Fettuccine Alfredo

Thank you SO much for all of the sweet words and congratulations on our new addition! We are LOVING life and we just feel so thankful and blessed to be Seth's parents! Speaking of Seth, I promised to answer any questions you had so... He is 14 months old and I will be going back to work (since Evan is still in law school) but I am staying home with him for a month right now... and I will be so sad when this precious month comes to an end! :(

As you have probably noticed, I haven't been doing a lot of cooking lately (especially of new recipes) since I've been busy trying to get this whole mom thing figured out! :) But I did cook a new and SUPER easy recipe last night that even Seth was able to enjoy!

Fettuccine Alfredo

Ingredients:

8 oz. uncooked fettuccine (I used spinach fettuccine)

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup whipping cream

3/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1/4 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

2 T. chopped fresh parsley

1/8 t. ground nutmeg (optional)

Directions:

Cook and drain fettuccine. Place in a serving bowl. Meanwhile, combine butter and whipping cream in a saucepan; cook over low heat until butter melts. Stir in cheese and next 3 ingredients; add nutmeg, if desired. Pour sauce over hot fettuccine; toss well. Serve immediately.

-Evan and I had a salad with our fettuccine and Seth had green beans with his :)

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And a few pictures for fun.... we went to Garvan Woodland Gardens this past weekend and I made sure to take a picture of Seth's backside so I could put it on the blog! haha Also.... I have read a few blogs of people in similar situations and some of them photoshop a heart over the child's face in pictures... so I may start doing that... if I can figure out how :) Anyway, here are my sweet boys!

Happy Tuesday!

Minestrone Soup

We had soup for dinner last night... at the request of my sick husband. But this would also be a great recipe for those of you with snow on the ground! :) I served our soup with garlic cheese bread.... the frozen boxed kind! haha I actually have a secret love for that stuff because my mom never bought it when I was growing up but I would always have it at friends' houses and LOVE it. I mean, I know it comes out of a box (and it's not exactly healthy), Mom, but that stuff is good! haha

Anyway, here's the recipe! There is a lot of chopping to do but everything else is pretty simple... and healthy... to balance the bread from a box! :)

Minestrone Soup

Ingredients:

3 garlic cloves, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1/4 head of cabbage, chopped

1 can white beans (I used cannellini beans)

1 can diced tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

1 parmesan rind

1 cup ditalini pasta

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Saute garlic, carrot, onion, celery and cabbage in a pot with a little olive oil. Add beans, tomatoes, chicken broth and parmesan rind and simmer for 20 minutes. Add pasta and simmer until tender. Add salt and pepper and serve.

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And Mom, if you're reading this, I know that you didn't buy boxed bread because you were always making something homemade that tasted WAY better and that you totally would have bought boxed bread if you had known that I liked it! haha

Anybody else have a secret guilty pleasure? :)

Playing Catch Up

Well, I haven't blogged since November... so needless to say, I am overwhelmingly behind! I thought I would use today to catch you up on the last month and a half and I'll even throw a recipe in at the end... since this is a food blog after all! :)

Let's start with the biggest news in the Bell world... we are trying to adopt a little boy. I'll explain more as things develop... but here are the basics... In September, we felt God calling us to be parents to a certain little boy in foster care. We didn't know how it would work out but we decided to jump in and see what God had in store for our family. The last few months have been quite a roller coaster and we still have not come to the end of the ride. I plan on sharing our whole story at some point but for now, I just wanted you to know what's been keeping me so busy. :) Let me just say, we are SO excited about the future of our family and we would greatly appreciate your prayers during this time! And because I just can't resist, here's a picture of his sweet little hand helping Evan play the guitar...

In other news,

Here is our 2010 Christmas card picture :)

We had a wonderful Christmas... we spent Christmas Eve with Evan's family, Christmas morning with our own little family at home and Christmas afternoon with my family... two very special days in a row! :) This picture was taken at Evan's parents' house on Christmas Eve...

On New Year's Eve, we went to dinner and then went ice skating before heading back home to watch the ball drop! :)

We had a snow day :)

My mom and I threw a carnival themed birthday party for my sister (hopefully I'll have time to tell you more about this soon! :))

We attended the 1st birthday party of a VERY special little boy... one that I can't show you pictures of... but I can show you what we gave him! It moos :)

My beautiful friend, Alyse Eady, was first runner up in the Miss America pageant on ABC on Saturday night. And her talent video is becoming quite the You Tube sensation!! If you haven't seen it yet, check it out!!

And finally, Evan is starting his 6th and FINAL semester of law school today (!!!!!!!!!!) and here's what we had for dinner last night (I was inspired by a "what's for dinner" tweet by Southern Living)...

Spaghetti with Sausage and Peppers

Wow. I hope that wasn't an information overload! ha! Hopefully now I'll be able to just blog without feeling so behind. Happy Tuesday, Everyone!

Ravioli in Basil-Cream Sauce

How was your weekend?

