illustrated recipe

I have one of the dearest {and talented}

friends anyone could ask for. 

Thank you Debby Alianello.

{this is my mom's recipe}

"The recipe came from Dorothy close to 40 years ago. 

It may have morphed a little but is delicious!"

{Debby}

I encourage you to try it . . . 

pasta fagiolini and italian sausage

Pasta Fagiolini and Italian Sausage

{serves 4-5}

{pictured with bowtie pasta}

{photo credit Publix}

Ingredients 
8 oz farfalle bow tie (or penne) pasta
1 lb mild Italian sausage, casing removed
3 green onions sliced
1 clove garlic minced
2 oz sun-dried tomato
1  8-oz green beans cook-in-bag
½ cup toasted slivered almonds
1 cup shredded Italian cheese blend (mozzarella/provolone)
1/3 cup Marzetti Simply Dressed Vinaigrette lemon dressing

Steps
Cook green beans in bag following microwave instructions.  Let stand 5 minutes to cool. Cut beans into bite-size pieces.
Bring water to boil for pasta. Cook pasta following package instructions.
Preheat large, nonstick sauté pan on medium-high. Cook sausage 6–8 minute. Drain and transfer to large serving bowl.
In same pan sauté onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes for 5 minutes.
Drain pasta, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water
To sausage in bowl add: pasta, pasta water, onion, garlic, tomatoes, cheese, almonds, and dressing.
Toss to coat and serve warm.

{adapted from a Publix Aprons recipe}

vermont quiche

Vermont Quiche – four varieties

{Lindsay Russell Hastings}

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Ingredients for each quiche

5 eggs

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1 deep dish frozen pie crust

In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, half-and-half, salt and pepper.

Stir the ingredients listed below into the egg mixture for each quiche.
Leave a small handful of cheese to sprinkle on top.

Pour filling into frozen pie crust, set on a baking sheet and place in oven for 50 to 60 minutes, or until set.

#1 Ham and Swiss Quiche

1 ½ cups diced ham (8oz)

½ onion diced and sautéed

1 cup swiss cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

#2 Bacon and Spinach Quiche

1 ½ cup cooked bacon pieces

1 ½ cup torn baby spinach leaves

1 cup shredded monterey jack cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

#3 Sausage and Pepper Quiche

12 oz sausage cooked and crumbled

½ onion diced and sautéed

½ green diced pepper sautéed

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

#4 Artichoke, Feta and Kalamata Olive Quiche

{my favorite}

8 oz chopped marinated artichoke quarters

½ cup sliced kalamata olives

½ cup diced sundried tomatoes

1 cup feta cheese crumbles

1 cup shredded colby-jack jack cheese

1 tsp oregano

Add a bundt cake 

and a bowl of fruit 

and you'll have brunch for 12

pioneer woman turkey

It seems I try a new turkey recipe every year

This year I adapted one from the Pioneer Woman

{minus the brining}

{photo credit: Pioneer Woman}

Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

1 15 pound whole Turkey
1/2 cup (1 Stick) Butter, Softened
1 whole Orange zested
1 tsp Rosemary
1 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Black Pepper

Instructions
Preheat oven to 275.

Pat the turkey dry and place it on a roasting rack, breast side up. Place the peeled orange in the cavity. Cross the legs and tie them together with kitchen twine. Pour a cup of water in the bottom of the roasting pan. Cover the whole pan with heavy aluminum foil, tucking it underneath the pan.  Roast for the first stage for about 10 minutes per pound (so, for a 15 pound turkey, about 2 1/2 hours)

Using a zester or vegetable peeler, shave off thin slices of orange peel and dice them very thin. Combine with butter, rosemary, salt and pepper.

After the first stage of cooking, remove the turkey from the oven and remove the foil (turkey will still be pale.) Smear the butter mixture all over the skin, in crevices, etc so that it's totally covered.

Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, increase the oven temperature to 350, and return the turkey to the oven, basting every 30 minutes. Continue roasting the turkey until the thermometer reads 165 to 168, then remove the turkey from the oven.

Cover loosely with clean aluminum foil until you're ready to carve.

(Save the beautiful juices from the pan to make gravy)

porch sit

This morning we are enjoying our
morning coffee on this porch.

We look forward to a relaxing few months after . . .
a summer of moving from a house we loved for 35 years

We also look forward to reconnecting with our Florida friends
and searching out new volunteer opportunities. 

Then in the late afternoons we'll replace
our coffee with a cocktail 

and soon - hoping a few

friends and family will join us for a visit 

in sunny Venice, Florida . . .

The guest room is ready

a milestone day

It has been a hectic month for us.

We sold a home that we had lived in for 35 years. 

It has been on the market for 3 years.

I think the reality of this process taking so long

lightened the emotional toll a bit. 

Friday was a bitter sweet day but we are ready to move on.

Our daughter summed up our feelings so well

“Congratulations!
A new family gets the beautiful house, but we get to keep the beautiful memories.  Tonight, we'll raise a glass to: babies home from the hospital, first steps, birthday parties, first day of school pictures, Thanksgivings with all the cousins, Christmas decorations, busy mornings before school, dinner with the boys on the bench, thousands of sleepovers, WoW gatherings, graduation parties, home-from-college visits, jet-lagged grandbabies, pool days, picnic parties, long porch sits, & so many more.

We couldn't have asked for a better home.”

mountains

When you live just south of 

Lake Ontario things are pretty flat

so sometimes I pretend the 

marine layer clouds are mountains

reboot

Almost everything will work again 

if you unplug it for a few minutes, 

including you. {ann lamott}

autumn

some things I love about fall

fast food salad

Recently we bought fast food salads to 

take on two different last minute picnics.

First ones were from McDonald's ($5), second ones from Wendy's ($6.99). 

For the record, we think the McDonald’s salads were 

tastier and far fresher than the Wendy’s salads.

Do you have a favorite fast food salad?
Reader suggestions:
Christine - Subway Chopped Salad
Dayle - Chick-Fil-A
Cindy - Zaxbys house fried salad