Pioneer Woman Shrimp Pasta

This is the continuation of my Pioneer Woman dinner from a few weeks ago.  I decided when I was planning my parents birthday dinner that I would try three new recipes... I often stick to what I know when I cook... so this was going out on a limb for me.  A few weeks ago I shared the Rosemary Rolls... this week Shrimp Pasta in a foil package.  It was great... and pretty easy... and it tasted really good!

Once again... this is a Pioneer Woman recipe... I am going to post my before and after pictures and the steps... but if you want a true step by step in pictures... visit her blog here.

Shrimp Pasta in a Foil Package

by The Pioneer Woman

Do you notice something is missing... they were in the refrigerator... ooops!  Shrimp!

-1/2 cup olive oil

-4 cloves garlic, minced

-3 cans diced or whole tomatoes, 14.5oz each

-1/2 cup white wine, I used cooking wine

-2 lbs shrimp, peeled and devained

-Fresh Parsley

-1 lb (1box) linguine... I used angel hair because I had it in my pantry

Cook pasta for 1/2 the recommended cooking time. Pasta should still be very firm.

In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add garlic and saute for a minute. Dump in the tomatoes and wine. Stir the mixture together, season with salt and pepper, and allow to cook for ten minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare a large parcel of heavy duty aluminum foil. It should be large enough to hold the entire pasta dish. **Make it larger than you think you could possibly ever need... this is the only place where I had a problem... mine was a bit too small...*

Throw the shrimp on the top of the pasta sauce. Throw the drained pasta over the top, then pour the whole dish onto the foil. Tightly wrap the foil into a parcel.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Remove from oven and keep warm until serving.

Open the foil parcel right before serving. Drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top. Squeeze on lemon juice, if desired.

This was very good... and it had a ton of shrimp!  We really enjoyed it!  We actually ate it for two meals!

Orange Pound Cake

A few weeks ago Patrick got to go to the Auburn vs Clemson game with some friends.  I wanted to make sure I made him a very spirited dessert to take to the tailgate.

Patrick and Anna, our sweet flower girl

Getting ready for the game...

I decided to venture into unfamiliar territory... ORANGE.  I searched lots of different websites... I ended up combining a few recipes... it turned out very well... and very ORANGE!

Orange Velvet Pound Cake

1 cup butter
1/2 cup shortening (Crisco)
3 cups granulated sugar
7 eggs
1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon yellow food coloring

1/2 teaspoon red food coloring1/4t salt
1 to 1.5 teaspoons orange extract (I used 1 but I think I will use 1.5 next time)

3 cups flour

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease your bundt pan (I recommend Pam for baking)

Cream together butter, shortening, and sugar.

Add eggs, one at a time, mixing between each egg.  Then add milk, food coloring, salt, and orange extract.  Mix well.

Mix flour in a little at the time until it is all mixed.

Bake at 325 degrees for an 1 hour and 25 minutes.

This cake is so good!  Patrick and I went back and forth about whether or not this cake was better than the chocolate pound cake...

I'm still not a big fan of ORANGE... but I am a fan of this cake... Go Dawgs!

Pioneer Woman Rosemary Rolls

September is a big month for us... my dad's birthday is the 17th, my mom's is the 24th, and mine is the 30th.  So, last night we had my parents over for a big birthday dinner!  I made three new dishes for this occasion... and I will share each of them on upcoming Foodie Fridays!

All the recipes are courtesy of The Pioneer Woman... she is wonderful!  If you want detailed instructions... and step by step pictures, jump on over to her blog... she does beautiful work!

Pioneer Woman Buttered Rosemary Rolls

-1 iron skillet

-1 pastry brush

-1 package frozen dinner rolls (make sure they are yeast rolls... you need them to rise)

-Butter

-Rosemary, coarsely chopped

-Coarse Sea Salt

Spray the iron skillet with cooking spray.  Place the rolls in the skillet (allow plenty of room for them to rise). Cover with a light towel and let them rise for several hours.

Melt about a half stick of butter.

Brush butter all over the top of the rolls.

Sprinkle coarsely chopped rosemary on top of the rolls.

Brush butter all over the top of the rolls and rosemary.

Sprinkle with coarse sea salt.

Bake according to the package directions (mine were 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes)

After you take them out of the oven... brush with a little butter one more time...

These rolls are so yummy!  The sea salt is what does the trick... I have started trying to put it on other things too... wonderful!

Chocolate Pound Cake

Alright... first things first... the Thank You notes are done!  Yay!!  They are in the mail... I am so excited!!  Now hopefully I will have more time to cook and blog!!  There are so many things I have to write about... so buckle up... this is going to be a fun ride!!

Now for my recipe this week... I chose to make a dessert so I could use my new favorite "tool" (thanks mom and dad!).  Patrick is a little jealous because I got this "tool"... he is now trying to figure out what kind of project we need to do around the apartment so he can get a new tool too.

