Creamy Gruyere Shrimp Pasta

Today is going to be an interesting day. I am sort of looking forward to it.
Why so interesting? Our fluffy little (not so) Lennon has his yearly vet appointment.

Our lovely lady kitty, Cookie, had passed away due to lung cancer. The girl child was more sad than she had ever been before. About a year passed and she decided it was time. Time for the pitter patter of little paws in our house again.

We went on the hunt for a new kitty. We went through all the paperwork for the MSPCA and got approved as appropriate pet owners. None of the kitties seemed to be the right fit though.

My aunt happened to call me one day. She knew of the great kitty search, and had taken her dog to the vet that morning for an appointment...only to find out that someone had found a litter of 4 kittens under some stairs and brought them to the vet.

A couple of days later, we went to visit the kitties and check them out.
O...M...G...I cannot clearly express the level of fluffy, black cuteness!

They let us hang out in an exam room with all 4 of the babies. The littlest runty baby was very interested in us! He kept coming to check us out...especially the girl child.

All of our hearts turned into a pool of melted butter.
We told the techs that we were interested in the peanut.
All of their faces lit up! "That is the only one that isn't spoken for!".
This was obviously meant to be.

How can one not fall in love with this king of cute?

Stay tuned for the remainder of our "why the vet is interesting" story!

Now, back to the reason you are reading this post!
While surfing the Recipe Girl site, I came across this recipe.

My first intention was to make this for a shrimp loving friend who was coming over, but as the night dissolved into chaos, we decided to order a pizza instead.
I made this for my own family the next night instead.
To quote hubby, this is "the best "new" pasta dish you have made in a long time"!

I did use already cooked shrimp, so when it was time to add it to the wine and butter, I just heated them through in the sauce.

Ingredients:

8 oz Penne

¼ Cup all purpose flour

½ Tsp salt

2 Cups milk

1 ¼ Cup (5 oz) gruyere cheese (grated)

1 Tbsp butter

1 ½ lbs raw shrimp (peeled and deveined)

4 Cloves garlic (minced)

2 Tbsp white wine

¼ Tsp cayenne pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Spray 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray

3. Cook and drain pasta

4. Combine flour, salt, and milk in a large skillet. Stir thoroughly.

5. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring constantly

6. Cook for an additional minute until thick.

7. Remove from heat and stir in ¾ cup of cheese. Stir until melted.

8. Melt butter in large skillet.

9. Add garlic to butter and cook for 3 minutes.

10. Add shrimp, wine, and cayenne. Cook until shrimp turns pink.

11. Add pasta and shrimp to cheese mixture, toss to combine.

12. Pour everything in prepared dish. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

13. Bake for 20 minutes.

14. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving

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This recipe was shared with:
Flour me with Love, Tumbleweed Contessa, Grace Langdon, A Pinch of Joy, The Modest Mom Blog, Huckleberry Love, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Uncommon Designs, Jambellish, A Mama's Story, All Things Fee, The Chicken Chick, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Skip to my Lou, Mom Favorites, April J Harris, Sew Can Do, Mom's the Word, Pint Sized Baker, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Cornerstone Confessions, Lou Lou Girls, My Joy Filled Life, Yesterfood, Timewarp Wife, Mandy's Recipe Box, The New Mrs Adventures, Hope Studios, Kathe with an E, Stone Gable Blog, Someday Crafts, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Milk and Cuddles, Raising Homemakers, White Lights on Wednesday, Buns in my Oven, A Peek into my Paradise, Gingersnap Crafts, Crafty Allie, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lemoine Family Kitchen, Ivy and Elephants, Recipes for our Daily Bread, Feeding Big, Grace and Good Eats, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Lambert's Lately, Embracing Change, Katherine's Corner, A Delightsome Life, The Pin Junkie, The Grits Blog, Play Party Pin, Lady Behind the Curtain, Marly's This and That, The New Mrs Adventures, The Better Baker, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Craft Dictator, Thirty Handmade Days, City of Creative Dreams, Diary of a Real Housewife, The Girl Creative, Morsels of Life, Coffee with us 3, Simple Nature Decor, Sweet Haute

Sherry Cherry Tomatoes

We recently had a brunch for my sister in law, her hubby, my mother in law, and my aunt (in-law?).

