As most of you know, I’m preparing for the arrival of my second child, a baby boy. I’ve decided to give myself a bit of a break and lean on some fellow bloggers to help me out around here. It’s a win-win for you all though! If you haven’t already checked out these bloggers, you can do so now and see what wonderful things they make. The first is Sarah from A Taste of Home Cooking. I asked Sarah if she would do a guest post because I love her approach in the kitchen as it’s similar to mine! She makes a great family meal, includes her daughter in the cooking duties, and tries to find the quickest way to put a meal on the table without sacrificing flavor. She delivered when she sent me this recipe! I’ve always wanted to try a skillet ziti but for some reason hadn’t. When she sent this recipe to me and I saw that I had all of the ingredients I was giddy with excitement to make this! It’s also my husband favorite meal, the fact that it is also made in his favorite cooking tool, a skillet, pretty much guarantees that this will become “his” dish to make! I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do and go check out A Taste of Home Cooking!

skillet baked ziti2

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Maeghan’s baby boy is due in a few weeks and when she asked me to do a guest post I was thrilled. Maeghan and I met through our cooking board and I really enjoy reading her blog.

Like most people, I love easy weeknight meals. I’m especially fond of pasta dishes that cook in one pot. Boiling the pasta in a flavorful sauce infuses each piece and the starch from the pasta helps bring the sauce together. It’s a win-win all around. I couldn’t wait to try this Skillet Baked Ziti with Sausage because I knew it would be a huge hit with my family.

This makes a ton of food, which is good because we couldn’t stop eating it. This was the first recipe I’ve made using the basil cubes I froze over the summer (I processed basil leaves and a smidge of oil in my food processor, then froze it in an ice cube tray). It was perfect and I wish my basil plant had produced more so I had more basil to use this way.

I can’t see making any other baked ziti again now that I have this skillet version in my arsenal.

Skillet Baked Ziti with Sausage
As seen on Our Best Bites, from ATK’s Best Skillet Recipes

1 pound Italian sausage (hot or sweet)
1/2 tablespoon olive oil
6 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed (about 2 tablespoons)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 (28 ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juice
Salt
3 cups water
12 ounces (about 3 3/4 cups) ziti
1/2 cup half and half
1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated (1/2 cup)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
ground black pepper
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded (1 cup)

Heat the oven to 475 degrees.

Heat 12-inch or larger oven-safe skillet to medium high heat. Remove the sausage from its casings and crumble into the pan. Cook until it’s browned and cooked through, about 3-5 minutes. Add the oil, garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 1-2 minutes, until fragrant. Stir in the tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer gently, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes.

Add the water and the pasta. Cover, increase the heat to medium-high, and cook, stirring often, until the pasta is tender, 15 minutes.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the cream, Parmesan, and basil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the mozzarella evenly over the top. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and browned, 10-15 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes, then serve.

Sausage con Queso

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It’s getting colder and colder which means the snacks need to be warm and are OK to be a little heavier. Whether you’ve been outside tending to the yard and preparing for winter or simply vegging on the couch watching movies or a football game, this is a perfect weekend snack for you! I first chose it because it was a queso that included sausage. I knew right there it would be a winner for my husband. I wanted to make it a little fresher and not so reliant on over processed cheese to suite my tastes and to give him something healthier as well. Granted, this is a lot of cheese that is consumed with tortilla chips, so we’re not talking a healthy appetizer here! But, when the ingredients are good, the taste and quality go up as well! This is so quick to whip up, don’t grab the jarred stuff when you head out to the grocery store. While I’m sad to see the warm weather go, I am thankful for rich, hearty snacks on the weekends that can be hidden with a sweater!

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Sausage con Queso

Ingredients

  • 4 oz Cream cheese, cut into cubes
  • 6 oz Queso cheese
  • 8 oz Sharp Cheddar cheese
  • 1 4oz. can diced green chiles
  • 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 sausage links, casing removed or roughly 1 1/2 cups meat
  • 1/4 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

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In a small crockpot or saucepan, add the cheeses, chiles, tomatoes, and green onions. Allow to simmer for about 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Brown sausage on medium-high heat until cooked through. Once the cheese mixture has cooked, add the sausage and cilantro at the end. Stir to combine and cook for 2 to 4 extra minutes to allow ingredients to flavor the mixture and become heated throughout.

Serve warm with corn chips.