Evan and I went on a short trip... first to the Razorback game in Fayetteville and then to Branson, MO. It went by quickly but it was really fun while it lasted! Jack went camping with his girlfriend, Millie, and his great grandparents! haha Here is a family picture that we took before we left... in our Razorback attire, of course! :)

Remember last week when our computer wasn't working? Well this is a recipe that I tried about a week ago and I am just now getting a chance to blog about it. It came from my favorite Southern Living cookbook and it was really delicious! The only setback (for us) was that our grocery store (and the two other grocery stores that we went to on our search) were ALL completely out of fresh Basil. It was the strangest thing I have ever experienced! I mean, my grocery store has been out of the fresh herb that I have needed before but I can usually find it somewhere else! It was like everyone in Little Rock decided to cook with fresh Basil that night... and they all beat me to the grocery store! So, we had to use dried Basil and it was still good but I look forward to making it again soon with fresh Basil!

Ravioli in Basil-Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1 (24 oz) package fresh ravioli (recipe recommends beef, we used mushroom)

2 T. butter

1 (8 oz) package sliced fresh mushrooms

3 green onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 t. dried Italian seasoning

1 (10 oz) can of mild tomatoes and green chiles, drained

2 T. chopped fresh Basil

1 cup whipping cream

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

1/2 t. salt

Directions:

Prepare ravioli according to package instructions; drain and keep warm. Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and next 3 ingredients; saute 6 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Stir in tomatoes and green chiles, basil and cream; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese; add salt. Stir in hot cooked ravioli, tossing to coat.

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And finally, my new favorite picture... when I was trying to blog this recipe last week, I had my cookbook and our computer in my lap and I was busy trying to get the computer to actually work. Poor Jack got tired of being ignored so he jumped up in my lap and fell asleep in the cookbook! haha I just love this sweet boy SO much!

Have a GREAT week!! Aren't you glad it's a short one?? :)

Mom's Marinara

I read somewhere that good bloggers don't apologize for their absence because it's annoying... but I'm going to do it anyway! haha

My mom is turning 50 next week (I'm not sure she's going to appreciate me sharing that info!) and Evan's birthday is exactly one week after hers... so I am busy planning two birthday parties!! I will still be posting in the next few weeks but most of my free time will be devoted to making both of their birthdays special and memorable for them! :)

Anyway, I shared in this post my family's favorite recipe for spaghetti sauce... but lately my mom has been stepping outside the box and making a new (meatless) marinara. I finally got the recipe from her and I made it a few nights ago. It was GREAT!! I mean... I'm not going to give up my old recipe but I will definitely add this new one to the mix! We had this sauce with cheese filled tortellini but it would be great over most any kind of pasta! :)

Marinara Sauce

Ingredients:

1 small onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 cup olive oil

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can diced tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil

1 1/2 T. lemon juice

salt to taste

Directions:

Saute onion and garlic in hot olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven, stirring constantly, over medium heat until tender. Add tomatoes and remaining ingredients; bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, 3o minutes or until mixture thickens and liquid evaporates, stirring often.

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I served the tortellini with marinara sauce with baked squash and french bread with olive tapenade (that I bought). Here are a few pictures!

Have a GREAT weekend!! :)

Pray For Us Friday

Today we are praying for...

Brittany, Jeremy and Rhett

They are going through a difficult time as both Brittany's mom and Jeremy's mom are dealing with cancer in some way. I don't want to get any of the details wrong, so, I will let Brittany tell you in her own words:

"My mother in law has been battling colon cancer for a little over a year. At the end of last week, she ended up in the emergency room in severe pain. She was hospitalized, and this Monday had another (her third) surgery. (The second surgery in about 2-3 weeks). She is winning her battle, but has been through a lot and has a long road ahead. Could you please ask for prayer for her healing, strength, and strength for her family as they watch her battle (and win) this terrible disease!

Secondly, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer 3 years ago. She had a double mastectomy, and has since had several (too many to count) surgeries to reconstruct her breasts. The reconstructions have all failed, either developing severe infections, leaking, etc. She is scheduled for another reconstruction this Tuesday (a much more serious one using her own tissue—and one that will keep her in ICU over night). I would really appreciate prayers for quick healing for her as this has been a long journey. I would also appreciate prayers for the doctors performing the surgery."

That is a lot for one family to handle! Please please join me in praying for Brittany's and Jeremy's moms and both of little Rhett's grandmas during this time.

And here is the recipe that Brittany shared with us:

Quick Chicken Parm Pasta

Ingredients:

2 cups Rotini pasta, uncooked

1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen, chopped broccoli

1 (6 oz.) pkg. pre-cooked fajita style chicken strips (Recommended: Oscar Mayer)

2 T. olive oil

1/4 to 1 cup of grated parmesan cheese

1 tomato, coarsely chopped

Directions:

Cook pasta as directed on package, omitting salt. Meanwhile, microwave broccoli on high in a medium microwavable bowl for 5 minutes. Stir in chicken and microwave 2 minutes or until heated through; drain. Drain pasta, place in a large bowl. Add oil and cheese, toss to coat. Add broccoli mixture and tomatoes; mix lightly.

