I turned my computer on for the first time in DAYS today with the intention of writing up a post.  That was over 6 hours ago, and I am just now getting to it.  We are blissfully busy, and it is a nice feeling to not have the time or more importantly the desire to be on my laptop.

Anyway.  Nathan & Samuel are napping, so that leaves me time to catch up on my blog {and celebrity gossip…duh}.

This recipe is so simple that it is almost too easy.  When I was on my “clean out the kitchen” tirade, this was the perfect option to use up the leftover spaghetti in the fridge.  Yes, I realize most people use Fettuccine, but I didn’t have that.  I had thin spaghetti…so call this an improvise if you will.

Pasta Alfredo {from Martha Stewart}

Ingredients:

• 1 lb pasta
• 2 sticks butter
• 1/2 lb grated Parmesan cheese
• salt

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions.  Reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water.
2. In an electric mixer, beat butter & Parmesan until creamy.
3. In the warm pot, mix pasta, 1/2 tsp salt, cheese mixture, and 1/4 cup of pasta water.  Add more water as needed.

Grade: C+

Comments: Okay.  This recipe description says it is a Martha Stewart favorite, but there is no way.  It isn’t bad by any means, but it definitely wasn’t great either.  I was actually really disappointed.  It wasn’t very creamy, and it had almost no flavor.  It definitely needs some spices.  I’ll probably never make it again.  That said, it is so easy that there is definitely a time and a place for it.  It isn’t a bad base recipe, but you would have to make some changes to make it worth making…possibly add spices and some veggies.

Yesterday was an important day.  I was FINALLY cleared to run/exercise – 6 weeks after my c-section!  I’ve been itching to get back out there.  Last week Nathan and I stopped & bought some new running sneakers for me and the Nike + mileage tracker thing.  I had started walking some more.  Now I can RUN!  To celebrate, Samuel, Nathan, and I are doing a 5K together tomorrow.  We’ll probably walk/jog it, but I am really excited to start training for my upcoming races.

I made a recipe similar to this one earlier in the summer.  Coincidentally that one was also a Martha Stewart recipe.  This recipe is inspired by my favorite of all of her cookbooks: The Original Classics.  If you ever buy just one Martha Stewart cookbook this should be it.  I love The New Classics as well, but the orange book is just so fun.  I could spend hours reading the recipes and all of the included cooking tips.

Baked Macaroni & Cheese {inspired by Martha Stewart: The Original Classics}

Ingredients:

• 1 stick unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 4 1/2 cups 2% milk
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
• 3 cups grated cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 lb elbow macaroni

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Butter a 2-3 qt casserole dish.  Set aside.
2. In a large pasta pot, cook macaroni according to directions.  Drain & set aside.
3. Meanwhile, heat the milk in a medium saucepan by cooking on medium high heat.
4. Melt the butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat.  When the butter begins to bubble, slowly mix in the flour.  Cook & stir for 1 minute.
5. While whisking, slowly pour the hot milk into the flour mixture.  Continue cooking and whisk constantly until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick {about 8 minutes}.
6. Remove the pan from the heat.  Stir in the nutmeg and red pepper flakes.
7. Next, stir in the cheddar cheese until the sauce is thick and all of the cheese is melted.
8. Poor the cheese mixture into the pasta pot with the cooked macaroni.  Coat the macaroni thoroughly.
9. Transfer the mixture to the casserole dish.  Top with bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese.
10. Cook for 15 minutes.

Grade: A-

Comments: Delicious!  Baked macaroni and cheese is so good, because you get the “hard” top and the gooey inside.  You could easily add broccoli to this if you wanted some vegetables.  This recipe could be easily cut down or made larger.  I think we got about 10 servings from this, and Nathan took leftovers for lunch during the week.  It reheats nicely, and you could even freeze it if you preferred!

So, on Tuesday I was all prepared to make plain old spaghetti for dinner.  We’re leaving on a two week vacation here pretty soon, so I am in “use up what’s in my kitchen” mode.  Except I had no pasta sauce.  Not even the jar stuff.  Oh, and I didn’t realize it until AFTER I had started the noodles.

That’s a problem.

