It became really obvious why a real pasta maker would help. Making it thin was more difficult than we thought it was going to be. But don't get me wrong - they were delicious!

Grilled mushrooms, some herbs... perfection!

I used the recipe from here: SmittenKitchen.com

They were really full of hazelnut flavor. Crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. And the chocolate chips were melty even a few hours after they came out of the oven. A really great cookie that I'll be making again.

My boys do not like brown rice. However, I've found that if I mix in some brown rice into the white, they will happily and obliviously eat it.

Ha ha!

I needed something sweet, so I made this. It hit the spot.

Ok, let the food postings commence.

This is:

Pappardelle
Olive oil
Butter
Sundried tomatoes
Fresh tomatoes (from our garden)
Fresh thyme (from our garden)
Fresh chives
Lemon zest (from our neighbors)

I added fresh red peppers sliced on top, and used red pepper flakes to give it some heat.



It SO hit the spot for me! And the best part? It took minutes to make dinner.

That's right. You read that right.

Ok, maybe not the healthiest of lunches, but satisfying for this prego gal.

Get a green tomato. Salt it slightly, put it into an egg wash, and dredge it with cornmeal. Fry, and add to your BLT.

This year's tomato crop is superb. Good flavor, and great quantity. Just like I have in the past, I decided to use the extra tomatoes to make a tomato sauce base that will come in handy during the winter months when tomatoes taste like water. I prepare this with very little seasoning, and freeze it in batches. That way I can just throw the sauce into other things, or add vegetables to it to make a quick and tasty meal later in the year.

First I gather the tomatoes:



Then core the tomatoes:



Puree the tomatoes while they are raw:



Pour the tomato sauce into a pot with a bit of salt and olive oil. Boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes:



You are done! Let it cool, and then freeze in ziplock bags. I also label my batches with a date and description.

This is WAY better than opening up a store bought can of tomato sauce.

I make these all the time when we have guests. It takes me a few minutes to put together, and all I have to do is be home while the oven is on for a couple of hours. It's a very low effort, high results sort of recipe. The chicken comes out really moist, and flavorful. Lately we've been making chicken salad with the leftovers (with lots of fresh thyme from our garden). Try it, you'll satisfy all your guests. And if it's just one or two of you... buy a smaller chicken.

- Buy a whole chicken. Organic if possible.
- Wash it off with cold water, and dry with a paper towel. That helps to make sure the skin comes out crispy.
- I usually cut off the fat at the bottom of the chicken. I don't ever miss it.
- In a small bowl mix: a couple of tablespoons of curry powder, a couple of tablespoons of chili powder, one teaspoon of dry thyme, one teaspoon of regular salt.
- Place the chicken in a greased metal pan.*
- Drizzle olive oil all over the breast side of the chicken, and rub it with your hands so that it's evenly covered.
- Sprinkle about a third to a half of the mixed spices over the oil, and rub so that it becomes a paste on the chicken. Don't over do it so that it starts to clump up.
- Roll the chicken over, and do the other side.
- Leave the chicken breast side down in a greased pan. This helps to keep the breasts moist, as the juices move down while cooking.
- Bake in a hot oven, 400 degrees, uncovered for about 2 hours.

*I prepare the chicken right in the pan, so that I don't move it much once it's covered in the spices.

EAT!



I bake my chickens in a metal pan with a 2-3 inch rim. In this picture the chicken was moved to a pyrex dish with a cover so that I could put it in the fridge later on.

After making the raviolis the other day, we were left with a few extra won ton skins. Liam had a brilliant idea for these leftovers: melt chocolate, take the ripe banana sitting on the counter, and make dessert!

So we did.







Each pocket has a drizzle of milk chocolate, and a thin slice or two of banana. We fried them, and then dusted them with powdered sugar. They were goooood.