I can die a happy woman with this in my belly!

Sorry I don't have any pictures - it was too good to find a camera. It had to get in my mouth. It is a meal you will want to feed to guests, your in-laws or a romantic dinner with your hunny! (PS my kids just loved it too!) Pare this with some crusty bread-chicken (follow my chicken see below) or steak and you are in business.


Sauteed Wild Mushrooms
by barefoot contessa
Prep Time: 25 min
Cook Time: 15 min
Serves: 4 servings

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds mixed wild mushrooms, such as cremini, shiitake, porcini, and portobello
• 1/2 cup good olive oil
• 1 cup chopped shallots (4 large)
• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic (6 cloves)
• 1/2 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (FRESH!)

Directions:

Brush the caps of each mushroom with a clean sponge. Remove and discard the stems. Slice the small mushrooms thickly and cut the large ones in a large dice.

Heat the olive oil in a large (11 - inch) Dutch oven or saucepan. Add the shallots and cook over low heat for 5 minutes, or until the shallots are translucent. Add the butter, mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook over medium heat for 8 minutes, until they are tender and begin to release their juices, stirring often. Stir in the garlic and cook for 2 more minutes. Toss in the parsley, sprinkle with salt, and serve warm.

Here is the recipe on her page:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/sauteed-wild-mushrooms-recipe2/index.html


****Awesome date night dish with toasted french or sourdough bread. After taking the mushrooms out of the pan, time to make a sauce to go on top of it (and dip our bread in, so we just added a bit more butter (1 T) and some heavy cream (1/8 to ¼ cup) to the pan and stir for a few minutes (which still had the chopped shallots and mushroom juices in it and voila! - a delicious sauce.

I cooked some chicken tenders with salt and pepper and a dash of Johnny's Garlic Seasoning over medium heat then put them to the side under foil and when I finished cooking the mushrooms and sauce I added the chicken to the sauce and I about fell over- it was soooo good! I am telling you SOOOO GOOOOOOD! One of my top five meals. I could have this meal and die, I am that happy.

For dessert we had the blackberry cobbler from Pioneer Woman - I am a happy woman tonight!
Follow PW:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/08/the_great_cobbl/

Pizza Sauce

I have had a lot of questions on my pizza sauce. I use Shirley J's Pizza and Pasta seasoning.
It is awesome! Add 1 Tbs to 8 oz can of tomato sauce and you are in business. It is cheap and YUM-O!

Here is the website:

http://www.shirleyj.com/index.html

I just wish I could find the ingredients to make that seasoning! Anyone?????

New Recipe - and worth the calories!

Pioneer Woman does it again - and for heavens sake - PLEASE USE FRESH HERBS! Side of crusty bread goes well with this.


Penne a la Betsy aka Shrimp in a Cream Tomato Sauce

See her website for pictures and tips:
http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2007/09/cooking_with_my_punk-ass_little_sister_penne_a_la_betsy/


Ingredients:

■¾ pounds Penne Pasta
■1 pound Shrimp
■3 Tablespoons Butter
■3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■1 whole Onion (small)
■2 cloves Garlic
■½ cups White Wine, Or To Taste Optional - use chicken broth or don't worry about it.
■1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
■1 cup Heavy Cream
■Fresh Parsley, to taste
■Fresh Basil - To Taste
■Salt To Taste
■Pepper To Taste

Preparation Instructions:

Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.

Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).

Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.

Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

My pink shoes

These are my pink shoes! They are from 'YOU at Crocs'!!!! As I have said, time and time again. I love crocs!!

Spinach Lasagna Rolls

This was a good recipe and healthy!

Perfectly portioned individual lasagnas. This is one of those family friendly recipes everyone in your home will love. A great way to get your kids to eat spinach too.

Spinach Lasagna Rolls
Weight Watcher Recipes
Servings: 9 Serving Size: 1 roll Calories: 188 Points: 4 ww pts

• 9 lasagna noodles, cooked
• 10 oz frozen chopped spinach, thawed and completely drained
• 15 oz fat free ricotta cheese

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 egg
• salt and fresh pepper
• 32 oz tomato sauce
• 9 tbsp (about 3 oz) part skim mozzarella cheese, shredded

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine spinach, ricotta, Parmesan, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Ladle about 1 cup sauce on the bottom of a 9 x 12 baking dish.

Place a piece of wax paper on the counter and lay out lasagna noodles. Make sure noodles are dry. Take 1/3 cup of ricotta mixture and spread evenly over noodle. Roll carefully and place seam side down onto the baking dish. Repeat with remaining noodles.

Ladle sauce over the noodles in the baking dish and top each one with 1 tbsp mozzarella cheese. Put foil over baking dish and bake for 40 minutes, or until cheese melts. Makes 9 rolls.

To serve, ladle a little sauce on the plate and top with lasagna roll.

New Book review

I just finished this book - The Help by Kathryn Stockett. It was so nice to read a good book! It wasn't the happiest, go lucky books, but one you learn from.

It is based in the 1960's on the black 'maids' in the South-Mississippi. Their stories on life. Very interesting and very well written. Highly recommend it.