Linguine with Pancetta and Peas

This was the best pasta dish I've had in a LONG time.  And it was pretty easy!

What you'll Need
1 tbsp olive oil
3/4 cup chopped pancetta
1 large shallot, finely chopped
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
1 clove of garlic, minced
4 sprigs fresh thyme, chopped
1/2 cup fat free half and half
1/2 pound linguine (or pasta of choice)
1 tablespoon kosher salt
salt and pepper to taste
parmesan cheese to top

What you'll Do
Heat oil in skillet and add pancetta.  Cook until brown and crispy.  Remove and drain fat from meat.

In the same pan, cook the shallot for about 2-3 minutes until lightly browned and add garlic.  Cook another 1-2 minutes. 

Add the peas and cook for another 1-2 minutes. 

Add the wine and thyme and cook until liquid has evaporated.  Meanwhile, cook the pasta.

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions.  Drain and reserve 1/2 cup of cooking liquid.  Add the pasta to the peas and toss to coat through.  Add the half and half and salt and pepper to taste.  Make sure everything is blended together and heated through.  Serve into a bowl and top with pancetta and parmesan cheese.

Mason Jars Make a Comeback

I have quite a few mason jars that I've collected over the years.  Some I've picked up at flea markets and thrift stores and others I got from my grandmothers.  My grandmother, MawMaw, who I just lost on Easter, was a big vegetable canner back int he day.  Other than my friend Diana who recently told me she tried canning things, I hadn't really heard of too many people doing that in this day and age.  Which is a shame.  I digress.

I usually use my mason jars for fresh flower arrangements and sometimes for storing dried goods like beans and rice but lately they've been popping up all over the place.  A few weeks ago my dear friend Alice made me a goodie basket and two of the items - homemade pimiento cheese and homemade black bean and corn salsa came neatly packaged in mason jars which made her whole gesture even more adorable.  And let me tell  you, that girl has got THE SKILLS for making pimiento cheese.

Then a few days ago my friend Lane was telling me about this new dessert article she read where all kinds of desserts were made in mason jars.  Just check out a few of the possibilities!

Rainbow Cake

Chocolate Pudding Cake

Cupcake Crumble Cake

Monkey Bread

Neopolitan Cake

Peanut Butter Cake

Red Velvet and Nutella Cake

All recipes and more ideas can be found here.  Thanks for sharing, Laney!

I think it would be a really cute theme for a wedding or party to serve everything out of mason jars!

Summer Theme Song

I know I am constantly picked on for my taste in music (or some would argue lack thereof). But today I heard this song on the radio and loved it. Apparently lots of people do too - the scary part of living in my world is that TODAY WAS THE FIRST TIME I EVER HEARD IT. I'm on board now and a huge fan. I'm adopting it as my summer theme song.

Oh, and for those of you who have been chastising me about my lack of posts - sorry. Talk to my job. But I'm working on it...promise!

A Daily Dose of Art

A few weeks ago I discovered a new website that I've come to really enjoy - The Daily Painter's Gallery.  I am a firm believer that art work is not only a very personal thing that can really pull together a room in your house but also something that doesn't have to cost a fortune.  You just have to know what moves you and what you can afford - or save up for big ticket items!

Anyway, I discovered The Daily Painter's Gallery which is a great place to see artists work on a daily basis when they create their art.  You can either visit the site and scroll through the pages of each day or you can sign up for a daily email that has thumbnails of all of the art (usually about 25 paintings) so that you can quickly scan and see if there is anything you want to examine more closely.  Most of the paintings are for sale and are available on the artists' individual website, included on the gallery info page. 

Here are just a few from the past few days that caught my attention (and no, they aren't all food, I am just STARVING and my husband hasn't come home from work yet so I have a while longer to wait...):

Little Baby Booties

I finished another knit project - little newborn baby booties.  They're for sale in my Etsy shop if anyone is interested!

Chicken Sausage and Spinach Calzones

I got the inspiration for this recipe from one I saw in Southern Living but theirs were turnovers using pie crust.  I used pizza dough and a little mozarella cheese in mine and turned it into yummy calzones.

What You'll Need
1 package chicken sausage (any flavor you like), chopped
3 cups baby spinach
1 package of pizza dough (I used Pillsbury's refrigerated kind)
1 yellow onion, diced
1 red pepper, diced
3 yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
1 cup mozarella cheese
sprinkling of parmesan cheese
1 egg white
salt
pepper
red pepper flakes
olive oil

What You'll Do
Preheat oven to 400.  Heat olive oil in pan and add onion, red pepper, and potatoes.  Cook until browned.

Add the chicken sausage and cook until heated (the one I bought was already cooked through).  Add the spinach and let it wilt down.

Separate the pizza dough into six even pieces and roll out.  Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.  Lay out each piece, fill with approximately half of the sausage mixture.  Top with a little amount of mozzarella cheese and then fold over and seal the dough.  Use a fork to press down the edges to seal. 

Mix the egg white with a small amount of water and use a pastry or basting brush to brush the egg mixture onto the top of each of the calzones.  Sprinkle with a little bit of finely grated parmesan cheese.  Bake for about 20 minutes or until the calzones are browned.  I used the leftover spinach in the bag to make a little side salad. 



Baby Onesies

I haven't figured out how to work my sewing machine yet so I haven't been able to applique any more since I visited Charlotte.  But I'm planning to.

So, instead, this weekend, I did a little embroidering on baby onesies.  I love how they turned out!  (Sorry the first two pictures are turned sideways.  My computer is acting crazy and I don't have the patience to figure out why it won't accept the rotated version of these pictures...

They're for sale in my Etsy shop if anyone needs a cute baby gift or something for your own little one!