yummy dinner sunday

real simple magazine always has great recipes...sunday night dinner/monday lunch was fab! stuffed shells!  mine i made with cream sauce and joe got his tomato sauce and italian sausage...super easy and fast!

Ingredients

• 20 jumbo pasta shells (about half a 12-ounce box)
• 1 24-ounce jar marinara sauce
• 2 15-ounce containers ricotta
• 2 cups baby spinach, chopped
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan (2 ounces)
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup grated mozzarella (4 ounces)
• green salad (optional)

Directions

1. Set an oven rack to the highest position and heat oven to 400° F. Cook the pasta according to the package directions; drain and run under cold water until cool.
2. Spread the marinara sauce in the bottom of a large broilerproof baking dish.
3. In a bowl, combine the ricotta, spinach, Parmesan, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Spoon the mixture into the shells and place them on top of the sauce. Sprinkle with the mozzarella and bake until the shells are heated through, 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Increase heat to broil. Broil the shells until the cheese begins to brown, 2 to 5 minutes. Serve with the salad, if desired.

engagements

so excited that one of my best friends got engaged last night!  how to survive as a 20 something (engaged) is a much different story but a fun one nonetheless and i am so excited to have another friend to share in the stories, fun, and festivities with!  congrats to lauren and kent! they will have the most wonderful life together...that i am sure of!

quality cook out

we had a quality cook out this past friday night before my bridesmaids all came in town and tried on their dresses and a shower hosted by my sisters. lots of fun and lots of food.  burgers, fries, dips from sallie and thomas, cupcakes for mike's birthday and of course my new favorite--rachel ray horseradish cheddar turkey burgers. 

Turkey Burgers:

Ingredients

·         1 package ground turkey breast

·         2 rounded tablespoons prepared horseradish

·         1/3 pound sharp white cheddar cheese, diced or crumbled into 1/4 inch pieces  (I use Colby Jack)

·         2 scallions, finely chopped

·         1 rounded palmful grill seasoning, such as McCormick's Montreal Steak Seasoning

·         Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), for drizzling

·         Spicy brown mustard (I use horseradish kind)

·         4 poppy seed Kaiser rolls, split

·         Romaine lettuce leaves, for topping burgers


PREPARATION 

Heat a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.

In a medium bowl, mix together the meat, horseradish, cheddar pieces, scallions and grill seasoning. Form 4 patties and drizzle them with EVOO. Cook the burgers for 5-6 minutes on each side.

Joe cooked these on the grill--normally we follow the directions that we read in the recipe, but they were just as good on the grill! no condiments needed maybe other than a little dab of mustard. 

good times with great friends! cant beat that one!