....is a Tomato and Sausage Risotto Date

1 Can (28 ounces) Tomatoes, Diced
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup
1 Tbsp Olive Oil
3/4 lbs Italian Sausage, Ground
1 Small Onion, Finely Chopped
Coarse Salt & Ground Pepper
1 Cup Arborio Rice
1/2 Cup Dry White Wine
1 Bunch Flat-Leaf Spinach, Chopped (about 7 cups)
1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese, Grated
2 Tbsp Butter

In a small saucepan, combine tomatoes (with their juice) and 3 cups water. Bring just to a simmer; keep warm over low heat.

In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium. Add sausage and onion; season with salt and pepper. Cook, breaking up sausage with a spoon, until sausage is opaque and onion has softened, 3 to 5 minutes.

Add rice; cook, stirring until well coated, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring until absorbed, about 1 minute. Add about 2 cups hot tomato mixture to rice; simmer over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until absorbed, 4 to 5 minutes. Continue adding tomato mixture, 1 cup at a time, waiting for one cup to be absorbed before adding the next, stirring occasionally, until rice is creamy and just tender, about 25 minutes total (you may not have to use all the liquid).

Remove pan from heat. Stir in spinach, Parmesan, and butter; season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately (risotto will thicken as it cools), and sprinkle with additional Parmesan, if desired.

From Smitten Kitchen

....is PaSketti

2 Tbsp Olive Oil
1 Yellow Onion, Diced
3 Stalks Celery, Diced
3 Garlic Cloves, Minced
1.25 lbs Ground Turkey Breast
2 medium (2-3 cups) Sweet Potatoes, Shredded 
(use a cheese grater or food processor)
2 tsp Oregano or Italian Seasoning
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 1/2 Cups Tomato Sauce

Heat the Olive Oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the Onions and Celery and saute for 5 minutes.
Add the Garlic and Ground Turkey and cook until browned.

Add Sweet Potatoes, Seasoning, and Tomatoes, reduce heat to medium and cover.
Simmer for 15-20 minutes until the Potatoes are tender.

Delicious recipe care of SM!

.... is a Big Kid Mac’n’Cheese Date

Ingredients:

12 oz Ziti Pasta*

4 oz Thick-Cut Bacon, Cut into ½” Pieces

2 Tbsp Flour

2 Cups Milk

4 oz Gruyere Cheese, Coarsely Shredded

4 oz Italian Fontina Cheese, Coarsely Shredded

2 oz Parmesan Cheese, Freshly Shredded 

1 Tbsp Chives, Chopped 

How to prepare:
Cook pasta according to the package directions.

Fry Bacon meanwhile in a medium saucepan over medium heat until brown and crisp, about 10 min. Transfer to paper towels to drain. 

Pour off all but 1 tbsp. fat from pan. Add flour and whisk over medium heat. Pour in Milk ¼ cup at a time, whisking well after each addition (it will be very thick at first) until incorporated and smooth. Add cheeses in 3 batches, whisking continually and making sure each batch is mostly melted before adding the next.

Drain Pasta, then stir into Cheese sauce (it will thicken upon standing). Divide Pasta among individual ramekins or bowls and top with Bacon and Chives.

*You can use any shape pasta, but ziti tubes are best at holding the molten cheese sauce.

....is a New Pizza Recipe Date

Ingredients for the Dough:

2-1/2 Cup Flour

1-1/2 tsp Salt

1 Tbsp Yeast

1 Cup Warm Water

Mash the Yeast in the water with a fork until smooth. Pour over Flour and mix until a soft Dough is formed. Kneed will, pulling and stretching until it becomes smooth and elastic. Shape into ball, cut across the top place in a bowl and cover. Let it rise in a warm place for about 3 hours until it's almost doubled in size. 

Flatten the dough with the palm of your hand and roll out on a lightly floured surface to a round about 1/4 in thick. Brush a cookie sheet with Oil or preheat your pizza stone. Brush the Pizza Dough with Oil and add the toppings, leave a 3/4 in margin around the edge.

A very important ingredient in the whole making is a lovely assistant to top the pizza.

....is a Chocolate Pumpkin Pie and Whipped Cream

Follow the Pumpkin Pie recipe on the Pumpkin but add half a bar of melted Bakers Dark Chocolate to the mix.

I was in charge of the Whipped Cream:
8 oz of Heavy Whipping Cream
2-3 Tbsp Sugar
1 tsp of Ginger
1 tsp of Cinnamon
1/2 tsp of Vanilla

Combine ingredients and whip on high with a hand mixer.

....is Christmas Craftiness

Sometimes I get a little Crafty....



Ingredients, Purchased at Michaels:
Blank Ceramic Ornaments
Scrapbook Alpha-Stickers
(the glittery the better)
Bejeweled Snowflake Stickers

Layout the stickers, remove backing and go nuts. I had to go with a few nicknames to get them to fit (lucky for Michaela). I learned the lettering can be scraped off and repositioned with a fair amount of ease and a fingernail but the snowflakes stick once they're stuck.

....and the backs.

I've made a few more but as they haven't been gifted yet the pictures will have to wait.

....is Variations on a Bread Theme

The main Bread Recipe I used is located here.

The difference is only in the Flour, instead of 6 Cups of Flour I braved the use of Bread Flour (4 Cups) and Wheat Flour (2 Cups).

Another variation: ROLLS!
(Used for our Thanksgiving Feast)

We used the original Recipe but made adorable fist size rolls and cut with a little X on the top.