Lemon Linguine

Lemon Linguine

This recipe makes the amount of a side dish, but I made it into a main course meal with salad & bread.
Go ahead & add more of what you like & make as a side or meal

·        8 ounces linguine

·        3 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, melted

·        1 tablespoon lemon juice

·        1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil

·        1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

·        1/2 teaspoon  lemon-pepper seasoning

·        1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

1.         In a saucepan, cook linguine in boiling water for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, combine butter, lemon juice, basil, garlic powder and lemon-pepper; cook and stir until butter is melted. Drain linguine; add to butter mixture and toss to coat. Add Parmesan cheese and toss.

Christmas cards

In honor of the holidays quickly approaching, I wanted to let you all know about a fabulous company.

Shutterfly.

As a person with a passion for photography, I am always on the hunt for the best quality place to print my photos.

 I have tried every place I can think of….

Rite Aid, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, Meijer, Snapfish, Winkflash, etc.

 and I have always been disappointed. 

Then one day I came across Shutterfly & I was blown away at the print quality. 

My photos always come back stunning, clear, glossy, & here’s a bonus…

they have very reasonable pricing!

 That is a very important feature to me because I love to score a deal!

As I have been preparing for Christmas cards this year, I am moving on from making my own handmade cards to ordering from Shutterfly. 

I know that they will look professional & outstanding. 

I have ordered cards from them before, when I graduated from college I made some & was impressed by the thick paper quality they were printed on.

 I look forward to ordering my cards from them this year and encourage you all to do the same! They have TONS of various types of cards & no doubt you will be thrilled with the outcome.

To view  their Christmas cards go to http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/christmas-cards

And they also have fantastic holiday photo cards, see the designs here: http://www.shutterfly.com/cards-stationery/holiday-cards

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Lemon Raspberry Muffins

Combine 2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

1 Tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

Then in another bowl, mix 2 lightly beaten eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, 1/2 cup canola oil, & 1 tsp grated lemon zest

Stir wet ingredients into flour mixture until moistened.

Fold in 1 1/4 cups raspberries

Fill 18 muffin cups 2/3 of the way full & bake @ 400 for 18-20 minutes.

*I sprinkled some sugar on the top about 1/2 way during baking too, for a little extra*

Baked Ziti

Baked Ziti

    2  tablespoons  olive oil

       1    medium onion, chopped

       3    cloves garlic, sliced

      1  can (28 ounces)  whole tomatoes

       1  can (15 ounces)  tomato sauce

    2  tablespoons  tomato paste

       2  teaspoons  sugar

   1/4  teaspoon  salt

    1/4  teaspoon  black pepper

    1  can (14.5 ounces)  basil-and-oregano diced tomatoes, drained

      1/2  cup  fresh basil leaves, chopped

   1    box (16 ounces) ziti

       1    bag (8 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

       1/4  cup  grated Parmesan or Pecorino Romano cheese

Directions

Heat oven to 375°. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.

For Sauce:

 Heat oil in a 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. 

Add onion and cook 4 minutes. 

Add garlic and cook another minute.

 Stir in whole tomatoes and their juice, breaking tomatoes apart with your hands or a wooden spoon. 

Stir in tomato sauce, tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper.

 Simmer, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.

Remove pan from heat. 

Stir in diced tomatoes and basil.

Ziti and Cheese:

 Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boiling. 

Add ziti; boil 10 minutes, stirring. 

Drain and transfer to a large bowl.

 Add half the sauce to bowl with ziti.

 Stir to coat. 

Pour ziti mixture into prepared dish. 

Top with remaining sauce and then sprinkle with the cheeses.

Bake at 375° for 20 to 25 minutes, until bubbly and lightly browned. 

Cool 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mini strawberry shortcakes

A few weeks ago I was trying to make another dessert & it didn't work out, so instead I created something super easy that you can take as a dessert appetizer!

I crumbled up lemon cake & sliced up some strawberries & topped with whip cream.

They're mini strawberry shortcakes!