The Good Things in Your Past

CopyCat Zuppa Toscana

A friend had emailed about the past, during a particularly joyful time in our lives.  If you're lucky, there are many of these, although I always admit I would have told you I was miserable through all of them. 

There was another time when eating lunch at Olive Garden in Times Square, which in itself is quite an odd pairing, with a group of music buyers and paid for by label representatives was a regular occurrence.  This soup, along with several pasta dishes was a favorite discovery. Making it now with potatoes, sausage, carrots and kale is a no-brainer, feel-good meal.  Guaranteed to make you less miserable. 

And The World Will Be a Better Place

Chili over Roasted Spaghetti Squash 

This is yet another, maybe better way to enjoy quick pantry chili.  

Roasted spaghetti squash salt and peppered on the side with all your favorite fixings is hearty, cheap and highly satisfying.  

The hardest part is splitting the squash without killing yourself, quarter it for quicker baking time.  Put a smear of oil and salt and pepper, put cut side down on a roasting pan at 425 for 30 minutes.  Once you shred it out of its casing, you could dress it anyway you would a pasta, as light or heavy as you'd like. 

She's a Killer Queen

Chocolate Chip Christmas Cookies

I set out to make fabulous Chocolate Chip cookies to gift my favorite coworkers and took the time to bag them up in festive wrappers.  I watched a gazillion videos and found one very helpful baker, Anna Olson, who gave tips that make the difference.  Creaming the butter against the bowl with a spatula rather than a mixer, is not only best to combine the sugar but serves as a therapeutic exercise. And a big one, adding a tablespoon of cornstarch, which I'd never heard of. Finally, shaping the cookies in uniform balls beforehand and chilling so that they all spread evenly.   These things changed my cookie game and I am related to the *Cookie Queen, so I need to represent! *my sis Rach. 

In Memoriam: the last of the White Bean Chile (RIP)