Skillet Penne, Spinach and Sausage Dinner

This is a fast dinner that all of my kids will eat. I personally love it!

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, minced in food processor

salt

3/4 pound sausage

3 garlic cloves, minced

8 ounces Penne

2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 (5 ounce) bag baby spinach

1/2 cup Parmesan, grated

Pepper

Heat oil in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add the onion and a dash of salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.

Stir in the sausage and cook, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes.

Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add penne. Pour the broth and cream over the pasta. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to simmer. stirring occasionally, until the pasta is tender about 10 minutes.

Stir in the spinach a handful at a time and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and pepper and serve.

Fluffy Dinner Rolls

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1/3 cup honey

4 tablespoons crisco shortening

3 tablespoons butter

1 large egg

5-5 1/2 cups flour

1 tablespoon yeast

2 teaspoons salt

Microwave the milk, honey, shortening, and butter together until butter and shortening are mostly melted about 2 minutes. Whisk to melt any remaining pieces of butter or shortening, then set aside to cool until just warm. Whisk in the egg.

Combine 5 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt in a Kitchen Aid fitted with dough hook. With the mixer on low speed, add the milk mixture and mix until the dough comes together, about 2 minutes.

Increase mixer speed to medium-low and knead until the dough is smooth and elastic, about 8 minutes. If after 4 minutes more flour is needed, add the remaining 1/2 cup flour, 2 tablespoons at a time, until the dough clears the sides of the bowl but sticks to the bottom.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured counter and knead by hand to form a smooth, round ball. place in a large lightly oiled bowl and cover with greased plastic wrap. Let rise until double in size 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Grease a 13x9 dish. Turn the dough out onto a clean counter and stretch it into an even 15-inch log. Cut the log into 15 equal pieces and cover with greased saran wrap. Shaping the rolls one at a time fold log in half and then pinch sides down into a ball. Once shaped and put in the dish spray lightly with vegetable spray and cover with saran wrap. Let rise for at least 20 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 25-30 minutes. Rotate pan halfway through baking. Pull it out of the oven and let it rest in the pan for 5 minutes on a cooling rack. Dump onto cloth and then spread tops with butter.

These rolls get very tall. They are a lot like a roll you would get at a nice restaurant.

Brian and I like to cook these in the dutch oven. Once all the rolls are formed, I roll them in a bowl of melted butter (about 1/3 cup) and put them in the 9x13 dish. I let them rise for 20 minutes and then place them in a 12 quart dutch oven which has 1/4 cup butter melted in the bottom. You will need 14 coals and cook for 30-35 minutes. The bottom of the rolls will be a nice golden brown. The top doesn't brown that much.

Granola

This is my moms recipe. I love it. I have changed it a little bit because I like it softer and with less things in it. The options for add-ins are limitless.

3 cups Oats

1 cup oat bran

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1/3 cup margarine, my favorite is Land O'Lakes brand

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla

You will need a two-quart dish. Microwave oats on high for 2 minutes. I stir it once at least. I let it cool a little, while I soften the margarine in the microwave for about 20 seconds. Add the oat bran and brown sugar. Break up all the brown sugar lumps. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir. Cook 5 minutes at 70 percent power level stirring once every minute.

You can cook it for a minute longer and it will be crunchier. At camp the girls added all kinds of dried fruit, raisins, m&ms, gummy bears, nuts, sunflower seeds... If you add a fruity candy like gummy bears all of the granola mix tastes like the gummy bears.

In the past I have melted 3 tablespoons butter with 1 package mini marshmallows and then add the granola and 1 cup of mini chocolate chips. Pour them into a greased 7x9 pyrex pan. Let it set and then you can wrap them in saran wrap or whatever you want.

I have just gotten back from girls camp. It was a lot of fun! I came up with a few more recipes. I don't think we are going to have a recipe theme tonight. I will just type till I get tired. It turns out the girls wanted to have a sleep over on the trampoline tonight and I have all the free time in the world.

Devre brought over peanut butter bars yesterday. They were delicious! I really appreciated them because I didn't make any dessert, and what is Sunday without dessert.

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Sour Cream Sugar Cookies

This is my Grandma Dustin's recipe. It is my favorite. I visited her while at college and she had made these.

1 cup shortning

1 cup sugar

1 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

Mix sugar, shortning, sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Add flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Mix well. Chill thoroughly. Roll out, cut, and bake at 325 degrees. 12-13 minutes

Cookies will look white

Macadamia Nut Vanilla Chip Cookies

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup margarine, softened

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup salted macadamia nuts

1 package vanilla milk chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a small bowl whisk flour, baking soda, and salt. In large mixer bowl combine sugar, brown sugar and margarine mix in low speed for 3 minutes. The mixture should be creamy and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and let mix 1 minute make sure to scrape the sides of the bowl with each addition. Add vanilla and mix again briefly. Be careful not to mix too much. Add flour mixture, nuts, and chips. I like to stir it by hand until fully incorporated. Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet. Bake for 7-9 minutes. Cool for 1 minute on baking sheets. Transfer to wire cooling rack.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

3 1/3 cups flour

3/4 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

16 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled

1 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 bag semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together in a large bowl and set aside.

