Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Rhebeca, Kael and Kaleb
April 2006



Rhebeca
April 2006

These are the newest pictures of Alan and Eutemia's family. I thought they were so good. Eutemia gave them to me at the birthday party Monday and what Grandma isn't thrilled with pictures like this? Especially a Grandma that is a scrapbooker.

I have been working on two scrapbook pages for Rhebeca all day. First of all it takes a while to decide how to scrapbook the pictures and then it takes even longer to put it all together just perfect. She said she needed pictures of when she came from Brazil to America scrapbooked for a project for school. Since they were going to her school I wanted them to be extra special. I will post those tomorrow because tonight not everything is glued on yet.

I have had a rough day physically. I started having chest pains last night when I was ready for bed. I got them to go away by eating something and drinking some water and then they came today all day off and on. It is not my heart...it is acid reflux but it still hurts!! I'm hoping for a better day tomorrow. What would we as humans do without hope?

According to the Dial Idol website Paris will be getting voted off tonight. It doesn't seem fair because she is so much better than a couple of the others but that's the way the judges "pimp" them! Katharine is very close in points to Paris so it could easily be her too. I thought she did such a good job last night and the judges just ripped her to pieces. It's getting quite obvious that they want a final between Chris and Elliott.

I will be seeing the dietician tomorrow and will be getting started on a new "lifestyle" and a different way of eating. I have no idea yet what type of food it will be so it will be quite interesting. I have been trying to let everything run out and haven't gone to the store yet waiting for this information. Tonight I made a very good casserole. It is quite, easy and very good!!

FAKE BAKED ZITI

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (28 ounce ) can whole peeled tomatoes (recommended: San Marzano)

1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, (recommended: San Marzano) If San Marzanos are not available, add a teaspoon of super to your sauce, optional.

Course/Kosher Salt

A handful fresh basil leaves, torn

1 pound ziti rigate, (rigate means with ridges....the ridges give the sauce something to stick to)

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

Freshly ground black pepper

A generous grating of nutmeg

2 cups whole milk ( I used the fat free half & half)

1/2 cup shredded asiago cheese

1/2 cup shredded parmigiano-reggiano cheese

1 cup sliced fresh mozzarella cheese

Put pasta water on to boil.

In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, saute garlic in extra-virgin olive oil. Chop whole tomatoes and add them to the pan. Add crushed tomatoes and salt and simmer 10 minutes. (I also added about 2 Tablespoons of tomato paste to thicken up the sauce a little bit).

I like to add the basil after the sauce simmers about 5-7 minutes so it doesn't overcook.

Add salt and pasta to boiling water and cook 6 minutes, leaving pasta a little chewy.

While pasta cooks, melt butter in a small pot over medium heat. Whisk in flour, then cook 1 minute, adding salt and pepper and nutmeg to flour. Add milk (or half & half) and bring sauce to bubble, reduce 5 minutes until it thickens.

Drain pasta and transfer to a large casserole dish (9x13 inch pan). Pour the tomato and basil sauce over the pasta and turn to coat the pasta. Pour the bechamel (white sauce) over the already coated pasta. Cover the top of the pasta with Asiago, Parmesan and mozzarella. Place the casserole under a hot broiler and melt the 3 cheeses until brown and bubbly.

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