Things That Are Making Me Happy Today

1.  Feeling much better than the past several days.  Left work early to go see the doctor yesterday.  That man sure did work miracles.  He gave me some sort of "sinus" cocktail shot.  He explained the details, but in my incoherent state I don't really remember them.  He also gave me a B-12 shot.  This morning I woke up almost congestion free and with lots of energy.  I use the word "lots" loosely because before I had zero energy.


2.  Getting my paper that is due for class tonight completely finished.  That is such a nice feeling.  I was dreading writing this paper, but now that it's over, it wasn't so bad after all.  I had to write about developing a vision for a school, sharing the vision with all the stakeholders, making sure the vision is implemented, and monitor the progress toward meeting that vision.  I realize it was a great way to see what kind of leader I want to be and what I want my school to "look" like.


3.  The last thing that is making me happy today is The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond.  I know I'm a little slow jumping into her wonderful blogging world (I've only known about her a couple months), but I just love her.  She is funny, real, has lots of yummy recipes, and shares good photography and home and garden advice.  My favorite thing about her site has to be the recipes and the wonderful kitchen giveaways she is always having.  I still have my fingers crossed on winning one of the Kitchen Aid stand mixers she is giving away.  I'm actually making one of her recipes tonight for dinner.  We had it a couple weeks ago and love it.

Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms

Here is the recipe if you are interested.  She has step-by-step directions with pictures and a printable verson on her site.  

Pasta with Bacon and Mushrooms (courtesy of thepioneerwoman.com)

Prep Time: 10 Minutes

Cook Time: 15 Minutes

Difficulty: Easy

Servings: 4

Ingredients

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 3 slices Thin Bacon, Cut Into 1/2-inch Pieces
• 3 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1 package (10 Ounce) White Button Mushrooms, Sliced Thin
• 1 cup Low Sodium Chicken Broth (OR Dry White Wine)
• 1 cup Half-and-half
• ¼ cups Heavy Whipping Cream
• 3 whole Green Onions, White And Light Green Parts Sliced
• ¼ cups Flat-leaf Parsley, Minced
• ½ cups Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese
• Salt To Taste
• Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste
• 1 pound Thin Spaghetti Or Angel Hair Pasta
• Extra Parmesan, For Sprinkling

Preparation Instructions

Cook pasta according to package directions.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add bacon pieces and cook until light brown but not crisp. Remove bacon from pan and set aside. Do not clean pan.

Add mushrooms and garlic to pan. Toss/stir around and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes; increase heat to high if needed to help mushrooms begin to turn golden brown.

Pour in chicken broth. Stir, scraping the bottom of the pan to loosen any bits. Cook over medium-high heat for several minutes, or until the liquid is reduced by half.

Reduce heat and pour in half and half and cream. Stir and allow to bubble and thicken for a couple of minutes. Add sliced green onions and parsley, then cook for one more minute. Finally, add Parmesan and stir, allowing cheese to melt and incorporate into the sauce. Turn off heat.

Add cooked pasta to a large bowl. Add half the sauce from the pan. Toss with tongs. ***Add 1/2 cup hot pasta water at this point if the pasta mixture is too thick and gunky. Toss and add more water until it reaches the consistency you need.***

Serve pasta in individual bowls, topping each helping with the rest of the sauce. Sprinkle with extra parsley and extra Parmesan.

Enjoy!

I highly recommend it.  It's fairly easy and reheats well if you have a small family like us that doesn't eat it all in one sitting.  By the way I used Ree's picture because my food never turns out as pretty as hers.