Spaghetti and Meatball Bake and Cheesy Garlic and Herb Bread

Breads and Muffins, Pasta

Hey kids! This week has been SUPER long. Tomorrow is finally Friday! The hubby and I are going on a much needed date night and the girls are going to the gym. My awesome gym has Date night every Friday night. We take advantage of it every few weeks. Not sure what we will do, but I can guarantee there will be a cocktail or two involved for this mama :0

Tonight I made a riff on Spaghetti and Meatballs. I basically put all the cooked ingredients (pasta- whole wheat thin spaghetti, meatballs- frozen and thawed in a pan, and sauce- marinara that I added fresh basil and thyme to) in a casserole pan and topped with shredded mozzarella. I baked it for 15 minutes, right about when the cheese started to bubble and turn brown.

The V-shaped basil at the bottom has no meatballs. Perfect for some veggie pasta leftovers =)

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I also made some garlic herb butter (3 tablespoons butter, 3 minced garlic, and 1 handful of chopped basil and thyme) that I slathered on some bread. Then I topped it with mozzarella. You are welcome! =) Amy
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One Pan Meal- Baked Chicken Thighs and Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic

Chicken, One pot meal, potatoes

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing Sunday! After yesterday’s race, all I wanted to do today was sleep in and be lazy. I got my wish. We slept until almost 9. The girls came in requesting Waffle House, so we got up and ate some yummy food. I sat outside and read magazines while the girls played. I sat around and watched a bunch of DVR shows that I needed to catch up on…(Bones, The Americans, and The Kitchen). Later I cooked this yummy easy meal.

Baked Chicken Thighs and Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic

Ingredients

6 chicken Thighs (on sale for $3.26 at Kroger!!!)
6 small Idaho potatoes, chopped in to small pieces. Use what you have; red, russet, purple, etc…
6 pieces of garlic, crushed and minced
1 large handful of chopped herbs- basil, sage, rosemary, and thyme (mix with garlic and a bit of olive oil to form a paste)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350. Chop potatoes in to a small dice. Chop your garlic and herbs. Spray a baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Lay potatoes flat in the pan and coat with olive oil. Add half of the garlic and herb paste. Mix well. Salt and pepper both sides of your chicken thighs. Lay on top of the potatoes. Add the rest of the herb and garlic paste to the top of each piece of chicken. Cook for 45 minutes or until potatoes are done and chicken is cooked through.006 012

Family Favorite- Beer Battered Cod

Seafood

Evening guys! So today was the day we have been preparing for all season. It was the Girls on the Run 5k. I was a little worried last night when it was raining and it was predicted to storm all day. I was equally worried when I heard the rain as I got ready and drove through the rain to the Georgia Tech campus, the BEAUTIFUL site for the run. Once we all got there, thankfully it was delayed 1 hour. After this time, the sky was cloudy but the rain had stopped. It was a great run! What a great inspiration to see young girls run and feel empowered to be themselves and achieve great things!

After the race, most of the coaches went to lunch at a local diner. If you are ever in Downtown Atlanta near Georgia Tech, you should go to OK Diner. It was pretty yummy. Everyone loved their food…hamburgers, chicken and waffles, eggs and grits, french toast and bacon, and a turkey club (mine- the best turkey club I have ever eaten; and the fries were legit…)

When I got home, I showered and immediately took a nap with my kitty, Pumpkin (16 years old, blind,and sick; please keep him in your thoughts and prayers). Then I read for a bit and piddled around the house before I went to the store to buy the ingredients for dinner.

Beer Battered Cod

Ingredients-

1 1/2 pounds of firm-fleshed white fish cut into “nuggets”, but you can make them in to strips, or whole pieces if you want. I used cod, but you can use any white fish you like.
Beer Batter-
Whisk the following in a medium mixing bowl:
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
Whisk together slowly with 1 cup of brown beer. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

Directions-

Heat some vegetable oil in a pan. While it is heating up, dredge your fish in some cornstarch and tap off any excess cornstarch. Dip in to the batter and put in oil. Don’t crowd the pan. When the batter is set on one side, turn the fish over and cook until golden brown and delicious.

I served with some Annie’s Mac and Cheese and green beans.
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Running Buddies and Semi-Homemade Pasta Salad

Pasta, Salads, Vegetarian

Hey guys! So last night I had a craving for pasta salad. I had just left a very fulfilling and kinda weird Girls on The Run practice. It was our last practice before the big 5k this Saturday. A couple of girls and I led the pack. We had just circled the school almost 4 times (about 2 miles). We were on track to probably run another 2 laps before practice ended; another mile to almost complete a 5k. Then the fire alarm of the school sounded. We stopped and everyone was in a bit of a panic. What do we do? Everyone in the building had to evacuate. We were almost at the front, so I asked them to run the rest of the way with me. They were in and we ran our hearts out. It was awesome!

On the way home, I really wanted pasta. Then I thought about veggie pasta. But I was so hot, so maybe I wanted something cold? OHHHHH, pasta salad, just like in the summer!!! I thought of last July 4th when I made an awesome pasta salad that everyone loved and gobbled up…https://funfoodiefamily.com/2014/07/05/make-it-your-own-boxed-pasta-salad/ So I made this, except I added sun dried tomatoes and feta cheese. SO GOOD!!!!!!

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Leftover Loving- Veggie Alfredo Pasta

Dips, Dressings, and Spreads, Pasta, Vegetarian

Good afternoon! I hope everyone had a great day. Last night I was trying to think of something to make for lunch with the leftovers in my fridge. I spied some leftover Alfredo noodles and a bunch of veggies.

So I prepped the veggies and sauteed them in a couple tablespoons of olive oil with plenty of salt and pepper.
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I started cooking 1 onion-chopped, 2 carrots- sliced, 3 stalks of celery-sliced, and 1/2 container of sliced mushrooms, about 15 minutes. Then I added some cooked shelled edamame and 2 handfuls of spinach to warm the peas and wilt the spinach, about 5 minutes. Last, I added in the pasta (already cooked with the Alfredo Sauce- or use jarred if you have it).

Homemade Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
1 stick butter
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan
Pasta cooking water, as needed

Directions
In a saucepan or skillet, warm the butter and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Add the Parmesan and stir until melted. Toss to combine, thinning with pasta water if needed.

If it needs more sauce, you can add more heavy cream, butter and Parm. Or even a little olive oil will do.

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