Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Recipe of the Week! Manicotti




A few weeks back I made this dish for the boy and I. It was a little more labor intensive for a week night meal, but we loved it!

Sausage-Stuffed Manicotti


Yield: 10 servings (serving size: 1 stuffed manicotti)

Ingredients

  • 10 uncooked manicotti
  • Cooking spray
  • 1 pound sweet turkey Italian sausage
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups fat-free milk
  • 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
  • 2 cups tomato-basil pasta sauce (such as Newman's Own)
  • 1/4 cup (1 ounce) grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

1. Cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat.

2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Remove casings from sausage. Add sausage to pan; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Add onion and bell pepper to pan; sauté 5 minutes or until tender.

3. Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in flour; cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; gradually add milk, stirring with a whisk. Return pan to heat; bring to a boil. Cook 6 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly with a whisk. Remove from heat; stir in black pepper. Add 1/2 cup milk mixture to sausage mixture; stir well.

4. Preheat oven to 350°.

5. Spoon about 1/3 cup sausage mixture into each manicotti; arrange manicotti in a single layer in a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle mozzarella over manicotti;

spread remaining milk mixture evenly over mozzarella. Top milk mixture with pasta sauce, spreading to cover. Sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until bubbly.

Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Weekend Recap!

This past weekend we were on the move non-stop. We kicked off Friday night at sister S's and got to see her boys. The oldest who is 17 months just gets funnier and funnier all the time, he is really developing that little personality! From there, sister J, sister S, her husband, the boy and I headed over the The Lexington for a fantastic wine tasting. It was a ton of fun and we had some fabulous wines. From there we stopped for a bite to eat at Salut and just caught up with some good friends.
Saturday morning was Leadership and Lattes for JLM. It was a great workshop all about communication and how to respond to different situations as well as how to give and receive feedback. It was a very timely topic as well and could be utilized in so many different areas, home, work, family as well as the JLM. Great way to start the day as well.

From there it was time to hit the stores for some Christmas shopping as well as get some errands done. I picked up some great presents, a new throw for the couch and some new throw pillows as well. Here is the finished results.

I love the details in the pattern
Saturday night the boy and I got all gussied up and headed out for our first opera. The MN Opera, Cassanova's Homecoming.
It was such a fantastic evening, we absolutely loved it! We started the night with a cocktail reception at the St. Paul Grill, a landmark in St. Paul.

I can't wait to go again!

Sunday we celebrated the boys nieces high school graduation, a little late, but it was the only time that the whole family could get together. Wings, beer and football, that was the day. We played some trivia and just chatted and got caught up.

The weekends are coming fast and furious now. The boy finished a project for me as well this weekend. I needed something to hold magazines in my office, so I picked this up for $2 at the thrift store. I wasn't crazy about the color or the embellishment for my office, so we changed it up,

and this is how the finished product turned out, not bad!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Meal Plan Monday


I keep thinking that the weeks are going to get better and more calm, and last week was not to bad for the most part, I just wish that work would slow down a bit.

Breakfast this week -
  • Fresh fruit (blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, apples and cuties)
  • Bagels
  • Toast with Peanut Butter
  • Oatmeal
Snacks -
  • Pumpkin snack mix
  • Granola bars (Trader Joe's)
  • String Cheese
  • Apples
Lunches -
  • Leftovers
  • Salad
  • White Bean and Ham soup
Monday -
  • Menu: Million Dollar Pie (I will get the recipe someone is bringing it over, sounds delish), salad, garlic toast
  • Plans: JLM SEGG Subcommittee is coming over for dinner and to wrap cookbooks for an upcoming event. We are also saying good-bye to our director who has decided for personal reasons to step down from her post to focus on her personal life for a while.
  • Blog: Meal Plan Monday
Tuesday -
  • Menu: Sandwiches (eating on the go)
  • Plans: Movie screening of "The Blind Side". I have been WAITING for this screening, really looking forward to it!
  • Blog: Weekend recap
Wednesday -
  • Menu: Grilled veal chops, asparagus, baked potato
  • Plans: A night at home to catch up on things, laundry, the house, get ready for Friday
  • Blog: Recipe of the Week
Thursday -
  • Menu: Dinner out, Burger R Bar, a new burger place at MOA
  • Plans: Movie screening of "Everybody's Fine"
  • Blog: Tablescape Thursday
Friday -
  • Menu: Assorted items that people bring. We are doing a cheese plate and an antipasto plate.
  • Plans: Turkey and Tempranillo wine event for the Twin Cities Wine Enthusiasts, everyone is bringing a bottle of wine and a dish that they would serve with turkey to go with it.
  • Blog: Movie Reviews
Saturday -
  • Menu: Out to celebrate sister J's birthday!
  • Plans: Having my "Pioneer Woman Cooks" cookbook autographed at MOA. Heading out with friends to celebrate!
Sunday -
  • Menu: Dinner at the boys parents
  • Plans: I am supposed to be hosting a cooking class at Pierre's, but we have only gotten three girls to sign up and we need at least 10, which is a huge bummer, but it might just be that time of year too!

For more menus and recipes, check out the Orgjunkie!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

What a couple of weeks! MPM - Late!

We have been crazy busy the past couple of weeks, and on top of all of that I have been swamped at work. I am not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing. I really like what I do, but sometimes I just need to come up for air and see the light at the end of the tunnel, if that makes sense. I am big into time blocking, not sure if you know what that is, but I like to block portions of my day (my whole day) to dedicate to certain areas in order to accomplish something. I have not been able to do that in two weeks which is tough now because I feel like I can't finish anything. I am working from home for a portion of the day today, so I am hoping I can feel as though I have accomplished something today!

