At first sight…
07.22.09
07.21.09
Parmesan Penne Recipe-Blog Hop
This is for all of you Theta Moms who hate to cook. I envy anyone that not only can prepare a dish well, but one who also actually enjoys the process!
I basically try to cook anything that only requires minimal ingredients (those of which I already have in my kitchen). Not only do I loathe cooking, it’s even more annoying to have to go out for things in any given recipe that I don’t already have!
I love pasta and this is a fantastic recipe (not only because I have all of the ingredients in my kitchen) but because it is so EASY to prepare and you will have PLENTY of food left-over for the entire family the next day…which for me, equates to one less cooking day! I can’t take credit for the following recipe. It was submitted to Taste of Home by Vera Soghomonian.
So ladies, give it a shot. Trust me, if I can do it, you can do it!
Parmesan Penne
Servings: 12
Method: Baked
Time: Prep: 30 min. Bake: 40 min.
Ingredients:
• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 1 can (28 ounces) tomato sauce
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 package (16 ounces) penne pasta
• 1/2 cup butter, cubed, divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 cups milk
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
Directions:
1. In a large skillet, cook and stir beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in the tomato sauce, 1/3 cup cheese, allspice, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, cook pasta according to package directions. In a large saucepan, melt 1/4 cup butter. Stir in flour until smooth. Gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese. Gradually whisk in eggs until blended.
3. Drain pasta. Add the remaining cheese and butter; toss to coat.
4. Spread a third of the meat mixture in a greased 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish. Layer with half of the pasta, a third of the meat mixture and half of the white sauce. Repeat layers.
5. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 40-45 minutes or until bubbly.
07.19.09
Birdie Talk
My son spotted a bird’s nest in our backyard yesterday morning and this is the birdie talk that transpired…I just had to share!!!
My son: Mommy?
Theta Mom: What sweetie?
My son: Do birdies have a mommy?
Theta Mom: Of course they do…
My son: Well, do they have a daddy, too? Like a family?
Theta Mom: Yes, and they take care of each other just like we do in our family.
My son: But…(looking confused) what if a birdie doesn’t know how to fly?
Theta Mom: Well, when they are little babies, their mommy and daddy teach them how to fly.
My son: But, what if they have trouble?
Theta Mom: They don’t really have trouble because it’s a natural instinct.
My son: What’s a “nutral istinc?”
Theta Mom: Mmmmm…..(Good one Heather…your son is only 3, how would he know what a natural instinct is?!) Well, you know how your baby sister is just starting to crawl?
My son: Yeah…
Theta Mom: Well…soon, she’ll learn how to walk by taking her first steps with her feet and legs. Birdies are a little different because they have wings and they use their wings to fly.
My son: Oh….(somewhat still confused) But Mommy?
Theta Mom: Yeah sweetie?
My son: I think that birdie needs to go to the doctor.
Theta Mom: Really, you do? Why do you think that?
My son: Because I think that birdie has a temperature.
07.16.09
Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday
It was about 5:30 pm last Friday and I was sitting at my kitchen table. I was exhausted beyond words. It was a long day with the kids…
Spit up from earlier in the morning had dried to a repulsive orange color on my t-shirt and my son was asking me for the fiftieth time to play Memory. My hair was a complete greasy mess and I didn’t even have time to put on a respectable amount of make-up. You know the kind of day I’m describing…unfortunately, we know this all too well.
My plan for the evening was to meet my friend Vanessa who I haven’t seen in months. She has a little boy herself and we were looking forward to getting out of the house for some adult conversation and a glass of wine…or two…or three.
So this was my one hour of planned ‘Time Out for Theta Mom Thursday.’ The time would be spent away from the kids and I seriously could not wait! The thought of not having to deal with sippy cups, diapers and spit up for a few hours is always a luxury. But when she phoned me that evening, I felt so disgusting and distressed from the day that I almost bailed on her…You know the deal. I know you’ve been there before. I honestly told her how I felt. She had a long day herself, but after talking about it over the phone, she gave me a huge pep talk that I so desperately needed.
Did you ever make plans to go out, but right around the time you should be getting ready for the evening, you don’t even feel like getting ready? After such a L-O-N-G day with the kids, the “getting ready” part seems like one more thing to do on the endless list…
Needless to say, after we hung up I moved away from the kitchen table, went upstairs and got my groove on. I showered, dressed, threw on a cute outfit with jewelry (which I haven’t worn in ages), fixed my hair and carefully applied my make-up. I felt absolutely fantastic (especially when I wasn’t wearing spit up) and I was so glad she gave me that push to go…we all need that from time to time.
We went to a great little restaurant in the center of town and ended up having dinner outside because the weather was so gorgeous. We just talked and laughed for hours. Great company, great food, and great wine…it was a wonderful way to spend my ‘Time Out!’ I so needed that!
So, how did you spend your ONE hour? If you weren’t able to get to it this week (totally understandable…hey, I almost didn’t make it either), what are your plans for this upcoming week? Or if that’s too stressful for you to think about right now, just share if you’ve ever felt like this, too!!!
07.15.09
Disclosure Policy
This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation. I do accept and keep free products, services and other items from companies and organizations. The compensation and items received do not influence the content of this blog. I am compensated to provide opinion on products, services, websites and various other topics. I always give my honest opinions, findings, beliefs, or experiences on those topics or products. The views and opinions expressed on this blog are purely my own. Any product claim, statistic, quote or other representation about a product or service on this blog should be verified with the manufacturer, provider, company or independent expert. If you have any questions about this disclosure or would like more information, please contact me.
This policy is valid from 01 July 2009
To get your own policy, click here.
