Penne with Chicken, Tomato & Basil

Easy. Isn't pasta just so easy? It's a go-to meal when you only have 30 minutes. Or 25. Or maybe 15. In any case, pasta is fantastic.

And so was the fresh basil from my garden!!!

So here's the ingredients:

1/2 lb of pasta, I like penne
2 chicken breasts, grilled and then sliced thinly
2 cans of diced tomatoes
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese for topping
Fresh basil - about 1/2 cup lightly packed and julienned
1/4 cup of the pasta cooking water

Make the pasta. Reserve 1/4 cup of the water.

Saute the onion and garlic until clear. Add in the tomatoes. Cook until the tomato juice has reduced by about half (but I was in a hurry, so I didn't really wait that long...). Then add in the salt and pepper and the basil, along with the pasta water if it seems to need it. Mix with the chicken and hot pasta.

Serve topped with parmesan cheese and garlic bread for sopping up the sauce.

YUM.

P.S. While I was making this, I thought that I should wear a shirt that showed cleavage, a la Giada...

Friday To-Do List

1. Read some of my current book: All Together Dead (Original MM Art): A Sookie Stackhouse Novel (Sookie Stackhouse/True Blood)

2. Paint my toe nails.

3. Come to the conclusion that yes, conditioner is a better shaving cream than actual shaving cream (in other words, shave my left leg).

4. Water Shirley-the-Neighbor's flowers.

5. Finish the laundry

6. Organize and put away the laundry, particularly: find matching sheets/pillow cases

7. Make some sort of grilled chicken quesadilla for lunch

8. Furminate the dog.

9. Clean the dining room floor. Ugh. I think I will have to get down on my hands and knees too, otherwise the Swiffer WetJet leaves some sort of film. Gross.

10. Maybe stop and get some mixers for vodka (huh, fun weekend for McTatty/Bimmer? Yes, hopefully)

11. Go out to dinner with Leah and her hubby (so Bimmer and Leah's husband know each other from college, Bimmer and I met at a frat party. But that's a whole new post).

12. Stir up my compost bin.

So I guess my Friday is going to be a fun filled adventure.

Outdoor Seating?

So I adore our conversation set from Sear's that we had so much trouble obtaining (that little, I mean, lengthy post will come in the next week or so). I love it so much that one night Bimmer Man dragged a chair outside to the garage for me so I could read while he worked on the car.

So I'm thinking that maybe we need 2 outdoor chairs on our deck (no coffee table, not enough room) with maybe a footrest and side tables? Hmm... Oh, the possibilities... (though due to budget cuts, this may not be an option for awhile. We will probably just go with the Indiana Hoosiers camp chair and broken Ikea table).

Corsica Outdoor Oversized Chair $799

Corsica Outdoor Ottoman $539

Monaco Chair & Ottoman Set $1,119.99

Corsica Woven Top End Table $299

Le sigh. Maybe I will win the lottery some day.

Tin Wall Tiles

Pottery Barn Vintage Tin Tiles, set of 3 $99

These are way too cute! I'd love these for our living room (now that it's yellow) and I've been looking for blue accents. $99 is a bit much for me to spend though, if they were $39, then I'd totally order them. Le sigh. I wish my decorating budget was bigger. Oh, well!

Blueberry Muffins #315

Yum. Yum. Yum. Bimmer Man loves blueberry muffins and frankly, I'm always happy to try a new recipe.

I've also learned to line the muffin tin. It just makes transporting muffins to work easier!

And in the middle of July, well, there's nothing better than a little Halloween, right?

Mmmm....

To Die For Blueberry Muffins (from allrecipes.com)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup vegetable oil
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup butter, cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners.
2. Combine 1 1/2 cups flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt and baking powder. Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup. Mix this with flour mixture. Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture.
3. To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.
4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in the preheated oven, or until done.

Fun Kitchen Accessories

Numbered Nesting Bowls $59

Olive Cookbook Stand $34

Pendant Cage Lamp $129

Wine Regions Cheese Board $49

European Herb Holder $34

Brownies + S'Mores = YUM

Yum. Summer in one bite. Nope, actually camping all in one bite. S'mores in a brownie. YUM.

Butter and Chocolate.

Butter and chocolate on my wall. My pretty teal wall. Oops. Look at that chocolate.

Marshmallows.

YUM!!!

Le sigh. Just put all that onto my thighs, please.

Mmm... the crunchy goodness of the cracker right in the middle.

So Good Brownies

Prep: 10 min., Cook: 1 1/2 min., Bake: 40 min., Cool: 1 hr. This is our adaptation of a recipe many of our foodies use from Baker's Chocolate.

Yield: Makes 16 servings

Ingredients

• 4  (1-oz.) unsweetened chocolate baking squares
• 3/4  cup  butter
• 1 1/2  cups  granulated sugar
• 1/2  cup  firmly packed brown sugar
• 3  large eggs
• 1  cup  all-purpose flour
• 1  teaspoon  vanilla extract
• 1/8  teaspoon  salt

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Line bottom and sides of an 8-inch pan with aluminum foil, allowing 2 to 3 inches to extend over sides; lightly grease foil.

