Manicotti, Mani-got......PotAtoes, po-tatoes

Sorry for this VERY late posting.  I've gotten caught up in spring fever, all things homeschooling and most importantly....DESSERTS.  Not sure what has gotten into me.....ok, maybe I do know what is IN me, but this resulting sweet tooth has got me hankering to bake!  I've spent a lot of free time the past two weeks doing just that.  Strawberries are popping up in the stores and I love to serve strawberries over panna cotta - so check, that's one I've made, actually not once, but twice.  And, One Hungry Mama posted a tempting Nutella Brownie Bites recipe that I just had to try - easy and delicious - best a day later as the brownies were a little crumbly fresh out of the oven.  But they set up better after a days rest.  And, lets not forget the Banana Pudding.  No crazy fancy recipe for this chica - just Jello brand vanilla pudding, wafers and bananas.  Yummo - gotta love the soggy wafers!  And while we are talking desserts, I might as well tell ya what desserts are planned for the future because yes-um, I have future desserts planned....a dessert wish list of sorts.  To be served for afternoon snack on St. Patty's Day - I have a Shamrock Shake up my sleeve from one of my favorite bloggers, The Naptime Chef. 

Swiss Chard and Sweet Pea Manicotti

I have had this recipe for over 9 months now and just haven't felt quite inspired enough to make it.  However, after a few relaxing days in warm sunny Puerto Rico last week followed by a blustery cold snap back to reality, this manicotti dish felt oh so appropriate!  Not to mention, I am ready to jump back in the kitchen after having a full week off from cooking!  Sure was a pleasure/vacation in and of itself, not having to cook!  Don't get me wrong, I do love to cook, but anyone who does it for a family, knows that its not just a matter of throwing something edible into the microwave 15 minutes before the hungry mouths start crying!  "Cooking" actually is the final product of a sequence of many small events.   First comes the menu planning, then the grocery list, then the actual grocery shopping, followed by unloading the groceries and organizing the refrigerator (yes - this is an important step - you gotta see whatcha' got - and throw away what is sprouting legs and eyes and is about to talk back to you!)  Then as the week progresses, you are thawing, prepping, washing, chopping, marinating, and then of course, the actual cooking.  This is an art form I'll have you know!  One I love, but one I always will  welcome a small vacation from.  We never eat out and I mean NEVER, so this Puerto Rican vacation was all kinds of a vacation for me!

Portobello Mushroom Lasagna

Moving a bit slowly over here. We awoke Monday of last week to a blanket of snow.  It was gorgeous.  A tree-branch-bending-with-the-weight-of-the-snow, hushed stillness kind of gorgeous.  We sat watching from the front window.  We gobbled up blueberry pancakes.  We eyed the snow some more.  We put on long johns and sweaters and snow pants and boots and jackets and mittens and hats and more socks and headed outside.  We threw snowballs and went for a walk and took a few trips down our neighbor's front lawn on a cardboard box.  It was a great snow day.

By the time Tuesday rolled around, the snow had turned to ice and cabin fever set in. Instead of dropping off dinner, we invited Jenny and her crew to join us.  Lizzie and Jude got to grab toys from each other play and the adults got some much needed human interaction.  In between cries of, "no, mine", we did manage to catch a shot of the little sous chefs amicably and enthusiastically supporting our mealtime efforts.

Appetizer for the night was the crowd pleasing clementine. 

Pasta with Spinach, Tomatoes and Cannelini Beans

So, truth be told, I'm still not feeling up to snuff these days and once 4 pm rolls around, firing up the stove and cooking dinner seems to turn my stomach just a bit.  But, this recipe is one of our old stanbys.  One of Brad's and my mom's too.  It is oh so easy and healthy!  You can add whatever you like to it, we just always have beans, tomatos and spinach on hand.  Actually, we have a healthy bounty of spinach in our garden this fall/winter - so spinach is always plentiful.  That is, if lizzie hasn't picked all the leaves and eaten them straight from the garden!  

Big Blue Pot ~ Feeling Lazy

Ahhhh, we made it through the Christmas celebrations and my husband's birthday (which he notes is the reason for the season) unscathed.  After polishing off Patrick's birthday cake (Barefoot Contessa's Mocha Icebox cake)  on Sunday night, I felt the warm and heavy weight of fatigue start to settle in.  I didn't think I would ever want to cook again or eat for that matter...let it be noted that I would make an exception for the cake as it was damn good...but I digress.

Thinking ahead to my work week and meal making for my family left me a bit uninspired.  I decided to go with my lazy outlook and plan some meals that were easy.  Let me introduce to you Baked Vegetable Rice.  Wait, wait, before I introduce you to the main dish, let me first pay homage to the Big Blue Pot.  Doesn't she look lovely out there in the snow on our back deck?  I placed her so because I have discovered that I really have a crappy camera when it comes to indoor picture taking.  Anyway, here she sits all big and blue.  I used to dread the sight of the Big Blue Pot growing up.  Whenever my mom would pull it out from the cabinets, I would respond by rolling my eyes and quickly trying to steal a snack so I wouldn't be hungry come dinner time.  My mom would use the offending pot for coq au vin and beef bourguignon and other such dishes repugnant to a teenager.   I think my sister also shared my dread of the Big Blue Pot which makes the fact that she gave me one for Christmas a few years ago all the more curious.  Did she do this because she loves me and knew I would appreciate it with my more adult palette or was it some sort of evil joke akin to her "fun" games of holding me down and spitting on my face and other various forms of torture from growing up?  Oh, but I am getting off track again.  Let me get back to the Big Blue Pot.  I now love her and use her great ceramic cooking talents quite often.   I knew she would be just perfect for the veggie rice.

