Pasta Milano a la Macaroni Grill

I don't usually post my own recipes, but I was so excited by how good this came out that I had to. I just had to.

Pasta Milano

• 12 oz farfalle pasta (bowtie)


• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream


• 1 1/2 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese


• 2 oz cream cheese


• 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 1/2 heaping tsp minced garlic)


• 1 pint sliced mushrooms


• 4 oz julianned sun-dried tomatoes in oil or dry (if dry, soak in water to hydrate and drain)


• 4 Tbs butter


• 1-1 1/2 lbs grilled chicken, roughly chopped


• salt and pepper, to taste


• fresh grated parmesan cheese to taste

1. Grill chicken (salt and pepper to taste), roughly chop and set aside.


2. In a large pot of salted water, cook bowtie pasta as per directions.


3. While pasta cooks, combine cream, parmesan cheese, cream cheese and garlic in a sauce pot. Cook over medium heat until cheeses are melted. Add a little salt and pepper as you see fit.


4. In a large pan, melt butter over high heat and saute mushrooms until almost tender. Add sundried tomatoes and continue to saute until all are cooked.


5. Take pan off heat, add cream sauce and stir to combine.


6. Once pasta is cooked, drain and return to pot. Add mushroom cream sauce and grilled chicken to the pot and stir to combine completely.


7. Serve with a little grated cheese over top.

Enjoy! Serves at least 4 hungry mouths.

Seriously, I know there's a lot of steps and it used three whole pots, but make this and your SO will gladly clean the kitchen. I think mine is deciding which day next week we're having it again, and he hasn't even finished cleaning the kitchen yet!

I don't have any pictures -- We dug in before I had a chance to take one, and leftovers are already set for lunches tomorrow.

Unamerican and feeling ancient.

At the risk of sounding (or feeling) un-American, I have to say that I am already getting seriously sick of football. This is coming from someone who actually likes football. My problem is this: I hate college football. I always have, I don't know why. I'll watch an occasional Gators game, and as USF started getting national recognition, I've watched their games. You know, alumni spirit and all that. Otherwise, give me my NFL or give me death.

But somehow this season somehow football has exploded onto my television. I think at this point if the only football on was a local high school game, it would probably be on my tv. Especially if it was broadcast in HD. Please won't someone make it stop?

I am sick again. I know it's Spencer's fault. But really, it's not. I have a terrible immune system. I don't know why, but if I brush up against someone with the sniffles in Target I come down with the plague. I think this one came on because of the new holes in my mouth, because when the dentist was yanking them out of my head it bothered my sinuses. This really isn't very farfetched; those roots were crazy deep.

Spencer's getting his second tooth. He's not nearly as cheery about this one, and I can see it under the skin so I'm hoping it cuts tomorrow. He's a whiny cranky mess this weekend. He would only nap laying on me, which meant I had to deal with hand sanitizer so hopefully I keep my plague away from him.

But (okay, I'm going to say it), yer darn right I'm going to get some sleep tonight. I've taken Sudafed and a Unisom, and I better get a full 8 hours of sleep tonight. Christen will just have to get Spencer when he wakes up 10 times through the night. Sadly it's 9pm and I'm thinking of hitting the hay. I do this every night. When did I turn 60?

A Mouth Full of Ow.

I went to the dentist today. My first visit in five years or so. I was a little worried. I needed some work done last time I saw a dentist, but all they did was berate me for not taking good care of my teeth so I didn't want to deal with it. So ... I just ignored it.

Over the past five years, I've had two cavities that have gotten worse. I knew they were worse. If I left them alone, they'd be fine. But if I did something to them, like chew on that side, it was not good. It didn't help that one was on the left, and one was on the right.

So finally I got up the nerve to see a new dentist. I've never been scared of the dentist, I just don't like being "yelled at". Tell me how to fix it. Let's make a plan. Don't just sit there and tell me how all my teeth are going to rot out because I don't get them cleaned every 6 months. But I chose a new practice near my house in a good part of town.

I went today. And for $12, they kept those two teeth.

Surprisingly enough, I still like them, and I'm going to go back to get the rest of the things done that need doing.

Now, if only the gauze would stop the bleeding.

Wanted: A Longer Weekend

It was such a nice weekend. When did the beautiful weather decide to grace us with its presence? Weather like this makes me forget how much I want to leave Florida.

We had a wonderful time at the park on Saturday with Theresa and little Cash. He's getting so big, at fourteen months! My little one decided he didn't need a nap before the park and played in his crib for an hour instead, and was not the happiest little one while we were there because of it. The playground that we originally went to only had one baby swing so we went to another smaller one and that was definitely a good decision. Pictures are below, and we all had a fantastic time.

Later we came back to the house and the boys joined us for dinner. I made Chicken Bryan, steamed broccoli, couscous and Caesar salad, and then the boys decided that PW's Apple Dumplings were a must to complete the evening, so they went out for supplies and I popped them in the oven while they went out to smoke cigars.

Today! Spencer was in an awesome mood today, and we went to Lenoce's again for breakfast and then for groceries. Came home and realized Mr. Spencer cut his first tooth! I was super excited and made sure to update the baby book (I'm not so good at that) and then he was crawling around and decided to pull himself up to his feet on the coffee table! Another First!

I made Alosha's Taglierini with Bay Scallops tonight for dinner, and it was fantastic. I had to make a couple changes out of neccessity. I used fettuccine nests instead of taglierini because they didn't have tag at Publix and I don't like linguine, and I didn't have french bread or bread crumbs, so I toasted a couple pieces of potato bread and ran them through the food processor. I couldn't find chervil anywhere, so I put Italian parsley. It was still fantastic! Served with a simple salad and white wine, and I have a little leftovers for tomorrow's lunch. Yum!

Can't wait for next weekend already!

Park pictures

A Beautiful Saturday

How is it that I sweat my butt off, and as soon as it "technically" turns to Autumn the weather is entrancing? I'm sitting in my backyard in the grass because I don't have a decent (or any) lounger while the dog stares at the palm tree daring whatever's up there to come down. There isn't anything in the tree -- a slight breeze is blowing and the fronds are rattling and she assumes that some critter is moving among the tree tops.

It is an amazing Saturday afternoon. Christen is working an extra shift today, and usually that means I'm finding nothing better to do than troll Target or the mall, looking for something to do. But today Spencer and I went over to the in-laws' house for a little bit so they could adore him some more, and now he's laying down pretending to take a nap while I hang out here and continue to be amazed by the weather.

The plan today is that Theresa and Cash are supposed to come over and we'll go to the park so the boys can play and we can adore them. Of course, considering that pictures are supposed to be taken, Spencer went and smacked his cheek on the coffee table last night and gave himself a little bit of a black eye. Today it's just a red scratch, but I was worried that it was going to be worse. I'd say he lost his footing, but wouldn't it be more correct to say he lost his handing? He was trying to fit himself under the coffee table and his hand slipped and bam! No worries though, it doesn't even hurt him when I push on it. But so much for flawless pictures! :)

I drove through Pollo Tropical for lunch today. They're more prevalent than McDonald's on this side of town, and I've always wanted to try one but never had the guts (don't ask, I have trouble with such things). So today I drove through and got a cuban sandwich wrap and a large sweet tea and it was delicious! You should all locate your closest one. :)

Anywho, my feet are falling asleep so I'm definitely going to need to get a lounging chair for out here, but for now I'm going to have to get up and move around. Hopefully later I'll post park pictures!

Free Handbags!

I'm excited, and I never win anything so I doubt I'll win this either. But still, free handbags! Go there or be square! Handbag Planet!