Flashback Friday: 1997

Look at those two kids! Barely two years into our love affair. At 18 and 21 we had all our hopes and dreams ahead of us.

Swedish Meatballs

Ingredients

Meatballs:
1 ½ pounds lean ground beef
¼ pound Jimmy Dean sausage (or favorite ground sausage)
1 egg
¼ cup ketchup
2 tbsps Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp dry mustard
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 clove minced garlic
2 tsps salt
1 tsp pepper

Sauce:
2 cans Cream of Mushroom soup
1 cup sour cream
3 tsps Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 cup milk
¼ cup of heavy cream
1 tsp pepper
¼ tsp of garlic powder
½ tbsp fresh Italian parsley to garnish

Preparation:
Mix all ingredients together for the meat mixture. DO NOT OVER MIX! Roll into small balls and place on cookie sheet. Bake 45 minutes or until browned. In a medium bowl mix sauce ingredients together. Place meatballs in a skillet or crock pot. Simmer for 45 minutes. Serve noodles or as an appetizer with toothpicks.

Rigatoni di Gregorio

Rigatoni di Gregorio (yields 4 servings) Ingredients: 8 oz. rigatoni 2 tbsp. olive oil, divided 1-2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts ½ cup chopped yellow onion 4 oz. baby bella mushrooms, sliced 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 tbsp. dry white wine ¼ cup Marsala wine 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth 1 cup heavy cream (or half-and-half) 2 tsp. minced fresh basil 2 tsp. minced fresh parsley 1 tbsp. freshly grated Parmesan cheese 1 tbsp. butter Directions: Bring a pot of water to a boil.  Once boiling, cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain well. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes.  If necessary, turn down the heat to medium-low so the outside doesn’t brown too quickly.  Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside.  When cool enough to handle, cut into bite-size pieces. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan with the heat on medium-high.  Add the onion to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes.  Add the mushrooms to the pan and continue to cook until most of the liquid has been released and the onions are softened, about 5 minutes more.  Mix in the garlic and sauté just until fragrant, about 30 seconds.  Remove the pan from the heat and add the wines, scraping with a spoon to deglaze the browned bits from the bottom of the pan.  Whisk in the chicken broth.  Return Bring to a simmer, lower the heat to medium and continue to simmer until the liquid is reduced by about half.  Stir in the cream and cook until heated through.  Add in the herbs, Parmesan and butter; mix until well blended and the butter is completely melted. Add the cooked rigatoni to the pan and toss with the sauce.  Serve immediately with additional grated Parmesan as desired. Source: adapted from Pennies on a Platter, originally from RecipeLink

Loving this right now

Just a few things I am loving in the world wide blogosphere:

• Annie's amazing food blog. I've tried a several of her recipes and have more in my "to try" folder. She's a doctor by day and cook/baker by night.
• Coco's design ideas. She's fresh and loves the minimalist approach to decorating. Plus I heart her nickname (my parents call me "Coco"). Did I mention Katy Perry loves her too!
• From food to fashion to sounding off on everything uniquely 80s and female I check out Hello Giggles (co founded by one of my fans- Zooey Deschanel)
• I aspire to dress this way!
• The hilarity that is Blair. She's painfully honest, a postpartum survivor and a girl I'd love to be friends with in real life.

Big Brother, Little Sister

I know I'm biased, but they really are the most beautiful children. They love each other so much.