Cheddar Bacon Penne is one of our family's favorite meals. I passed the recipe along to my mother and it quickly became one of their favorites as well. The recipe below serves 2 but the recipe can easily be doubled. I occasionally double it when it's just us eating. If I'm good, I put half of the doubled recipe into a second container and into the freezer. If I'm not so good, we eat it all ourselves.... sometimes that night, sometimes as leftovers the next day. Yum!
Cheddar Bacon Penne
recipe modified from Taste of Home's Cooking for 2
Serves 2
1 cup uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp butter
4.5 tsp flour
1 cup skim milk
1.5 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
Cooked and crumbled bacon strips, to taste
Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a small nonstick skillet coated with nonstick cooking spray, sauté onion and garlic until tender; set aside. (If I'm feeling lazy, I sometimes skip the onion and garlic.)
In a small saucepan, melt butter. Stir in flour until smooth; gradually add milk. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in 1 cup cheese until melted.
Drain pasta. Add pasta, bacon and onion mixture to the sauce; stir to coat. Taste. :)
Transfer to a baking dish coated with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with remaining cheese. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted. We like to put ours under the broiler for a few minutes so the cheese is nice and brown.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Feta Shrimp Skillet
I found this recipe in the October/November 2010 issue of Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking magazine and we are in love! (Unfortunately, I don't have a photo.) It's a quick, light (healthy) meal and yet it's so hearty and filling at the same time - it's best with some crusty bread to sop up the remaining sauce in your bowl. We're not really tomato fans (I decided to try the recipe because I had feta in the fridge to use up) and yet we love this recipe.
Another benefit is that it's a skillet meal so there's little to clean up and it's something I can put together with ingredients in my pantry - I almost always have cans of diced tomatoes in my cupboard and I buy large resealable bags of precooked frozen shrimp and thaw slightly by running under cold water before I'm ready to use them. I've also started buying frozen chopped onion - all too often I don't need an entire onion for a recipe and the leftovers sit and end up going bad. With the frozen onions, I can just sprinkle whatever I want right into my pan and throw the bag back into the freezer.
Feta Shrimp Skillet
modified from Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking
Serves 4 (halves easily)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 lb medium shrimp
1 tsp parsley
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, wine (if desired), oregano, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Stir in shrimp and parsley. Cook and stir over medium heat until shrimp are heated through. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is softened.
Another benefit is that it's a skillet meal so there's little to clean up and it's something I can put together with ingredients in my pantry - I almost always have cans of diced tomatoes in my cupboard and I buy large resealable bags of precooked frozen shrimp and thaw slightly by running under cold water before I'm ready to use them. I've also started buying frozen chopped onion - all too often I don't need an entire onion for a recipe and the leftovers sit and end up going bad. With the frozen onions, I can just sprinkle whatever I want right into my pan and throw the bag back into the freezer.
Feta Shrimp Skillet
modified from Taste of Home's Healthy Cooking
Serves 4 (halves easily)
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cans (14.5 oz each) diced tomatoes, undrained
1/4 cup white wine (optional)
1 tsp dried oregano
1 lb medium shrimp
1 tsp parsley
3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
In a large nonstick skillet, saute onion in oil until tender. Add garlic, cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the tomatoes, wine (if desired), oregano, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thickened.
Stir in shrimp and parsley. Cook and stir over medium heat until shrimp are heated through. Remove from the heat; sprinkle with cheese. Cover and let stand for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is softened.
Meal Plan 11/15-11/21
Meal planning for two weeks at a time has been working out pretty well for me. I do one big shopping trip and then the next week, I only have to pick up milk or any other necessities we may be out of and I save myself hours of planning on Sunday night.
Luckily, for some unknown reason, I quite enjoyed the four or so hours of meal planning and grocery list making I did last night. Why did it take me so long? I have no stinking clue. Thankfully, I was in a good mood, and hopefully, some good meals will come out of it.
And I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week already!!! Yikes!
Monday
L: Leftovers
D: Feta Shrimp Skillet (will post recipe this week), French Bread
Tuesday
L: Leftovers
D: Cheddar Bacon Penne (family favorite), Salad
Wednesday
L: Leftovers
D: Cornflake Chicken (family favorite), Curly Cheese Potatoes, Green Beans
Thursday
L: Turkey Sandwiches
D: Corn Chowder (family favorite crockpot meal)
Friday
L: Leftovers
D: Homemade Pizza before heading out for Girls' Night!!! Woohoo!!!
Saturday
L: Leftovers
D: Whatever we can scrounge up - I don't want to cook. :)
Sunday
L: Soups
D: Homemade Pasta, Homemade Sauce, Salad, Cheesy Garlic Rolls
For more meal planning inspiration, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Meal Plan 11/8-11/14
I didn't post this meal plan last week, but we had some pretty good meals, so I wanted to get it up now. Better late than never!
