Carrrrrmelitos!

The best thing to ever come from an ex-boyfriend- his grandmother's recipe for these delicious carmel-chocolate-oat bars. SO good. We are going to make them tonight for some new neighbors, who I'm sure, after consuming said Carmelitos, will become our bff's. 

Ingredients

2 cups oats

2 c. flour

1 ½ c. brown sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 ½ sticks butter, melted

1 jar (Pint) Mrs. Richardson’s butterscotch caramel

1 pkg milk chocolate chips

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix dry ingredients together, pour in melted butter. Mix well.

Spread half (or a little more) of mixture into 9 ½ by 13 in. pan. Bake for about 17 minutes or until golden brown. Right before you take the crust out of the oven, melt caramel in microwave for about 1 minute to soften. Pour caramel over top of crust. Then sprinkle on chocolate chips. (Make this as chocolately or caramely to your own taste). Spread the rest of the oat mixture on top. Bake for another 8 minutes. Let them COMPLETELY COOL and cut, at room temperature, into any size bars.

Roasted Carrots

Another winner from Pioneer Woman. Actually, from her friend, Pastor Ryan. Anyway, this recipe is magic. It takes about 3 minutes to get ready, and then for the next 40 minutes your home will be filled with the most lovely aromas...When the carrots are done, you'll be amazed at how sweet they are and you will dream of carrots this way...promise!

photo from here

Ingredients

• 12 carrots
• 1 handful of fresh thyme 
• 1/4 Cup Olive Oil

First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees. Cut the ends off of your carrots, then cut them in half lengthwise. It's important to try and make the carrots uniform size, because if they're not, some will be too crunchy and some too soft. 


Next, lay the carrots on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Toss them around so they all get coated. Next, sprinkle the thyme on them, as well as a generous amount of salt and pepper. Arrange them on a baking sheet and cook for 35-40 minutes.

Fettuccine Alfredo

I have never been a huge fan of Fettuccine Alfredo, but it's one of Jase's favorites, and since he is eating real food again after a long two weeks of bland, soft foods, I decided to make it for him last night for dinner. I found a recipe over at Pioneer Woman's website, and it was amazing! I don't even want to think about how many calories are in it, so I won't. I halved the recipe and it was perfect for 2 people. 


Enjoy!!

photo from here

Ingredients

• 1 pound Fettuccine Noodles
• 1 Stick butter
• 1 Cup Heavy Cream
• Salt and Pepper, to taste
• 2 Cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a saucepan or skillet, warm butter and cream. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Grate Parmesan cheese and place half of it into a large serving bowl. Pour warm butter/cream mixture over the top.

Drain pasta and immediately pour it into the bowl.
Toss a couple of times, then sprinkle in the other half of the Parmesan.

Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if necessary.
Serve immediately as a main course or accompaniment to meat or salad.

Sauteed Zucchini!

I have been on a huge veggie kick lately (it's Spring and produce is fresh again!) 

Jase and I made this as a side for my birthday dinner. Neither of us could remember the last time we ate zucchini but I saw this recipe somewhere and thought it looked lovely. It did not disappoint! It was superbly easy to make (under 10 minutes) and is for sure one of our favorite veggie recipes EVER.

photo from here

Sauteed Zucchini

• Zucchini
• 1 tbsp (more or less, to your taste) olive oil
• oregano or other Italian herbs
• 1 glove garlic, crushed
• salt and fresh pepper
• lemon juice

Cut zucchinis in half, and then cut lengthwise until you have pretty thin 3-4 inch strips. Season with salt and pepper. In a large saute pan, heat olive oil on medium-high heat. Add zucchini to pan, add oregano and sauté about 2 minutes on each side. Add garlic and cook another few minutes, until tender. At the last minute, I added some fresh lemon juice and it was perfect! Enjoy :)

Strawberry Summer Salad + Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

It was my birthday (22!) yesterday and Jase and I made an amazing strawberry salad inspired by my favorite at Zupas. Included were: Mixed (but mostly iceberg) lettuce, craisins, candied walnuts, strawberries, and bacon bits. It was delicious by itself, but what made it mouth-wateringly good was this amazing Vinaigrette recipe I found at Our Best Bites. It's fast, easy, and tastes wonderfully sweet with a bit of a kick- I even took leftovers to work today. Enjoy!

Honey Red Wine Vinaigrette

 

1/2 c. red wine vinegar

1/2 c. honey

1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (really, that’s pretty optional; it all goes in the blender)

1 tsp. Kosher salt

1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

1/2 c. canola oil

In a blender, combine vinegar, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Place lid on blender and blend on high. While blender is running, add oil in a steady stream. Store in refrigerator for about 2-3 weeks. Shake well before serving.

Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus

photo from here

 Jase had his tonsils out two weeks ago, so I didn't post any recipes during that time because our meals mostly consisted of mashed potatoes and jello and popsicles. 

Yesterday, I found this recipe here and loved it immediately. I am a sucker for anything asparagus, and Jase loves pasta, so I thought it would be fitting for his first "real food" meal since the surgery. It was so so so so delicious- I think it's safe to say it was our favorite pasta dish yet. 

Enjoy!

 Baby Pasta Shells with Asparagus *

*I modified the recipe slightly from the original by using Trader Joe's 3 Cheese Pasta Sauce instead of homemade marinara. Because that Trader Joe's sauce is addicting and wonderful and we love it.

Ingredients

• 8 oz baby pasta shells (gluten free use brown rice pasta)
• 1 bunch thin asparagus, tough ends removed
• 1 1/2 cups homemade marinara sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano
• salt and fresh pepper to taste

Boil about 4 inches of water in a large pot, when boiling add asparagus and cook about 2 to 3 minutes, or until tender crisp. Drain and chop into small bite sized pieces.Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil (you can use the same pot from the asparagus not to dirty too many dishes). Cook pasta according to package directions for al dente. Return pasta back to the pot and toss with marinara, asparagus, grated cheese, salt and pepper and a 1/4 cup of the pasta water or as needed to loosen the sauce. Divide between four bowls and top with fresh pepper and more grated cheese if desired.