Another post about FOOD!

Even though I do have knitting projects I am working on (as well as other bits of creating), I find myself inspired to post recipes right now.

I blame Pintrest.

And now for one of the most favorite dishes in my household:

Cheesy Noodle Mix
(It is so loved, that it has to be made in a double batch, but I am posting the original recipe)

Software:
2 cups medium shell pasta
1lb Spicy Italian Sausage(1)
2 cups FINELY(2) shredded mild cheddar cheese
1 can Rotel; Drained
1/2 cup sour cream

Hardware:
1 large pot for cooking pasta
1 skillet for browning sausage
spatula for breaking up sausage and stirring it
spoon for stirring pasta

Step 1: Get that water boiling for the pasta.

Step 2: Remove sausage from the casing, break it up and get it good an brown in the skillet.

Step 2.5: During the sausage cooking, water should be boiling, so add the pasta. Timing usually works that when the pasta is done, so is the sausage.

Step 3: Drain Pasta thoroughly, then add Sausage to Pasta.

Step 4: Add Cheese and mix in.

Step 5: Add Rotel and sour cream and mix that in too.

Step 6: Once it is good and mixed (looking like the picture below), dish and EAT!

Step 6.5: If you made a double batch like I do, remember to get the extra into your storage tubs pretty quickly. If you don't get lunches dished up, even the extra may get picked up for extra helpings at dinner.

(1) the emphasis is placed because I tried it once with a thick shred and it was lumpy. Learn from my fail.
(2)- we have been using spicy Italian turkey sausage, to avoid pork. You can find chicken ones in most markets at the meat counter.

Recipe: Easy Feta Chicken Bake

An easy meal that usually makes more than enough for dinner and a lunch or for the next day.

(I used to make it, when I was single, for work lunches for the whole week.)

Easy Feta Chicken Bake

Prep time: 15 mins 

Software:

1lb skinless chicken tenderloins (or breasts that have been cut to be thinner/longer strips)

1Tbsp lemon juice, divided (or, like me, just grab one lemon and know you will be squeezing it twice)

Salt and Pepper

1pkg (4oz) ATHENOS crumbled Feta Cheese with Basil & Tomato

2 or 3 standard tomatoes diced, or a package of grape tomatoes halved (or quarted, your call)

Lots of fresh Basil leaves

2 cups of rice, your choice of style

Hardware:

1 Casserole dish for baking in

1 knife for dicing tomatoes and shredding basil 

1 Oven; preheated to 350

1 Rice Cooker

Whatever Bento box or resealable containers you want to use for lunches

Process:

Step 1: Arrange chicken in casserole dish

Step 2: Sprinkle with lemon juice

Step 3: Sprinkle with Salt and Pepper 

Step 4: Put Feta on top of Chickens (might need to press pieces into chicken to make them stick, but it doesn't have to be perfect)

Step 5: Place Tomatoes and Basil between chicken

Step 6: Drizzle the rest of the lemon juice in (sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper onto the tomatoes if you want)

Step 7: Bake for 30-40 mins at 350 (until chicken is cooked through)

Step 8: Start rice in the rice cooker

Step 9: EAT!!

Final Steps include dividing up any remaining chicken onto rice into travel containers for lunches.

It is very easy to do.

Not terribly expensive (depending on chicken prices in your area)

It is fairly quick to make.

And it makes more than one meal.

All my favorite things!

Catching up with the times

After a lot of kicking and screaming, I have joined Pintrest.

As such, I have decided it would probably be a good idea to revamp this blog, just a bit. Which is to say, I will be posting cooking and recipe things now as well as knitting things.

Stop laughing.
I expect this will help increase posting frequency.

Seriously, you are going to hyperventilate if you keep laughing that hard.

Anyway.....

I have been knitting lately. In fact, the weather is cooling off and I am itching to start more projects. Alas, I am afraid to let the current project get any downtime. It is a blanket. These things usually take years for me to complete because I get too bored. I am tying myself down to finish this one before starting anything else.

Laughing yourself to tears, now? Really?

Stop laughing and admire the blanket:

And now for something different

In a take away from the normal (although far between) knitting posts, I shall now post a recipe of my own design.

I call it, Rattlesnake Bake (based off of Rattlesnake Pasta from Uno's)

1 box Penne pasta (I used wheat); cooked to box directions
2 15oz jars Alfredo sauce (or 30 oz home made sauce)
1 lb chicken, cooked and cubed
1 can Rotel
1 small can diced jalapenos (add as much as desired, I did not use the whole can and pickled are better than fresh for this dish)
2 cups or more of shredded cheddar cheese
2 cups Panko bread crumbs

In a large casserole dish, place cooked penne pasta, add Alfredo and stir. Then mix in cubed chicken and a mostly drained can of Rotel. Add diced jalapenos as desired for increased heat. Top with cheddar (the more the better) and then add panko on top of that. Bake at 400 or so to brown the panko.

Eat for a week.

Enjoy!