Anyone know what Florentine is?

Me either. But I know it's spinach...and something...I'm looking, I'm looking...

Huh. Seems that you can make just about anything, add spinach, and voila. Florentine. Good to know.

Makes for a good pantry meal, I'll tell you that. We have food...I just have been knee-deep in freelance, a good new book (The Help, by Kathryn Stockett), and season 6 of Grey's. And therefore have other things to do than cook long, drawn-out meals. Even/especially when my freezer has been costco-sized (tempting to cook something good, but enough frozen chicken that I don't have to)

And so:


Chicken Florentine Pasta
2 breasts of chicken
S&P
Cooking spray
About 1.5-2 cups cooked penne pasta
One can cream of broccoli soup
Large handful (2 cups?) baby spinach
Shredded Romano cheese to top

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Spray hot sauté pan with cooking spray, cook chicken on high about 4 minutes til brown. Turn, cook another 3 minutes, reduce heat to low, add a tbsp or so of water, cover.

Cook about 8 minutes or until done. With a fork and some tongs, pull chicken into small pieces. Add soup, another pinch each salt and pepper, and cook a couple minutes. Add spinach and pasta, mix gently. When the spinach starts wilting, grate cheese over everything (as much as you want...don't be a fat ass, 1/4 cup or so should do.)



-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

I'm in love...

with my new favorite toy, a shiny, speedy, sinfully delicious 15in Mac BookPro. Best part? It's wireless. Yes, I understand all laptops are...unless you have been putting off buying a new battery and have been attached to the wall for the past year. Anyway...yuh-uh-umm. It's so purdy.

As hard as it was, I tore myself away from playing long enough to make and feed myself eggplant parm. (side note: I LOVE my toaster oven...I totally used it for this.) I used this cooking light recipe, with some minor changes...made half a recipe, so I just did one layer of eggplant, topped with sauce, the cheese mix, more sauce, then torn fresh pieces of small mozzarella balls (an oz or so) and 2 provolone slices. Baked for 45 minutes total, but it could cook a bit longer. Served with chicken-broth cooked rice.
Also yum.


Oh, and I think I've mentioned this before, but it's worth repeating...after you slice the eggplant, sprinkle both sides with salt, layer between paper towels, let sit 5 to 10 minutes, then rinse before using. It makes them less bitter.

Possibly the best dinner ever.

I spent the afternoon today (and last night, thanks again for the fabulous dinner, etc!) at the formerly-known-as-the-new-parents' home, prepping for and enjoying Mrs. A's baby shower. I think we (mostly she, look at those raspberry pastries and spinach dip!) did good...


Our favors, hot cocoa mix:


Sangria is always a hit:


The now-experienced mama and the mama-to-be, measuring her tummy:


Annnyway, now I'm spent. And since hubby is out representing the Condors' opening night, I get to spend the evening watching Dexter and enjoying whatever quiet time Greta and Ramona allow me. Thank you, Trader Joes, for making dinner easy.


That's right...caprese salad, bread and olive oil/balsamic, and a dirty. The only thing that could beat this would be crab legs and lobster. But I'm not about to push it.

Oh, and we got a new back door. Swoon. Matching front door tomorrow!!


-posted out of good-dayness from my iPhone.

Pantry meal supreme

Well, kinda.

So not only am I totally unmotivated to cook, I'm not too jazzed about shopping, either. I go, but I get like 3 things at a time.


This is the fridge. Apparently I only eat condiments and drink (don't judge, that's my job). At least the kits have food.

I've been the queen of ready-to-eat food this week. Pre-roasted chicken, Black Angus (and the resulting leftovers), ready to cook pasta...gah. Not terrible, but still.

But I got off my ass and cooked tonight. Even if it was the easiest thing I could think of, which really just meant whatever I had that needed the least from the store.

Ah, how i love risotto. I had onion, garlic, herbs and cheese, so my shopping consisted only of wine, chicken, and arborio rice (I could have used basmati, but it's just not the same.)

You guys know how I feel about risotto. It takes minute effort, but it take a bit of time. So what.

Stuffed some chicken with blue cheese and thyme, browned one side, then flipped, added a quarter cup or so of broth, covered, and cooked over medium for 11 minutes.

As for the risotto, i added the rest of the cheese (tbps-ish), some fresh pepper and a sprinkle of thyme to the rice at the end. Yum.


I am so over being distracted. I wanna cook. And write. And have my stuff back, damnit.

Two words.

Renters Insurance.

I haven't been in much of a mood to share lately, so I just wanted to let you guys know I'm alive and sort of well...I've shared enough for awhile with the assholes who decided to do their Christmas shopping in our home while we were at work last Friday. They were kind enough to leave the cats and the TVs...but that's about it. So without a laptop, and with the hours I've gotten to deal with insurance claims and the police and trying to get photos of my wedding rings to the pawn shops in the area, I'm a little spent.

Talk soon. XO, all.

An equation.

If: The number of felines in your home is ≤ the number of humans,
Then: Worry not, you just appreciate pets.

If: The number of felines in your home is > the number of humans,
Then: You are a crazy cat person.

It's simple math, y'all.

And thhaaaat said...


Meet Ramona.
We do know about Ramona, do we not? (She's a pest). And she likes laundry.


And sleeping.


And posing.

So, yes. We are now a multiple cat home. But we saved her from certain cat death-my baby sis called last week needing a permanent home for a cat she had to foster last minute...long story short, Greta (KittyH) is not super happy with us.

It's like playing I-Spy.

And Ramona loves her. And wants to play.all.the.time. So far, we've graduated to mild toleration. With some guttural tiger noises from KH anytime KH2 gets a bit too close. Or tackles her...or attempts to pounce...or something equally obnoxious. But Geezus. Her cry is like none other. We put her in the room whenever she starts stalking KH:

And 2 minutes later, we start hearing the wail of death. It's the strangest, longest cry I've ever heard...it's been fun.

