What about Bob? .....and his pasta......and where have I been?

Well hello! Thanks for coming back even though I have been gone. I had a little vacation with the husband to see in-laws and attend a wedding. Don't worry my in-laws are very cool. How have you been? I missed you.

Once upon a time my Dad invented this pasta recipe and I have hated all other sauces since. What makes it even cooler is the chef's name is Bob. Bob the chef/dentist! A good guy to have around I'd say.

This sauce really is pretty easy and tastes healthy and light. The best thing about this recipe is you could easily add-in whatever you love and it would be quite tasty.



Ingredients:
One chopped onion
3-4 cloves of garlic minced
1 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning (to taste)
1 teaspoon of capers (or black or green olives)
1/3 cup pine nuts
1 jar of artichoke hearts sliced briefly with knife
2-3 cans of diced canned tomatoes with oregano, or basil or other seasonings
1 pound of cooked and shredded chicken (I used my canned chicken and it just shreds perfectly once it hits the pan)
Salt and pepper to taste
Shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese

Saute the onion, garlic, capers, pine nuts, and seasonings in olive oil. Add the tomatoes,artichoke hearts and chicken. You can exchange the chicken for shrimp, sausage, or whatever protein you prefer and it will work perfectly. Let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes to let the flavors marry. While sauce is simmering, cook desired pasta. I use whole wheat pasta and can't tell the difference from white anymore. Serve over pasta, top with cheese, and enjoy!



I had lots of sauce left over and made a basic Alfredo sauce the next day to combine with the leftovers. It was creamy, and so flavorful with the tomatoes and pine nuts.

French Bread is for Wimps Like Me

So easy, even a caveman can do it. I didn't think it would be easy until I tried it. There are a few steps involved, but the end result is worth it. When I pulled it out of the oven I was afraid it was ruined. It seemed extremely tough on the outside. So tough that I thought it was hard all the way through. As soon as I took my bread knife to it, it cracked open with steam oozing out as my knife slid down easily through the fluffy bread. I was pretty proud of myself, I think you will be too.

French Bread Directions

Ingredients:
2 Tbs active dry yeast
2 cups warm water
2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
4 1/2-5 cups bread flour
1 tsp cornmeal







In large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Add the salt, sugar & 2 cups flour. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough remaining flour to form a soft dough. Turn onto a floured surface, knead until smooth & elastic about 6-8 min.



Place in a greased bowl, turning once to grease the top. Cover & let rise in warm place until doubled, about 1 hour.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a lightly floured surface; divide in half. Shape into 12" long loaves.


Place seam side down on a greased baking sheet. Cover & let rise until doubled, about 30 min. Sprinkle with cornmeal. With a sharp knife, make 4 shallow slashes across the top. Bake at 450 for 15-20 min or until golden brown.



I used my french bread to make my favorite sandwich. Spread slice of french bread with pesto, add artichoke hearts from a can, and top with baked rotisserie chicken. I sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and broiled until crispy around the edges. Serve and enjoy!

The Soup's Chicken Tetrazinni

Chicken Tetrazinni has been running through my mind and tummy ever since I saw this episode of The Soup. I had no idea what Chicken Tetrazinni was but after some research I put this delicious recipe together. It really is yummy! What I loved about this recipe is it is fully of chunky vegetables. I recently canned chicken by using my pressure cooker and I have been looking for recipes to use it in. This recipe was a great way to use my canned chicken.



Ingredients:
4 cups cooked chicken breasts (cubed)
1 1/2 cups hot water
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon (I use a brand with no MSG)
1 (12 ounce) package pasta (angel hair or spaghetti) cooked as directed
1 large onion (chopped)
3 large celery ribs
1 (4 ounce) can sliced mushrooms (optional)
1 cup green pepper (chopped)
1 cup carrot diced
1 (10 ounce) bag frozen peas
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can cream of chicken soup
1 (10 3/4 ounce) can milk
2 cups cheddar cheese
1 cup Parmesan cheese (shredded)
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup Italian Style bread crumbs



Directions
Prepare pasta as directed on package, set aside.
Saute onions, green peppers, celery, and mushrooms in a lightly oiled large pan (preferably a deep skillet, 12" or more).
Dissolve the bullion in the hot water to make broth.
Stir in soups, broth, peas and shredded carrots and cook until all is heated. Add in seasonings.
Transfer above into large casserole dish.
Mix in the chicken and cheddar cheese.
Sprinkle the Parmesan cheese followed by bread crumbs over the top(s).
Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 15-20 minutes.