Beat the butter and sugars in a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed until combined, 1-2 minutes. Beat in the eggs, egg yolks, and vanilla until combined, about 30 seconds, scraping down the bowl and beaters as needed.

Reduce the mixer speed to low and slowly mix in the flour mixture until combined, about 30 seconds. Mix in the chocolate chips until incorporated.

Working with 1/4 cup of dough at a time roll the dough into balls and lay on two parchment lined baking sheets, spaced about 2 1/2 inches apart. Bake until the edges are golden but the centers are still soft and puffy 17-20 minutes.

Let the cookies cool on the baking sheets for 10 minutes, then serve warm or transfer to a wire rack and let cool completely.

I also make these cookies with a regular cookie scooper. Then I bake for 7-10 minutes. I leave them on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes and then transfer to wire rack.

I haven't cooked much this week. I have had company. I like to enjoy my company instead of spending all of my time in the kitchen. If I was more organized I would cook and freeze meals so when company comes I could heat them up and have a good meal.

I love cookies. I usually try to have cookies in me freezer at all times. Whether it is frozen dough or baked cookies it doesn't matter to me. My husband just told me he could go the rest of his life and not eat another chocolate chip cookie. He likes my other cookies. It is a really good recipe. He just has had too many. I am now working on gathering more varieties. Today I think I will share my favorite cookie recipes.

I have mentioned Moms roll dough in several recipes. You can find the recipe in the month of May recipes.

Pigs in a Blanket

This is a favorite for every child I have ever fed them too.

Moms Roll Dough

Hillshire Farms Lil Smokies

Roll dough out on a floured surface in a square shape. Make sure the dough is at least 1/2 inch thick. Cut into 1 1/2 inch x 2 inch rectangles. They do not have to be exact. It is just a guideline. I use a pizza cutter to cut dough.

I use smokies right out of the package and roll up one per a rectangle. Place on greased cookie sheet and bake in 350 degree oven for 10-12 minutes. I like them to be a light golden brown.

I have one daughter who prefers cheddar filled smokies.

Quick and Easy Biscuits

1/4 cup butter

1 package pillsbury biscuits

Turn oven to 450 degrees. Cut butter into 4 even slices and then put it into casserole dish. Place dish in oven and melt butter. Put biscuits in butter then flip to coat the other side. bake for 7-10 minutes.

Fast Whistles

I like to use Penne pasta when making this dish. One of my daughters made me laugh when she asked for this dish. She said, "Mom will you make whistles for me?" After a while I figured out what she meant.

8 ounces Penne Pasta

1/2 pound sausage

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

3/4 cup whipping cream

Cook pasta according to package directions.

While pasta is cooking, cook sausage.

Drain pasta leaving a small amount of water so it won't stick together.

Add cream to sausage and cook on low heat until it thickens slightly. Pour into pasta and stir. Top with parmesan cheese.

Fast Cheesy Chicken Tortellini

1 package (7 ounces) cheese filled tortellini

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 pound chicken cut in cubes

1/4 margarine or butter

1/4 cup onion, pureed

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 3/4 milk

1 cup mozzarella cheese

1/4 cup grated parmesan

1 dash turmeric

1 dash cumin

Cook and drain tortellini as directed on package.

While tortellini is cooking, heat oil in 3 quart saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook chicken and onion in oil, stirring frequently, until no longer pink in center. Remove chicken from saucepan; keep warm.

Melt margarine in saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook garlic about 5 seconds. Stir in flour, pepper, turmeric, and cumin. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture is bubbly; remove from heat. Stir in milk. Heat to boiling stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute; remove from heat.

Stir in mozzarella and parmesan cheese until melted.

5 servings

Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

I have been looking everywhere for the right combination of dough and topping. I like to use Mom's Roll recipe with the following caramel recipe.

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup butter

1 1/4 cup pecans, chopped

In saucepan melt butter, brown sugar, and honey till combined and small bubbles form around the edge of pan. Pour into 9x13 pyrex dish. Sprinkle pecans evenly over the top.

Make Moms Roll Dough as stated. Roll out dough on floured surface into a rectangle shape. Melt 3 tablespoons margarine or butter and pour onto dough. Dough only needs a thin coat. I just wipe excess onto the counter. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup brown sugar over dough removing all lumps. Sprinkle light amount of cinnamon over brown sugar. Roll dough and cut rolls about 1 inch thick. Place on caramel topping and bake at 350 degrees for 15-17 minutes. They will be a golden brown. Keep them in dish for 5 minutes then flip out onto a cloth.

These don't keep for long.

I am still new to the internet. It took me 2 hours just to log onto this site. My computer had to be purged of its cookies and I had to download new software. I am sooo glad to be on.

My sister Danielle has been staying with me this week. We have so much fun together. We love to talk, watch the kids play together, and cook. I am now inspired with new recipes.