side this dish with sauteed kale and garlic instead of the asparagus. Please remember, this is not a sweet sauce and it does have a bite to it. Yowza!



    Author

    Angie Madsen
    One half of a team that blends their work and personal life together
    in fun ways.





    Recipes
    Picture
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Turnkey Auto - Twenty years of a friendly setting of quality vehicles, affordable prices and exceptional service.
Text: 319-331-8796
​Call: 319-683-2850


 1/2 mile west of Frytown on 500th St
1811 500th St SW, Kalona, Ia 52247