Dinner Tonight: Caprese Pasta

Mmm. This was what was for  dinner tonight. It was so good.

Caprese Pasta
1 lb Cavatappi Pasta (I used Rigatoni)
1.5 lbs Heirloom Tomatoes, cored, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Sliced Black Olives
2 Tbsp Capers (I didn't use capers because I couldn't find a store that carried them!!)
2 Tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 lb Fresh Mozzarella Cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup Fresh Torn Basil

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain.
In large bowl, combine tomatoes, olive oil, capers, and balsamic vinegar. Add pasta to bowl and stir to combine. Fold in Mozzarella and Basil.
Serve warm or at room temperature.

Making Cookies With Collin!

I made one crown cut-out for him to 'color'

Today, we made sugar cookies and cut them out with the mushroom cookie cutter. We had so much fun baking and frosting them!

I gave Collin a little spatula and a bowl with all the colors. He had a blast (and made a huge mess!)
He definitely got his daily (well, WEEKLY) sugar intake all in one hour!
We did tie-dye ones, ones with polka dots and solid colors. They look cute and taste yummy! I wanted to do fall colors at first, but that's so not me. : )
Yummy!!

Mal's Chicken Salad Sandwich Recipe

I have NEVER found/eaten a Chicken Salad Sandwich from somewhere and liked it. It's either the Miracle Whip (ew!) or the nasty, smushy grapes or it ends up being tuna and not chicken.
So I came up with this. It kind of reflects my mom's chicken rice salad recipe, but in sandwich form. It sounds funky, but it's delectable and easy. I eat it with Cheddar and Lettuce. mmm... Plus, you can eat it on bread or on crackers.

1 can chicken
sliced grapes
sliced almonds
chopped celery
halved/sliced grape tomatoes (I like Honey Bunch (orange) grape toms)
Mayo (mix in to the consistency you like)
onion powder
salt
pinch of paprika

And sometimes if I am in the mood, I add a small can of mandarin oranges. If you use them, make sure you are eating your sammie right away cuz the oranges make the bread soggy fast.

Artichoke & Spinach French Bread Pizzas

YUM! I made this tonight and it was fabulous. If you like spinach dip and bread, then you will love this! Little C-man even liked it! Served with salad.

1 Baguette, Quartered

2 Tbsp Butter

2 Tbsp EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 onion, finely chopped

Salt & Pepper

3 Tbsp Flour

1 1/2 cups Milk

1 pinch Nutmeg

2 (10 oz) pkgs frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry

1 (9 oz) can artichoke hearts, quartered

1/2 cup grated Parmesano-Reggiano Cheese

2 cups shredded mozzarella or provolone cheese

2 Tbsp finely chopped fresh thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread on baking sheet. In skillet, melt butter with EVOO over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook until softened, about 5 mins; season with salt and pepper. Whisk in flour for 1 min then whisk in milk and season with nutmeg. cook until thick, about 5 mins. pull spinach apart and add to sauce. Fold in artichokes and cook until heated through. Stir in Parmesano-Regianno, season with salt and remove from heat. spread the spinach mixture on bread and top with mozzarella. bake until the cheese is melted, 10-12 mins. Top with thyme.

YUM!!!! I loved it. Kid loved it. Hubby liked it and it was fairly cheap and super easy!