Sharing is Caring

You guys. I'm terrified of extreme weather. Like, curl-up-in-a-ball-and-hide-in-my-closet-during-heavy-rain-storms terrified. Also, tornado's. I can't even believe how terrifying tornado's are (which I've never had to worry about before (Jared tells me I still have nothing to worry about because Michigan doesn't get tornado's)). If it's the least bit windy, I jump straight to tornado's. It's ridiculous. 

On another note: I went to the dentist yesterday. Because I kept having dreams about my teeth, and they freaked me out so much that I had to go to the dentist (I'm not even kidding). For my whole life I went to the same dentist, and now that I live 1,800 miles away from him, I had to find a new one. It was weird. And they were VERY thorough. They poked and prodded and cleaned for almost 2 hours. And I didn't even have any cavities. Also, their office is in the mall. In the Sears at the mall, to be precise. So there's a fun story about my teeth for you. 

I think I want to share some recipes with all you lovely folks. I sometimes have a hard time turning to pinterest for recipes. Like, I don't really trust it. But sometimes, you have cooked everything in every cookbook you own, and you have no other choice. So, here are a few pinterest recipes Jared and I have tried and LOVE. You read that right. They are delicious. Every single one of 'em.

Spicy Sausage Pasta

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1.5 cups diced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1 (10 oz) can Ro-Tel tomatoes and green chiles, Mild
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in 1/2 cup cheese. Top with remaining cheese and sprinkle with scallions. Broil until cheese is melted, spotty brown, and bubbly.

Makes 4 servings.

**Jared served and LDS mission in Poland, so we love Kielbasa sausage! If you've never had it, now is the time. This recipe is super easy and super creamy and delicious. The Ro-tel gives it just the right amount of kick. It comes from the fine folks over at Kevin & Amanda.

Up next, we have...

Bacon and Baked Potato Soup

2 6 - 8 - ounces baking potatoes (such as russet or Yukon gold)
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped celery
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
4 cups half-and-half, light cream or milk
1 1/4 cups shredded American cheese (5 ounces)
1 cup chicken broth
8 slices bacon, crisp-cooked, drained and crumbled
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup dairy sour cream

1. Scrub potatoes with a vegetable brush; pat dry. Prick potatoes with a fork. Bake in a 425 degree F oven for 40 to 60 minutes or until tender; cool. Peel potatoes, if desired. Chop potatoes; set aside.

2. In a heavy large saucepan or Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and celery. Cook and stir about 5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Stir in flour, thyme, salt and pepper. Add half-and-half or milk all at once. Cook and stir for 5 to 6 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Add potatoes, 1 cup of the cheese, and the broth; stir until cheese melts. Slightly mash potatoes with the back of a spoon or a potato masher.

3. For the topping, reserve 2 tablespoons of the bacon. Stir the remaining bacon and 1 tablespoon of the green onion into soup. Heat through.

4. To serve, top each serving with reserved bacon, remaining 1/4 cup cheese, green onions and the sour cream. Makes 6 servings (about 1 cup each).

**Who doesn't love bacon and baked potatoes? This soup knocked my socks off. Also, instead of half-and-half, I used mostly milk with just a little bit of light cream. It is so ridiculously creamy. Did I say that about the spicy sausage? Love me some creamy meals. This recipe hails from MidWest Living. They also have the nutritional facts listed over there. 

This next one seems pretty bizzare, but give is shot - it won't disappoint.

Bacon and Corn Griddle Cakes

8 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg, beaten
1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
1 cup frozen, canned or fresh corn
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
warm maple syrup, for serving

1. In a medium skillet, cook the bacon pieces until they begin to brown. Add the onion and continue to cook until the bacon is crisp and the onion is softened. Scoop out a heaping tablespoon of the bacon mixture for topping the griddle cakes upon serving- and set it aside.

2. While the bacon is cooking, combine the flour, chives, baking powder, salt and pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in the milk, egg and oil, just until moistened. Stir in the bacon mixture, corn and cheese. The mixture will be thick. If you'd like the griddle cakes to be slightly thinner than those pictured, add a little more milk to thin out the batter.

3. Heat and grease a griddle or large skillet. Pour a heaping 1/4-cup of the batter onto the griddle and cook until it is golden brown- 3 to 4 minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining batter.

4. Serve stacks of griddle cakes topped with a sprinkle of the reserved bacon/onion and a good dose of warm maple syrup.

**These are surprisingly delicious. They are definitely different, but oh, so good. We had them for an easy Saturday dinner, but they would make a great lazy Sunday breakfast, too.

Well, I hope I helped a few of you out there plan some dinners, because I know it can be difficult (Jared is a saint when it comes to helping me plan meals).

Okay, I've been sitting on this horrible futon for long enough. Have a lovely daaay.