I am in love!!  It makes things so easy!   My arm no longer gets tired from holding the little beaters as the hand mixer toils trying to make it through thick batters!  I can't wait to try so many new recipes!!!  

This recipe came from my family cookbook... it is one of my Mackie's favorites... and it is one of Patrick's new favorites.  He said it was the best dessert I have made for him thus far... but he may be a little biased.

Chocolate Pound Cake

-1 cup butter (2 sticks)

-1/2 cup Crisco

-3 cups sugar

-5 eggs

-1T. Vanilla

-3 cups flour

-1/2t. salt

-1/2t. baking powder

-1 cup milk

-4T. Cocoa

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

-Cream butter and Crisco, add sugar.  Mix until creamy.

-Add the eggs, one at a time.  Mixing in between.  Add vanilla.

-Sift the dry ingredients: flour, salt, baking powder.

(Make sure you sift the ingredients... Thanks for the bowl Ms. Kliefoth!)

-Now it gets a little tricky... so read carefully... Alternate adding part of the dry mixture and part of the milk to the mixed ingredients... make sure you start and end with the dry ingredients.

-Add the 4T. of cocoa, make sure to blend it well.

-Pour the mixture into a well greased tube pan (I had no idea it was called a tube pan... I always just called it a pound cake pan).  Make sure it is well greased so the cake does not stick.  I recommend Pam for baking... or any other spray made specifically for baking... this helps because they add flour.

-Bake for 60-80 minutes (I usually bake mine for about 65 minutes then start checking them).

-Cool on a cooling rack... enjoy!

I am excited to get back to Foodie Friday... hope you enjoy this delicious cake!

Fruit Salsa

Ahhhh... I can't believe it has been two weeks since I last blogged!  Between showers... moving Patrick to Georgia... and planning the wedding I have been crazy!!  Hopefully in the next few days I will get a little more time to catch everyone up on what we have been doing.

A side effect of the being busy... I have not had a chance to cook... so my mom has written a guest post for this Friday too... thanks Mom!!

This recipe is so yummy!  It is great for a fresh and summery sweet and spicy treat.  Enjoy!

Fruit Salsa

(This recipe is for Georgia Peach Salsa... but you can substitute another fruit if you wish)

Four Peaches

Red Onion

Jalapeno Pepper

Bell Pepper

Cilantro

Lemon Juice

Peel the peaches and chop them into small pieces.   Finely chop the red onion, bell pepper, and the jalapeno pepper.  (Make sure you use gloves when you chop the pepper).

Mix this together.  If you like it hot, make sure you add the jalapeno seeds.  Milder salsa not as many seeds. 

Add chopped up cilantro and a little lemon juice.  The cilantro gives it a great flavor and the citrus juice keeps the fruit fresh.

Stir this together and you have a great peach salsa.  

This idea can be used to make any type of salsa, just change your the peaches to whatever fruit you would like.

Feta Artichoke Appetizer

So.. I may be the worst blogger ever... seeing as I have not posted since last Friday... and even today, I have a guest post for Foodie Friday.  I'm hoping I will get back to posting soon... 

This recipe is from my mom... she made it last week when she had an old friend over for dinner.  My dad, who said he does not like artichokes, loved this appetizer.  My mom originally got the recipe from one of her co-workers.  I can't wait to try it myself!

Feta Artichoke Appetizer

Ingredients:

1 package Puff Pastry

Sun Dried Tomatoes

Marinated Artichoke Hearts

Feta Cheese

Fresh Basil

Spray a cookie sheet with Pam.  

Take one Puff Pastry and let it thaw.  

Chop 6 oz. of artichoke hearts and 6 oz. of sun dried tomatoes and put on the top of the puff pastry.  

Sprinkle feta cheese on top of the puff pastry and top with chopped fresh basil.  Bake at 425 for 10-15 min.

My mom says this is GREAT!  A true crowd pleaser!

Butterscotch Brownies

I made these beauties a few weeks ago... I used this recipe from bakerella.com... but I used butterscotch chips instead of chocolate chips... I took them into the office for a special treat... and they were a big hit... well most all food in the office is a hit... but I thought they were very good too!

Butterscotch Brownies

2 3/4 cup all purpose flour
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup butter, softened
1 lb. light brown sugar
3 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
11.5 ounce package butterscotch chips
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)

Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl.  Set aside.

Stir brown sugar into softened butter, until butter disappears, in another large bowl.

Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture.  Stir each one in.

Add vanilla, butterscotch chips, and pecans (optional).  Stir them into the butter mixture.

Stir in the dry ingredients a little at a time.

The batter will be very thick!

Pour the mixture into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

Yum... a very tasty treat, indeed.