2. Microwave chocolate squares and butter in a large microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 1 1/2 to 2 minutes or until melted and smooth, stirring at 30-second intervals. Whisk in granulated and brown sugars. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking just until blended after each addition. Whisk in flour, vanilla, and salt.

3. Pour mixture into prepared pan.

4. Bake at 350° for 40 to 44 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out with a few moist crumbs. Cool completely on a wire rack (about 1 hour). Lift brownies from pan, using foil sides as handles. Gently remove foil, and cut brownies into 16 squares.

Test Kitchen Secret: Fast Stir-ins
Prepare the brownie batter as directed through Step 2. Add a few ingredients, tweak the baking times, and get ready to experience brownies unlike any we've discovered.
Caramel-Macchiato Brownies: Coffee fiends: Go with 1 Tbsp. espresso powder. Be advised—these are sticky! Avoid them if you wear braces.
Stir 1 cup miniature marshmallows, 1/2 cup caramel bits*, and 1 1/2 tsp. to 1 Tbsp. instant espresso into batter. Increase bake time to 44 to 46 minutes.
*12 caramels, quartered, may be substituted.
Note: Be sure to insert wooden pick into brownie, not marshmallow, when testing for doneness. (Marshmallows will rise to the top when baking.) We tested with Kraft Caramel Bits.
White Chocolate-Blueberry Brownies: A taste of chocolate-covered blueberries gave our Food staff this idea.
Stir 1 (3.5-oz.) package dried blueberries and 1 (4-oz.) white chocolate bar, coarsely chopped into batter. Increase bake time to 44 to 46 minutes.
Note: We tested with Sunsweet Dried Blueberries and Ghirardelli White Chocolate Baking Bar.
Toasted Coconut-Cashew Brownies: This spicy, nutty brownie got our top rating.
Spread 1 cup sweetened flaked coconut into a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until lightly toasted, stirring every 2 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Stir toasted coconut; 1/2 cup cashews, chopped; and 2 Tbsp. finely chopped crystallized ginger into batter. Increase bake time to 44 to 46 minutes.
Test Kitchen Secret: Easy Topping Upgrades
For indulgent and family-friendly double-decker brownies, prepare So Good Brownies as directed through Step 3. Add a topping layer and adjust the baking times slightly.
Peanut Butter Streusel Brownies: Stir together 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, 2 Tbsp. light brown sugar, 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, 1/3 cup chunky peanut butter, 2 Tbsp. melted butter, and 1/8 tsp. salt until blended and crumbly. Sprinkle peanut butter mixture over batter. Increase bake time to 50 to 54 minutes.
Candy-and-Pretzel Brownies: Sprinkle 1 cup pretzel sticks, broken into pieces, and 2 (3.7-oz.) king-size chocolate-coated caramel-peanut nougat bars, coarsely chopped, over batter. Increase bake time to 52 to 54 minutes.
Note: Be sure to insert wooden pick into brownies, not candy bar pieces, when testing for doneness. We tested with Snickers King Size candy bars.
Spicy Pecan Brownies: Whisk together 1 Tbsp. ancho chile powder, 2 Tbsp. maple syrup, 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1/8 tsp. salt, and 1/8 tsp. freshly cracked pepper in a medium bowl. Stir in 1 1/2 cups chopped pecans. Sprinkle pecan mixture over batter. Increase bake time to 42 to 46 minutes, shielding with aluminum foil during last 15 minutes of baking to prevent excessive browning, if necessary.

Southern Living, AUGUST 2009

Cork Board Cabinet Organizer

Sigh. The microwave. Just ignore how dirty it is. I know. I know. Just follow along with the FlyLady and clean your appliances every 15 minutes. Whatever. I don't do that. I just sort of, well, wipe when necessary.

The cabinets go all the way to the ceiling, which I really like. There's a TON of storage, though, now I can't reach it (Hey, Bimmer Man, can I just go get myself another footstool? Thanks...).

However, we also have a small fridge so it gets cluttered easily. I decided to just, well, go for being organized for a week and put up the corkboard. I only have pics of it half up because I got distracted (like now, I have pasta sauce on the stove which I'm supposed to be watching, but I'm not).


And now enjoy the lovely organizational zen which comes after being organized for about 30 seconds.

Ok, now I bought the corkboard at Target, used the two sided sticky thingys that came with (supplemented those with my hot glue gun) and fitted the pieces with straight edges (happened to be two cook books). I cut the cork board with regular scissors too.

Easy.

Obsessed: Boden Dresses

Oh, Kathy, I love you for sending me the link to Boden. Yes, yes, I do love you.

Cotton Shirt Dress on sale for $39

Embellished Sateen Dress $74

Pebble Spot Sundress $49

Wrap Jersey Dress $85

Le sigh. I love wearing dresses in the summertime.

Thirsty Thursday

My favorite summer beer.

Well, besides anything cold that might be in the refrigerator, like, you know, Mich Golden Light.