Serves 6

Adapted from BevCooks

All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

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I’ve been trying to incorporate some of fun in the kitchen with my daughter before the baby’s arrival, while stocking my freezer and cleaning out the freezer and pantry. One of my finds was two discs of sugar cookie dough. I had made the dough for Caroline’s 3rd birthday and realized it wasn’t my go to. I had used a recipe I had bookmarked without even realizing it. Since these were for her party I didn’t want to try anything new, so I stuck it in the freezer for the time being. Well, six months have gone by and I’m finally using it! Since I’m not sure how much cookie making we’ll be doing this holiday season I thought some friendly ghosts would be fun and I could finally work with this recipe. I knew it had to be good since it’s by Dorie Greenspan and I wasn’t wrong. I will note though, that while she says the dough can last for 2 months, this dough was still tasty and workable at 6 months post-freezer!

This dough is a really soft dough, which makes for tender cookies. They sat out for a while before I got the energy for decorating and they were still soft and delicious. I found that this dough also holds its shape rather well for how soft it is. While I like my go to Sugar Cookie recipe’s taste better, I think this recipe is good if you need to crank out a lot of sugar cookies for an occasion. These are more traditional in flavor as well. You can’t really lose with either recipe though!

I decorated these cookies using my favorite 10 Second Royal Icing.

All-Occasion Sugar Cookies

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1 stick plus  2 tablespoons (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

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In a medium bowl, whisk flour, salt, and baking powder.

In the bowl of your stand mixer, using the paddle attachment, beat butter at medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add sugar and beat for an additional 2 minutes, until the mixture is light and pale. Add the egg and yolk and beat for another  1 to 2 minutes. Add vanilla and beat until combined. Turning the speed to low, steadily add the flour mixture, only until it has been incorporated. Make sure not to over mix the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a counter and divide it in half. If you want to make roll-out cookies, shape each half into a dish and wrap it in plastic. If you are making sliced cookies, shape each into a roll and wrap in plastic. Chill dough for at least 2 hours, but the dough can be refrigerated for up to 3 days or frozen up to 2 months.

Place oven rack in center of the oven and preheat to 350 F. Line baking sheets with a silpat or parchment paper.

For roll out cookies: Work with one dough packet at a time, rolling dough between plastic wrap or wax paper to a thickness of 1/4-inch, lifting the plastic or paper and turning the dough over often so that it rolls evenly. Lift the top sheet of plastic or paper and cut out the cookies. Save scraps for re-rolling. Place cookies on baking sheet, leaving 1 1/2-inches between the cookies. The dough will soften so I put the scraps in the refrigerator to chill for 15 minutes while I am working with the second half of dough.

For sliced cookies: Use a sharp knife and slice the dough into 1/4-inch thick rounds and place on the baking sheets, leaving 1 1/2-inchs between the cookies.

Bake cookies one baking sheet at a time for 9 to 11 minutes, rotating the sheet halfway through. The cookies should feel firm, but they should not turn color. Remove cookies from oven and allow to rest for 1 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to completely cool.

Cool baking sheets between batches.

Cookies will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 1 week. Wrapped well, they can be frozen for up to 2 months.

Yields about 50 2-inch cookies

Source: Baking: From My Home to Yours, Dorie Greenspan

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I am always buying bananas because both my husband and daughter are always asking for them. Usually, they go pretty quick but sometimes they will just sit on the counter, left to go brown. Once the first spot appears, no one will touch them, even if they are still firm. Fortunately, this is when I like bananas because that means I get to make banana bread! I love all quick breads, but banana bread is the most popular in my house and it goes quick! I have to make sure that some is saved for my husband otherwise he wont get any by the time he gets home!

This banana bread, even without the chocolate glaze, is amazing. It has the perfect balance between light and fluffy and dense and rich. The banana flavor is spot on and it’s even better for you than traditional recipes! The chocolate glaze makes it even more indulgent, but frankly, with or without it this bread makes a great breakfast, snack, or dessert!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Glaze

Ingredients

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/4 cup butter, softened
  • 1 2/3 cup mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)
  • 1/4 cup fat-free milk
  • 1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 9 oz. unbleached all-purpose flour (about 2 cups)
  • 1 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • Cooking spray
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp half-and-half
  • 2 oz semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

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Pre-heat oven to 350 F.

Combine sugar and butter in a howl. Beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add banana, milk, sour cream, and egg whites.

Weigh or lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to banana mixture; beat just until blended (do not over beat). Spoon batter into a 9 x 5-inch metal loaf pan coated with cooking spray.

Bake for 1 hour or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan for 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cook on rack.

Place half-and-half and chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH for 1 minute or until chocolate melts, stirring every 20 seconds. Cool slightly; drizzle over bread.

Serves 16, serving size 1 slice

Nutritional Information

Calories 184, Fat 5.2g, Protein 3g, Carbohydrates 32.6g, Fiber 1.3g, Cholesterol 11mg, Iron 1mg, Sodium 190mg, calcium 18 mg

Source: Cooking Light October 2013

 

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