Dinner Group

I made this last night for our Sunday dinner group and it turned out quite well. Instead of Riccoto cheese, I used Romano cheese just because I could't find the Riccoto at Macey's. And you can just use the left over spinach and sausage mix for later. Super good!

Ingredients

• 1 12-ounce package jumbo pasta shells
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
• 1 Tbsp minced garlic
• 1 large egg
• 16-ounces ricotta cheese
• 10-ounces chopped frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, chopped further (or 10 ounces chopped fresh spinach)
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/4 cup unseasoned bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 28-ounce can tomatoes with herbs, including the liquid, tomatoes broken up (or your favorite tomato or pasta sauce)

• 2 9x13 shallow baking dishes

Method

1 Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (1 teaspoon salt per quart of water). Cook the pasta shells according to the instructions on the package. Drain, rinse in cold water, and set aside.

2 Heat olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Add the sausage to the pan, breaking up the sausage into smaller bits. Cook sausage until cooked through, and no pink remains, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to a minute more. Remove pan from heat.

3 Beat the egg lightly in a large bowl. Mix in the ricotta, chopped spinach, 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese, basil, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and sausage mixture. Fill each cooked pasta shell with some of the ricotta, spinach, sausage mixture.

4 Spread 1/2 cup chopped canned tomatoes over the bottom of each of the baking dishes. Arrange the stuffed pasta shells in the dishes. Spread the remaining tomatoes over the top of the pasta shells.

At this point you can make ahead, to freeze (up to four months) or refrigerate before cooking. (If freezing, cover with foil, then wrap with plastic wrap.)

5 Heat oven to 375°F. Cover the pans with foil and bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbling. Remove foil and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese, bake uncovered for 10 more minutes.

Serves 8.

For the salad, I mixed two bags of romaine lettuce (I prefer spinach leaves but I was on a budget) with cranberries, strawberries, apples, mandarin oranges and toasted almonds with a poppy seed dressing and it was awesome. I wanted to add rotisserie chicken, but once again...on a budget. It's easy and the guys even loved it.

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Ok so you all know I am graduating in April. Exciting I know but also very scary. I have been trying to decide what I should do for the spring and summer. So I am going to list the 2 options, and I need your opinion.

1. Pursue an internship with Del Sol. This girl, Michelle, who is in my program wants me to do it with her. It is from May to August and all expenses are paid for while you receive bonuses. You are assigned to like Hawaii, the Bahamas, Aruba, ect. I can't think of a better way to spend my summer then in a tropical, sunny place. It has nothing to do with my major but would just be a lot of fun. It would be a nice break from the crazy and intense regimen I have been keeping for so long. But if I go, I won't get as much studying done for the GRE as I want and I kind of want to take it June/July. And I won't be as on top of it as I need to be with looking for a job. But it is Hawaii.

2. Stay here in Provo, study for the GRE and take it in June, and fly out to Boston/CT to pursue a job out there sometime in May. I would feel more prepared if I stay here in Provo and get ready for whatever happens for the Fall. My job here at BYU can't keep me because of a rule change within the last week and my boss tried to pull strings but it just didn't work. So I need to start searching for a job in the meantime. I wouldn't have to sell my contract at the Avenues and I could spend time more time with Code and Kelli and other friends and just relax. I have always taken spring and summer courses so it will be nice to not have to do that. But I do need to look for a job just for the spring and summer.

Ok there you have it. I know the first thought is to take the Del Sol internship but I have to make a logical, practical decision. One of my guy friends (he is my problem solver) walked me through it yesterday and he told me to take the internship but my planning, practical side says to stay here and get ready for a job in the Fall and prepare for my grad exam. I realize I have very little yellow in me. I am too much of a planner and sometimes I really don't know how to just let loose. So what do you think? I just need opinions.

25 Things

I was suppose to do this on Facebook but I don't want to...so I will blog instead.

1. I am a HUGE schedule person. I have a daily schedule (depending on what day it is) and I am the most productive when I stick to it. I am very loyal to my schedule and my planner is even color coded. I know that just sounds insane and freakish but it's the only way I stay organized. And I know that I won't be able to be so strict when I have kids. I know, I know, I know!

2. I load the dishwasher pretty much the same way every time. I even load the knives blade down because I swear when I was like 10 my dad telling me to do this so the water could run down the blade. He is adamant that he never told me that. But why would I then have a very detailed memory of such a crazy notion?

3. Running is a much needed obsession/hobby/activity. It's a GREAT stress reliever.

4. I drink approximately 1-2 gallons of water a day. Problem: 7-9 trips to the bathroom daily. Not fun and very inconvenient. But dehydration is a pet peeve of mine. (Wow I sound strange).

