Creamy Tomato Soup and a Sub Sandwich

2 cans tomato soup (I used Campbell's plain and Tomato Bisque)
1 can Hunt's roasted tomatoes
1/2 heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh basil
1 tbsp. fresh oregano
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
Fresh ground pepper for flavor
1 12" New York Club Sub, cut in thirds or half

In a medium size pot combine the cream, tomato soups, roasted tomatoes over medium heat.

With an immersion blender (a birthday gift from my daughter-in-love and son), blend tomato mixture until completely blended.

Then add the shredded parmesan cheese and blend in.  Sprinkle with pepper.  No salt is needed as it's salty enough - trust me, it is salty enough - and I love salt.  Simmer for 5 minutes.

Serve and enjoy

I'm on vacation.  Taking time off of work.  Enjoying being home.  Yesterday (Thursday) was my first day off and I spent it all day with my awesome, jolly 9 1/2 month old grandson :)  This morning, my mother-in-law (MIL) and I went to buy groceries and since I didn't have anything to eat before I left - not even my coffee!, I was starving by the time we got home.  While at the grocery store, I decided that I would make a soup and sandwich for lunch as I knew it would not only be quick and easy but delicious.  I bought two kinds of their 12" long sub sandwiches from their deli section making my lunch fixin's so much easier.  For the last couple of months, I've gone to Panera Bread a couple of times and each time, I bought their Creamy Tomato Soup and Turkey Sandwich on Foccocia bread.  The first time I had it I was smitten!  It was SOOO good and knew I had to learn to make it myself.  My attempt today would probably be graded a B-.  It was good and very satisfying but the tomato soup, if you can believe it or not, was not tomato-ee enough.  I'm convinced it's because I used canned soups - Campbells brand :\  So next time, I'm going to try to make it from real tomatoes, I may even try buying some grape tomatoes and try roasting them myself.  I didn't add salt at all and I'm notorious, just like the tv chefs in adding my kosher salt but unfortunately sometimes too much :\  but this recipe does not need it, it had plenty from the canned soups.  All in all, it was still a very satisfying, tasty, quick lunch big enough to be our "large" meal for the day, so I'm free tonight - I don't have to cook :)  ~isavortheweekend

Scrumptious Strawberry Shortcake

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup white sugar

4 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 cup butter

2/3 cup heavy cream

1 egg, beaten

3 cups sliced fresh strawberries

3 tablespoons white sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives. Stir in cream and egg. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 minutes. Press into a half-inch thick sheet. Cut into squares. Place on baking sheets.

Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over sliced berries.

Let shortcakes cool before splitting and filling with sugared berries

I came home today to a scrumptious homemade lasagna meal followed by this scrumptious dessert thanks to our daughter, Elise.  The lasagna was awesome, so delicious.  The strawberry shortcake was a great treat.  It's strawberry season so it's normal to be in the mood to eat strawberries. mmmm-mmmmm! scrumptious!! Thanks Lisee!  ~isavortheweekend

Chicken Spaghetti - Mexican style

by Pioneer Woman


1 cut-up fryer chicken (or 3 chicken breasts)
1 16 oz. spaghetti
1/2 green pepper, diced

1 4oz. jar diced pimientos, drained

1 small onion, diced

2 cans cream of mushroom
2 1/2 cups fresh cheddar cheese, grated
1 tsp. seasoned salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. tsp. cayenne pepper to taste
1 tsp. cumin (my addition)

Add chicken to a stock pot.  Cover with water and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the chicken is cooked, about 25 minutes.  Remove from water and set aside to cool.  Save broth but remove two cups of broth from the pot and set aside as well.

Break the spaghetti into 2 inch pieces

Bring the remaining broth back to a boil and add the spaghetti.  Cook it al dente.

Drain the spaghetti, discarding the cooking liquid.  Set aside in a large bowl.

With two forks (or your fingers) shred or cut the meat into bite-size chunks.

Dice green pepper, onions and tomatoes (I used  1/2 of a tomato since I didn't have any pimientos).

I couldn't resist but I had to saute the vegies even though the original recipe didn't say to.  I just don't like to bite into crunchy onions or green peppers.

