Sep 24
Tonight is all about the Ziti. I’m dying for it and so I decided today when I was at Giant that I’m going to make it for dinner. My recipe is an adaptation of the San Giorgio box recipe that I found on the back … and the one that my mom apparently used too. LOL. Here’s how I make it:
Ingredients
- 1 package (1 lb) San Giorgio Ziti, uncooked
- 2 jars (24 oz each) of Prego Spaghetti Sauce
- 1 3/4 cups (15 oz) Ricotta Cheese – I prefer Sorrento velvety smooth
- 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups Italian shredded cheese mix
- 1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 lb lean ground beef
- 1 lb zesty hot sausage
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit
- Cook pasta according to box directions
- Brown ground beef and sausage until fully cooked
- In a large bowl, stir together the hot pasta, 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, ricotta cheese, mozzarella cheese, meat mixture, parsley, egg, oregano and garlic powder
- In 13 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish, pour the pasta. Dump the remaining jar of sauce and half the Italian cheese mix in and mix together
- Take the remaining Italian cheese mix and arrange over the top of the noodles
- Cover with aluminum foil
- Bake for 30 minutes
- Remove aluminum foil from top and put back in oven (make sure its off) for another ten minutes to brown the cheese on top
This serves ten if each person has one cup. Or if you’re feeding those in my family, four. LOL.
Sep 11
Most of my life I’ve spent just going out and buying whatever I want. It’s a difficult habit to break, let me tell you. But I’m slowly getting there. This weekend I wanted something sweet and so I decided that instead of going to Giant and buying a pre-made desert I’d dig out a box of brownie mix and try making them. A few years ago my mom bought the Perfect Brownie Pan set for us but we never got around to using it. When I moved out last year the pan got packed in my stuff and has been sitting in my pan cabinet. Last night I pulled it out after mixing up the brownies and used it for the first time. I have to say, the brownies didn’t taste any different then if they were in another pan (which is really silly to think they would), they were all a uniform size and cut when they were done baking, and after a little wiggle, the thing that keeps them separate came out with no problem. I’m actually very happy with the pan though the brownies – yeah, the box stuff just doesn’t taste like homemade. Must find a homemade recipe.
Now, the one thing I do recommend with the pan is that you put it on a baking pan before you pour in the batter. I think the directions suggest it anyways but really, you do need to put it on a pan. While nothing came out when I poured the batter in or slid the thing in to separate them, while they were baking, the batter did come out of the bottom and stuck the two pans together. A little jiggle got them separate but without that pan there, I would have had a mess in my oven. The second thing I did notice is that you have to leave the brownies in the oven longer then the directions said too. They were supposed to be done baking after thirty minutes but when I pulled them out, they were still not fully cooked. I didn’t turn the oven back on but stuck them back in the warm oven for another twenty minutes and they came out perfectly cooked. Of course, everyone’s oven is going to be different so maybe yours will work correctly.
All in all I’m perfectly happy with the pan and can’t wait to make some more brownies. Maybe from a homemade recipe this time.
… and the first thing that I did was bake muffins. I’ve never done that before. Really not much of a baker; my brownies tend to come out hard enough to break teeth no matter what I try. But the muffins … they look fantastic. Okay, so I didn’t whip up the batter or anything. No, I bought a box of Betty Crocker Premium Muffin Mix, Cinnamon Streusel flavored and whipped them up this morning. Wasn’t that hard at all for this non-baker and the whole house smelled delicious while they were baking. Best part – they came out looking like they were actually edible. And they were! All teeth intact after eating. Yay on that. My only complaint is from the taste you can tell they came from a box. My mom (who’s house I am hiding out at while Irene passes over Philly this weekend) thinks I’m nuts. Oh well, maybe once I get this baking from a box down I can move onto baking from scratch. Time to go back to designing websites and reading books.
I think I’ve planned out the new thing I’ll be doing tomorrow but we’ll see if it’s a definite.
Mar 01
Well, I’ve finally gotten around to adding something to the site. Tonight I added five short stories that I’ve written over the years. You’ll find them by visiting the short stories link in the navigation section or you could just click here to get there too.
I love winter. The crispness to the air, the multiple layers that one needs to wear before going out, the curling up in front of the fireplace with a blanket, a book, and a big cup of hot tea. There is just something to it. But there is more to it than that. It seems like there is a vulnerability to the season; not the newness of spring or the oldest of autumn; but a feeling that change is here and that no matter how hard it might seem, something good is going to come.
As I sit here wrapped in blankets contemplating the meaning of yet another Friday night home alone, I wonder why everyone puts such an awful stigma on this. While I would love to have a boyfriend, I don’t see the need to develop some kind of master plan to snag one. One day, someone will come along who wants me in their life. And until then, I can sit here and practice the things I enjoy…or one day hope to be employed to do. Note to self, WordPress install seems to work fine on droid phone.
And if you’re a single guy who happens to be taller than me with dark colored hair and eyes, is intelligent with a sense of humor, kind and caring who isn’t looking for a party girl…well, email me.
Shoutbox
NameWebsiteMessage
