Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Creamy Tortellini with Spinach and Tomatoes

I've been cooking, just not finding the time to find any new recipes. So, I've made a lot of repeats in the last few weeks. But, finally, we had something new for dinner tonight.

I found this recipe at Cassie Craves. You can go there for the recipe, I haven't typed it up for my collection yet.

This was very good, especially considering it had so few and very plain ingredients. Loved it!



Saturday, April 24, 2010

Funny!

EYJAFJALLAJOKULL





Thursday, April 22, 2010

Hot Weather Beverages

We've had some really nice weather lately and I've been sitting out on the deck to enjoy it. But, once the heat really gets here, like in a couple of days, I'll need a nice cold beverage!

Here are a few that I made last summer. Click the link for recipe.

Watermelon Mojitos



Icy Lemon Ginger Cocktails



White Sangria






School Stuff

For the last two weeks, I have been studying the blood, heart and vessels. Very interesting stuff.








Word of the Day:
(I like the long, weird words)

Auscultation:

Listening to internal organs, like the heart and lungs, with a stethoscope.

Hmmm... why not just say 'listening'...


Did you know?
(interesting or amazing facts)

You actually have 5 different kinds of white blood cells! There's one that fights bacterial infections (neutrophils), one that fights viral infections (lymphocytes), even one that works to fight worm infections (eosinophils)!

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Banana Pecan Pancake

Yet another variation on the Big Square Pancake...



Sliced bananas in the batter, chopped pecans on top. Yum!

Cook for the full 25 minutes with the bananas.

Saturday, April 17, 2010

Food on the Floor

Apparently, there's more to think about than just the old 5 second rule...





Monday, April 12, 2010

School Stuff


A little update...


Public Speaking class - I gave my first speech last Thursday. It was a success, even though I thought my heart was going to shake right out of my body. Lucky for me, it didn't look like it felt. I know this because I am forced to watch the video after my speeches so I can evaluate myself and learn from mistakes. It's weird to watch yourself.


On a more positive note - I will thank my instructor tomorrow for having a video camera that removes 10 pounds instead of adding 10 pounds!


Anatomy & Physiology - I had my first test of the quarter today. I made 101%, highest grade in the class. Who knew? Really, who knew I could do so well?


I do have a friendly competition going with two of my classmates. Last quarter, we sort of took turns making the high grades. A little inspiration never hurts.

Chicken with White Wine & Mushrooms

A recipe from Southern Living... a few years ago... been in the file for a while.



CHICKEN WITH WHITE WINE & MUSHROOMS

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
salt and pepper
4 tablespoons butter, divided
1 (16 ounce) package linguine
1 (8 ounce) package sliced fresh mushrooms
1 cup dry white wine
1 (10 ounce) can cream of chicken soup

Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium-high heat; cook chicken breasts 4 to 5 minutes on each side or until done. Remove chicken; cover and keep warm. Reserve drippings in skillet.

Meanwhile, prepare pasta according to package directions.

Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet over medium-high heat; add mushrooms, and sauté 8 minutes. Add wine, and stir to loosen particles from bottom of skillet; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; add soup, and whisk vigorously until smooth.

Arrange pasta on serving plate; top with chicken and sauce.

Yield: 4 servings

Sunday, April 11, 2010

Sundried Tomato Pesto Chicken

This chicken was an experiment that turned out really good.



As usual, I pounded the boneless, skinless chicken breast to about 1/4 or 1/2 inch. They just cook faster and more evenly that way. I coated the chicken with sundried tomato pesto (Classico brand), then Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs. I baked it at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.

The side dish was something new, too. It's pearled couscous, basil & herb flavor (I think), a packaged mix by Near East brand. It was really good.

Saturday, April 10, 2010

Silly Cat!

Okay, so I didn't clean up the kitchen completely after making spaghetti sauce last night. The big pot that I used to make the sauce didn't fit in the dishwasher and I just put it in the sink and filled it with water.

I think somebody got thirsty and decided to drink out of the yucky pot!



He must have had a little problem with his depth perception in the dark!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Meatball Sandwiches

Here's something to make with those meatballs from last week.

A 'no mess' meatball sandwich.





To make it 'no mess', you have to carve out some of the bread on the top and bottom. I put shredded mozzarella on each half, sprinkle on some Italian seasoning and broil just long enough to melt the cheese.

Meanwhile, cook the meatballs in jarred sauce (on the stovetop), until heated through. Add meatballs and sauce to the bread and close it up.

Friday, April 2, 2010

School Stuff

The digestive system! It's much more interesting than you would think.





Word of the Day:
(I like the long, weird words)

Crypt of Leiberkuehn:

Glandular pits deep in the surface of the small intestine. They have specialized cells that make enzymes, hormones and mucus.

Did you know?
(interesting or amazing facts)

The only thing I ever knew about the pancreas was that it produces insulin. Guess what? That's only 1% of it's structure, 99% of the pancreas is devoted to making digestive enzymes.

Deglutition is the technical term for swallowing. See if you can fit that into daily use!

Meatballs

I like to make these meatballs when I have spare time and freeze them. It's nice to be able to grab as many as you need and heat them up in whatever sauce you like.



MEATBALLS

1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup Italian seasoned dry bread crumbs
1 egg
1/3 cup minced onion
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients by hand. Shape into 1 inch meatballs. Arrange on baking pans.

Bake at 400 degrees about 10 minutes, until juices run clear and there are no traces of pink in meat. Remove meatballs to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess grease. Use immediately or let cool to room temperature and freeze for later use.

Yield: 36 meatballs