Take both cans of cream of mushroom and dump them into the bowl of chicken

Add the 2 cups of cheese.  In my case I didn't have enough cheddar cheese but I had plenty of Cacique - Mexican cheese.  It was in a solid form so I shredded it along the cheddar cheese.  Oh by the way, speaking of shredding cheese, I am starting to shred my own cheese.  I read it from one of my fav chefs cookbooks that freshly shredded cheese is SOOOO much better than store bought already shredded cheese.  Obviously it's fresher, thicker and creamier and oh so cheesier!  They also say it's cheaper.

Then add the onion, green peppers and pimientos (or tomatoes in my case).  Add the seasoned salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper and cumin.  Take it easy on the cayenne if you can't handle the heat but if you can, then go for it!

Finally, add the chicken and broth.  stir together well, then taste to check the seasonings.  Pour mixture into a large baking dish and top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar cheese.  Bake for 35 to 45 minutes, until bubbly.

Let set for about 5 minutes.  Serve warm and enjoy!

This was a nice treat over the weekend.  I needed to cook my chicken but wasn't in the mood for it to be fried nor baked.  When I looked through Pioneer Womans cookbook this recipe jumped out at me not only because it looked good but because I had most of the ingredients.  I said most and not all.  Instead of pimientos I added fresh tomatoes.  I didn't have enough cheddar cheese but enough of Cacique cheese to make up for it so since it started to take on a Mexican style dish, I decided to add cumin.  Mixed with all the other ingredients it turned out very well.  Hubby and grandma enjoyed it as well.

It was Mother's Day weekend, we had gorgeous beautiful weather and ideal temperatures, I enjoyed working out in my garden without being bothered by too many mosquitos or gnats.  We just moved into our this home about 5 months ago so now that Spring is here, weeds are growing just as much as everything else, so weeding is keeping my muscles and my back sore but you know what?  It's all worth it.  At the end of the day, it's nice to relax by the pool and enjoy the beauty around me.  

View from our swing in the backyard

View a little to the left from the above picture

View from my kitchen window as I get started on my Mexican Chicken Spaghetti :)

Spring Planting and Pool

I'm not a gardener, I do not have a green thumb but instead a brown thumb but I, like most everyone, love flowers, love all kinds of plants in and around my house.  I am very fortunate though to live with someone who does have a green thumb (my mother-in-law - MIL) and I go as far as to say that everything she touches, turns to ........green.  I joke around with her to please go around all my plants and flowers and just give them a gentle touch and that will insure a full healthy life with plenty of new growth and many blossoms to come :)

This is what I've planted so far . . . . .

Silhouette Pink Double Impatiens and Nonstop Fire Tuberous Begonia

I have these on my patio, in the shade.

My "twin" geraniums located out by the front entrance to our house

Purple Petunias

My MIL planted these beautiful purple Petunias by the front of the house, just below the living room picture window

Miniature Rose Bush

MIL's transplanted rose bush.  She brought from her apt. where she lived before.  I took this picture a week ago and it now has one beautiful red rose blossom.

Geranium

My MIL's geranium plant and I believe this one is also a transplant.  This geranium is planted some where near the rose and the petunias she planted.

Tulips and Hyacinth
I planted these Tulips and Hyacinth plants in the front of the house, just below the sunroom windows.  These were my indoor Easter plants but once Easter was over, I decided to transfer them into the ground.  I listened to Martha Stewart on her radio show the other day and she said she never had any good luck in transplanting these forced bulb plants from the pot to the ground so I'm a little worried if these are going to survive or not.  I mean if MS can't do it then who can?  I'll make sure my MIL touches & "blesses" them. :) and pray they multiply for next year since they are perennials.  I LOVE perennials.  

Gerbera

I have these two Gerbera plants on our table on the patio.

Herbs

The start of my new herb row.  I still need to find a nice pot for my Rosemary though.

Herb row continues

Don't ask me why I have so many Oregano plants, I couldn't tell you.

Purple Pansies

I could have my lawn filled with these, I love them so.

Blue Star Creeper - 
the perfect ground cover- I still can't find where I want to put it, so it stays in its pot until then.

Parsley

Two kinds of Parsley - flat leaf and curly

Sorry, I can't remember what these are named but they look like some kind of a daisy.  We have yet to buy some mulch but soon and very soon we will.

Clover
Just below the "Daisies" I transplanted this green Clover from the pot.  I bought the pot just before St. Patrick's Day and since it's been doing so well, I just figured I'd try to transplant it to see how it does.  It's been in the ground for almost two weeks and it's still going strong.