Last Call

I know it is just an onion chopper, but you Eight For Eternity earned it! I guess if I don't hear from you by the evening of tomorrow I will have to choose another winner. Thanks all for playing!

Not just Any Banana Pudding

Have you seen my winner? She is about this tall, this pretty, and I have only met her once through her one comment. Her profile is blocked so it seems that I am unable to locate her blog to contact her. Is there any tricks to find someone through their comment even if their profile is blocked? I am afraid I will have to choose another winner on Monday if I do not hear from EIGHT FOR ETERNITY.


Now have a bite of my banana pudding please. Once upon a time I made some for the fire station my husband was at and now he is known as the guy with the amazing dessert. I am not kidding. He is so new as a fire fighter that he "roves" from station to station. He is hopefully getting a reputation as a great worker and firefighter, but we know for sure he has gained the reputation for having a secret recipe of a really tasty dessert. Well secret is out! Here it is, no fire department needed.

Ingredients:
1 5oz. pkg instant vanilla pudding
2 cups milk
1 8oz. pkg cream cheese (softened)
1 can eagle brand condensed milk
2 cups whipping cream (whipped stiff with 1/4 cup of sugar)
2 pkgs pepperidge farm chessmen cookies
4-5 bananas sliced

Directions:
Mix pudding with milk using mixer and set aside. Mix in cream cheese. Mix in condensed milk and fold in whipped cream using spatula. Place 1 pkg of cookies on the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan. Add sliced bananas over cookies and spread the pudding mixture over the bananas. Place the second pkg of cookies over the top. Chill for 3-4 hours. Serve and Enjoy.

Serve immediately as the bananas turn brown quickly.

Winner Winner Onion Dinner!

I'm excited to announce the winner of the onion chopper sponsored by www.csn.com. As you can see below, Katie from Eight For Eternity is the lucky winner. Katie, thanks for visiting my blog! I bet I have Louise to thank for that. Unfortunately I am unable to find your blog as your profile has been blocked. I hope you see this, and email me your information so csn can send you your onion chopper. I'm excited to give it you and even more excited to give away more handy kitchen items in the future.

True Random Number Generator
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Thanks to all for participating. It was fun to see what movies made you cry.

Here is the list:

1.Up
2. 8 Below
3. Marley and Me
4. The Blind Side (I cried through just the preview)
5. Love Story (I'm going to have to rent this one!)
6. The Dirty Dozen ( I bet this one is a real tear jerker :)
7. Pursuit of Happiness

If you haven't seen the above movies, I would recommend them. I also cried through The Notebook. That is one of my favorites. Happy cooking!

A Giveaway For Your Eyeballs!

What is white, yellow, and purple and most likely makes you cry? Onions of course! They are like husbands, you can't live with them and you can't live without them. If you are like me, I dread cutting onions. I even spend 2 dollars extra sometimes and buy the already chopped onions at the store. Perhaps I am more sensitive than others, but my eyes really do water constantly while chopping onions.



Thanks to www.csn.stores.com I am able to give this lovely onion chopper away.



It is really easy to use. I was able to dice an onion into perfect small pieces without crying.



It has measurements on the side, a really sharp blade, and a handy scraper to remove the random onion bits that get stuck on the blade. I love it! I can't wait for you to have one as well. Please leave a comment telling me what was the last movie that made you cry, and you will be entered. Thanks for participating. I seriously love shopping www.csn.com. Their prices are unbelievable!

Here is a tasty recipe that will make your onion chopper pretty handy:

Onion & Cheddar biscuits

Ingredients:
1/4 cup finely chopped sweet onions
4 Tbs cold butter divided
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 cup flour
1 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup shredded cheese (I used sharp)
2 green onions chopped
1/4 cup buttermilk


Directions:
Saute sweet onion in 1 Tbs butter until tender. Add vinegar; cook & stir until liquid is evaporated. Let cool.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder & seasonings. Cut in remaining butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add onion mixture, cheese & green onions. Stir in buttermilk, just until moistened.

Turn onto a lightly floured surface & knead 6-8 times. Pat or roll out to 1/2" thickness; cut with 2 1/2" biscuit cutter. Place 2" apart on greased baking sheet. Bake at 400 for 12-15 or until golden brown. Serve and enjoy!