The Gold Medal

I love pasta! Who doesn't? For my birthday which was February 6th my mom and dad got me a pasta maker...that I've never used!?!!??!?? I know...ridiculous! But last week on my day off I was feeling adventurous. And I also felt like if I'm really going to get back into cooking all the time the way to do it was to get back to the basics and challenge myself. So I got on youtube and found a how to video. And then spent the rest of my afternoon getting back to the basics of what we all love and tackling my cooking "gold medal" The result was homemade pasta and homemade sauce.

Typically my posts include recipes and how to's, but I thought the best thing to do would be to include the video I watched... Pasta How To Video Maybe one day eventually I will have mastered the art of homemade pasta and will then post a recipe of my own, but until then you're all getting a youtube video too. :)

And I'll also put up the pics I took!

It turned out amazingly delicious! And was a lot easier to make than I thought it would be. (Just time consuming.) So, if you don't own a pasta maker I suggest you go out and buy one! 

Lots of Love,

  Jess

My Go To Appetizer

Yes, I realize I haven't posted in 100 years. It's because I haven't cooked anything in 100 years. My only excuse which is a dumb one is that I've been dieting like crazy and the food that is fun and delicious for me to make is not so healthy... But I need to get back to cooking and back to blogging cause it's what I love... On that note:

If you are anything like me you can't go to a party and not bring something. I always feel like it's my duty to at least bring a bottle of my favorite wine. But typically I like to bring an appetizer or dessert. So this is my go to appetizer that's so easy to make and that everyone always loves.

Mexican Pinwheels

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream

1 (4 oz.) can black olives, chopped

1 (4 oz.) can green chilies, chopped

1/2 c. green onions, chopped

1 c. Cheddar or Colby cheese, shredded

Soft tortillas (for burritos or tacos)

Start by mixing all ingredients together. Minus the tortilla's of course. Mix, mix, and mix some more because you want all the good stuff to be really mixed together. (Side note: I know the recipe says 1 cup cheddar cheese...my confession for you today is that I usually just use the whole bag! There can never be too much cheese!)

Once it's all mixed together spread the mixture on the tortilla's, roll them up, and put in fridge to sit at least a couple hours. I usually do overnight. When you are ready, just cut them into slices and serve. (Another Side Note: The best thing about these is that while cutting them up you get to eat all the end pieces because you can't serve them...they aren't pretty enough.)

Enjoy!

I'm thinking in the next couple weeks I'm going to try some other variations of the pinwheel: smoked salmon and dill, roast beef and horseradish, turkey and ranch... So I'll be posting those too!

It's good to be back!!!

Much Love,

Jess