Penne Rosa

Jonathan and I are currently buried in a sea of boxes while we attempt to pack up our entire household.  Let me tell you, it's way more overwhelming and difficult than I expected.  But the good thing is, we're cleaning out a bunch of stuff.  For me, less clutter = a happier life.

Since we're moving in a little over 2 weeks, I've been trying to use up ingredients from my pantry.  I had a box of whole wheat penne, so I searched the web to find a healthy recipe to use it in.  I found this recipe on Back to Her Roots, and gave it a try. Both Jonathan and I really liked it!  It was a delicious, springy, fresh pasta dish, which (in my opinion), is hard to find.  Here's the recipe:

12 oz. whole wheat penne, cooked and drained
1 Tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes
8 oz. button mushrooms, sliced
2 medium tomatoes (about 1/2 lb.) chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
4 cups fresh spinach (I large bag at Publix was 4 cups)
1 lb. medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
3/4 cup marinara sauce
1/3 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
Grated Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Cook penne according to package directions and set aside.  While it's cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add in garlic and red pepper flakes, and cook 2 minutes or until garlic begins to soften.  Add in mushrooms, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.  Cook for 5 minutes, or until mushrooms begin to release their water.  Turn up heat to medium-high and add shrimp.  Cook 1-2 minutes until shrimp start to turn pink.  Add spinach and cover skillet.  Let spinach wilt for a few minutes until reduced down, stirring occasionally.  Remove lid and place skillet over low heat.  Drain off a little water from the bottom of the pan, and add the penne, yogurt, and marinara.  Stir to mix well, and cook until heated through.  Serve with Parmesan on top.

We made it!!!

I've been waiting for this day for years.  After 21 years of schooling, I finally reached my LAST DAY!  Next year, I'll be doing residency, which is different.  Today was my last day of dental school.  My best girlfriends in the class and I went out for lunch to Surin, an amazing Thai restaurant here.  We had a blast.  I will definitely miss these girls!  But I'm excited to move on.  For now, I will celebrate all that the Lord has done!

Stewed Beef with Creamy Cheddar Grits

Our fantastic friends, Joey and Cali, had us over to their house a couple of weekends ago for dinner and board games.  Cali made us a delicious meal she found on The Pioneer Woman, and we loved it so much I had to make it again!  It is a fall-apart-in-your-mouth, tender beef dish served over silky, cheesy grits.  Can you get much better than that?  I submit that you cannot :)  Thanks again for having us over, Cali!

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
1.5 lbs. stew meat
2 cups low-sodium beef broth
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 Tbps. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 onion, finely diced
1/2 red bell pepper, finely diced
2 Tbsp. canned chilis in adobo (optional-use only if you like spice!)
2 cups stone-ground grits (a.k.a. polenta)
3 cups low-sodium chicken or beef broth
1.5 cups water
1 cup fat-free half-and-half
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese


To make the meat, heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pot over high heat. Throw in stew meat and brown for 1 minute, then add chipotle peppers, beef broth, garlic, cumin, and chili powder. Stir, then bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, then cover and simmer for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, or until the meat is fall-apart tender and the liquid is thick. (Watch the meat occasionally and add more beef broth as needed.)


In the last hour of cooking time, make the grits: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon of both oil and butter. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and chilies and cook for five minutes or so. Pour in grits, then add chicken (or beef) broth and water. Stir, then bring to a boil . Reduce the heat to low, then cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 30 minutes, add half-and-half. Cook for another 20 to 30 minutes, or until grits are tender. Remove from heat and stir in grated cheese.


Serve a pile of grits with stewed meat (liquid and all) over the top. Sprinkle on sliced green onion for color.

Nacho Stars

I'm bringing back an old post from the earlier days of the blog. This is a recipe from my good friend and classmate, Ashley, that is so easy to throw together, and that everyone LOVES. It's a hit with girls and guys alike.

1 package wonton wrappers
3/4 cup light ranch dressing
1/2 cup cheddar cheese
1 lb. sausage (I use reduced-fat)
1 jar jalapeno slices

Directions: Spray a cupcake tin with non-stick cooking spray. Place wonton wrappers in the tin, and bake in an oven preheated to 350 degrees for 6 minutes. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet. Drain, and add the ranch and cheese. Spoon into pre-baked wonton shells. Add a little more cheese, and top with a jalapeno slice. Place back into the oven for 6 more minutes. Enjoy!

Blueberry Banana Baked Oatmeal

The first time I ever had baked oatmeal was at my favorite coffee shop in Auburn.  I immediately fell in love.  They served it in a bowl with warm, frothed milk over the top.  It was to-die-for.  I decided to make my own, and I found a recipe on SkinnyTaste that looked delicious.  The result?  AH-mazing!  I will make this over and over, for sure!!

Hot out of the oven

So moist and delicious, with a nice tartness from the berries

2 medium ripe bananas, sliced into 1/2" thick slices
1 1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/4 cup honey
1 cup. uncooked quick oats
1/4 cup walnuts or pecans, chopped
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
1 cup. skim milk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray an 8x8-inch glass dish with non-stick spray.  Arrange banana slices in a single layer on the bottom of the dish.  Sprinkle half of the blueberries over the bananas, 1/4 tsp. cinnamon, 1 Tbsp. honey, and cover with foil.  Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine oats, baking powder, remaining cinnamon, salt, and half of the nuts.  In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, egg, vanilla, and remaining honey.

Remove bananas from oven, and pour oat mixture on top.  Pour the milk over the oats, distributing mixture as evenly as possible over the oats.  Sprinkle remaining blueberries and nuts on top, and bake for about 30 minutes, or until top is golden brown and the oatmeal has set.  Serve warm from the oven.

Jonathan's Birthday Surprise

Jonathan turned 27 last weekend, and I took him on a surprise road trip.  Jonathan has always loved anything to do with history and has wanted to go to Medieval Times for a long while now.  Medieval Times is a live jousting tournament and dinner theater.  They serve a meal that would've been eaten at a feast in medieval times, and your fingers are your utensils (no joke!).  The meal was delicious, and I knew Jonathan would enjoy the show, but I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the show.  It was really fun.

Jonathan outside of the castle

                         

A quick picture of the show

We stayed the night in Atlanta and headed back home on Sunday.  Though it was a really short trip (since Parent's Day was on Friday), we had a blast.  Happy birthday Jonathan!

Senior Parents' Day

This past Friday was Parents' Day for the senior dental students.  I was so excited to have my mom and stepdad, and my dad and stepmom come up for the day.  Jonathan got to take off work to come, too.  The school rented out the Alabama Theater, and we had a nice luncheon and had a great time with our families.

The beautiful Alabama Theater

My mom and me

My sweet friend/classmate, Ashley

What a great day commemorating all that my classmates and I have accomplished over the last four years.  It's been quite a ride, and it was great celebrating with my family!