This morning when I went to work I took out a package of chicken, with NO idea what I would be doing with them. During the day I decided I wanted some kind of cream sauce, and mushrooms were sounding excellent. And this dish was created. I am SOOO proud of myself for creating this totally from scratch. Normally I find a couple different recipes and adapt to what I want, but this was totally from scratch.

As soon as Adam finished his plate he asked me when I would be making this again, I guess he kind of liked it!

This was an A-M-A-Z-I-N-G dish, it had wonderful flavor, not to creamy, not to balsamicy and too many flavors but just the right amount. You need to try this right away it is really good!

Chicken with Balsamic, Bacon, Mushroom Cream Sauce (From: Myself)

• 3 slices of bacon
• 2 chicken breasts (we used a thick one and butterflied it)
• 2 cups of cream
• 3 T. balsamic vinegar
• 1 pkg. baby bella mushrooms
• Salt and Pepper
• 2 cloves of garlic (chopped)
• 3 T. of butter

Warm large pan with olive oil.

Salt and Pepper chicken breasts both sides, put into olive oil and brown on both sides until cooked through. Meanwhile add bacon slices to same pan and cook until desired tenderness.

Once bacon is done lay on paper plate with paper towels to get grease off. Once chicken is done set aside on a plate covering with foil to keep warm.

Drain oil from the pan, but leaving what is “stuck” to the bottom, add butter and let melt.

Once melted add garlic and mushrooms. Salt and pepper to your liking, let simmer for a 2-3 minutes then add balsamic vinegar. Cook until desired tenderness.

Pour in heavy cream and bring to a boil, boil for 3-5 minutes then add crumbled bacon.

Add chicken breasts and coat in sauce cook until desired thickness. Serve over pasta of your choice.

This year I turned the big 25. I am still in denial and want to be about 22 again. I just feel SO old being 25. I know I am not “old” but man that sounds like a big number, and to be 25 married with a child. WOW!

I guess my taste have changed in 25 years. I am not a seafood person and don’t like chinese. This year I requested Adam make me a seafood dish and that we go to PF Changs. Both were amazing!! Adam made this dish with no questions asked, he did use dried herbs and used the amount called for so it was a little over herby but otherwise EXCELLENT dish.

Penne with Shrimp and Herbed Cream Sauce (From: Food Network)

• 1 pound penne pasta
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled, and deveined
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1 (15-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained, roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 cup white wine
• 1/3 cup clam juice (I hate clams so he used a little chicken broth instead)
• 3/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain the pasta and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper. Cook, stirring frequently until the shrimp turn pink and is cooked through, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp and set aside.

Add the tomatoes, 1/4 cup basil, 1/4 cup parsley, and the red pepper flakes. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine, clam juice, and heavy cream. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for 7 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens. Add 1/4 cup of the Parmesan, the cooked shrimp, the cooked pasta, and the remaining herbs. Toss together until all ingredients are coated. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.

Transfer the pasta to a large serving bowl. Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and serve immediately.

I saw this while reading my Food Network Magazine. It seemed simple and easy which is just what we needed right now. Adam actually ended up whipping this up when he got home from work.

We both enjoyed this, it was simple to make and was really tasty. I would half the recipe next time as this made LOTS of pasta! But was very tasty!

Ho Ho Homestyle Pasta (From: Hillshire Farms)

• 16 oz. pkg. uncooked linguine
• 4 cups fresh small broccoli
• 1 pkg. polska kielbasa
• 1/2 c. chopped onion
• 7oz basil pesto
• 5oz crumbled Gorgonzola cheese
• 2 green onions, sliced
• salt and pepper to taste

Cooke linguine according to package directions. During the last 4 minutes of cooking, add broccoli to water. When linguine and broccoli are tender, drain; keep warm.

Cut sausage into 1/2 inch cubes. heat a 4 to 6 quart pan over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add sausage and onion to pan; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and onion is tender.

Add cooked linguine and broccoli. Toss gently over medium heat for 1 minute. Stir in pesto, Gorgonzola and green onions’ heat through. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Sorry for the lack of updates, our little bean arrived on November 15th and we have been a little busy, as you can tell by the messy table below. This post is written and done by Adam…

Well the other day Carrie asked me to make some home made Spaghetti Sauce.  Fortunately we were in the grocery store at the time so we picked up the needed ingredients there.  This really turned out a lot better then I thought it could and Carrie was really happy with it.

Adam’s Spaghetti Sauce (From: Adam)

• 1lb hamburger or Sausage
• 1 Medium Onion or 2 small Shallots
• 1 Package whole or sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 large Can of Tomato Sauce
• 1 Medium Can of Diced Tomatoes
• 1/4 C (give or take) of Tomato Paste
• 1 T. Basil
• 1 T. Oregeno
• 1 T Ground Fennel Seed

Brown hamburger in a dutch oven, when it is close to being brown add shallot or onion.

Use about half the container of mushrooms, slice into cubes. Drain the oil and fat and make the meat pretty dry.

Add tomato sauce, diced tomato, and tablespoon of tomato paste. Just enough to thicken the sauce.

Turn the heat down to low, you don’t want to burn it and a dutch oven works great to keep it just shy of boiling at almost any heat. Cover and let simmer. After simmering for an hour or so add spices to taste

Simmer for a couple hours 3-5 best.

Make with Spaghetti noodles or another think style of noodle and enjoy.

Adam and I both love Alfredo, but it’s not the best for you so we don’t make it often. Last week I was craving it so bad that I told him we had to try it. He gladly accepted, and even made it for dinner

He served it with steak, but this sauce was creamy and delicious. Almost all the recipes we have made at home have been grainy this one was not, we did use shredded Parmesan instead of grated but otherwise we kept the recipe, and it was delicious!! This will be my go to recipe and next time I want to try homemade pasta.

Fettuccine Alfredo (Found On: Taste of Home Cooking Originally From: Food Network)

• 18 ounces fresh fettuccine
• 2 1/2 cups heavy  cream
• 12 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 cups grated Parmesan
• Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes. Drain.

Stir 2 cups of the cream in a heavy large skillet to blend. Add the butter and cook over medium heat just until the butter melts, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.

Add the pasta and toss. Add the remaining 1/2 cup of cream, and Parmesan to the cream sauce in the skillet. Add the  nutmeg, salt, and white pepper. Toss the pasta mixture over low heat until the sauce thickens slightly, about 1 minute.