5. I can not go to bed without lotion and chap stick.

6. I function perfectly fine on 5-6 hours of sleep. My roommates don't understand this about me, especially Lena, but I think it is genetic because my Mom is the same way.

7. I HATE peas; with a passion. I always have. When I was like 8 or 9 my mom tried to make me eat them one time at dinner. So I got this idea to throw them, subtly, under the table, under people's chairs to make it look like they had accidentally fallen. Well not such a good idea. It didn't quite end up the way I had planned and so my lovely, oh so kind Mother MADE ME PICK THEM UP, WASH THEM OFF, AND THEN EAT THEM! And she wonders why I am scarred by this experience.

8. I am a pretty decisive person. When all of us girls go out to eat, and no one has a real opinion, they ask me because they know I have had it planned all day. So in most aspects of my life, I am pretty good except for when it comes to my love life and boys. I can never make up my mind and that is not a good thing I know! I just like to think I haven't found the right person yet.

9. I love going out to eat and to the movies. It is one of my very favorite things in the world. I am like Lindsee in this respect. I like to go for the entire experience.

10. I am a major home body. I would rather stay home and watch a movie (with popcorn and peanut butter m&ms) or read a book then go out to a lame party where the music is so loud you can't even hear yourself think, and you only talk to the people you went with. Call me boring, but I love being home.

11. I can be really sarcastic and brutally honest. I try to bight my tonuge and I have been doing much better but I guess that is what happens when one of your best friends is Stacie Powell.

12. Baking and cooking are very therapuetic for me.

13. I don't like putting people out. I feel bad sometimes asking for help and then I feel like I need to go the extra mile each time just to make up for it. It's a personal problem I know.

14. I love to shop which is why I have to be really good about my monthly budget because it is really hard for me to say no when shopping.

15. I love sports. I love watching them and I love college football on Saturdays, and going to my brother's baseball games during February-April when it isn't so hot. I loved all the swim meats growing up and going to practice and gymnastics and I want my kids to do them too. If they don't that's ok, but if they do...GREAT!

16. My right ring finger doens't bend. And it doesn't straighten out either. I broke the knuckle tumbling my freshmen year and it just completely shatterned the bone in 6 places. The doctor said it was the worst break he has ever seen and he uses my x-ray as an example. I know, I know. I have strange medical issues.

17. I have a thing for guys who wear glasses. Not sunglasses but reading glasses. In highschool, it use to be hats. Preston Ashby in a hat pretty much use to make my day. (Lindsee, Amy...you know what I am talking about) but now I have moved on to glasses. I am not quite sure what it is.

18. I really enjoy Dr. Pepper but I don't ever drink it b/c well you know why. But at our most recent Christmas party, I think I drank an entire 2 liter bottle by myself. Which is probably why I don't even let myself start.

19. Sometimes I wish I could throw my cell phone away. I am so tired of it. I wish we could go back to the days where they didn't exist. We functioned perfectly fine without them then.
Why not now? And what is the reasoning for 10 year olds having cell phones? Are you kidding me?

20. I have fully come to terms that I have a loud laugh. I try so hard to keep it in but if I keep it in for so long, it only turns into an explosion later. That is why studing with Jake or Daniel Ash is not always a good idea.

21. My dream job was to be a sports/news broadcaster. But that dream was shattered when my Mom told me that was nearly impossible to do and be a mom/wife and then I slowly realized she was right. So now I am aiming to be one who helps people who are abnormal (in terms of speech and language of course).

22. I keep letters from everyone. I have a few boxes full of letters, birthday cards, notes, ect. I just can't ever get myself to throw them away.

23. I like to keep journals. I don't know where it started but I have been doing it since I was like 8 or 9 and it is very relaxing for me to write everything down. But this is probably why I like to scrap book. It's a more fun, creative way to journal in my opinion.

24. I don't function well in messy environments

25. I can't think of another one and I am done...and you must be exhausted! All done!

You know...you don't realize how strange you are until you start writing things down.

Chocolate Bowls

My latest baking endeavor...

Making these aren’t as complicated as you might think. All you need is some good quality baking chocolate, small balloons, parchment paper and cooking spray. Here is the trick: Melt your chocolate slowly in a glass bowl, over a slightly simmering pan of water. You don’t want the chocolate to get to hot or it will turn white and look really bad one it has set. It will take some time to melt while you stir it constantly until it is smooth. Once it is melted, take your blown up balloon (you want to use the smallest balloons you can find, I used 5 inch balloons) and dip it into the chocolate just about half way up the balloon. Set the dipped balloon on parchment paper that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Once the balloon has set, simply pop the balloon and it will come right out of the bowl. You now have a beautiful edible chocolate bowl that will literally blow your guests away!!! You can fill your bowls with whatever you desire, but I filled mine with rich chocolate cake cubes (I used a boxed cake mix added a box of chocolate pudding to it), drizzled the cake with a white chocolate mousse and topped it off with white chocolate and almond cream. This is a really rich dessert, but will satisfy your sweet tooth like nothing else can.

