Blog This Blog That...A Short Introduction

A Little Hello
Time to get started, I suppose. First off, this probably won't be a daily blog style, more of a post as I can due to my schedule, but hopefully it'll give you a nice taste of the meals and desserts I've happily grown up with. As well as learning the ropes of how to work the blog...Be on the lookout as I'm sure formatting will continue to change.I hope to use this as a place to share some good recipes with others and learn to improve upon my own cooking skills! After all, the best way to learn is by doing, correct? As an Occupational Therapist I will say, it is important to engage in occupations that we find interesting and meaningful to help improve our everyday quality of life! It just so happens, for me, I am interested in cooking/baking, and writing (So kill two birds with one stone here!). With that all said, I welcome you here, and hope you can find a recipe or two that you throughly enjoy (and can put your own spin on). Happy food hunting :)

December 22, 2014

Spinache Artichoke Dip

One of my favorite dips. If only I could get my boyfriend to enjoy it! Still, no reason not to make it and enjoy it for myself. This should be quick and simple and taste delicious! So without further adieu, here we go.

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Ingredients



1 10oz box frozen spinach
3/4 cup low fat mayo
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 14oz can artichoke hearts finely chopped
2 scallions finely chopped

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Assembly


Defrost spinach and squeeze out all the liquid. Add all ingredients together in a small baking dish and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes. Take out and serve right away with dipping item of choice. It will be hot. 

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Final Thoughts


Delicious treat and quick to make. My mom even handily gave me serving sizes and health info as follows:
Serving size: 1/4 cup dip
Cal per serving: 49
Protein: 3g
Carbs: 5g
Fat: 2g
 
 
 

Bolongense (bowl-le-en-ase) Sauce

Apparently when I was a kid this was the pasta sauce my mom used to make. I don't remember this but I do know I always loved spaghetti sauce when I was a kid and the store bought stuff never seemed to add up, so perhaps that's why. So she's sharing the secret with me and my future sister-in-law. So now it's time to share it with you. :)

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Ingredients


1/2 cup wine (dry) -- broth as needed
1/2 large onion, diced small
2-3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 small carrots (or one large), diced
1 lb ground meat
1 can (small) tomato paste
1 1/2 tbsp sugar
1 large can = 1 medium can crushed tomatoes
(or 1 large can crushed tomatoes + 1 medium can diced tomatoes)
salt and pepper
2 tbsp chopped basil fresh or 1 tsp dried basil chopped
  
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Assembly



Sautee meat until lightly browned/cooked through, drain and remove from pain. Remove meat grease from pan and add 1 tbsp olive oil. Sautee onion, garlic, and carrot on medium until crisp and tender. add wine and scrape up bits from bottom of pan. Add meat, tomato, crushed tomato, tomato paste, 1/2 cup broth, and sugar. Cook on medium until small bubbles form on sides. Turn down to between low/medium low (depending on your stove) and slow simmer for about 45 minutes. Add a little more broth if too thick and add basil, salt/pepper for taste as desired. Cook 5 minutes on low. Cool sauce and place on top of cooked pasta or other dish as desired. 

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Final Thoughts


For a rich pasta dish, mix sauce with pasta, top with cheese and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes. remainder of sauce can be frozen for later use.This is direct from my mother, so heed her words! :) And as for me, I can't wait to try this and have some homemade sauce for spaghetti or baked ziti. As always, happy eats!