Connie's Corner

Supper, anyone?

I can remember when I blogged about this last year and here I am again, looking at that blooming tulip tree across the street. It is so beautiful, and surprisingly I have azaleas blooming in my own backyard - - just too early! I can't help but enjoy them though, We are having crazy weather, highs in the 80's and lows in the 50's. It makes me think some bad weather is on the way. Our last frost is usually around the first of March...hmmm.

I am continuing to enjoy my vegetarian diet. Although I've not lost any weight, I have stabilized where I am. My daughter sent me a cookbook for Christmas, Vegan Cooking for Carnivores by Roberto Martin. Everything sounds good and I've tried a few of the recipes, but I'm not ready to give up eggs and cheese. I could care less about meat and even have a negative response to the smell of meat cooking. Fast food joints are history!

My favorite new recipe is something I call "spinach, pasta and mushrooms" since I made it up. Easy-peasy and so delicious. Here it is if you would like to try it....

Spinach, Pasta and Mushrooms (for 1, that’s me)

rotini noodles (amount is your call, I use a heaping half cup)
a splash of olive oil
clove of garlic, minced
¼ cup onion, diced
¼ T fresh thyme or a sprinkle of dried
1 c fresh mushrooms, sliced (I use baby bellas)
½ T flour
½ c milk (I use vanilla Almond Breeze)
a handful of fresh spinach, chopped
1/8 c fresh basil, chopped or a big sprinkle of dried
salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan

Cook rotini as directed on box. Add oil to sauté pan & on medium heat cook garlic, onion and thyme around one minute. Add shrooms and cook another eight minutes. Sprinkle flour over & stir. Slowly add milk and boil three minutes. Add spinach, basil, salt and pepper and cook only till spinach wilts. Turn off heat and grate parmesan over. Toss with drained rotini and top with more parmesan as desired.

Sometimes I throw in some broccoli florets with the rotini, and I have added a cut up tomato and zucchini to the pan mixture with the shrooms. If I don't have rotini, I'll use any pasta on hand...all is yummy! As you can see, nothing is written in stone and your taster will likely be different from mine so adjust any way you like it .

I read this today and it spoke to me so loudly I have to share...

ring the bells that still can ring
forget your perfect offering
there is a crack in everything
that's how the light gets in - by leonard cohen

until next time...c