Not so soupy chicken parm "soup"

This recipe definitely did not turn out as planned. But for the first time, my messed up cooking resulted in some sort of delicious dinner J was begging to have again the next day. I originally saw the recipe online but couldn't find all the exacts as to how to make it. So I found a recipe similar and along the way something clearly went wrong. My soup definitely was not soupy at all. But boy it was so good, and definitely a recipe I will be making again very soon.


Ingredients

2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced (I always use extra garlic, can never have too much!)
3 tbsp. tomato paste
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes (Next time, I will use 1/2 tsp. But if you like hot, keep it 1!)
1 15-oz can diced tomatoes
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth (I only had 3 cups in this house. Step 1 where I went wrong I think!)
1 lb. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch chunks (I used think sliced chicken breasts, which I breaded in Italian bread crumbs and cooked prior to starting the rest of this recipe, then chopped it up.)
8 oz. penne (I used more, oh well!)
1 1/2 cups shredded parmesan
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
salt
black pepper
fresh parsley, for optional garnish (I didn't use any!)


Lets get cookin'

1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add onion and cook until tender and golden, for about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook about 1 minute longer, until fragrant.
2. Stir in tomato paste and crushed red pepper flakes.
3. Add diced tomatoes and chicken broth, and bring to a simmer.
4. Stir in chicken, and bring back to a simmer. (If you add raw chicken, cook until its cooked through, about 12 minutes.)
5. Add pasta, cook until al dente. (About 6-8 minutes)
6. Right before serving, mix in parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, and stir until just melted.
7. Season with salt and pepper.
8. Spoon into bowls, top with parsley and enjoy!

I served with dinner tolls and they were the perfect combo!

Garlic Balls of Glory

These little guys were AMAZING. And they were extremely cheap and simple to make, making them a triple threat and so totally a keeper. J and I already made them multiple times, and usually we end up eating the whole bunch within 24 hours. 

Ingredients:

1 can refrigerated biscuits (like Pillsbury)
3 mozzarella cheese sticks, cut into 4 pieces each (or 1 piece for however many you're making)
4 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon of garlic powder (I used extra, can never have too much garlic!)
1 teaspoon of Italian seasoning 
1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees and grease a baking sheet (I used parchment paper because I'm a fan of easy  clean up!) Separate each biscuit. Place one piece of cheese in the center of each biscuit, pinch the sides around the cheese so it is completely encased by the biscuit dough. Place seam-side down on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes until golden.

When biscuits are almost done cooking, melt butter. Stir in garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and parmesan cheese.

When biscuits are done baking, brush butter mixture over each biscuit. Serve warm. Enjoy!

Italian Sausage and Tortellini

J and I could not get enough of this meal! Before we finished this pot we had already decided when to make it next.

10/10 ⭐️’s!

Italian Sausage Tortellini

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups diced onions
1 lb mild Italian sausage
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
¾ cup chicken broth
1 (14.5 ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
½ cup regular or heavy cream
9 ounces tortellini (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh baby spinach, (Optional! Doesn’t add a taste. Just adds some color.)

Instructions:
Heat olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. When the oil is very hot, add the onions. Squeeze the sausage from the end of the link to remove it from its casing and add directly into the pan. Use a spatula to break up the sausage into bite-sized pieces. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is browned. Reduce heat to low, then add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

Add broth, tomatoes, cream, and tortellini to the skillet. Stir to combine. Increase heat and bring to a boil.

Cover, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until tortellini are tender and heated through. Taste the sauce and add plenty of salt and pepper to taste. I used 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Add spinach and stir until softened and wilted. Remove from heat and serve.

Makes: 4 servings.

Homegrown.

Although this crazy New England weather brought it some colder air today, J and I decided to get a little mini hike in before this first day of spring snow storm hits us. Again we kept it local and only traveled about 15 minutes to the next town over to Tucker’s Ridge (also known as the Housatonic Overlook).

This wasn’t my first time here but the view still look my breath away a little. You can see everything and it is just so peaceful. The few times over been I’ve only run into two people here, essentially you’re alone with your thoughts. It’s a great little trail. Steep at points but nothing greater than what we’ve already hiked this year. I’ll definitely be back, maybe next time with the dogs in tow.

  

Travel Local

I’ve been wanting to adventure for awhile now. Recently I had the day off and was blessed with the warmest weather day of the year. In turn J and I drove about 40 minutes north to Roaring Brook Falls in Cheshire CT. We kept it pretty local due to time restrictions but it was still quite the adventure. While some of the drive there was highway ridden, most of it was quite scenic and very enjoyable with the windows and sun roof wide open. There definitely wasn’t a lack of country music on this trip either. Which I’m sure J was just thrilled about 😉. After veering off the main road into a suburban neighborhood I was sure we were lost. But low and behold my trusty gps women got us to a dead end street and sitting there along side the road was the trail start marker sign. We had arrived.

We loaded up water and my Canon Rebel into a backpack, and headed down the trail. To be honest I was a little surprised. The trail seemed easy at first. Paved and despite being a little windy it was flat for the most part. We blended around tennis courts and a picnic area, coming up to a body of water we took a moment to look around and of course snap a few pictures then proceeded on. After greeting a few dogs, we rounded another bend which brought us to a giant randomly unexpected fire place. I could even fit inside the mouth of it. Of course this called for a few pictures and a shot at getting the selfie stick to work.

Following the trail once more, we crossed over two little wooden bridges, acting as a way across small runoff streams. It wasn’t until hear that I could actually hear the water falls. Which was good because once we got around the next bend coming up I was going to need all the motivation in the world.

We came to the bend and let a few people pass so we could selfie in peace 😉 and then kept going. And as soon as you turn the bend it smacks you in the face. The nice little smooth walk is over and smack dab in front of us was a hugely steep slope that we now had to make our way up. My legs and lungs hurt just looking at it. I am in no means in good shape whatsoever. I knew this would be a bitch but I was determined to reach the top. I think J hated me a little, not being outdoorsy at all, but he pushed me and rooted me on and we made our way up. Multiple breaks and complains later we came to a flat land and rested for a bit. At this point the waterfall was louder than ever and I was so determined to get to the top. We kept on trucking and before we knew it there it was. Connecticut’s largest waterfall, and we had just climbed it. It was so gratifying and definitely worth the climb, which only took us like 25 minutes!

A short break and lots of pictures after we agreed it was time to make our trek down. It was steeper than I had remembered coming up but the slipping and laughing at each other made it bearable. Plus there were lots of dogs on the trails now and that just makes everything better.

The next morning I awoke feeling refreshed and not the slightest bit sore from the journey. I was thankful for that and felt very accomplished for having reached the top.

It might not have been the travels I’ve been seeking but it was definitely an adventure I was glad to do.

  

I haven't been everywhere, but it's on my list.

I crave being able to travel. I think I always have. For someone who hates being home, I get homesick quite easily. And for someone who gets so homesick, I often find myself with the urge and craving to travel and wander. I crave new experiences and new adventures. I want to see the world for everything it is and everything it has to offer. How am i supposed to know who i am going to be, when I hardly know whats out there? How am I supposed to define myself when there are so many places and so many things I have no gotten the chance to see and experience. I only know one way of life and the norms of the life I have been living in my small town the last 21 years. I don't know how other people live. I don't know about other cultures and ways of life. And I want to so badly. I want to see it all. I want to find myself on a journey to find out everything I don't already know, and then some. I want to discover myself in this wonderful world we call home.