Another Louisville Love

Have you heard of The Comfy Cow? This is one of the newest ice cream shops to open in Louisville at The Westport Village. The store and flavors are as eclectic as its name. The store boasts of flavors such as Dulche de Leche de Salte (Salted Caramel), Cookie Monster Dough, Vermont Maple Walnut, and Roasted Coffee. But fear not, they have the traditional flavors too. The store has baked goods as well, so there is something to suit everyone's sweet tooth. Here is a picture just so you can get an idea of what you have been missing!

Fettuccine with Peas, Asparagus and Pancetta

Oh my... What a simple delight. The other night, I received my Bon Appetit magazine in the mail. I had been slightly bored with their overly difficult, overly time consuming recipes, and then I found this. I was making my grocery list, and I wanted something that was close to vegetarian but very filling. I glanced upon the picture below and decided this dish was the winner.

I gathered all of the ingredients and made it for supper the following night. Now how to describe it... the peas added a nice touch of sweetness that would have otherwise been missing. The pancetta and parmesan blended nicely with the lemon, which was very unexpected and light. And the basil... oh the basil, that was the perfect finishing touch. Can you tell I love pasta? This tasted like "healthy" fettuccine alfredo, if there is such a thing, because it at least had something green in it. At any rate, it is highly reccommended. Here is how you make it:


Ingredients:

*12 ounces fettuccine or penne
*3 ounces pancetta or bacon, chopped
*1 1/4 pounds asparagus, trimmed, cut on diagonal into 1-inch pieces
*2 cups shelled fresh green peas, blanched 1 minute in boiling water, drained, or frozen peas (do not thaw)

*1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced, white and pale green parts separated from dark green parts
*2 garlic cloves, pressed
*1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese plus additional for serving
*1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
*3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
*3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
*1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
*1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided
*1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil, divided

Directions:

Cook pasta in pot of boiling salted water until just tender but still firm to bite. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup pasta cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Meanwhile, cook pancetta in large nonstick skillet over medium heat until crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels to drain. Pour off all but 1 teaspoon drippings from skillet. Add asparagus to drippings in skillet; sauté 3 minutes. Add peas, white and pale green parts of green onions, and garlic; sauté until vegetables are just tender, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Add vegetable mixture, 1/4 cup pasta cooking liquid, dark green parts of green onions, 1/2 cup Parmesan, cream, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon peel, half of parsley, and half of basil to pasta. Toss, adding more cooking liquid by tablespoonfuls if needed. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to large bowl. Sprinkle pancetta, remaining parsley, and basil over. Serve, passing additional Parmesan cheese.

*Can I add it is a superb pre-running meal!*

Beautiful Blues

First 3 images: Tatertots and Jello

Last 3 images: Passing Open Windows

Bean Soup and Cornbread

I made this soup last night with our left over honey baked ham. I have wanted to make this for awhile, but I couldn't resist any longer since I had all of the ingredients. I also went ahead and made cornbread because soup is nothing without this crumbly bread. Here are the steps:

Bean-and-Ham Soup
Ingredients:
3 cans great northern beans
1 14 ounce can chicken broth (I used more)
2 tablespoons butter
1 small onion, diced
1 1/2 cups ham, cubed
pepper and garlic salt to taste

Directions:
Rinse and drain beans. Process one-third can of beans and half of chicken broth in a food processor until smooth. Set aside.
Melt butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add onion, and saute for five minutes. Add ham and saute for three minutes.
Add bean puree, remaining beans and remaining broth. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, and simmer for at least 30 minutes. Stir in salt and pepper.


The cornbread is compliments of All Recipes. The link will take you to the recipe. The cornbread was light and sweet. It was the perfect accompaniment to the bean soup. Enjoy the dinner!

Help!!!

Hello! I am helping my uncle remodel his home and he has a small kitchen. I found this picture on IKEA's website, but I cannot find it anywhere! I need your help to locate this island or one that looks like it. The colors don't even need to match, just the style. If you could post the link, I would be forever grateful! Thanks!!

Good Bye Butter

Dear Cheese and Butter,

I have loved eating you Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, but it is time to part for a while. I enjoyed you in the green bean casserole, the potato gratin, the cakes, well, in everything, and because of that, it's time to eat healthy... at least today. So to my friends who also desire to purge their pantries of the butter laden leftovers, here are some tasty alternatives to fill your day.

First on the day's menu is Morning Glory Muffins.
These are tasty little tidbits if I must say so. I did modify this recipe just a touch. I took out the molasses (sometimes it can be bitter) and added just a smidge more brown sugar. I know that a smidge is a very technical cooking term, but run with it! I also took out the prunes (because they are disgusting!) and substituted them for dried cranberries. If you fancy the prunes, more power to you!

For lunch, enjoy Strawberry-Turkey-Brie Paninis.

I haven't actually tried this sandwich, but in theory, it sounds and looks good. Let me know what you think!

And finally for dinner, try the Lemon Veggies with Pasta.
This tasty and light dish is so colorful and quick to create that I think anyone could make it. In addition to the vegetables listed, I added 1 small red bell pepper, a small head of broccoli and one cup instead of 3/4 a cup of chicken broth. If you want a little extra protein, add strips of a chicken breast. I was happy with just the pasta though.

Here's to guilt free food... enjoy!

Easter Tablescapes

Compliments of Room Remix

Easter Eggs

Easter Dinner

Hello Friends! In case you haven't made your Easter menu, here's what I'm making. Let me know if you have any favorite Easter dishes. Click on the link to find the recipe.

Saratoga Springs House Salad
Honey Baked HamPineapple CasseroleSmokey Gouda Potato Gratin: This is my mom's recipe. I don't have it yet, but I'll post it when I get it because it is simply AMAZING!

Cook's Illustrated Green Beans Casserole
AsparagusJiffy Corn PuddingSister Shubert RollsGrapefruit Cake
If you weren't hungry before, I bet you are now! Go make something delicious!

Hallelujah... It's Spring Break!

My goodness, it's been a long time, and for that I am sorry. But this coming week will have uninterrupted posts of some of my favorite things! Since it is spring break, here would be some of my ideal locals.

Savannah, Georgia

Charleston, South CarolinaKey West, FloridaSan Antonio, Texas