This is not your traditional pasta dish. You might have noticed that I have been on a Southwestern food kick. So has everyone else. Something about hot weather that gives me a taste for the spicy foods; the tangy, warm, earthy flavors of the Southwest.

This dish really does need a strong pasta to handle it. I recommend whole wheat because it has a firmer texture and the nutty flavor is perfect. The rich sauce is tangy but it cools the heat of the peppers.The cumin’s warm, earthiness pulls it all together into creamy, spicy perfection. Normally I would not serve …read more

I had to think here because, although I am a linguist, and I spoke French fluently in high school, it has been a long, long time. In fact, I am not so sure about my English at this point.
Now, you ask, why oh why would I give a pasta dish a french moniker? Simple. Classic french ingredients. Chevre, spinach, lavender buds… You can substitute more cream cheese for the chevre but it won ‘t be quite as tangy. If you can find a local dairy that makes homemade chevre then go for itl. That is what I use.
This is my …read more

Remember this by the Beatles?
I’d like to be under the sea
In an octopus’ garden in the shade
He’d let us in, knows where we’ve been
In his octopus’ garden in the shade
This is a very kid friendly dish. I saw it somewhere on the internet and I don’t know where, so if I swiped this great idea from you please let me know and I will giveyou due credit and blog linkage.

How cute are these octopi?  And it really does not get easier.  Ramen noodles, spinach, and hot dogs.  That’s it.  A quick and super simple lunch or dinner…or even after …read more

A couple of things…
First, don’t forget about Presto Pasta tomorrow.  I am hosting and you won’t believe some of the amazing dishes submitted so far…but I know I am missing one…YOURS! Be sure to submit it soon.
Second, the cool folks at Eggology are doing a promotion for Earth Day.  They emailed me and asked me to ask YOU to participate.  It’s because you guys are so cool, you know, everyone wants to be your friend.
Anyway.  They are inviting you to let them know what you are doing to respect the environment; at home, at the office, where ever.  Just go …read more

I love Presto Pasta nights, don’t you?  Ruth Daniels, Once Upon a Feast, has done an amazing job keeping it going and keeping pasta on everyone’s dinner table on a regular basis.  Besides, I have come to really like and respect her as a blogging friend.

Anyway I get to host PPN 108..Can you believe it? ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHT!  One hundred eight weeks of yummy pasta.  So, put your pasta thinking caps on, and please make me look good here.  Daring Bakers, you DO have a pasta dish for PPN 108, as I recall!
I have been working on a star …read more

This is my entry for Presto Pasta Nights, but it may not be my only one.  It is Presto Pasta Night’s 100th posting date and I wanted to do something special..This was incredible but I am still working on a more incredible birthday surprise..which may or may not work.
Seriously.  Cajun Black Bean Fettuccine. Yum.  You have to like spice for this…and you have to go to Bacon Freaks and get the cajun bacon.
This is spicy.  And different.  And good.

This is my entry for this weeks Presto Pasta night hosted by Haalo of  Cook Almost Anything.
One of my favorite things to experiment with is pesto.  It is just so darn good!  I like to grow different kinds of basil because each one adds a different complexity to the pesto.
Then I started experimenting with different herbs as the basic ingredients.  I found that one of my favorite spins on fresh pesto is to make it with cilantro and pecans.
Welcome to Texas.

O.k. I admit it.  This is nothing more than macaroni and cheese.  I promised the kids macaroni and cheese and there was no way I could change mid stream…
Or was there?

 
Oddly enough there was a little bit of the creamed spinach left.  And, not so oddly enough I needed a quick side dish.

 
This is my entry for this week’s presto pasta.  It’s kind of embarrassing because it is so simple that there isn’t even really a recipe.
A few weeks ago I was given a large amount of on-the-edge tomatoes.  I tossed them in the crockpot with garlic, basil, oregeno, onion, and various other sauce ingredients, let them simmer for several hours, and then pureed them and canned them in quart jars.  It was alot of work but I was so glad to have created 8 quarts of free spagetti sauce base!