So, I did what any desperate wife with a hungry husband does when she doesn’t want him to know she has promised a dinner she can’t deliver: improvised.

I scoured the fridge and did a mental inventory of what I needed for the rest of the week.  Then I grabbed anything that was “extra.”  I figured I could make something that was at the very worst barely edible.

Turns out I picked a fabulous combination of items, and it was one of my best improvised dishes to date if not the best.  So I’m sharing it with you.  Lucky, right?

Oh, there are a lot less pictures than usual, because I wasn’t sure that I was actually going to post this.  I just took them when I remembered…which was not often.

Tomato and Pepper Pasta Topping {my own recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 medium tomatoes
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 green pepper
• 1 tbs dried basil
• 3 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1/3 cup marsala {the wine & the dryer the better}
• 3 pieces of turkey bacon
• salt
• romano cheese
• mozzarella cheese

Directions:

1. In a skillet heat olive oil on medium for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, chop the tomatoes and pepper.
3. Add the tomatoes and pepper to the olive oil.  Cook covered for 10 minutes.
4. Set the oven to broil.  Put the bacon on a baking sheet that has been covered in aluminum foil.  Cook for 8 minutes.
5. Once the tomatoes and peppers have softened add the basil, marsala, and vinegar.  Cover again and cook for 5 more minutes.
6. Once the bacon is done, let cool for about a minute.  Transfer to a cutting board and chop into small pieces.
7. Add the bacon to the mixture in the skillet, turn to high, and cook for 5 minutes.
8. Put on top of the pasta, and you are good to go.

Grade: A

Comments: Nathan thought I had “planned” this, so my trick worked!  It turned out really well, and it went perfectly with the pasta.  It made about three servings which was enough for each of us for dinner and an extra for Nathan to take to work the next day.  This little topping would be great on steak or chicken as well.  The peppers and tomatoes turned out nicely, and the marsala gave it some flavor without being too strong.  Loved it!

Happy Sunday!

Yesterday was a busy day for us despite the ridiculous heat.  My in laws left in the late morning to head back to Ohio, and then Nathan, Samuel, and I spent a few hours running errands: Home Depot, Target, Zesto’s for ice cream, and finally Samuel and I took a long nap.  Nathan also finished designing Samuel’s birth announcements!  I can’t wait to send them to the printer.  It is awesome being married to an artist.

We’ve been waiting for Samuel to fit into his cloth diapers.  His legs were so skinny that even set on the tightest fit, they were all too big.  Yesterday we tried again, and the Bum Genius 3.0s FINALLY fit him!  They are ADORABLE.

{Seriously cloth diapers are the cutest things ever.}

This morning I tried his GroBaby diapers on as well, and they fit too!  I’m just waiting for the FuzziBunz, Flip, and Econobum to fit a little better.  So we’re still {very reluctantly} using disposable at night.

Since I haven’t been to the grocery store in what seems like forever, last night’s dinner was a “use what we have” kind of night.  I made Nathan pasta with tomato sauce, but I’ve been trying to avoid anything with garlic in it {like onions it seems to bother Samuel}.

Instead, I went through the fridge and came up with this:

Summer Pasta {my recipe}

Ingredients:

• 1 cup cooked linguine
• 1 cup chopped fresh spinach
• 1/2 cup fresh diced tomatoes
• 1 hard boiled egg, chopped
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1 tbs Parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to box.
2. In a bowl, mix olive oil, egg, tomato, spinach, and cheese.
3. When pasta is done cooking, add to bowl and toss.

Grade: A

Comments: Delicious!  It was so light but incredibly filling.  The veggies tasted wonderful with the pasta.  I wasn’t sure I’d like the egg, but it was actually really good.  It gave the dish some texture and added protein which this dish was severely lacking otherwise.

A few weeks ago I was contacted by Foodbuzz and Buitoni and asked to host a dinner party pairing Buitoni products with salads.  I was more than willing to do it!  I saw it as my last chance to throw a dinner party before Samuel arrives.  Nathan obliged and we invited some of our best friends over for a delicious meal.  I spent a considerable amount of time putting together what I thought would be a perfect menu.

I love Buitoni pastas, and we’ve eaten them a few times.  They cook really fast which is great when you’re trying to put together a dinner party.  It is important to get everything on the table in a timely fashion, and refrigerated pastas cook MUCH faster than dry pasta.

All of the recipes below are my own.  If there is one thing I can cook without a cookbook it is Italian food!

{I’ve typed all of the recipes in Google Docs so as not to write the longest blog post EVER.  If you click on any of the dishes you should get the corresponding recipe in a printable file.}

The players:

• Three Cheese Ravioletti
• Quattro Formaggi Agnolotti
• Spicy Beef & Sausage Ravioli
• Linguine

The menu:

Drinks

Nathan’s home brewed beer

water with lemon for me

{I had wine, but the beer was so popular it never got opened!}

Salads

Caprese Salad

Romaine with Prosciutto

Panzanella

Pastas

Linguine with Tomato Sauce & Ricotta

Three Cheese Ravioletti with Brown Butter Sauce

Sicilian “Sauce” with Agnolotti & Ravioli

Dessert

Espresso

Angel Food Cake with Pineapple Sauce

First, let me tell you that every single dish was a hit.  I can only take so much credit, because the quality of the pasta really carried the meal.  Our guests {and us} ate so much food!  I just couldn’t help trying everything.  Look at my plates:

Nine months pregnant or not that was a LOT of food!  I just wanted to make sure to enjoy everything, and I did.

I can’t say enough good things about Buitoni after this dinner party.  It was so nice to have such a wide variety of pastas from which I could select at the grocery.  Each one brought something a little different to dinner.  I was blown away by how delicious and filling each pasta was, and I loved the flavor of them!  Definitely make sure to think of them next time you are hosting an Italian dinner party!

{These pictures were taken with Nathan’s Canon Rebel XTI instead of my iPhone.}

I was compensated for this party through the Foodbuzz Tastemakers Program.  All of my opinions are honest and accurate.

{this week’s menu is up!}

I LOVE Italian food, and my meals from last week just prove that {ending with an Italian themed dinner party}.  This was the first of a slew of Italian recipes that made it to our plates last week.  I can’t help it.  I would make Italian food every single night if I didn’t think I would gain 100 lbs.

This is a really easy dish that makes for great leftovers.  We had a lot left, and I ate it the next day cold for lunch which was a fabulous idea.

Linguine with Tuna Puttanesca {modified from FoodNetwork.com}

Ingredients:

• Kosher salt
• 12 ounces linguine
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 can black olives
• 14 oz plum tomatoes
• 1/2 cup tomato sauce
• 2 5-ounce cans albacore tuna, packed in olive oil
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring, until slightly toasted, 1 to 2 minutes.
3. Cut the olives into pieces.  Add to the garlic mixture and cook for 2 minutes.
4. Cut the tomatoes into halves.  Cook until the tomatoes are slightly dry, about 2 minutes. 
5. Add the pasta sauce to the mixture.  Turn heat down to medium-low.
6. Add the tuna with its oil, breaking it up with a fork, and season with salt.
7. Drain the pasta and put it back in the pot.
8. Add the sauce and toss.

Grade: B

Comments: This is delicious, but if I had to do it all over again I would have added a ton more vegetables.  I made some pretty big changes from the original recipe just to make it more filling.  It is really good, and the tuna goes well with the cooked tomatoes.  It is definitely a “lighter” Italian meal, and even though I was full when I was done eating I wasn’t stuffed.  Like I said, the leftovers were great the next day cold for my lunch.  It would be great for entertaining!

Macaroni & cheese is one of those foods that takes me back to my childhood.  I love that it hasn’t lost its charm after all of these years.  There is something incredibly comforting about a bowl of mac & cheese, laughing at dinner, and talking about our days.

A few months ago, however, I had a huge mac & cheese mess up.  I bought cheap shredded cheese, because I thought it would work.  It didn’t, and it was quite possibly the most disgusting dinner I’ve made.  We ended up throwing it out and eating sandwiches.  I thought Nathan would ban me from ever putting mac & cheese on the table again {lest it be from a certain iconic blue box}, but I convinced him to let me take another swing at it.  Armed with a new recipe and better cheese, I just knew I could pull it off.

I did.

We all know that I aspire to be Martha Stewart {minus the jail time}, so it is only natural I would turn to her website to find the recipe that would make my prior mac & cheese sins forgiven.  This recipe is awesome.

Stovetop Macaroni & Cheese {from MarthaStewart.com}

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• Coarse salt
• 4 cups whole milk {don’t skimp on this…go for the whole.  It is going to make a difference}
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3/4 pound small shell pasta or elbow macaroni
• 4 cups coarsely grated sharp yellow cheddar (3/4 pound)
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. In a medium saucepan, melt butter over medium.
2. Chop the onion and add it to the butter.  Cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
3. Add flour and 1/2 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring frequently, until mixture is pale golden, has a slightly nutty aroma, and is the texture of cooked oatmeal, about 5 minutes.
4. Whisking constantly, pour in 2 cups milk; add 2 more cups milk and cayenne and whisk until smooth.
5. Cook mixture, stirring constantly along bottom of pan, until boiling, 6 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Simmer gently, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens and does not feel grainy when a small amount is rubbed between two fingers, about 10 minutes.
6. Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta until al dente; drain thoroughly and put in a bowl.
7. Remove sauce from heat and let cool 10 minutes. Quickly whisk in cheese, mustard, and Worcestershire. Pour cheese sauce over pasta and stir to coat.
   

Grade: A

Comments: At first I was worried that I had screwed up my cheese sauce, because the consistency didn’t seem right.  However, it was perfect!  This was SO good.  The recipe says it is for 6 servings, but it made almost 10 {at least for us}.  This would be so good with hot dogs or at a picnic.  The cheese flavor isn’t too super strong, but it is just enough to be absolutely delicious.  I definitely recommend not skimping on the milk and cheese to go for lower fat – just accept that this recipe isn’t healthy and move on.

I have a subscription to Everyday Food: A Martha Stewart Magazine.  I love it if only because the recipes are “weekday compatible.”  They are pretty fast, use simple ingredients, and they don’t break the bank.  When my June issue came, I immediately knew I had to try this recipe.  I marked the page, and I worked it into the menu for the very next week.  The picture alone was enough to make my mouth water.

No Bake Summer Lasagna {from Everyday Food June 2010}

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
• 3 tbs grated Parmesan cheese
• 3 tbs + 2 tsp extra virgin olive oil
• coarse salt and ground pepper
• 8 lasagna noodles
• 1 small garlic clove, minced
• 2 pints grape tomatoes
• 2 zucchini (about 1 lb)

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, combine ricotta, Parmesan, and 2 tsp oil; season with salt and pepper.
2. Break lasagna noodles in half.  In a large pot of boiling water, cook noodles according to package instructions; drain.
3. Cut the grape tomatoes in half.  Thinly slice the zucchini.
4. In a large skillet, heat 2 tbs oil over medium-high heat.  Add garlic and tomatoes; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until slightly broken down, about 3 minutes. 
5. Transfer the tomatoes to a bowl.
6. Add 1 tbs oil and zucchini to the skillet; season with salt and pepper.  Cook until zucchini are tender, about 5 minutes.  Transfer to another bowl.
7. Place some tomatoes on plates; top with a noodle and small spoonfuls of ricotta mixture, zucchini, and more tomatoes.  Repeat layering twice, then top with remaining noodles and tomatoes.

Grade: B+

Comments: This was really good.  I love lasagna, but I avoid it like the plague in the summer.  It had never dawned on me to make it this way.  It would be good with even more vegetables like squash, cucumbers, onion, and other summer veggies.  You could also rework the recipe to be a delicious pasta salad if that is more your style.  The fact it is sauceless is really nice, and it lightened up the dish a ton.  If you really wanted something, it would be great with a little Italian dressing drizzled on it.

Happy birthday to me   Today I am the big 2-6.  This past year has FLOWN!  It feels like just yesterday we were celebrating my quarter-of-a-century.  Nathan is in Florida for work.  He left last night, but thankfully he’ll be back tonight just in time for a late birthday dinner.

