MoniKitchen
Chicken & Spinach Pasta Casserole
-10oz uncooked mostacciolli
-1 10oz pkg frozen spinach thawed and drained
-2 tsp veggie oil
-2/3 C chopped onion
-2 large garlic cloves, minced
-1 lb. boned, skinned chicken breast, cut into 1" pieces
-2 141/2 oz. cans whole tomatoes, undrained & coarsley chopped
-3 T tomato paste
-1 1/4 tsp dried basil
-3/4 tsp dried oregano
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
-1/2 C grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat over to 350 degrees
Cook mostaccioli according to package directions, drain
Place spinach on paper towels; squeeze until barely moist
Coat a large skillet with non-stick cooking spray, add oil
Place over medium-high heat until hot
Add onion and garlic; saute until tender
Add chicken, cooking and stirring until chicken no longer pink
Stir in tomatoes and the next 5 ingredients, bring to a boil
Reduce heat, and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally
Combine pasta, spinach, chicken mixture and 1/4 C Parmesan cheese in a bowl, mix well
Spoon into 9x13 baking dish coated with cooking spray
Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 C Parmesan cheese
Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes
Serves 8
295 calories
6g fat
53 mg cholesterol
725mg sodium
Will You Go Out With Me?
We had two dates this month! First we went to Entourage for our five year anniversary - we each had steaks! First we had drinks in the bar, I had some yummy martini and Tim had a captain & coke. After dinner we went to see Indiana Jones 4!
Our other date was for my birthday on June 17! We had dinner at Texas de Brazil! So yum. Afterwards we walked around the mall and Tim bought me my Ryan Theriot Cubs jersey. Also for gifts I got a TomTom GPS system, a dozen white roses and a Brewers T-Shirt!
That's Hilarious
We've been overusing the "That's What She Said" joke a whole lot. More me than him.
Otherwise, there's a Heinekin commercial on during every Cubs game commercial break - and at first I really like the song, but then I get dupped b/c the part where the ballerina is bringing a tray of beer to the gross sweaty old naked guys in a sauna CREEPS THE BEJESUS OUT OF ME!
Showing posts with label date night. Show all posts
Showing posts with label date night. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
MONTH #5: March 18, 2008 - April 17, 2008
MoniKitchen
Pat's Favorite Sweet & Sour Meatloaf - from Lorie
Ingredients:
-1lb ground turkey
-1 egg
-1/2 C bread crumbs
-2 tblsp parsley
-1 teasp basil
-1/2 teasp oregano
-pinch salt & pepper
-1 C Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
-3/4 C grape jelly
Directions:
-In a saucepan, heat the jelly and bbq sauce on low until bubbling
-Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together all other ingredients (use hands to mix)
-Pour about 1/4 of the jelly/bbq mixture into the meat (again, mix with hands)
-Form meat into a meatloaf pan and pour remaining sauce over the meatloaf
-Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, uncovered
*Makes four generous servings. Very good as a leftover!!
Will You Go Out With Me?
We went to see the movie Juno! We ate some random leftovers at home and then went to Jersey's http://www.jerseyspizzaandgrill.com/ for a drink and potato skins, to keep it a cheaper night. Then off to the movie!
That's Hilaaarious
SAUSAGE still kept us laughing as well as my new found obsession with the APPLEBOTTOM jeans song ;)
Good Talk
We are being very open and talking about unfortunate job situations. What needs to happen before we can sell our condo and buy a townhouse/house, what type of place we're looking for and what our "dream jobs" are, and lastly if Milwaukee is an option for us and how that could work. No decisions yet, but I think when it comes time to make decisions, we'll be ready.
The Good Life
Hmm...This is a let down! Nothing "good" has happened to us this month! We did get a new niece - Bianca Elle Simon and a new cousin on Tim's side - Robert Clemente (yes, that's the 3rd 'Bob' in our family - my uncle, Tim's 1/2 brother and now his cousin) Sheesh!
Recap
While Tim was always a little 'eh' about his job, he got slapped with a big change a couple weeks ago. The way he'd be making sales changed and while they 'say' the bonuses will be better and quicker in this new set-up, as of June 1 Tim's salary is being slashed by $10K. He's also not very confident in the success of this company as a whole, as it is relatively new and the management doesn't really seem to have a grasp on what they are doing.
For me, I should consider myself lucky that I wasn't laid off when the Qwest Retail business was lost. But now I've been moved over to Direct Mail for AT&T. The pay is good and so is the commute. But the job I signed up for - Retail Events & Promotions - I was very excited as it was what I had decided I wanted to do with my career (event promotions, management). But now I'm doing DM which isn't going to help launch me into the event world as I planned my initial job would after a few years. So now this is just another "filler" job I must endure before I can get into what I really want. And that is making it harder also because it's been nearly 3yrs of work that I don't necessarily want to be slotted in or continue in in anyway (yellow pages & DM) so I'm afraid I'm getting more and more pigeon-holed and it will be harder for me to break out.
Our predicaments sparked several more serious conversations about moving to Milwaukee. So again, many stars would need to align to make the move possible. With these current let-downs, Milwaukee holds the promise of a "fresh start"...but we realize it may not be all that easy!
Pat's Favorite Sweet & Sour Meatloaf - from Lorie
Ingredients:
-1lb ground turkey
-1 egg
-1/2 C bread crumbs
-2 tblsp parsley
-1 teasp basil
-1/2 teasp oregano
-pinch salt & pepper
-1 C Sweet Baby Ray's BBQ Sauce
-3/4 C grape jelly
Directions:
-In a saucepan, heat the jelly and bbq sauce on low until bubbling
-Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix together all other ingredients (use hands to mix)
-Pour about 1/4 of the jelly/bbq mixture into the meat (again, mix with hands)
-Form meat into a meatloaf pan and pour remaining sauce over the meatloaf
-Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes, uncovered
*Makes four generous servings. Very good as a leftover!!
Will You Go Out With Me?
We went to see the movie Juno! We ate some random leftovers at home and then went to Jersey's http://www.jerseyspizzaandgrill.com/ for a drink and potato skins, to keep it a cheaper night. Then off to the movie!
That's Hilaaarious
SAUSAGE still kept us laughing as well as my new found obsession with the APPLEBOTTOM jeans song ;)
Good Talk
We are being very open and talking about unfortunate job situations. What needs to happen before we can sell our condo and buy a townhouse/house, what type of place we're looking for and what our "dream jobs" are, and lastly if Milwaukee is an option for us and how that could work. No decisions yet, but I think when it comes time to make decisions, we'll be ready.
The Good Life
Hmm...This is a let down! Nothing "good" has happened to us this month! We did get a new niece - Bianca Elle Simon and a new cousin on Tim's side - Robert Clemente (yes, that's the 3rd 'Bob' in our family - my uncle, Tim's 1/2 brother and now his cousin) Sheesh!
Recap
While Tim was always a little 'eh' about his job, he got slapped with a big change a couple weeks ago. The way he'd be making sales changed and while they 'say' the bonuses will be better and quicker in this new set-up, as of June 1 Tim's salary is being slashed by $10K. He's also not very confident in the success of this company as a whole, as it is relatively new and the management doesn't really seem to have a grasp on what they are doing.
For me, I should consider myself lucky that I wasn't laid off when the Qwest Retail business was lost. But now I've been moved over to Direct Mail for AT&T. The pay is good and so is the commute. But the job I signed up for - Retail Events & Promotions - I was very excited as it was what I had decided I wanted to do with my career (event promotions, management). But now I'm doing DM which isn't going to help launch me into the event world as I planned my initial job would after a few years. So now this is just another "filler" job I must endure before I can get into what I really want. And that is making it harder also because it's been nearly 3yrs of work that I don't necessarily want to be slotted in or continue in in anyway (yellow pages & DM) so I'm afraid I'm getting more and more pigeon-holed and it will be harder for me to break out.
Our predicaments sparked several more serious conversations about moving to Milwaukee. So again, many stars would need to align to make the move possible. With these current let-downs, Milwaukee holds the promise of a "fresh start"...but we realize it may not be all that easy!
Monday, March 31, 2008
MONTH #4: February 18, 2008 - March 17, 2008
MoniKitchen
Angel Hair with Creamy Turkey Sausage and Wild Mushroom Sauce
ingredients:
12 oz angel hair pasta
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C sliced mushrooms (button, cremini, portobello or any type of wild mushroom)
1 LB sweet or hot turkey or chicken sausage!, cut into 1/2" pieces (I used smoked turkey sausage! as I couldn't find hot or sweet?)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 C frozen green peas
1 1/2 C low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 T chopped fresh parsley
directions:
Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain.
Meanwhile heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1-minute.
add the mushrooms and cook, stirring a few times, until they are tender and releasing juice, 3-5minutes.
Add the sausage! and brown on all sides, about 5-minutes.
Add the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and stir until well combined and the herbs are gragrant, about 1-minute.
Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pan, and simmer until the sausage! is cooked through, about 10-minutes.
Add the peas and simmer 1-minute more.
Stir in the sour cream and Parmesan and simmer 1-minute to heat through.
Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the parsley.
Scoop pasta into individual shallow bowls, spoon the sausage! mixture over the top and serve.
***If you're confused by the overzealous-ness in regards to the sausage, please watch the clip below...
Will You Go Out With Me?
Wildfire
To celebrate my new job, we went out to a nice dinner at Wildfire http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/. We went all out too - made reservations, which we never do, parked valet, got an appetizer, and martinis! We had $100 in gift cards so we thought, what the heck! The total bill with tip was about $150, but hey $50 out-of-pocket for a meal that nice? Not too bad :)
Here's what we had:
**Appetizer**
Four Cheese Crusted Portobello Mushrooms, stuffed with fresh garlic spinach
**Drinks**
-Tim-
1. Wildfire Signature Martini Flight
A sampling of their signature martinis~ Cosmopolitan, Green Apple, Wild Raspberry Cosmopolitan, Stormy Night
2. A full-sized Stormy Night (Effen Black Cherry, DEKUYPER Watermelon Pucker, DEKUYPER Island Blue Pucker, sour mix
-Monica-
1. Key Lime Pie Martini (ABSOLUT Vanilla, key lime juice, sour mix, cream)
2. Wild Raspberry Cosmopolitan (STOLI Razberi, DEKUYPER Triple Sec, cranberry juice, raspberry syrup)
**Meal**
-Tim-
Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon (Broiled with a Blue Cheese Crust) with redskin mashed potatoes
-Monica-
Horseradish Crusted Filet Mignon (Wrapped in bacon and topped with a horseradish crust) with redskin mashed potatoes
TO BE CONTINUED!!! Did this entry make anyone else hungry?!?!
Angel Hair with Creamy Turkey Sausage and Wild Mushroom Sauce
ingredients:
12 oz angel hair pasta
1 T olive oil
1/2 cup chopped shallots
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 C sliced mushrooms (button, cremini, portobello or any type of wild mushroom)
1 LB sweet or hot turkey or chicken sausage!, cut into 1/2" pieces (I used smoked turkey sausage! as I couldn't find hot or sweet?)
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 C reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/2 C frozen green peas
1 1/2 C low-fat sour cream
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 T chopped fresh parsley
directions:
Cook the pasta according to the package directions, then drain.
Meanwhile heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
Add the shallots and garlic and cook, stirring, for 1-minute.
add the mushrooms and cook, stirring a few times, until they are tender and releasing juice, 3-5minutes.
Add the sausage! and brown on all sides, about 5-minutes.
Add the thyme, oregano, salt and pepper and stir until well combined and the herbs are gragrant, about 1-minute.
Add the broth and bring to a simmer.
Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover the pan, and simmer until the sausage! is cooked through, about 10-minutes.
Add the peas and simmer 1-minute more.
Stir in the sour cream and Parmesan and simmer 1-minute to heat through.
Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper to taste, and stir in the parsley.
Scoop pasta into individual shallow bowls, spoon the sausage! mixture over the top and serve.
***If you're confused by the overzealous-ness in regards to the sausage, please watch the clip below...
Will You Go Out With Me?
Wildfire
To celebrate my new job, we went out to a nice dinner at Wildfire http://www.wildfirerestaurant.com/. We went all out too - made reservations, which we never do, parked valet, got an appetizer, and martinis! We had $100 in gift cards so we thought, what the heck! The total bill with tip was about $150, but hey $50 out-of-pocket for a meal that nice? Not too bad :)
Here's what we had:
**Appetizer**
Four Cheese Crusted Portobello Mushrooms, stuffed with fresh garlic spinach
**Drinks**
-Tim-
1. Wildfire Signature Martini Flight
A sampling of their signature martinis~ Cosmopolitan, Green Apple, Wild Raspberry Cosmopolitan, Stormy Night
2. A full-sized Stormy Night (Effen Black Cherry, DEKUYPER Watermelon Pucker, DEKUYPER Island Blue Pucker, sour mix
-Monica-
1. Key Lime Pie Martini (ABSOLUT Vanilla, key lime juice, sour mix, cream)
2. Wild Raspberry Cosmopolitan (STOLI Razberi, DEKUYPER Triple Sec, cranberry juice, raspberry syrup)
**Meal**
-Tim-
Blue Cheese Crusted Filet Mignon (Broiled with a Blue Cheese Crust) with redskin mashed potatoes
-Monica-
Horseradish Crusted Filet Mignon (Wrapped in bacon and topped with a horseradish crust) with redskin mashed potatoes
TO BE CONTINUED!!! Did this entry make anyone else hungry?!?!
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