Bolognese Sauce with Fresh Pasta

I truly could eat pasta everyday of the week!  I love marinara sauce and fresh tomato sauce, but my husband's favorite is Bolognese. 

Yesterday I decided to bring out the Kitchen Aid pasta maker that Kendra had given to me and make a truly homemade Italian meal. 

I remember my Italian grandmother trying to teach me to make pasta. I wanted to write down specific measurements ~ she just laughed and said "you will know by feeling" ....

 

A friend gave me a great Bolognese recipe, and I used the this recipe for the pasta.  Think my husband was happy with the results!

First ingredients:  lean ground beef (I used organic), but a combination of beef and pork would be perfect too ~ chopped carrots and onions and crushed garlic.

Brown meat...

Add additional ingredients, and simmer away..

While it was cooking, I made the pasta...

 

Topped with cheese and served with crusty bread for a perfect Sunday dinner!

Recipe...

Pin It

Tweet

Roasted Chick Peas

Hi there and happy Monday!  Another day, another day off for the girls - this time a sheet of ice has covered every surface making walking nearly impossible.  These kids are going to be in school until the Fourth of July at the this rate! 

Today I'm sharing my favorite healthy snack, side dish and salad add-on that I haven't gotten sick of yet - even after eating it (in some form) a few times a week for the last two months.  Roasted chick peas!!  I have always loved them on salads and in hummus but until recently I had never cooked them.  Roasted chick peas become crunchy when roasted and the combo of that and salt is darn near perfect!  If you haven't tried them already you should - find out how below!

+1 Can Chick Peas (drained and rinsed well)
+2 TBSP Olive Oil (I actually don't measure this - I just drizzle it over until they seemed coated)
+Large pinch of Sea Salt (I love using this)
+Sprinkle of Pepper (optional)

Set your oven to 400.  Once you have drained and rinsed the chick peas lay them on a tea towel or paper towel for a few minutes to soak up the moisture.  Once they seem dry transfer them to a shallow baking dish and add the olive oil, salt and pepper.  Mix everything with your hands, making sure that the chick peas are evenly coated. 
Set your timer for 30 minutes stirring them half way through so they roast evenly.
I usually turn the oven off at 30 minutes and then leave them in the cooling oven for another 10-15 minutes. 
Enjoy!

Pin It

Tweet

Spinch Beef Barley Soup

Memories of my childhood ~ delicious smells from the Italian basement kitchen of my grandmother's house.  That large area was where pasta was made and hung to dry, pizzeles and bows were baked and fried, and soup was simmered.
I love when my husband walks into the kitchen and says, "Boy, something smells good in here!"
 
Today it was beef and barley soup with vegetables...

 

 

To me soup is a great day to deal with the cold.  A bowl with bread in front of the fireplace (with a glass of red wine) is perfect comfort food.

Many recipes suggest a cockpot, but I like to watch the ingredients blend together on top of the stove.

 

 

The result was perfectly satisfying!

Pin It

Tweet

Easy Amish Cinnamon Bread

One of my friends (thanks, Karen) posted a recipe link on Facebook that I just had to try.  I love cinnamon ~ just the smell of it baking makes me happy (:

This Amish bread was very light; it didn't have the dense consistency of most quick breads.  But it tasted delicious.  A perfect treat for breakfast!

Ingredients (2 loaves)
1 cup butter, softened

2 cups sugar

2 eggs

2 cups buttermilk or 2 cups milk plus 2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice

4 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

 

Topping ~ Cinnamon/sugar mixture:

2/3 cups sugar

2 teaspoons cinnamon

 

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease two loaf pans.

Mix together the topping ingredients in a small bowl.  Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar, and eggs.

 

 

Add the flour, baking soda, and milk.  Mix just until combined.

Fill each prepared pan 1/2 full.  Sprinkle with 1/4 of the topping.

Add the remainder of the batter to each pan, and sprinkle with the remaining topping.

 

Use a knife to swirl the cinnamon and sugar into the batter.

Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until done.

Cool in pans for 20 minutes. 
Remove and enjoy!  ♥

** Note ~ freezes well.  Printable recipe


Pin It

Tweet

We're Back and Smoothie Day!

Oh we are the worst!  Sometimes Summer just gets the best of us and we take off for a few days (weeks) and forget to update you all on our whereabouts.  Summer means travelling to visit our families as much as possible since it works for everyone's schedule and there is soooo much for us to do both here and away.  Anywho, we're back (with a vengeance) and promise to post something every day for the next week...after that who knows: )

After a prolonged vacation I usually go into detox mode - or healthy eating mode to help counteract all the ice cream, pizza, beer and ice cream (it deserves two mentions!) consumed during our time away.  We both have Moms The girls' Noni and Grandma) who love to spoil us with yummy treats everyday and since we don't eat like that at home we go all out when we are with them.

So the Monday we got back I made a trip to Michaels for a dozen mason jars and another trip to Whole Foods for smoothie supplies.  Then, after about two hours of washing, cutting and blending I had 12 jars full of smoothies ready for freezing and about 15 bags of prepared smoothies bags that just need to be dumped into the blender with either the frozen coconut water or coconut yogurt ice cubes I made and done!

