Man I've been slacking!

Can't believe it's been since November 4th that I've been on here. Not too much has been going on - just life in the fast lane with the kids and Chris working. Here are a couple of recipes that were HUGE hits here.

Pasta with Bread Crumbs 

Salt for cooking pasta

8 ounces short pasta, such as penne

2 tablespoons butter

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cloves minced garlic

1 cup coarse soft bread crumbs 

1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning, oregano or basil

1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese

1) Cook pasta according to package.

2) Melt butter in 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the olive & and the garlic. Cook about 1 minute. The add bread crumbs, seasonings & salt - stir to coat the crumbs with the butter mixture. Cook, stirring frequently, until the crumbs are crisp & golden brown - about 6-10 minutes. 

3) Drain pasta well & pour into serving bowl. Drizzle remaining oil over pasta. Add cheese & toss well. Just before serving, add bread crumbs & toss well. Serve immediately.

Notes:

1) I used 1-1lb box of penne, so I didn't measure the rest of my ingredients.

2) I used rosemary, basil, oregano for my seasonings.

3) I threw some bread ends into the food processor to make the bread crumbs. It was super fast & they were good! 

4) Could totally add tomatoes, chicken, whatever. The kids ate 2-3 servings at least. There were no left-overs! 

Granola

I know, I know - you can buy it at the store & it's pretty good. But this stuff has my kids & Chris snacking on it!

Cooking spray

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup pure maple syrup or honey

1 1/2 cups lightly packed light brown sugar

6 cups oats (quick cooking or old-fashioned)

2 cups chopped walnuts, almonds or pecans

1 cups wheat germ

1 cup sweetened shredded coconut

1 cup raisins

1 cup sweetened dried cranberries or cherries

1) Place oven racks in center positions & preheat oven to 350. Spray 2 11x17 jelly-roll pans with cooking spray.

2) Combine oil, maple syrup or honey & brown sugar in 1-quart bowl. Microwave, uncovered, on high power until the sugar starts to melt, about 3 minutes. Remove the bowl & whisk until any lumps dissolve.

3) Combine the oats, nuts, wheat germ & coconut in big bowl. Toss to mix well. Pour the syrup mixture over oat mixture & stir until well mixed. Spread evenly onto jelly pans.

4) Place a pan on each oven rack & bake for 10 minutes. Remove, stir & switch the pans so the 1 that was on the bottom is now on top. Bake for another 8-10 minutes, taking care not to let the granola get too brown.

5) Cool in pans for about an hour. Sprinkle with raisins, etc., over each pan. Stir to mix well. Store in air-tight containers, preferably glass jars or tins, for up to 2 weeks.

Notes:

1) I used honey.

2) Instead of cranberries, etc., I used 1 cup raisins & 1 cup dates.  

3) I used both chopped walnuts & pecans to make the 2 cups.

4) Browns really fast in a dark pan - if you have silver ones - use those.

5) I skipped the wheat germ & coconut but did add 1/2 cup of ground flax seed.