From last week's menu, we finally made the Pork Dumplings and Broccoli & Cashew Stir-Fry served with basmati rice and it was absolutely AMAZING!
Monday
L: Leftovers
D: Feta Shrimp Skillet, Bread from Trader Joe's (took my first TJ trip that day - fun!)
Tuesday
L: Leftovers
D: Meatball Subs (homemade meatballs in homemade sauce)
Wednesday
L: Leftovers
D: Easy Italian Stew (family favorite)
Thursday
L: Leftovers
D: Bacon, Cheese & Potato Chowder (yum!)
Friday
L: Leftovers
D: Cheddar Chicken & Rice Skillet (failure - I threw the recipe away; I'm not sure if it was really that bad or if it was partially because I wasn't in the mood for it, but it was a blah meal)
Saturday
We spent the day in Boston - took the commuter rail in, went to Faneuil Hall for lunch, spent the afternoon at the Aquarium, had dinner at Cheers Restaurant and got dessert at Mike's Pastries. Wonderful, absolutely amazing day!
Sunday
L: Leftovers were planned, but we didn't really eat lunch
D: Pot Roast with Fall Veggies
From last week's menu, we finally made the Pork Dumplings and Broccoli & Cashew Stir-Fry served with basmati rice and it was absolutely AMAZING!
Monday
L: Leftovers
D: Feta Shrimp Skillet, Bread from Trader Joe's (took my first TJ trip that day - fun!)
Tuesday
L: Leftovers
D: Meatball Subs (homemade meatballs in homemade sauce)
Wednesday
L: Leftovers
D: Easy Italian Stew (family favorite)
Thursday
L: Leftovers
D: Bacon, Cheese & Potato Chowder (yum!)
Friday
L: Leftovers
D: Cheddar Chicken & Rice Skillet (failure - I threw the recipe away; I'm not sure if it was really that bad or if it was partially because I wasn't in the mood for it, but it was a blah meal)
Saturday
We spent the day in Boston - took the commuter rail in, went to Faneuil Hall for lunch, spent the afternoon at the Aquarium, had dinner at Cheers Restaurant and got dessert at Mike's Pastries. Wonderful, absolutely amazing day!
Sunday
L: Leftovers were planned, but we didn't really eat lunch
D: Pot Roast with Fall Veggies
Some Days You Know I Wanna Just Give Up
I've been lax in my posting lately and I suppose I should be honest. I've said it out loud to a few family members and friends, but to put it in writing makes it a bit more real and I find that frightening. I have a hard time asking others for help and this is a pretty big shout out for me.
I've been having a hard time lately. I've had bouts of depression in the past and I'm dealing with it again. I have wonderful days and I have horrible days. I have days where I don't want to get out of bed, and if I didn't have two little ones to drag me out, I'd probably stay there all day. Some days, it's all I can do to get my day-to-day chores and activities done, and my blog falls by the wayside. Master Charles has been more than a handful lately, too, and I can't say that's been making life any easier. :)
I have starting doing things that have helped me battle my depression in the past, but I'm at a different stage in life right now, so it's not always easy to put myself at the top of my priorities list. I know that exercise is one of my major mood enhancers and I'm trying to make a daily workout part of my normal routine. I can't go to bed without tidying the kitchen or going through my getting-ready-for-bed routine and I want to get to the point where I feel like something is missing when I don't work out. The beginning of the week is great; I just need to keep it going past Wednesday night.
I have also starting meditating again. I starting meditating junior year of college; in my senior year, I was the leader of the Zen Meditation Club at my school. Back then, it was pretty easy to find time for myself; my life consisted of classes and homework. Now, I'm a wife and mother to two boys, so my free time is pretty limited, especially since the oldest rarely naps (today is one of those rare days - woohoo!). Once the boys are in bed, I have about three hours to squeeze in a workout, do some paying work, spend time with my hubby, maybe catch a tv show, prep for the next day, meditate, read, blog. I know that a 20-minute meditation session focuses me so that I am able to accomplish more, but there are times I feel so pressed for time, I just can't force myself to do sit; I know that these are the times I would benefit the most. I also have a 9-month-old with a knack for fussing when I'm 17 minutes into a 20-minute sit and dad's not home. *sigh*
Looking at all of the major events our family has gone through since last September (Charlie's broken leg, Isaac's birth, Isaac's 8-day stint at DHMC for RSV & pneumonia, my decision to be a stay-at-home mom instead of going back to work, our fridge dying shortly after this decision, discovering ants in the floor of our front steps, did I forget anything? *sigh* again), I'm surprised my depression didn't pop up sooner than it did.... unless it did and I just didn't realize it. I think part of what helped me was spending so much time with friends at playdates and such over the summer. I know that the more isolated I am here at home, the more down I feel. I have a few friends that are great at extending invitations for dates and playdates and that has been a major help. I don't want to stay at home all the time, but I don't want to push myself on my friends either.
