TGIF ~ BLOG 365.87
ITALIAN PASTA with SAUSAGE in SPINACH, GARLIC & WHITE WINE SAUCE ~ BLOG 365.86
ITALIAN PASTA with SAUSAGE in SPINACH, GARLIC & WHITE WINE SAUCE
Super simple and quick makes this an easy, yet tasty weeknight meal ready in under 30 minutes!
Servings: 4
8 ounces uncooked Orecchiette (ear) pasta, prepared al dente
16 ounces QUALITY ground Italian sausage (see notes)
1/2 medium onion chopped
1 LARGE carrot, small diced
4 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard, optional
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 cups (packed) fresh baby spinach
2 tablespoons FRESH chopped basil
FRESH ground salt & pepper, to taste
FRESH grated Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- In a large skillet saute’ sausage over medium-high heat for 8-10 minutes or until it’s cooked through and nicely browned. Add onions and carrots about half way through.
- Drain all 1-2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet. Reduce the heat to medium and stir in the garlic and Dijon mustard if using, cooking for 30 seconds.
- Pour in the wine and cook 2-5 minutes until reduced by half.
- Add in the spinach and basil tossing with tongs until the spinach has wilted.
- Add in the drained pasta and toss again.
- Season to taste with FRESH ground salt and pepper.
- Serve immediately with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
NOTE:
- If need be, remove meat from prepackaged casings.
- I often add grape tomatoes and blister them for added flavor.
- Truly any size pasta will work, but a small pasta is best so it is well coated in the sauce.
PRETTY IN PINK TRES LECHES (3 MILKS) CAKE ~ BLOG 365.86B
You can make the cake a day ahead before poking it with holes and storing it tightly wrapped at room temperature. The cake benefits from sitting in the refrigerator to absorb all of the milk. It needs at least 1 hour but can sit in the fridge overnight before frosting and serving. The longer it sits, the more it can absorb, making the cake better and better.
CAKE
1 1/2 cups AP flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 – 1/2 cup freeze dried fruit powder, optional
5 LARGE eggs, separated
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar, divided
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- Preheat oven to 350°.
- Grease a 13″ x 9″ baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl sift together the flour, baking powder, salt and freeze dried fruit powder if using.
- In a medium bowl, using a handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg yolks and 1 cup sugar until stiff ribbons trail behind beaters.
- Beat in vanilla.
- In another large bowl, using handheld mixer on medium-high speed, beat egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Gradually add remaining 1/4 cup sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form.
- Add yolk mixture to dry ingredients and beat to combine.
- Add milk and butter and beat until combined.
- Gently fold in egg whites until just combined.
- Pour batter into prepared pan.
- Bake cake until a tester inserted into middle of cake comes out clean, about 30 minutes.
- Let cool.
FILLING
1 (14 ounnce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) can evaporated milk
1/2 cup WHOLE milk
1 teaspoon PURE vanilla extract
- In a medium bowl, whisk condensed milk, evaporated milk, whole milk and vanilla until combined.
- Using a fork, poke holes all over cake, then pour milk mixture over cake.
Cover pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate until milk mixture is absorbed, AT LEAST 1 hour, BUT PREFERABLY OVERNIGHT.
WHIPPED CREAM & ASSEMBLY
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup cinnamon-sugar
Sliced FRESH strawberries (or fruit of choice), for serving
- In a large bowl beat the heavy cream and sugar until stiff peaks form.
- Frost cake with whipped cream.
- Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar.
Serve with strawberries alongside.
NOTES:
- The trick to this recipe is in the egg whites. Be sure to beat them until they hold STIFF peaks and then fold them ever so GENTLY into the cake batter. The goal is to avoid deflating them while folding, so that the cake bakes up nice and tall with lots of lift.
- Egg temperature matters! You’ll get the most stable whip and tallest sponge cake by using room temperature eggs. Make sure to let the eggs sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before using.
- To make this flavored I add freeze dried powdered fruit flavors to the sifted dry mixture. 1/4 – 1/2 cup is all it takes.