Creeping Phlox

This is one of my favorite plants in this area.  It's a perennial so not only does it return every year, it spreads. It's a ground cover and I can't wait to see what it looks like in a couple of years.  This picture makes the blossoms look much bigger than they appear.  They're normally the size of my thumbnail but when bunched together with many more, this plant is a perfect Spring decorative plant.  I have these planted on each corner wall by the pool.

Marigolds

MIL planted these Marigolds next to the gazebo by the pool.

Once again, I don't know what kind these are.  I just saw them and fell in love them and had to bring them home.  Hubby had not taken the top off the pool yet until just a couple of days ago but not when I took this picture.

Japanese Maple

This bush is in the patio by the pool, a very beautiful bush and as I do some research on it, it will turn green for the Summer and then a vibrant reddish/orangey color in the Fall.  I will make sure to take pictures of it as it changes color.

Sweet Violet
I still have them in the pots and need to find a spot for them.  I bought two pots and I believe they're supposed to bloom all Summer long.

Hubby opened the pool this past week.  He all of sudden had the itching to open it since we had a nice week of warm weather and sunshine.  

With this being our first Spring and first Summer here, I'm excited to see what plants and bushes are already here but I'm equally excited about doing our own planting and gardening and beautifying Spottswood Place. 

Happy Spring. . . . . Summer is just around the corner ~isavortheweekend

Chicken, Sausage, Asparagus and Mushroom Pasta

by the CookandBeMerry blog

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 lbs. chicken breasts, boneless, skinless & cut into 1-inch portions

1 lb. Italian sausage (any variety), removed from casing

2 tablespoons dry Italian herb mix (purchased, any favorite brand)

2 tablespoons - Kosher or sea salt & ground black pepper

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 cups yellow, brown or red onion, medium diced

3 tablespoons garlic minced

To season, Kosher or sea salt & ground black pepper

1 lb. asparagus, ends trimmed then angle-sliced in 1-inch portions

1 lb. crimini mushrooms (baby bellas), quartered

1 pint grape tomatoes, sliced in half lengthwise

1/2 cup Marsala wine

2 cups Parmigiano cheese, shredded or flaked

1/2 cup Marscarpone cheese, room temperature

1 cup fresh basil, thinly sliced

1+ lb. favorite pasta (I used bowtie or Farfalle pasta), cooked in salted water to al dente

1/4 cup purchased basil pesto

Warm the oil in a skillet over medium heat.  Add the chicken and sausage.  Season with the dry herbs, salt and pepper.

Brown the meat then remove from the skillet with a slotted spoon and transfer to a bowl.  Cover to keep warm.

Using the same skillet (do not clean), warm the butter over medium-high heat.  Stir in the onions and garlic.  Saute just until the onions are tender (2 minutes).  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Add the asparagus, mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet.  

Continue to cook just until the asparagus is crisp tender, the mushrooms are soft and the tomatoes barely cook (3-4 minutes).  Off the heat, add the wine, return the skillet to the heat, scraping up any browned portions, cook until it is nearly absorbed. Stir in the precooked chicken and sausage.  Cook, stirring, just until warmed through.

Just before serving, stir the Parmesan, Mascarpone and basil into the ragu.  Toss the pasto with the pesto.  Serve on individual plates or a platter topped with a generous serving of ragu.  Garnish with more parmesan cheese if desired.

I love pasta and enjoy finding new ways to cook it.  On today's "Pioneer Woman's" blog, she was featuring pasta dishes from all over the blog world.  I scrolled through them just because I like looking at the pictures she posted.  I came to a halt when I saw this one.  I was thrilled when I read that I had most of the ingredients even though I still had to go to the store for a few more items.  I whipped this up for dinner tonight it about an hours time.  I'm sure once I make it more often, I could probably whip it up within 45 minutes which isn't too bad.  The Italian sausage I used were links without a casing, which I already had in the refrigerator waiting for me to do something with them.  It was a hot spicy Italian sausage and it tasted great.  I didn't use the pesto at the end only because I'm not a big fan of pesto, it's just too strong for me and always leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Plus, this dish has plenty of basil in my opinion, don't think it needs anymore.  Hubby seemed to like this dish, especially since it had two kinds of meat.  I'm not sure if Grandma liked it, she's not crazy about mushrooms so she set those aside but otherwise finished off her plate.  There's plenty left so I know what I'll be taking for lunch the rest of the week and I don't mind  one bit!~isavortheweekend