Wednesday Wonders

Today's Wednesday wonders are all about curling up and getting cozy.  I have been dreaming of Fall and Winter lately (mostly because it is still 110+ degrees here) bleh... and I can't wait to get all comfy in big slouchy sweaters!

What sounds more cozy and relaxing then eating a delicious bowl of soup and reading a great book (wearing said sweater)?  Nothing.  So grab a bowl and spoon, and whip up this delicious soup! Enjoy your Wednesday dolls. XoX

via

Creamy sweet potato and rosemary soup
Giada De Laurentiis via

Ingredients
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 large or 6 small shallots, thinly sliced
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (6-inch long) stems fresh rosemary
2 pounds (about 2 to 3) sweet potatoes, peeled, trimmed and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese, at room temperature
3 tablespoons maple syrup

Preparation
In an 8-quart stockpot, melt the butter and oil together over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until soft. Add the sweet potatoes, rosemary and chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the sweet potatoes are very tender, about 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary stems. Using an immersion blender, blend the mixture until smooth and thick. Whisk in the mascarpone cheese and maple syrup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Keep the soup warm over low heat until ready to serve.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings (8 cups), Prep time: 15 minutes, Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes


These lovely (and comfy) threads will surely have you begging for jack frost to make a visit pronto.

all images via

Create. Love. Do. Oh, and Pasta.

Three short and simple words that hold so much meaning!  My New Years resolution for 2011 (by the way, I can't believe it is already 2011) is to create more, love endlessly, and do like never before.  I guess that is more like three resolutions, but who's counting.  With that being said, let me break it down a bit...wait, pause and rewind...that phrase always makes me want to get up and actually "break it down". I am pretty fierce on the dance floor, at least my kids think that I am.  Thanks for being mommy's biggest fans!

Ok, play and fast-forward back to my explanation:
* Creating for me is like breathing.  It is a necessity and it is vital for me to be alive (not literally, like a vital organ keeps me alive, but for my soul to feel alive).  I have always been a more "right brain" type of gal.  The more artistically inclined and mathematically challenged.  I thrive on letting my mind wander and daydream into ideas and creations.  Unfortunately with a chaotic life, a husband that is a workaholic, and two little hooligans running my every move like a chess game,  my "brilliance" usually turns into a dim, flickering light rather into a bursting, radiant creation.  So, my resolution is to take some "me" time to dive-in and create (no matter how many late night and early mornings), and let the dishes sit in the sink for just a few more hours so I can let my soul flourish and my mind and heart smile.

*To love endlessly is an idea that we all believe in.  Of course I love my family with every part of my being, and I love my friends as if they were my family.  But I want to dig deeper.  I want to love EVERYONE as I love those close to me.  I need to be more patient, act kinder, and I need to give a little more.  After all, aren't we all taught that "love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud"?! Ok, enough of the sappy stuff...on to the next one.


*To do is harder then to say.  You know what I mean..."it is easier said then done".  I want to prove that wrong to myself this year.  It is time for me to DO DO DO (that kinda reminds me of a song...).  


Ok, I am done with talking about my resolutions (I know you're thinking "finally"...haha).  That's ok, I still love you.  Who wants some fun stuff...or should I say delicious stuff? 


Pasta Ponza.  Say what?!  Pasta Ponza is one of Giada's recipes in her new book that I recommended earlier (I wish I was Italian post).  It is fantastic, easy-peasy, and I hope you enjoy!

Giada's Pasta Ponza

Ingredients

• Butter for greasing
• 2 cups (12 ounces) red cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 2 cups (12 ounces) yellow cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/4 cup capers, rinsed and drained
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus extra for seasoning
• 1/2 cup Italian-style seasoned breadcrumbs 
• 1 pound ziti or other short tube-shaped pasta
• 1 1/4 cups (2 1/2 ounces) Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter an 8 by 8-inch glass baking dish. Set aside.

Place the tomatoes, capers, 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in the prepared baking dish. Toss to coat. Sprinkle the breadcrumbs over the tomato mixture. Drizzlethe top with olive oil and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the top is golden. Cool for 5 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain and reserve about 1 cup of the pasta water.

Place the pasta in a large serving bowl. Spoon the tomato mixture onto the pasta. Add the cheese and toss well. Thin out the saucewith a little pasta water, if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately

***NOTE*** I did not make it with the Capers, I am not a huge fan.  Also, if you want it a little crunchier, use Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) they absorb less liquid.
*** PS*** Did you know that Ponza is a secret island off of Italy?! (Now you do).

I wish I was Italian

On my kitchen counter sits her... Giada De Laurentiis.  Not really her in the flesh (although she could probably fit on my counter, she is tiny) but her newest cookbook "Giada at Home".  P.S. Did I mention that I met her in Chicago and she gave me this cookbook and signed it?!  No I am not kidding and yes, I was star struck.  She is as lovely and charismatic in person as she is on TV, which made me even more jealous of her seemingly endless perfection. I wish I was Italian.  

How totally phenomenal would it be to have a secret family recipe from your old Italian grandmother for the most delicious Marinara to have ever been created?  I really do daydream about these things, I told you I am a foodie and obsessed....don't say I didn't warn you.  Ok, so there she sits all proud and beautiful just screaming from the counter "make a new Italian dish for dinner tonight"!  I have given in to the pressure of all things Italian and have vowed to make a new Italian dish from her book at least every 

other week.  I am a sucker for Italian food and her recipes in this book are very easy to follow and needless to say, worth salivating over!  If you are in the market for a good Italian recipe book, get "Giada at Home" from Giada De Laurentiis.


Ok, so now on to more deliciousness (is that a word?!  I really do have a problem with creating words, so excuse me ahead of time for the new vocabulary).  I love Farfalle Pasta, it is cute, pretty and very versatile.  I make this roasted Garlic and Tomato Farfalle pasta dish about once a week because it is fast, easy, and delicious...even Bentley loves it!  It is my own recipe that I have adapted and I hope you enjoy it.


Roasted Garlic and Tomato Farfalle 
Ingredients
1/2 box of Farfalle Pasta (I use the Barilla Farfalle Plus, because it has added Omega-3 and Protein).
2 cups (or more if you prefer) Grape or Cherry Tomatoes
1 can whole black olives (make sure they are not sliced)
Extra-Virgin Olive Oil
1 1/2 cups Italian Cheeses (Mozzarella and Parmesan)
1/2 cup Fresh Italian Parsley
Fresh Basil Leaves
3 Fresh Garlic Cloves

Directions
In a large pot, boil and salt water and cook pasta per directions on box.
While Pasta is cooking, press and mince three fresh Garlic cloves and saute in about 1 Tbl. of the Extra-Virgin Olive Oil.  Add the tomatoes and olives and simmer on low until the tomatoes and olives are tender and soft.  Add the fresh Parsley and several fresh Basil leaves to the Tomato mixture and set aside.  Drain the Pasta, reserving a little pasta water (this makes the sauce more consistent).  Drizzle some Extra-Virgin Olive Oil over the hot pasta to coat and toss and pour the Tomato mixture over the pasta and toss again.  Add the cheese and toss one more time till everything is mixed.  Serve immediately and enjoy!
 **I like to serve mine with fresh, crusty Garlic-bread**

Hungry yet?!