- DO NOT rush the soaking step. A longer soak results in a deeper flavor AND a moister cake.
WORDLESS WEDNESDAY ~ BLOG 365.85
RASPBERRY TRUFFLE BROWNIES ~ BLOG 365.84
Rich dark and delectable chocolate scratch-made brownies with a layer of creamy raspberry truffle topping. These are SUPER rich! A small square goes a long way.
RASPBERRY TRUFFLE BROWNIES
BROWNIES
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 LARGE eggs
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 teaspoon espresso powder or instant coffee crystals
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup AP flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- In a heavy saucepan, melt the butter and chocolate chips over low heat until melted and blended well. Cool 15 minutes.
- Dissolve the coffee crystals in the water. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, beat the eggs and brown sugar together until blended.
- Add coffee mixture and melted chocolate mixture to the egg mixture, mixing well.
- Sift together the baking powder and flour into the chocolate mixture, mixing until incorporated.
- Spread batter into a well greased 9×9-inch or 8×8-inch baking pan.
- Bake at 350℉ 30 to 35 minutes until the brownies are set.
- Cool completely.
RASPBERRY TRUFFLE FILLING
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
8 ounces package cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup seedless red raspberry jam
- In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate chips. Cool 30 minutes.
- In a mixing bowl, beat softened cream cheese 1 to 2 minutes until fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar and raspberry jam, beating until JUST combined.
- Stir in melted chocolate until well combined.
- Spread filling evenly over the cooled brownies.
CHOCOLATE DRIZZLE
1/8 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 teaspoon shortening
- Place chocolate chips and shortening in a small zip-top plastic bag.
- Seal the bag and set the bag in a bowl of warm water to soften the chocolate.
- Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed.
- Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag.
- Drizzle chocolate over the truffle filling.
NOTE: These are extremely rich so I usually skip the drizzle unless I’m taking them to an event.
- Chill brownies before cutting.
- Cut into small 1 inch squares to serve.
- Store brownies in the refrigerator.
HAPPY HOMEMAKER MONDAY, MENU & RECIPES week 12 of 2025 ~ BLOG 365.83
Be sure to join Happy Homemaker Monday with our host, Sandra at Diary of a Stay at Home Mom
LAST WEEK RECAPPED
WHEW, am I glad last week is over! I know I missed getting by to see most of you, but I REALLY didn’t have a minute to myself. I promise to get by this week.
Tuesday and Wednesday were spent dealing with the shopping and prep to lay in the necessary ingredients for the 3 day CRIBBAGE Tournament being held at the Eagles. They rent the hall from us, but my girlfriend and I do all the meals for all 3 days for 50+ people. I spent ALL day Thursday preparing the soups, breakfast bakes and biscuits for our Friday meals. On Friday, while we were working, Annette’s hubby smoked all the pork to be pulled for the Saturday sandwiches and she prepped the baked beans between breakfast and lunch. I did the dessert baking.
Our days begin at 6AM and this particular event also fell on my auxiliary dinner night on Friday so I had an extra event to plan and work. Friday I left home at 530AM to go to the Eagles and didn’t leave there until almost 9PM to come back home and still managed to do over 23,000 steps.
Then I had to be back at 6AM Saturday to start all over! On Sunday morning when we arrived we found the kitchen refrigerator died during the night. Fortunately our middle name is PIVOT so we emptied the fridge and moved it outside while moving our storage room fridge to the kitchen. Unfortunately we had to throw out most everything which will only make this week’s shopping so much more!
THOUGHT FOR THE DAY
THE WEATHER OUTSIDE
“The Northwest will stay soggy as multiple systems take aim mid-to-late week. Here’s what we’re watching this week.” This is never the way I want a weather report to start.
Yesterday was pretty nice, today and tomorrow are supposed to be great with highs even closing in on 70, BUT (and there is ALWAYS a BUT at this time of year) Wednesday brings back the cooler temperatures in the 40’s and 50’s and you guessed it, MORE rain!
TO DO LIST, APPOINTMENTS & PROJECTS
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THIS WEEK’S TO DO LIST, PROJECTS & APPOINTMENTS
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DVR/TV TIME
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WHAT’S ON THE DVR/TV
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READING TIME
Who had time this week?
FUNNIES
MENU PLANS
BREAKFAST is always a work in progress for me – it will generally be hot water and a fruit yogurt 😀
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3/24 MONDAY
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3/25 TUESDAY
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3/26 WEDNESDAY
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3/27 THURSDAY
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3/28 FRIDAY
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3/29 SATURDAY
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3/30 SUNDAY
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DINNER
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I cleaned out the fridge last night and found enough leftovers for 3 nights 😀
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OUT
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CORN/YOYO
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CORN/YOYO
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OUT
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ASPARAGUS CHEDDAR CASSEROLE with PAN SEARED CHICKEN
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CHICKEN in COCONUT PEANUT SAUCE |
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DESSERT
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GRAN’S old fashioned CARROT CAKE with DRUNKEN RAISINS
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FAVORITE PHOTOS FROM THE CAMERA
The sun actually came out late yesterday afternoon and as you can see the water is beginning to recede and is beginning to look normal again under one of my favorite bridges. The Rochester one lane bridge is over 100 years old and one of my favorite routes to a favorite dive tavern that’s equally as old 🙂
INSPIRATIONS
LIFE TIP
HOMEMAKING / COOKING TIP
RECIPES COMING UP THIS WEEK
- RASPBERRY TRUFFLE BROWNIES
- PRETTY IN PINK TRES LECHES CAKE
- ITALIAN PASTA with SAUSAGE in CREAMY SPINACH, GARLIC and WHITE WINE SAUCE
RECIPE LINKS FROM LAST WEEK
SILENT SUNDAY ~ BLOG 365.82
SATURDAY COFFEE TIME ~ BLOG 365.81
TGIF ~ BLOG 365.80
BRAISED BALSAMIC CHICKEN & MASHED CARROTS ~ BLOG 365.79
BRAISED BALSAMIC CHICKEN
4-6 8 ounce skinless, boneless chicken breasts
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons avocado oil
1 carrot, FINELY diced
1 LARGE onion, thinly sliced
2-3 cloves garlic, FINELY minced
14.5 ounces can fire roasted tomatoes with juices
1/2 cup QUALITY balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons QUALITY Italian seasoning
1-2 cups FRESH baby spinach
Parmesan cheese, for garnish
- Generously season chicken breasts with FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper.
- Heat oil in large skillet over medium heat.
- Add carrots, onions and garlic, sauteing 2-3 minutes until soft. Transfer to a bowl.
- Add chicken to skillet, sauteing 4 minutes per side until browned.
- Sprinkle with Italian seasoning.
- Return onion mixture to the skillet.
- Top with the tomatoes, their juices and the balsamic vinegar. Simmer 5 minutes.
- Stir in spinach leaves, sauteing until wilted.
- Top with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.
MASHED CARROTS
2 pounds carrots, peeled and rustic cut
4 tablespoons butter, cubed
2 tablespoons QUALITY honey or HOT honey for more spice
FRESH ground sea salt and black pepper
- Place carrots in a steamer basket over 2 inches of water.
- Cover and steam 20 minutes over medium high heat until tender.
- Drain the carrots and transfer to a food processor. Process until chunks are smooth, but not totally pureed.
- Add the butter, honey, salt and pepper. Pulse until well mixed and keep warm.
FLOOD UPDATE ~ BLOG 365.78B
Flood waters have receded thankfully, but it’s still raining and EVERYTHING is water logged, slimey and drenched, as well as saturated from the SUPER wet winter.We went from a normal rain event to flooding and snow within a VERY short time!!!
I was able to get a few pictures during a short break between storms and there are still many storms piling up to drop more rain and snow, but for now clean up has begun and things are returning to “normal”, whatever that is!
