Welcome to My World: July 2010

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Meals for the Week

I love to make all of my weekly meals on Sunday after I go to the grocery store. This way it's all done, I don't get the "OMG it's 5:00 what do I make for dinner" nightly terrors. It's all packed away and there is a list on the fridge door.

So this week I made penne pasta and I added 4 oz.of cream cheese to the sauce. Wow. What a difference! It was fantastic! I also made meatloaf, garlic mashed potatoes, grilled vegetables, shrimp and lobster ravioli in a garlic sauce, and chicken cutlets. We may have some leftover rice as well. Add fresh-from-the-garden lettuce for a salad, and we are all set.

I also had my friends over last night for a "Breezeway party" and I made Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Chicken Salad (huge hit!) and Summer Pizza, as well as a fresh fruit salad, and assorted dips and salsa with chips. Oh, and wine, too! Beautiful friends + beautiful food + beautiful weather = perfect evening. Much needed girl's night!

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Barefoot Contessa

So lately I have been worshiping at the shrine of Ina Garten. Have a lot of her cookbooks and watch her show on Food Network every chance I get. I have been making her Chicken Salad a lot this summer (I could eat the whole darn bowl) and also her Lemon Pasta with Grilled Shrimp. Yum. I even went out and bought several new jelly roll pans because that is what she uses (pathetic, I know ... who else would get excited about jelly roll pans?) I just love how calm she seems, and how her husband just *loves* everything she cooks. Yeah, well ... it's TV. I'll post new stuff I make from her cookbooks.

I know it is only July, but I am starting to think about all the cookies I bake for Christmas. I usually make around 30 different kinds. There are quite a few on the "holy" list that I MUST bake each year (Italian Biscotti, White Chocolate Cranberry, Mincemeat Tarts to name a few) and if I do not make them I will be tarred and feathered. Then I always add new ones. Hmmm ... brain is a-working ...