10 things I learned my first year blogging:
As I come up on my first anniversary of my blog I am so excited! After blogging for a year I can see what I have learned, and well, I wanted to share some of it (I actually had photos for each example but then I got engaged and that messed my process up, totally not complaining, oh and by engaged I mean ring on my finger! We are getting married!).
When I started my blog I had been going through a hard time. A stint of unemployment that I still enjoy till this day, but for some reason I cope with it differently. I feel I have found my voice again. Not that is was lost completely, but that it has been made stronger and wiser.
Above all I these are the things I have learned:
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Spaghetti al Tonno (Spaghetti with Tuna)
This is one of my monthly go to dinner recipes. I love it cause it is healthy, fast, simple, and absolutely delicious! Spaghetti with Tuna was inspired from my Silver Spoon Pasta Cookbook. I really love that cookbook, and Italian cooking because more often then not Italian recipes are simple and contain a handful of quality ingredients.
So please don’t get turned off by the Anchovy; it’s just one Anchovy chopped up into itsy bitsy pieces and melts in the sauce. I buy my Anchovy’s in these little tins like most people. They come with about ten, and don’t keep long after you open them. This is a problem for me because I don’t cook with Anchovy’s daily. To help prevent wasting them after I open them I freeze them. I take a large piece of plastic wrap and place it on the counter. I put one Anchovy down at the edge of the plastic wrap and then fold the plastic wrap over it, then I put another Anchovy and do the same thing. Basically, I am freezing them in an accordion type fashion, so I can pull out one at a time when I have a recipe that calls for it.
Full RecipeMacaroni Salad
This is a family recipe that I have altered a tiny tinny bit. Basically Mom adds more mustard to hers then I do. We have had this salad at countless family gatherings, and I know it is still a top choice for both of my Brothers. It is really easy to make and I whipped some up this morning for small dinner party.
Aaron and I are going over to my younger brother Kurtis’s house to have dinner with his family. We are most looking forward to this dinner and hoping that little Cameron will love the salad and he will carry the tradition on for another generation.
I understand that most people already have a family salad whether it be potato, pasta, or macaroni. This is one of those recipes that is a crowd pleaser. You can make large quantity’s of this for large crowds, and whenever I make it I always get requests for the recipe. Looking for a simple side that is a crowd pleaser? This is your dish.
Full RecipeScallop and Shrimp Spaghetti
Let’s just take a moment to appreciate the photo. Gosh she is pretty. Some of my dishes photo really well; and then there is this pasta. This dish steals all the thunder of any of my other posts (well maybe bacon looks better, but you get the point). Rarely do I get a photo that demonstrates how truly wonderful my food taste, well that up in till now. This is one of those moments, let’s just stop and take in the beauty of this pasta. The colors and textures are so vivid; I bet you could almost smell it. . . Can’t you?
This recipe does not need to be made with both scallops and shrimp, it does not need to be made with jumbo sized shrimp and large scallops. The cooking time just needs to be adjusted depending on the size of the seafood you choose. So if all you have is shrimp, use shrimp. Use what you have.
Full RecipeRoasted Vegetable Lasagna
This is a great recipe for company because it can be made in advance and it is not expensive to make. It is also great because it allows you to use up all the odds and end vegetables you accumulated over the week in the refrigerator.
I’m also posting this recipe for all my family and friends who have the ability to farm vegetables in backyards. In the next coming months people will have zucchini and other fresh veggies come out of their ears. This is a nice way to use them up, enjoy! Please note the roasted vegetables equal about one cup of veggies per items for a total of 5 cups. Mix and max with what you have on hand.
Full RecipeRavioli Napoletana
This recipe comes from my Silver Spoon Pasta Cookbook. The filling for this ravioli is a perfect way to use up some of that left over Easter Ham. If you don’t want to make your own ravioli pasta dough, you can always buy wanton or egg roll wrappers in your local grocery store. They stock these wrappers in the fresh and frozen sections.
This sauce I chose is a very delicate tomato sauce. It’s beyond simple to make and can be used on a variety of pasta dishes. Trust me try it once you will be hooked. Enjoy!
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