The thing I'm most looking forward to in fighting my depression is starting a yoga class again. Before I was pregnant with Charlie and during the first few months of my pregnancy, I was doing three yoga classes a week! I loved it! I have plans to find a local class with a friend and I can't wait to start up again. I occasionally do some yoga at home, but the atmosphere of a class is something you can't recreate on your own. What a mood booster that is!
So, that explains where I've been when I disappear for days (weeks) at a time. I'm having a really awesome day (and week) this week so I'm going to write and post while I have it in me. :)
I've been having a hard time lately. I've had bouts of depression in the past and I'm dealing with it again. I have wonderful days and I have horrible days. I have days where I don't want to get out of bed, and if I didn't have two little ones to drag me out, I'd probably stay there all day. Some days, it's all I can do to get my day-to-day chores and activities done, and my blog falls by the wayside. Master Charles has been more than a handful lately, too, and I can't say that's been making life any easier. :)
I have starting doing things that have helped me battle my depression in the past, but I'm at a different stage in life right now, so it's not always easy to put myself at the top of my priorities list. I know that exercise is one of my major mood enhancers and I'm trying to make a daily workout part of my normal routine. I can't go to bed without tidying the kitchen or going through my getting-ready-for-bed routine and I want to get to the point where I feel like something is missing when I don't work out. The beginning of the week is great; I just need to keep it going past Wednesday night.
I have also starting meditating again. I starting meditating junior year of college; in my senior year, I was the leader of the Zen Meditation Club at my school. Back then, it was pretty easy to find time for myself; my life consisted of classes and homework. Now, I'm a wife and mother to two boys, so my free time is pretty limited, especially since the oldest rarely naps (today is one of those rare days - woohoo!). Once the boys are in bed, I have about three hours to squeeze in a workout, do some paying work, spend time with my hubby, maybe catch a tv show, prep for the next day, meditate, read, blog. I know that a 20-minute meditation session focuses me so that I am able to accomplish more, but there are times I feel so pressed for time, I just can't force myself to do sit; I know that these are the times I would benefit the most. I also have a 9-month-old with a knack for fussing when I'm 17 minutes into a 20-minute sit and dad's not home. *sigh*
Looking at all of the major events our family has gone through since last September (Charlie's broken leg, Isaac's birth, Isaac's 8-day stint at DHMC for RSV & pneumonia, my decision to be a stay-at-home mom instead of going back to work, our fridge dying shortly after this decision, discovering ants in the floor of our front steps, did I forget anything? *sigh* again), I'm surprised my depression didn't pop up sooner than it did.... unless it did and I just didn't realize it. I think part of what helped me was spending so much time with friends at playdates and such over the summer. I know that the more isolated I am here at home, the more down I feel. I have a few friends that are great at extending invitations for dates and playdates and that has been a major help. I don't want to stay at home all the time, but I don't want to push myself on my friends either.
The thing I'm most looking forward to in fighting my depression is starting a yoga class again. Before I was pregnant with Charlie and during the first few months of my pregnancy, I was doing three yoga classes a week! I loved it! I have plans to find a local class with a friend and I can't wait to start up again. I occasionally do some yoga at home, but the atmosphere of a class is something you can't recreate on your own. What a mood booster that is!
So, that explains where I've been when I disappear for days (weeks) at a time. I'm having a really awesome day (and week) this week so I'm going to write and post while I have it in me. :)
Family Photos
A good friend of ours, Molly Viglione, of Molly Viglione Photography, did our family photos yesterday. Check them out! They are beautiful and I can't wait to see the rest.
Thank you, Molly!
Thank you, Molly!
Monday, November 1, 2010
Meal Plan 11/1-11/7
We have a few meals from the past two weeks that we didn't make so they've been worked into this week's menu. We've got a few new meals as well as some family favorites. I'm still waiting to try Pork Dumplings - this meal just keeps getting pushed off! I've got my fingers crossed for this week! :)
Monday
L: English Muffin Pizzas, Red Pepper Strips
D: Grilled Cheese, Tomato Soup, Apple Slices
Tuesday
L: Turkey & Cheese Sandwiches, Grapes, Chips
D: Chicken Sauteed with Apples, Brown Rice, Honey-Glazed Carrots
Wednesday
L: Leftovers
D: Spinach & Cheese Quiche (new recipe)
Thursday
L: Leftovers
D: Teriyaki Chicken Stew (new recipe - crock pot meal)
Friday
L: Leftovers
D: Homemade Pizza
Saturday
L: Leftovers
D: Corn Chowder (family favorite)
Sunday
L: Leftovers
D: Pork Dumplings, Broccoli & Cashew Stir-Fry
For more meal planning inspiration, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)