I didn't get to post our Meal Plan for the week earlier this week, so I thought I would do it today, so that at least I can keep track!

Monday - I took the leftover mini meatloafs, chopped them up, leftover herb sauteed mushrooms, added some mushroom gravy and served it over mashed potatoes. We had a night home to just catch up!

Tuesday - JLM Meeting. The boy warmed up leftover pizza and I don't think I got dinner. We were really busy with a cookbook case sale, I didn't even get to see anyone really!

Wednesday - I made two meals tonight. We like to have things we can bring for lunches, and I am also still working to clean out the freezer! I just pan fried some simple thick cut pork chops and cooked up some acorn squash in the convection oven. This time though, instead of brown sugar like I usually do, I used real maple syrup, NUM! We both loved it and I think we were both a little sad when it was gone. Then I made a huge pot of White Bean n Ham Soup . We love this one, and with a piece of crusty bread and a piece of fruit it makes a perfect lunch! It is also so easy to make and I had some leftover ham in the freezer so it was a good use of that!

Thursday - We are off to see the screening of "When in Rome". I don't know too much about the movie, and it doesn't come out until the end of January, so this may be a rough cut. I am meeting my JLM Mentee for a quick bite first and then she is joining us, so that should be fun as well.

Friday - One of my favorite wine tastings of the year at The Lexington, sisters J & S, as well as S's husband and maybe our friends M & M. Should be a ton of fun and there are always some spectacular wines there!

Saturday - Leadership and Lattes in the morning for JLM, it is a communication training session and that is an area that can ALWAYS use improvement! Saturday evening the boy and I are headed to The Opera. We are seeing Casanova which I am really looking forward to! There is a cocktail reception before at The St. Paul Hotel which looks beautiful from the outside, but I have never been inside and I am looking forward to it!

Sunday - I am looking forward to a low-key day and getting caught up on some things as well as doing a little shopping. . . .

Holiday Annual Party invitations go out today, the list has grown again this year, but it is always so much fun. The boy and I had fun picking them out and choosing the wording.

We need to order our holiday cards and finalize our shopping lists! Trying to make time to get organized too!

Friday, November 06, 2009

For Today

For Today...


Outside my Window…it is gorgeous here today, it is supposed to get up to 62 and is sunny, so a beautiful sunny day!


I am thinking…that it is a perfect night for a fall BBQ with friends!


I am thankful for…the weekend! I have a TON going on, but I am so ready for the weekend, it has been a long and stressful week!


From the kitchen…not much this weekend! We are headed to friends for a last minute BBQ tonight, I have some brownies I will be bringing that I did not make. Tomorrow about the only thing from the kitchen is going to be some berries from the fridge as I walk out the door in the morning, we will be gone the whole day. Yesterday was the boys parents 49th Anniversary, so I will make\bring a dessert over!


I am wearing…Rachel Pally black flare pants (so super comfy for a Friday!) a black tissue turtleneck, a gray cotton cable sweater vest and super cute plaid gray, black and burgundy flats.


I am reading…A few things as always, Vera Bradley "Cooking with Friends" love the recipes in here, getting lots of ideas! "The Find" by Stan Williams, I had just added this to my Wish List and then *poof* as I was walking through Home Goods to get some things at Michael's the other night, there it was! And last but not least Rachel Ray's "Book of 10". As well as my gossip rags for the week.


I am hoping…that I can catch up on things this weekend and get things crossed off of my ta-list as well as kick back and enjoy the weekend!


I am hearing…a conference call. . . . all day long!


Around the house…Harvest decorations are out and need a little tweaking! Laundry of course needs to get done this weekend and I am beginning to get organized for the holidays and get my lists created!


One of my favorite things…is leaving work early on a Friday and relax before the BBQ!


A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Weekend…BBQ tonight, tomorrow get set up for The Affair, Summit duty, Volunteer for The Amazing Case, Sunday, The Affair, dinner with the boys parents!


What are your plans for the weekend?


Sunday, November 01, 2009

Meal Plan Monday!


I am swamped at work and with JLM so it is going to be a low key week.

Monday
Plans-JLM Committee meeting at my house. We are welcoming our new members and our committee more than doubled in size. So when I signed up to host we were 12, now I am expecting 26 for tonight.
Dinner-Whatever people bring. Everyone is signed up to bring a beverage, an appetizer or a dessert.

Tuesday
Plans-Vote! And then catch up on things at home, run a couple of errands
Dinner-Leftovers, we really need to clean out the fridge

Wednesday
Plans-catch up with sister J
Dinner-Captial Grill

Thursday
Plans-Screening of "Men Who Stare at Goats"
Dinner-Sandwich on the go

Friday
Plans-Wine Tasting if I am up for it. . . .
Dinner-Out

Saturday
Plans-Summit duty, as well as stationed at Sweeney's most of the day for "The Amazing Case"
Dinner-Something at Sweeney's!

Sunday
Plans-Catch up on the house and such
Dinner-The boys parents house

For much better meal plans with some substance as well as some decent recipes, check out the Orgjunkie, mine is TERRIBLE this week!

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Fall is for Changes

The leaves have really started to change around here. They really just popped this weekend. I love the way my street looks.
There are going to be more changes around here. Heck, isn't that what fall is for? More on that coming soon!

More on the changes soon, but in the mean time, take it in, doesn't it just look like a perfect day for a stroll?