Creamy Tuscan Pasta Sauce

In the mood for some Italian?? Try this recipe! 

Literally when I was eating this, I kept thinking I was at an Olive Garden.

Okay, well maybe that's pushing it too far. 

Be warned: it is heavier than most of the food that I eat on a daily basis. 

Don't add too much sauce either!!! 

Overall, it was quite tasty and creamy and I prepared it with a side of salad! 

Ingredients: 

• 4 tablespoons butter
• 4 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed through a garlic press
• 1/2 tablespoon dried basil
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened and cut into 8 pieces
• 8-ounce jar sun-dried tomatoes, rinsed, drained and chopped
• 2 cups milk
• 6 ounces Parmesan cheese, grated (about 2 cups)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste, if needed
• Diced fresh tomatoes, fresh basil for topping (optional)

Directions: 

1. In a medium pot or skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, taking care not to let the garlic burn. Stir in the dried basil. Add the cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until the mixture is smooth. It will look curdled at first, but with constant whisking for 2-3 minutes, it should come together to form a smooth, creamy paste. Stir in the sun-dried tomatoes.
2. Over medium heat, add the milk gradually, about 1/4 cup at a time, whisking quickly and constantly until each addition is incorporated fully into the sauce. Stir in the Parmesan cheese, pepper and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring until the cheese is melted and the sauce is the desired consistency, 5-10 minutes. Serve over hot, cooked noodles.

Tip: Prepare the ingredients ahead of time and have them ready, this should help with the process and easiness of adding the ingredients together for the sauce. To maximize your time, start the sauce and noodles at the same. Don't do it like me and start the sauce first! Also, add some chicken in there so it will absorb some of the delicious sauce. 

Yields: 4-6 Servings

Author: Mel’s Kitchen Cafe

Enjoy!

Weekend in Birmingham

Yeahhh! Finally we went to Birmingham.  It's been a year and half since last time I was there. Kinda crazy right? 

But the weirdest part about it was that I went back with a HUSBAND this time! 

HELLO!!!!!

It was kinda crazy seeing people that have known me for YEARS and have watched me grow up

But now I'm all grown up with a husband. 

I finally got to meet these little ones! They are just precious!!!! :)

I got to see my BFFs, Julia and Virgin. 

We had lunch with their family at 5 GUYS. 

I have only eaten 5 GUYS twice before in my life. And everybody in Provo was always comparing it to In-N-Out. But I'm going to have to choose In-N-Out on this one. 

Jeremy and I split our meal and I still felt like it was too much. 

And the fries are greasy and the hamburgers are okay. 

The company was great though, and that's all that matters. 

Oh, and I got to see Kristina!! haha I love being with Kristina because she reminds me so much of high school when we used to act like a bunch of crazies. 

We listened to some chill tunes and she gave us a performance...a singing performance that is. 

Jerry was probably the highlight of the weekend. 

Wait, maybe not. But it's close. 

Jerry the hermit crab would only come out and play when there was music.

And the commencing of the music began. 

Jeremy and John bonded while being surrounded by a group of women all weekend. 

And practiced their origami skillz. 

A couple of weeks ago Jeremy bought an origami kit from Barnes & Nobles, so has been doing some origami.

I would like to give Nancy a big thank you for letting us stay with her family and for being so hospitable. There should also be a special shot out to Nancy's cooking. I love her cooing and every time I go over, I'm so excited to eat. She sure does take care of her Nat! We had a great time. I can't wait for our next trip!

My place of peace

This past weekend Jeremy and I had the opportunity to go to the Memphis Tennessee Temple! This is the first time I have gone through a temple this small.  It's so different from all the temples I have been to in Utah.

I love going to the temple.

 No matter where I am -- Utah, Alabama, Tennessee, California --I can still feel peace in my heart.  The temple is the only place where I can go and feel absolute peace.  It's a place where I feel blessed to go to and feel the love that Heavenly Father gives me. 

My heart swells with joy and happiness as I'm inside temple walls. 

How lucky I am to be a member of this church and be able to experience this, which is one of the best feelings anyone can and will ever feel in their life. This past week three of my family members have been in the hospital for some serious stuff.  And it's been hard knowing the pain that they are going through during this time. No matter what is going on in my life and the hardships that I'm going through, I know that when I'm in the temple I can feel God's arms around me comforting me. 

Turkey Meatball Sliders

This week I made some Turkey Meatball Sliders!

 This is the second time I have made this recipe and of course, I love it! 

It is really good, yummy, and easy. 

 I like this recipe because it is really simple and it doesn't make a big mess! 

haha I hate having to clean up after dinner. 

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 1/4 cup Panko
• 1/4 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 large egg
• 2 TSBP chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1 cup marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
• 8-10 honey wheat slider buns, toasted, for serving
• Basil leaves, for serving

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, Panko, Parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, egg and parsley. Using a wooden spoon or clean hands, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, forming about 8-10 meatballs.

Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until all sides are browned and meatballs are cooked through.

Preheat oven to broil.

To assemble the slider, place 1 meatball and a spoonful of marinara on the bottom of each bun. Top with mozzarella and place into oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes.

Serve immediately, topped with 1-2 basil leaves and covered with the slider tops.

Tip: Cover the meatball with marinara sauce on top. This will add better flavoring and will taste better.  I also used the Sweet Hawaiian rolls which adds some sweetness.  

Yields: 3-4 Servings

Author: Damn Delicious

the land of the south