We spent Friday in Alabama hiking the Little River Canyon.  The weather was absolutely amazing at 70 degrees and just a little breeze.  I had a great time, and I was surprised at how much energy I had at almost 26 weeks pregnant!  I had no problem hiking and climbing over the rocks.  It was a great workout.

Yesterday before Nathan left we did a little more hiking, and I made scones for breakfast {recipe to come later}.  I’ve been in a hiking mood with the weather getting much better.  It is a nice change from my usual daily walks.

Anyway, this pasta dish is a great easy dinner that guarantees leftovers {assuming there are just 2 people eating it}.  I have been testing a few recipes that I plan on freezing once we get closer to Samuel’s arrival.  That way we’ll have dinners ready to go for when our parents get here to meet him.  It will also {hopefully} keep me out of the kitchen for at least the first week.  We’ll see though, because cooking is my relaxation time.

Penne Pasta Casserole

Ingredients:

• 1 box penne pasta
• 2 small cans of tomato paste
• 1 cup diced tomatoes
• 1 lb lean ground turkey
• 2 cups cheddar cheese
• 1 small onion
• Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1/2 tbs red pepper flakes
• 1 tbs olive oil

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cook the pasta according to the box.
2. In a large skillet, heat olive oil on medium-high.  After about 2 minutes, add the ground turkey.  Cover with lid, and turn the heat down to medium.
3. Meanwhile, dice onion.  Once the meat is mostly brown add the onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes.  Mix and cover with lid again.
4. After about 5 minutes, mix tomato paste and diced tomatoes to meat mixture.  Coat the meat completely.  Cover with lid and cook for another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Drain the pasta and put back in the large pot.  Coat a glass casserole dish with olive oil spray.
6. Mix the meat mixture and the pasta in the large pot.
7. Put half of the pasta mixture into the glass casserole dish.  Cover with half of the cheddar cheese and some Parmesan cheese.  Repeat with the rest of the mixture.  Cook uncovered for 5 minutes or until cheese melts.
8. Serve!

Grade: B

Comments: This was pretty good.  It isn’t anything fancy, but it makes a solid meal.  It was incredibly quick and easy which is always a plus when I’m exhausted.  It will definitely freeze nicely.  If I had thought about it I would have added some zucchini and probably some green peppers as well.  There is room to play with this recipe and make it more vegetable heavy than I did.

Sometimes I get these ideas in my head about what sounds good.  This was one of those times.  I’ve been craving Mexican food and pasta which is a weird combination.  Except it isn’t.  It turns out that it is a really delicious combination.

We had this on Sunday night.  Sunday morning I did the Junior League ShamRock n Roll 5K with my friend Evyan.  We both brought our dogs, and we had a great time.

This was taken at 7:50 AM.  On a Sunday.  I’m 25 weeks pregnant exactly.  This was before the race.  Also, somehow Stitch got cut out of the photo.

So, anyway, Sunday night this was dinner.  I am grateful it was so easy to make!  It would be a great family meal if you have kids.

Southwest Pasta

Ingredients:

• 12 oz spaghetti
• 1 can corn
• 2 cans diced tomatoes
• 1 1/2 cups salsa
• 1 can black beans
• 1 green bell pepper
• 1 small onion
• 1 tbs olive oil
• low fat shredded cheese {I used mozzarella}
• fat-free sour cream

Directions:

1. Cook pasta according to directions on the box.
2. Meanwhile, chop onion and pepper. 
3. In a small pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat.  Saute onions and peppers until onions are clear.
4. Drain the pasta.  Dump into a large bowl.
5. Mix in corn, black beans, diced tomatoes, sauteed onions & peppers, and salsa.  Toss.
6. Serve warm {or it is delicious cold as leftovers} and top with shredded cheese and sour cream!

Grade: A+

Comments: This dish is surprisingly delicious.  Nathan was a little weary of it at first, but it turns out he loves it.  The best part is that it is JUST if not more delicious as leftovers the next few days.  I made a ton of it, so it has lasted all week for lunches which has been nice.  You could easily add more vegetables if you wanted, but I think this was plenty.  The sour cream was a nice touch just to make it a little creamier.  You definitely need to try this!