Sigh. This post has reached ridiculous levels. My apologies. I'll post dinner next, I promise.

I promised.

Every time I pass the portabellas at the grocery store, I pause and try to figure out how to get away with adding them to my dinner plans—especially if I'm already wanting to grill.

They're just so versatile...as long as I start with tomatoes and garlic, I've found you pretty much can't go wrong. Plus, they take like 10 minutes total. Especially if you cheat and buy pre-diced tomato.


Stuffed Ports
About a cup diced tomato
A couple tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp or so fresh thyme
1 tbsp or bacon pieces (the bottled kind)
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp of so goat cheese
Splash olive oil
Splash balsamic vinegar
S&P to taste
2 portabella mushrooms, gills and stem gently removed
Olive oil
Balsamic
Low sodium soy sauce

You know the drill. Mix tomato through salt and pepper.

Place mushrooms in shallow bowl. Drizzle with olive oil, vinegar and soy. Turn to coat.

On a hot grill, cook over high, gill side down, about 4 minute. Brush with some of the remaining marinade. Turn over, brush that side.

Carefully spoon in tomato mix. Grill another 5 minutes. Serve hot.


-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

Meet...um...hmmmm.

We can't pick a name. But she's a rambunctious little thing, let me tell you...


Taking all ideas.

-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

How is it 98 degrees still?

Might as well make the most of it and BBQ with friends, yeah?

I love this recipe for so many reasons: it reminds me of my mom, it's super summery, and it's easy. There's chopping, yes, but a rough to small chop is fine...the onion is really the only thing that needs a finer chop.

I actually boiled the eggs in with the pasta to save from cleaning two pots. You have to rinse the pasta anyway...so why not.


Mom's 'Macaroni' Salad
One package small macaroni noodles (the ones shaped like jujubees)
Two tomatoes, chopped
One can of olives, sliced or chopped
Two hard boiled eggs, cooled and chopped
Three stalks celery, chopped
Half a small red onion, finely chopped
About 3/4 cup light mayo
Salt and pepper

Boil a few quarts of water in a stock pot (enough for all the pasta), add pasta and cook according to directions-10-12 min or so. Drain well, put in large bowl and chill in the fridge.

In medium bowl, combine tomatoes, olives, eggs, celery and onion.

When pasta is cool, mix in mayo, and then stir in tomato mix. Salt and pepper to taste, chill til ready to eat.

Eat with anything worthy of other BBQ food, summer food, or otherwise. And friends, obviously.

-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.

It's fall enough

Hubby and I have been on a budget. Which isn't really cool, cause that basically means I'm on a budget, seeing that I do all the shopping...
Not the point. We've been good...especially me, who counts Starbucks, the chiropractor, and mani/pedis among the (few, actually) major cuts. And let me-my bare toed, nail-bitten, sore self-tell you...I need me some pumpkin spice latte. They've been at the 'bucks for like a month, and I haven't had as much as a sip. I'm telling you, the air changes a bit, it's suddenly dark when my alarm goes off in the morning, and my need for pumpkin hits.

And so, as I'm trying to save money...this is my alternative. I cook. I wanted to do stuffed shells, but all I could find were lasagna noodles, so once again, I adapted...it worked. Served nicely with baby carrots steamed with dill. Even KittyH wanted some.


Pumpkin Lasagna
Olive oil
A few thin slices onion, chopped
A couple garlic cloves, minced
About half 14oz can pumpkin
1 container low fat ricotta
1 egg, beaten
Salt
Pepper
Nutmeg
Allspice
Cardamom
1/4 cup or so of chopped walnuts
Lasagna noodles, prepared or no-bake (I love you, trader joes)
Store bought light alfredo sauce ( I use the refrigerated buitoni stuff..molto bene), diluted with a tbsp of water or so, if needed, to get to a smooth, medium thin sauce
Parsley, to serve


Preheat oven to 400.

Sautee onion and garlic (or use an equal amount of shallot) in a bit of olive oil for a few minutes until soft. Remove from heat.

In medium bowl, combine ricotta, pumpkin, egg, about 1/4 tsp each of ground allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and salt. Add pepper to taste (good pinch). Add garlic/onion mix. Combine well.

In casserole dish, cover bottom lightly and evenly with a bit of the Alfredo (1/3 cup or so). Make layer of lasagna noodles, breaking pieces up if needed to puzzle piece it together.

Spread 1/3 of pumpkin mix across noodles. Cover with another layer of noodles. Spread 1/3 pumpkin mix, then sprinkle across half the walnuts. Cover with noodles, then rest of pumpkin, then noodles, then pour over remaining Alfredo sauce. Sprinkle rest of walnuts across top. Cover with foil. (if using no-boil noodles, let sit 20 minutes before continuing)

Bake for 30 minutes, remove foil, cook another 10 minutes or until bubbly.

Let cool 15 minutes or so. Sprinkle with parsley before serving.


*if you can see, the rockalicious salt on the carrots (and everything else I cook lately) is the.best.ever. Let's just say it was a gift. From Cambodia. From a straight up salt field. I also have the.best.pepper.ever., also from Cambodia, but I've been afraid to use it. Much like the super awesome olive oils we got as wedding gifts two years ago(Thanks L&E!)...I've devoured one of each of said 'duel gifts,' and have been delighted...which makes me more hesitant to use the other. It's like a good wine...Perfect occasion, you know? Anyway. Thanks again, Boss Lady. Get better and go on vacation already. You and Tom bring back the best stuff. (xo)

-posted out of laziness from my iPhone.