White Chocolate Mousse Drizzle and White Chocolate and Almond Cream

3 cups chilled whipping cream
1/4 cup butter, cut into pieces
1 pound good-quality white chocolate, finely chopped
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1. Bring 1 cup cream and butter to simmer in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat. Add white chocolate and stir until smooth. Whisk in vanilla. Pour 1 1/2 cups white chocolate mixture into a small bowl; cover and freeze until cold, about 1 hour.
Let remaining white chocolate mixture in saucepan stand at room temperature until lukewarm, about 20 minutes.
2. Using electric mixer, beat remaining 2 cups cream and almond extract in large bowl until peaks form. Working in 3 batches, fold in lukewarm white chocolate mixture. Refrigerate whipped cream just until medium peaks hold, folding occasionally, about 3 hours.

This mousse and cream is not only perfect for these little chocolate bowls, you can also use the mousse as the filling in between a chocolate cake and frost the cake with the white chocolate cream!

Valentine's Day

Amen! But then this day is a good day to make

amends for all the days you messed up. And trying not to

feel guilty if you didn't go all out. But then again even

just a note with flowers can work wonders.

Keep it simple in my opinion.

(did that all rhyme?)

This year I will be going to Cafe Rio with some friends

and then making SUGAR COOKIES. I am still

trying to talk Danny and Daniel into joining us.

And check out these cute valentines at Kate Spade:

www.katespade.info/?section=bmine

I think I finally get it!

So I have always wondered to myself why it is that Mesa people marry each other. I always think of how big a world it is out there and how many people there are to date and get to know better. And when I first moved away to BYU every one in my ward would always warn me I was going there to get married, but on the contrary, if you want to get married, you stay in Mesa. But within the past 6 months I have been on dates with 4 Mesa boys and it finally hit me tonight when I went out with one why it is that Mesa people marry Mesa people.

1. You have so much to talk about. You grew up in the same city for crying out loud! You both know where everything is, who lives where, what great places there are to eat, hang out, the Suns, the Diamondbacks and now the Cardinals.

2. You know the same people and there seems to be a connection to everyone! The Mesa world really is so big and even up here at school. I see people from home every single day and it is kind of nice. It's kind of your home away from home.

3. You don't have to deal with the complications of deciding where to live. Do I move to where his family is from or do we move to Mesa? I had to really consider moving to the south at one point and I just could never fully come to terms with it so thank goodness I don't have to anymore.

4. I don't have to feel bad that I WILL be getting married in the Mesa temple. Some guys don't really care but when you date one that does, it ends up being like a 2 hour conversation and you feel bad for being so stubborn about it. And you only have to have 1 reception/dinner. My mom likes this one the best. Besides having me around of course:)

5. Your kids are able to grow up around both sets of families and know their cousins. I am still a fan of being away for awhile on your own as a married couple, but it would be fun to end up in Mesa, if that is where you are both from.

6. Most guys from Mesa like country music!

7. Mesa is pretty much the greatest place in the world! Well...it was for me growing up but who the heck knows where I will end up. It would just be my luck we end up in Australia or something. Actually, that would be kind of fun.

Ok that is all I thought of tonight so if all you Mesa people have any pros....lay it one me! I know there are some negatives too but My opinion has changed about Mesa people marrying Mesa people. But I still don't want to move home when I graduate which means I probably won't be one to marry within the Mesa world, but I finally understand.

Superbowl Meatballs

This was my assignment for our Super Bowl dinner and they were actually really good. I didn't have time to put them in the crock pot for 4-6 hours (well actually I didn't read the recipe all the way through before church today...oops) and so I just simmered them for 30 minutes in the sauce and they still worked really well. Enjoy! Super super easy.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

3/4 pound ground pork
3/4 pound ground round
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan
1 whole egg
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup bread crumbs

Sweet and Sour Sauce:
1 bottle (12 oz) of Heinz chili sauce
1 jar (18 oz) grape jelly (alternatively, try a can of jellied cranberry sauce)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the pork, ground round, cheese, egg, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt, red pepper flakes, and bread crumbs. Using your hands, mix all ingredients until well incorporated. Use immediately or place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Shape the meatballs into rounds and place the meatballs on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden and cooked through.

In a large saucepan, add the chili sauce and grape jelly. Heat on low-medium heat until the jelly is completely melted. Add the meatballs to the sauce and simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Alternatively, add the sauce ingredients and cooked meatballs to a crockpot and heat on low for 4-6 hrs for optimum flavor.