Brittany's tips to enhance the recipe:

Instead of pre-cooked chicken, she suggests grilling and chopping boneless, skinless chicken breasts. She also added 1/4-1/2 bottle of her favorite Italian dressing (Ken's Northern Italian) and a few thinly sliced red onions.

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Thank you, Brittany for sharing your heart and your recipe with us! Please know that we are praying for your family and please keep us updated on your mom's surgery and your mother-in-law's remaining battle!

Bacon Pasta

Sounds great already, doesn't it?

Bacon always does that for a recipe! :)

I think this is the recipe that got Evan to marry me...

my version of "Engagement Chicken" I guess!! :)

Bacon Pasta

Ingredients:

16 oz. penne pasta

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan cheese

1 lb. cooked and crumbled bacon

1/2 cup chopped green onions

salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Cook and drain pasta. Combine whipping cream and shredded cheese with hot pasta stirring until cheese is melted to make a sauce. Toss pasta with bacon and green onions. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.

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We had ours with a Greek salad (I realize that mixing Greek and Italian is a little weird but it sounded good to us so we went for it! haha).

I made this a few nights ago... but tonight we're probably going to go out for Mexican food in honor of Cinco De Mayo. I don't know why but I feel compelled to eat Mexican food on this day... Like I'm doing something wrong if I don't. haha Maybe it's because I had a Spanish class in 1st-11th grades and I took two years of Spanish in college? (Just for the record... I wouldn't be able to speak Spanish if I were lost in Mexico and my life depended on it.)

Do you feel this way? Will you be eating Mexican food tonight? :)

It's a takeout night...

Tonight is most definitely a takeout night at our house. Aside from both of us being exhausted from work and school, I just got home from getting a spray tan for my friend's wedding weekend... which means that I can't wash my hands... which makes cooking a bit difficult! haha We are also dog sitting tonight and Evan's mom is coming in a little later to spend the night with us before she flies to New York in the morning! I don't know if that sounds like a lot but it sure does feel like a lot. So, we just placed an order at Chi's Chinese Express.

However, we did cook last night so I still have a recipe to post about!

Last night we made Pesto, Prosciutto and Pine Nut Pizza. It was SO easy to make.

Here's the recipe:

Pesto, Prosciutto, Pine Nut Pizza

Ingredients:

1 pkg. thinly sliced prosciutto

1 pre-baked pizza crust or 1 can Pilsbury refrigerated pizza dough

1 jar pesto

1 jar pine nuts

1 pkg. shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Note: all of the above ingredients are listed in "jars" or "packages" but you definitely won't need the whole package. It's completely up to you how much you use of each ingredient! First, crisp up the prosciutto in a skillet (much like frying bacon- but faster). Then spread a thin layer of pesto on your pizza crust or dough and top with pine nuts, cheese and crispy prosciutto. If you are using a pre-baked pizza crust, put your pizza in a 350 degree oven until the cheese is hot and bubbly. If you are using the refrigerated pizza dough, follow the directions on the package for baking.

SO easy and fast. Basically your oven does all of the work! :)

Here's what ours looked like:

This pizza is also great with cooked, chopped chicken instead of prosciutto.

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Don't forget to come back tomorrow for our second "Pray For Us Friday!"

Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti is absolutely my go to dinner. I always keep the ingredients for it in the house and when I don't really feel like cooking, this is what I make. It is so simple, so fast and so delicious. The recipe that I use originally came from a Betty Crocker cookbook (circa 1980) but my mom and I have both made several changes over the years.

Although it is traditionally made with ground beef, I have also used sauteed chicken, ground turkey and ground sausage. Sometimes I make spaghetti with the basics and sometimes I add extra veggies (black olives, spinach, mushrooms, or fresh tomatoes, etc.). I also use this sauce for Lasagna, baked ziti, a spicy tomato cream sauce and even tomato soup.

I hope you love this sauce as much as I do!!

Spaghetti Sauce

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1 or 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 can tomato sauce

1 can diced tomatoes

1 cup water

1 t. salt

pinch of red pepper flakes

1 t. dried oregano leaves

3/4 t. dried basil leaves

1/2 t. dried marjoram leaves

1/4 t. dried rosemary leaves

1 bay leaf

Directions:

Brown meat, onions and garlic in skillet. Drain fat. Add all other ingredients and simmer for one hour. (But honestly, if you don't have an hour, you don't have to simmer for an hour. That just gives the sauce a chance to thicken up but if you're in a hurry, you can serve it as soon as it's heated through.) Remove bay leaf and pour over cooked pasta. I like to top mine with parmesan cheese and fresh basil.

Mmm... fresh Basil :)

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And just in case my "Biscuits and Gravy" post had any of you on pins and needles... I am the hot sauce (Louisiana hot sauce, specifically) and Evan is the Ketchup. And not only do I use hot sauce on my eggs, I also use it on my spaghetti!!

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!!