Dinner Tonight - Creamy Tomato Shrimp Pasta

I modified this from a Pioneer Woman recipe, and we love it!

• ¾ pounds Penne Pasta
• 1 pound Shrimp (deveined and detailed)
• 6 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 small onion 
• 2 cloves Garlic
• ½ cup White Wine
• 1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
• 1 cup Heavy Cream (evaporated milk is a little bit lighter)
• Fresh Basil - To Taste
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste

Cook the penne pasta until al dente

Heat 2 tbsp. butter in a skillet. Add the shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until just opaque. Do not overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.

Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic. Saute in 3-4T butter.

Add white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. 

Add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce and heavy cream. Stir well until combined. Turn heat down to low and let simmer for 2-3 minutes.

Add your herbs, salt, pepper and chopped shrimp into the tomato cream sauce. Stir until combined.

Add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir. Serve!

Book Review: The Life

If you are looking for an easy way to introduce yourself or someone else to the Bible, The Life is a great tool for you to consider.  It’s 106 glossy, easy-read pages in a 5x7ish magazine style book.  It contains the full text of John in the New Living Translation, which is so easy to read and understand. It also intersperses snippets of Luke, Acts and other New Testament books to give a fuller picture of the gospel.  It has diagrams to give visual explanations of a relationship with Christ, and the last few pages are a clear answer to the question, "how can I have a relationship with Christ?".  While written for teens, I think this is a great product to share with both youth and adults.  Simple, clear, and easy to digest; it's a great tool to encourage seekers to explore Christ and his word.  I am encouraging my 12 year old son to read this for his devotionals this month.  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Book Review: Beyond IQ by Garth Sundem

I've been busy reading through Garth Sundem's book, Beyond IQ.  It's an interesting discussion on the many different facets of the brain that contribute to intelligence and problem-solving.  The author breaks the contributing factors into different segments such as creativity, intuition, expertise, wisdom, performance under pressure, emotional intelligence, willpower and multitasking.  For each segment, he gives research on how the variable impacts our overall intelligence and practical activities we can do to strengthen that part of our brains.  I'm especially intrigued by the dozens upon dozens of brain-building exercises that he has spread throughout the chapters.  If you are interested in learning how to expand your brainpower or the brainpower of young people that you love, pick up this book and see what you think.  Disclaimer:  The publisher sent me a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review. 

Book Review: With Every Breath by Elizabeth Camden.

I just finished reading my first novel by Elizabeth Camden, With Every Breath, and I couldn't put it down.  I was captivated by the historical fiction tale.  It's actually a medical fiction tale, dealing with the quest for a treatment for tuberculosis.  But it's far from dull with the lively characters, light romance, and plot twist and turns.  The characters are well developed and easy to relate to.  The story-telling is very natural and easy to read.  The life lessons in regards to family, faith, life purpose, and fear are important things for us all to consider.  I would highly recommend this book to any reader age 13+ that enjoys historical fiction or medical fiction.  I received this book from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Spicy Spaghetti

My sister-in-law made this recipe for our family years ago, and we all loved it!  (well, not my youngest two children who only like spaghetti with butter and parmesan, but everyone else)  This week, a friend gave us a whole bag full of cayenne peppers, so we used those in the recipe instead of the cayenne pepper.  It tasted so fresh and wonderful!  I bet if you used tomatoes from your garden instead of tomato soup, that would be amazing too!
---

1lb. lean ground beef

1/4 to 1/2 white onion (this depends on how much onion you like)

1t garlic salt

¼ - ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

½ t black pepper

2t Italian seasoning

2 cans tomato soup

One can cream of mushroom soup (we use the light version)

1-2T Hot Sauce (we use Red Devil)

 

Brown the onion and the beef and add the spices, then drain the fat.

Add the soups and the hot sauce.  Simmer ‘til heated, then serve over spaghetti.

Book Review: "a match of wits" by jen turano

Turano has written another great light-hearted fiction novel in "A Match of Wits".  My expectations are incredibly high for her fiction, because I loved the first two so much.  This one wasn't quite as good as the first ones I read, but completely enjoyable nonetheless.  I laughed out loud several times, and stayed up too late reading because I couldn't put the book down.  A little bit of romance, a little bit of chivalry, a little bit of friendship/family, a little bit of mystery, and a little bit of faith.  A perfect combination for a winning novel.  I would recommend this to any female reader age 15+.  I received this book as a gift from the publisher in exchange for my honest review.