New Year, New Beginning

I have decided that I'm not going to put dates on my menu. I will just accumulate a bunch of my recipes and pictures through the month and post them. This way, I won't feel too pressured into trying to keep up with it. Here are just a few recipes I have done during the past month or so. With a house full of sick family and mom being one of them, I have not done a whole lot of cooking. It's been a lot of cereal, mac. & cheese, Ramen, hot dogs, or grilled cheese. Now that we are all on the mend, I have once again picked up the gauntlet to challenge myself as well as my families taste buds at new things. My hardest thing is remembering to take pictures of what I have made. Must do better! Hope you can find something you enjoy cooking and one your family will enjoy eating!!

CONFETTI PASTA AND BRUSCHETTA

This was such an EASY dish and became a big hit with my boys. The nice thing about it is that you can be so creative with it and have endless possibilities

Start with 2 boxes of Pasta Roni Garlic & Olive Oil flavor. Cook according to directions and then get creative. Use any type of meat or seafood and any combinations of vegetables. In this one, I used Johnsonville Sweet Italian sausage, fresh mushrooms, red onions and fresh asparagus. I steamed the sausage seperatly and sauted the veggies in just a little oil until they were firm but not soggy. Once the pasta was done, I threw everything in and mixed it up.

For the Bruschetta I bought a loaf of Baget bread. Slice the bread at a diagnol. In a medium frying pan melt 3-4 TBS. butter on medium heat, add 1/2 tsp. crushed fresh garlic. Be careful not to let the butter burn. Place the sliced bread in the pan and spread around so bottom side is covered with butter. Let toast for about 2 min. and then turn over. you may need to add a little more butter, depending on how many slices of bread you are doing. Once both sides are nicely toasted and golden brown, remove to a cookie sheet.

Rinse out pan or use seperate pan for Bruschetta topping. Pour in 1/2 can diced tomatoes, (Italian stye is a good choice) add in 1 TBS. diced onions, fresh Oregano and Basil. Sautee for about 5 min. on Medium heat. Spoon a small amount onto breat and top with some Mozzerella cheese. Place in the oven to broil until cheese is melted. Serve and ENJOY!!