Fusilli with Pancetta and Cremini Mushrooms with Fresh Mint...plus a side of 'moan' and 'groan' After returning from the fresh crisp breezes of Oregon, I must say we have been having a hard time plunging headlong into the heat and humidity that is this deep deep south.Some people fall into doldrums during the long dark days of winter.
I, on the other hand, tend to feel languid, listless, and despondent during these early hot days of summer. Needless to say (wink), I am not a summer person. Our school year is winding down and I find myself in that interim period when my finely tuned daily schedule has lost its hour by hour structure. Our homeschooling world is one of schedules, deadlines, papers to write, and books to devour.
We are in a lull before summer school begins and the minds are fired-up once more.Hours seem to stretch in front of me without concrete direction and focus. The skip in my step will return. What I have been doing is retreating into my kitchen. The flavors of mushrooms, pancetta, and sauteed onions are a hard flavor trio to beat. Gourmet Sandwiches for Guys: Mens Health Lists: MensHealth.com.
Most favorited all-time. Lovingly Handmade Confections and Gifts. Campbells Kitchen: Buffalo Burgers. Yummymummyclub.ca. Coffee has long been one of my favourite indulgences.
Actually, let's be honest. I can't get through my day without visiting Starbucks. And I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: I'm not alone in this. Even so...my sipping usually comes with a teeny bit of guilt. Reasonable? There's a growing body of research connecting coffee with a multitude of health benefits. Here are some of the ways coffee is good for you: Coffee could save your brain. Research has linked coffee to a decreased risk of Parkinson’s and other forms of dementia, like Alzheimer’s. Coffee may prevent skin cancer. A recent study of more than 100,000 people showed a 20% reduction in the risk of basal cell skin cancer in women who drank 3 cups of coffee a day.
Kitchen Helpers. I found these helpful charts last week and just had to share!
Both of these beauties are from Chasing Delicious (aka one of the most fab foodie blogs out there)! Aren’t they faaaaabulous?! Buy them here. (Note: There are lots of little charts like this online, but these are my favorites). I love tea, but I’m no expert. For people of the UK, have this one with you while you’re meal planning or grocery shopping! I’ve fond some other helpful charts that I’ll share in another post! Yay charts!
Cooking With Tea. I’m baaaaaaaaaaaack!!!
For my first tea-infused recipe of the fall I decided to go a little bananas and try to spice up the classic oatmeal cookie. There are no pictures as of yet due to the tragic demise of my camera. However, these cookies are tested and true having garnered the approval of my beloved DT staff and even a few customers who were kind enough to do a taste test.
Without further ado: Copabanana Oatmeal Cookies 3 tablespoons Copabanana from DavidsTea’s fall collection. Chicken and Cheese Lasagna Roll-Ups - iVillage. Desserts. 5 Tips for Eating Well on a Budget [infographic] Party Food & Cooking Blog - Find the best recipes, cooking and food tips at Our Kitchen.
The Epi-Log on Epicurious.com: 10 Fast and Nutritious Breakfasts. Pasta Pie - StumbleUpon. Cheesy, delicious and impressive Pasta Pie will have your family and friends amazed by your effots.
Believe it or not, it's simple to put together. Give it a try. See this recipe made on video here.With the enthusiasm my children showed for this recipe, you would have thought I reinvented the wheel. I guess rigatoni standing at attention has a way of impressing children? You bet it does. The key to this recipe, as far as taste goes, is using quality ingredients. Let's put this together: You will need: Crushed tomatoes, fresh garlic, Parmesan cheese and mozzarella. Ground beef, rigatoni pasta, olive oil, butter, salt and pepper are also needed. In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook 1 pound rigatoni pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 can good quality (28 ounces) crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes. Print Recipe.