It was really low key and nice...relaxing!

I was making the typical brunch type foods and really wanted something different. Something bright.

Then I remembered seeing something on the Salsa in China site about some cherry tomato side dish.

Tomatoes belong at brunch, don't you think?

Due to the amount of people, I doubled the recipe. I also used a mix of red and yellow cherry tomato, which made for a beautiful dish.

The aroma coming from this dish was intoxicating! The flavors were warm and delicious.

I will be making this again, as I feel it would pair well with anything!

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp olive oil

3 Cloves garlic (minced)

1 Small onion (finely chopped)

1 Pint cherry tomatoes

2 Tbsp dry sherry wine

1 Tsp sugar

½ Tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375

2. Preheat a skillet over medium heat

3. Add olive oil, garlic, and onion. Cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add cherry tomatoes, stir to coat well

5. Add sherry, sugar, and salt. Stir well.

6. Add everything to a small roasting pan. Cook for about 20 minutes.

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This recipe was shared with:
Flour me with Love, Tumbleweed Contessa,Grace Langdon, A Southern Fairytale, A Pinch of Joy, The Modest Mom Blog, Huckleberry Love, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Uncommon Designs, Jambellish, A Mama's Story, All Things Fee, The Chicken Chick, Boogieboard Cottage, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Skip to my Lou, Mom Favorites, April J Harris, Sew Can Do, Moms the Word, The Multitasking Mummy, Pint Sized Baker, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Cornerstone Confessions, Lou Lou Girls, My Joy Filled Life, Yesterfood, Mandy's Recipe Box, Hope Studios, Kathe with an E, Hope in Every Season, Stone Gable Blog, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Milk and Cuddles, My Girlish Whims, Raising Homemakers, Recipes for our Daily Bread, Buns in my Oven, A Peek into my Paradise, Gingersnap Crafts, Crafty Allie, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lemoine Family Kitchen, Gooseberry Patch, Ivy and Elephants, Feeding Big, Grace and Good Eats, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Lambert's Lately, Embracing Change, Katherine's Corner, A Delightsome Life, The Pin Junkie, The Grits Blog, Play Party Pin, Daily Dish, The BetterBaker, Love Bakes Good Cakes, City of Creative Dreams, Lady Behind the Curtain, Diary of a Real Housewife, Craft O Maniac, The Girl Creative, Morsels of Life,Coffee with us 3, Sweet Haute, Cooking with Ruthie

Blogging for Books: Against the Grain

Members of my family are gluten intolerant, I am always poking around online trying to find something yummy to bring to family functions.
Something they can eat without worrying, but also something other people will eat and (hopefully) not know the difference.

Some people are totally overwhelmed by gluten free cooking. It's a bunch of really funky sounding ingredients...some unpronounceable...that creates something that slightly resembles your favorite dish.

This book spends a fair amount of time at the beginning explaining the science behind creating gluten free foods that can have the consistency of "regular" food. To us laymen, or to those just starting out on their gluten free journey, this is incredibly helpful.

This author spent a lot of time researching alternative food products. Ones that are accessible and pronounceable! She truly wanted this gluten free diet to be as natural as possible.

She gives a lot of base recipes, breads, doughs, etc.
There is then a whole section of alternative meals that can be made using those base ingredients. Pizza, sandwiches, desserts.
So many options, all gluten free.
It's freedom from the preconceived notion of what it means to eat "gluten free".

**note** I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review

Chicken Chili (Panera Copy Cat)

Daughter and I are fans of Panera, but, in all the years they have been around...I don't think I have ever had chicken chili there.

When I saw this recipe on Red Rock Sunrise, I decided to give it a shot.

Copy cat recipe or not, it is delicious. We all ate more than we should have...and I have a feeling there will be an argument over who gets the last serving for lunch tomorrow!

Anyone who is familiar with Panera's chicken chili, please chime in and let me know!

Ingredients:

1 Medium onion (chopped)

3 Cloves garlic (minced)

1 Tbsp vegetable oil

½ Lb boneless chicken breast (cut into 1-inch pieces)

2 Tsp sage

1 Tsp cumin

¼ Tsp salt

¾ Cup picante sauce

16 oz can kidney beans (undrained)

¼ Cup dry vermouth

1 Bay leaf

1 Green pepper (cut into ½ inch pieces)

1 Large tomato (seeded, coarsely chopped)

Optional Toppings:

Sour Cream

Cheddar Cheese

Cilantro

Hot sauce

Directions:

1. In large saucepan, cook onion and garlic in oil.

2. Stir in chicken, cook until chicken is no longer pink.

3. Sprinkle sage, cumin, and salt over chicken

4. Stir in picante sauce, beams, vermouth, and bay leaf

5. Bring to a boil, reduce heat. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes.

6. Stir in green pepper and tomato. Simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.

7. Top with any toppings before serving

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This recipe was shared with:
Flour me with Love, Tumbleweed Contessa, Grace Langdon Art, A Pinch of Joy, A Southern Fairytale, The Modest Mom Blog, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Uncommon Designs, Jambellish, A Mama's Story, All Things Fee, The Chicken Chick, Boogieboard Cottage, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Skip to my Lou, Mom Favorites, April J Harris, Sew Can Do, Mom's the Word, Pint Sized Baker, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Cornerstone Confessions, Lou Lou Girls, My Joy Filled Life, Yesterfood, Time Warp Wife, Mandy's Recipe Box, Hope Studios, Kathe with an E, Hope in Every Season, Stone Gable Blog, Someday Crafts, Dizzy Busy and Hungry, Milk and Cuddles, My Girlish Whims, Raising Homemakers, Buns in my Oven, A Peek into my Paradise, Sew Crafty Angel, Gingersnap Crafts, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lemoine Family Kitchen, Ivy and Elephants, Feeding Big, Sweet Bella Roos, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Lambert's Lately, Embracing Change, Katherine's Corner, A Delightsome Life, The Pine Junkie, Play Party Pin, The New Mrs Adventures, The Better Baker, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Craft Dictator, City of Creative Dreams, Diary of a Real Housewife, The Girl Creative, Morsels of Life, Coffee with us 3, Simple Nature Decor, Sweet Haute, Cooking with Ruthie, Raising Memories, Denise Designed

Blogging for Books: The Soup Club Cookbook

This is my very first "Blogging for Books" review....and I am so psyched I can't even begin!

I picked this book partially because we have 90 freaking inches of snow on the ground and the thought of new soups just simply appealed to me.

I am so very in love with this book!

To begin with, I enjoyed reading the backstory to the Soup Club itself. Such a nice way to share among friends. That portion read like a friendly short story, not a long winded laundry list of how-to.
They give hints on what worked for them, and what didn't, to help anyone else who wants to share in their idea.

So many of the soup ideas were truly approachable. They had everything as basic as chicken soup, to more exotic curry and regional favorites.
All the recipes are nicely categorized; it's easy to flip to a certain cuisine type and quickly decide.


Don't be fooled by the title, this is so much more than simply SOUPS. Along with most of the recipes, there were ideas for side dishes and the best way to package them for delivery.

Look for recipes to be coming from this book SOON!

**note** I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review

Spinach and Feta Quiche

You know the saying "real men don't eat quiche"?
I can vouch for hubby dearest being a manly man. He drinks beer, watches sports, scratches, and does hard labor all day long.
(um, yeah, hard labor makes it sound like he is incarcerated! No, he is a blue collar worker type man)

Hubby has a secret though....
He likes quiche.
Every kind I have ever made him, he has enjoyed. His favorite being this one.
It helps that he is a spinach/feta junkie.
I could probably get him to eat a boiled tire if I filled it with spinach and feta.

OK, now I just sound bizarre.
We do not eat tires....promise.

**NOTE** this is not an actual picture of hubby dearest

Ingredients:

1 Pkg frozen spinach (thawed)

½ Cup feta cheese

1 pie crust

6 Eggs

¼ Cup half and half

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Grease 9 inch pie plate

3. Roll pie crust out onto plate

4. Whisk egg and half and half until well mixed.

5. Add salt and pepper to egg mixture

6. Drain spinach, squeezing out all liquid

7. Line bottom crust with spinach and top with feta

8. Pour egg mixture over feta and spinach

9. Bake for 30-40 minutes until egg is set in middle

10. Let sit for a couple of minutes before serving.

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This recipe was shared with:
Flour me with Love, Tumbleweed Contessa, Kitchen Table Art , A Southern Fairytale, A Pinch of Joy, Huckleberry Love, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Uncommon Designs, Jambellish, A Mama's Story, All Things Fee, The Chicken Chick, Boogieboard Cottage, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Skip to my Lou, Sew Can Do, Mom's the Word, The Modest Mom Blog, 21st Century Housewife, Pint Sized Baker, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Cornerstone Confessions                            

Parmesan Risotto

As a birthday present every year, my sister in law invites my daughter for the weekend.

The girl child gets spoiled like crazy with Auntie and Uncle, gets to play with Auntie's dogs, and they take neat day trips...where they spoil her rotten then too!

Needless to say darling daughter loves this!

I say they spoil her, but she is an easy to please kid. This past trip she got lots of flavored seltzer water, a trip out for frozen yogurt, and they visited a used book store where they bought her four books.

Yeah, this is "spoiled" in our house!

While she was gone, hubby and I had a quiet (sleep filled) weekend. One night I made dinner and decided we needed some risotto.

I don't remember how long it's been since I made it last, but I had half a bag of Arborio rice that was calling to me.

Mmmm....creamy risotto!

Perfect for our "at home date night"!

Ingredients:

1 ½ Cups Arborio rice

1 Quart chicken stock

3 Tbsp butter
1 Clove Garlic (minced)

¼ Cup Parmesan cheese

Salt and Pepper

Directions:

1. Heat stock to a simmer. Lower heat so stock stays warm.

2. In large saucepan, heat butter and garlic over medium heat.

3. Add rice to saucepan, stir briskly.

4. Saute rice for a couple of minutes, until you smell a nutty aroma; do not let rice brown

5. Add a ladle of hot chicken stock to rice and stir until liquid is fully absorbed.

6. Repeat adding chicken stock until finished.

7. Rice will become creamy as it cooks. Typical cooking time is 40 minutes.

8. When rice is cooked, add salt and pepper to taste and then stir in Parmesan cheese.

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This recipe was shared with:
Monday: Flour me with Love, Tumbleweed Contessa, Kitchen Table Art, A Southern Fairytale, A Pinch of Joy, The Modest Mom Blog, Huckleberry Love, I Should be Mopping the Floor, Uncommon Designs, Jambellish, A Mama's Story, All Things Fee, The Chicken Chick, Boogieboard Cottage, Enchanted Homeschooling Mom, Skip to my Lou, Mom Favorites, Sew Can Do, Mom's the Word, 21st Century Housewife
Tuesday: Pint Sized Baker, A Bowl Full of Lemons, Cornerstone Confessions, Lou Lou Girls, My Joy Filled Life, Yesterfood, Mandy's Recipe Box, The New Mrs Adventures, Hope Studios, Kathe with an E, Stone Gable Blog, Hope in Every Season, Timewarp Wife
Wednesday: Dizzy Busy and Hungry, My Girlish Whims, Milk and Cuddles, Raising Homemakers, Recipes for our Daily Bread, White Lights on Wednesday, Buns in my Oven, A Peek into my Paradise, Gingersnap Crafts, Crafty Allie, The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lemoine Family Kitchen, Ivy and Elephants
Thursday:  Grace and Good Eats, What's Cooking Love, Saving 4 Six, Miz Helen's Country Cottage, Lamberts Lately, Embracing Change, Katherine's Corner, A Delightsome Life, The Pin Junkie
Friday: Play Party Pin, Lady Behind the Curtain, The New Mrs Adventures, The Country Cook, Love Bakes Good Cakes, Craft Dictator, Thirty Handmade Days, The Diary of a Real Housewife, Craft O Maniac, The Girl Creative, Morsels of Life, Coffee with us 3
Saturday: Sweet Haute, Raising Memories, Diary of a Recipe Collector, 
Sunday: A Peek into my Paradise, Denise Designed