Here are a few of the combinations I came up with:

Baby Spinach
Almond Milk
Blueberries
Chia Seeds

Strawberry
Banana
Lime (juice of two)
Coconut Water

Peach (skin off)
Raspberries
Coconut Water
Chia Seeds

Kale
Mango
Banana
Cinnamon

Raspberries
Coconut Water
Blueberries
Mint


YUM!!!!



Pin It

Tweet

A Simple & Refreshing Summer Drink

Hi!! Quick post today...working on a few projects with lots to share later this week...so for now a drink I love to make in the summer months.  It's a little fancier than water with lemon and tastes so good!

All you need is some unflavored bubbly water (Pellegrino is my favorite) some fresh squeezed lemonade (or as close to that as you can get at the store) lots of mint and some crushed ice.

I cover the ice with the Pellegrino top it of with the lemonade and then throw in in the mint and muddle away.  

The perfect summer drink!!

Pin It

Tweet

Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I like many people out there always associated Brussels sprouts with "ewww".  Not veggies I would ever really be into trying let alone making for my kids. 

All I'll say about todays recipe is don't knock 'em until you try 'em.

Ingredients:
Fresh Brussels Sprouts - outer leaves removed (the wrinkly ones)
Water for steaming
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sea Salt

Once you have removed the outer leaves rinse the Brussels sprouts with cold water.

Place the rinsed Brussels sprouts in about an inch of water and cover on medium heat for about 5 minutes.  You'll know they have steamed long enough when they turn super green.

After they have steamed (carefully) dump the hot Brussels sprouts onto cutting board and allow them to cool before cutting them in half (vertically).

Coat a sauce pan with the olive oil and heat on medium. Slowly add the cut Brussels sprouts to the pan flat side down.

Sprinkle with seat salt and allow the flat side to brown before carefully flipping to the other side.  Don't move them around in the pan until one side is browned.

 

Serve them warm and sit back and watch as your children actually eat them!!

 

 

Pin It

Tweet

Super Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

Hi!  I've mentioned before that I not much of a cook but baking, on the other hand, has become fun for me.  So on a snowy day trapped inside what is a mama to do but bake up some yummy cookies for her girls.  And since making a trip to the store was not an option I found a great flourless recipe that was easy to make and so good that two days later...nothing but crumbs!

Ingredients:

1 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon baking soda
Sugar and cinnamon mixed together for rolling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350* and grease cookie sheets.

Beat together peanut butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.

Add beaten egg and baking soda to peanut butter mixture and beat until well combined.

Roll 1 teaspoon of dough into a ball, roll the ball through the sugar and cinnamon mixture until coated and place on cookie sheet.

Place dough balls one inch apart on cookie sheet and flatten with tines of fork making a cross pattern.

Bake until puffed and a golden pale, about 8-10 minutes.

Cool cookies on baking sheet about 2 minutes and then transfer to rack.

May be kept in air tight container at room temperature for 5 days.

Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

 

Pin It

Tweet

Pretzel Buns

One treat our area is known for is a big Philly pretzel dipped in mustard.  So when I decided to make Dijon mustard chicken for dinner, the accompaniment had to be a salty pretzel roll.

Ingredients:
1 cup warm tap water
2 1/2 teaspoon active yeast
2 3/4 cups flour (I used white, but whole wheat would be a good option.)
1 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 quarts of water
1/4 cup baking soda
1 egg + 1 teaspoon water
additional sea salt

Directions:
Mix together the water and yeast.  Allow to sit for about 5 minutes. 
Whisk together the flour and the sea salt.  Add to the yeast mixture.
Using the dough hook on your mixer, mix on low speed until the dough comes together.

Turn the speed to medium-low, and mix for 3 minutes.  Turn the speed to medium, and mix for an additional 2 minutes.  The dough will look smooth.
Form a ball and place into a lightly greased bowl.  Cover with kitchen towel.

Allow to rise in a warm spot until double in size (approximately 1 hour).
Punch down.
Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Form the dough into 8 balls.  Cover again with the towel and allow to rise an additional 20 minutes.
Bring the water and baking soda to a boil.  With a slotted spoon, add 2 rolls at a time to the water, and allow to cook for 30 minutes per side.

Place the rolls on a clean greased cookie sheet.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Beat together the egg and a teaspoon of water.  Brush each roll with the egg mixture, and sprinkle with additional sea salt.  Make a "X" with a sharp knife in the top of each.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned.

Cool, and enjoy!  ♥




Pin It

Tweet

Soup, Glorious Soup

Wow, it has been frigid here with temperature well below freezing, and I know we actually were lucky compared to others in the Midwest.  As I heard one reporter state ~ "Stay inside, keep warm, and eat a hot bowl of soup."  Well, I decided to heed his recommendation, and I made a big pot of chicken vegetable soup!

Today I thought I would share some of my favorite winter soup recipes and some that I would like to try making.

                                                    winter squash and apple soup

                                                           pasta cheeseburger soup

                                                      kale and butterbean soup

                                                               chicken and rice soup

chicken and wild rice soup

 

beef and barley soup

 

 

 whole pumpkin pie soup 

 

 Hope that you found one (or two) that you would like to try... and stay warm ♥

Pin It

Tweet