Chili Pasta Bake

I love recipes that can be made and frozen for later, and am always on the lookout for something new.

Several years ago, I was trying to think of something different to bring to a friend who had recently had a baby.  I needed something I could make ahead of time and that she could just reheat.  While staring in my pantry, I noticed a recipe on the can of diced tomatoes.  I had all of the ingredients, so it was perfect!  It turned out to be delicious.  Since that first time, I've made it on countless occasions with lots of variations.  It is an easy one to adapt to your own tastes.

This recipe freezes really well.  When I make a batch, we'll eat some for dinner and I'll freeze a few loaf pans of it.  The munchkin does like to eat this, and eats it the spicier way that I make it.  For the three of us, a loaf pan is enough for dinner.  We'll usually have a salad and bread with it too.

Chili Pasta Bake

           

10 oz penne pasta (I used whole wheat)
1 lb ground meat (I used turkey)
1 cup chopped onion (I skipped)
2 Tbsp. chili powder 
1 (14.5oz) can diced tomatoes
1 cup salsa (I used Pace medium)
1 (7oz) can diced green chilies
2 cups shredded Mexican cheese (I used 2% milk cheese)

Cook pasta according to directions and drain.  Cook meat and onion in a large skillet and drain.  Add chili powder, tomatoes, salsa, and chilies and cook for 5 minutes.  Toss pasta and sauce.  Spoon into 13x9 inch baking dish.  Top with cheese. (I mix about half of cheese in with pasta and top with the rest)  Bake at 350 for 20 minutes***. 

* You can add beans or use them instead of the meat.  You can also add corn or anything else you think will taste good in there!
**For the mild version, I used mild salsa instead of medium and I used about half of the amount of chili powder and diced green chilies.
***To freeze, spoon into container you are going to freeze in.  Do not bake.  Let mixture cool to room temperature, cover tightly, and freeze.  Reheat at 350 for about 1hr 20min from frozen or 45min-1hr if thawed.  

Salted Caramel Martini

As I was walking down the alcohol aisle at the grocery store, I spotted caramel vodka for $8.99 and I decided to splurge, as I LOVE caramel.  I also picked up a small jar of caramel, thinking it would be a nice addition to the drink.  When I got home, I started looking up recipes for caramel martinis, but couldn't find one that worked with the ingredients that I had and what my taste buds wanted.  So, I decided to get creative.  I was SO happy with the results!!  





Salted Caramel Martini


Per drink:
1 1/2 ounce caramel vodka
1/2 ounce chocolate vodka
1/2 ounce milk or cream
1/2 ounce Baileys (or Baileys with a hint of Caramel)

Garnish:
Caramel
1/2 t salt
1/2 t sugar
Whipped cream (optional)

Shake ingredients with ice in a shaker.  Rim the edge of the glass in caramel.  Mix salt and sugar on a plate and dip in rimmed glass (you can also sprinkle a pinch of the mixture over the top).
Pour martini into the glass and top with whipped cream.  Chocolate shavings or cocoa dusted on top might be good too!  

This recipe is pretty forgiving.  If you prefer it less alcoholic, you can substitute cream, milk, or whipped cream for the Baileys.  You can also adjust the caramel/chocolate ratio based on your preference.  I'm sure any other chocolate liquor would work fine, I just used what we had.

bows

My daughter loves hair bows, although she often pulls them off as soon as I put them on her.  She does bring them to me and want me to put them on her sometimes.  She has no hair, though, so I put bows on headbands and put the headbands on her.  A friend of mind mentioned that she made bows, so I decided to look up how to make them.  I found an easy way, and think I've done a pretty good job.

I really started because I wanted something to go with her birthday outfit.  It was white with bright pink, bright blue, and bright green.  I brought it to the fabric store to help me match ribbon for the bow.  I was able to find something perfect for each of the colors!  Here is the bow I made: