More updates coming soon!

I have about 4 recipes that I need to add to the blog, but for some reason blogger is not letting me upload pictures right now. As soon as I can finish up the posts, I'll publish them. 

Until then, a look ahead at what I'll be posting:

Whole Wheat Penne Pasta with Roasted Vegetables

Southwest Spaghetti Squash

Pepperoni Bread

Pizzelle

Italian Bread Pizza

And what I'll be making:

Apple stuffed pork tenderloin

Pasta with Butternut Squash, Sage and Pinenuts

Lemon Pistachio Biscotti

Baked Whole Wheat Penne with Roasted Vegetables

I saw this recipe on Kelsey's Apple A Day blog.  Every time I cook something "Italian" it is usually plain old pasta or pizza. In an effort to branch out, I though I would try this. I was a little bit skeptical because I don't normally cook with zucchini, so I wasn't sure how it was going to come out.

Baked Whole Wheat Penne with Roasted Vegetables

adapted from Kelsey's Apple a Day, originally from Giada DeLaurentiis

Ingredients:

2 red pepper, cored and cut into 1 in wide strips

2 zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut into 1 in segments

6 baby bella mushrooms, halved

1 red onion, peeled and sliced into 1 inch strips

1/4 c extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt, divided

2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1 tbsp dried Italian herb mix

1 lb whole wheat penne pasta

3 c. homemade marinara sauce

1 c part skim mozzarella

1/2 c Pecorino Romano, half reserved for top

Directions:

Preheat the over to 450 degrees.  On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs.  Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to boil over high heat.  Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes.  Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted veggies, marinara sauce, cheeses, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper.  Using a wooden spoon, gently mix, until all pasta is coated with the sauce and the ingredients are combined.

Pour the pasta into a greased 9 x 13 inch pan. Top with the remaining pecorino romano and bake until the top is golden and cheese melts (about 25 minutes).

Servings: 10-12

Modifications:

1. I don't really like mushrooms, so I used asparagus as a substitute.

2. Instead of olive oil, I used olive oil cooking spray. I think it may have worked out better because it was easier to coat the vegetables that way. 

3. To make the marinara, I just used a large can of tomato puree, a small can of diced tomatoes, and spices (garlic and onion powder, black pepper, and some sugar). 

4. I used Parmesan cheese on the top because that's what I had.

Review: 

This recipe was really great. It was so simple that I'm thinking of making it for a dinner party we're having in a couple weeks. Maybe I will make two, and add chicken or sausage to one of them for my carnivorous friends! The husband liked it, too, so that's also a plus. 

The next time I cook it, I will only put it in the over for about 18-20 minutes. I left it in for the full 25 and the top got a little too crispy. 

Baking Gals - Devil's Food Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip Cookies

A couple weeks ago, I joined the webgroup at bakinggals.com .  This is a program where teams are formed and each team is assigned a soldier. Each member of the team bakes as many items as they want, and mails them to the assigned soldier. I think it's a great idea to keep our troops' spirits up. There are about 10 people on my team, so hopefully our soldier will get more than enough goodies! For my package, I decided to make two types of cookies, one traditional and a modified original. Altogether, I made about 100 cookies.

Devil's Food Peanut Butter Cookies

originally from Allrecipes.com, submitted by Deanna Storz

Ingredients:

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2/3 cup shortening

1 package devil's food cake mix

2 cups peanut butter chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  In a medium bowl, beat the eggs, vanilla, and shortening with 1/2 of the cake mix until light and fluffy.  Mix in the remaining cake mix and the peanut butter chips. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons, 2 inches

 apart onto ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes in preheated oven. Remove from cookie sheets to cool on wire racks.

Modifications:

1. I didn't have shortening, so I used butter instead.

2. I thought I had peanut butter chips, but it turned out I didn't, so I used chocolate chips.

3. In my oven, 10 minutes was too long. I baked them for about 9 minutes so they didn't burn.

Review:

These cookies are really easy to make, and have few ingredients. For how quick they take, they are really delicious! I only hope our soldier will like them, too! 

Chocolate Chip Cookies

from the Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, Bridal Edition

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

In a large mixing bowl, beat shortening and butter with an electronic mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds.  Add brown sugar, granulated sugar, and baking soda.  Beat until mixture is combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally.  Beat in eggs and vanilla until combined.  Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer.  Stir in any remaining flour.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 - 10 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

Modifications:

1. Instead of shortening, I used butter.

Review:

After I mixed all of the ingredients, I was a little skeptical about these cookies. The mix wasn't very doughy, so I didn't think it would come out 

that great. Despite my reservations, they came out really well. They actually look a little like store-bought as opposed to homemade though!