Pizza Pockets

Wow, I feel I've neglected our blog...and so soon.  I apologize.   I've been a little under the weather with a cold that hung on for over 26 days and well.....(guess this would be an official announcement) with this new little one on the way my appetite has been severly under the weather.  With all this said, cooking just hasn't doable.  With all the aromas that are a product of cooking, I would have spent more time in the Loo than in the kitchen had I even tried to attempt it.  And lets be honest, cereal is yummy!  Brad was a trooper, cooking what frozen left overs we had stockpiled and improvising other nights, he kept himself and Lizzie satisfied.  But, I'm back to it now and am sure Brad is glad to hand the kitchen back over. And what did I get back into the groove with?  Pizza Pockets - one of our go-to recips for weekly dinners.  I always have homemade pizza dough in the fridge and the other ingredients are staples in our household.  If I don't have arugula, or can't seem to find it on its own (vs. mixed with radicchio and frisee) I use baby spinach.  These pizza pockets are fun, easy and very good with many meats.  I used Italian chicken this time around, although the recipe calls for Italian ground Turkey.  But if you really want to know what i use most frequently, its ground italian venison which makes the ultimate healthy organic and lean pizza pocket.  And this meal, comes with a side of dipping marinara and what kiddo doesn't like to dip their dinner?!?!  This recipe feeds 3 adults so double if making for more or if you want leftovers.  They can easily be reheated in the toaster oven! 

Chicken Paprikash over Spaetzles

I decided to share my Great Grandma's Chicken Paprikash and Spaetzle recipe this week!  Absolutely Autumn worthy!  Hearty with a sour cream base and aromatic with paprika - 2.5 Tbs worth, and last but certainly 1st on my list, very Eastern European.  And hey, I'd be up for a trip to the Czheck Republic right about now - wouldn't you? 

Lizze, my enthusiastic kitchen accomplice, was ready at the helm on this one.  She watched me wash and pan my two 3.5 lb organic chickens with onions, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves.  We started with the roasting of the chickens on Monday.  The recipe below does not include this step, you can totally roast or boil the chicken the day of, but I'm funny about wanting to make my own broth and wanting to skim ALL the fat off and skimming fat is much easier after a nights rest in the refrigerator.

Spicy Turkey Meatballs & Spaghetti

I love Ina Garten.  LOVE her.  I recently received my autographed copy of her new cookbook - Barefoot Contessa how easy is that? http://www.barefootcontessa.com/books/index.shtml  I curled up in bed and started planning some meals.  There were too many things to consider.  Should I make the sausage stuffed mushrooms first or should it be the french toast bread pudding?  Then, I flipped to the recipe for spicy turkey meatballs and knew it would be my next Tuesday Night Swap.  After purchasing more meat than I consumed all summer, I jumped right in.

Butternut Squash and Goat Cheese Penne Pasta (Brown Sugar Cookies)

We've had a string of autumn like mornings and days and hey, its butternut squash season so I'm going to take full advantage with this Butternut Squash and goat cheese Penne Pasta.  This is one veggie I don't prepare unless it's in season and it is one of my favorites!  (I'm sure we will get to soups at some point again and I'll share a butternut squash and blue crab soup recipe ) 

A neighbor has a mother load of butternut squash and this is a recipe, note to self, that I have gotta share with her too!  And it is so easy too!  The oven does all the work plus a pot of boiling pasta water - what's easier than that?!?!

Vedure al Forno with Grilled Buttermilk Chicken

So, the temps have changed by about 15 degrees and Meghan and I have decided to bring in the new autumn season with one pot dishes.  Move over Sandwichs and bring in the hearty, earthy, feel good dishes of Autumn!  Although, this week, I cheated a little.  I was anxious to try the Vegetable al Forno recipe I found, using the last of the summer season's Farmer's Market zuchinni, but added the delicious Buttermilk Grilled Chicken to round out the meal and make it more hearty and filling.  ( the only adaptaptation I made to the chicken recipe was that I used only thigh/leg quarters) Brad and I had sampled the chicken recipe before and it has officially made it into the Old Standby's of my recipe box.  That is the most moist grilled chicken we have ever had - guess that is due to the sublime powers of a buttermilk bath!  The Vegetable al Forno was no disappointment either, but I'm not sure you can ever go wrong with that much cheese?  Fontina, Mozarella, Peccorino Romano, ooey cheesy goodness!  I will admit however, that the breadcrumbs are on top of each layer of this three layer dish which seemed a little strange.  I assume they were there to add a thickness to the sauce although they didn't quite cook up like I would have wanted.  (still seemed a little raw)  It is important to mention though that the second day around, after reheating in the toaster oven on 350 for about 20 minutes, this dish was even better, including those lower breadcrumb layers.