Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Wow!  That is all I can say about this recipe.  Not only because there are no words to describe its deliciousness, but because I am too full to try to find more words.  This meal was phenomenal and fast and best of all... EASY!  I ate myself sick and I don't even regret it.  Don't be scared of the balsamic vinegar like I was.  The simmering totally cuts out the vinegar flavor.  Also, don't skimp on the butter.  It's the only unhealthy part and the depth of flavor it provides is crucial to the success of this recipe.  So, without further adieu, here it is...

Penne with Roasted Asparagus and Balsamic Butter

Ingredients

1 lb. Asparagus

1 TBSP. Olive Oil

2 tsp. Salt

1/2 tsp. Black Pepper

1/3 c. Sliced Almonds

1/2 c. + 2 TBSP. Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 tsp. Brown Sugar

1 lb. Penne Pasta

1/4 lb. (1 stick) butter, cut into pieces

1/3 c. Parmesan Cheese

2 Chicken Breast halves

Garlic Salt

Onion Powder

Black Pepper

Directions

1. Heat the oven to 400°. Snap the tough ends off the asparagus and discard them. Cut the spears into 1-inch pieces. Put the asparagus on a baking sheet and toss with the oil, almonds and 1/4 teaspoon each of the salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 10 minutes.  Sprinkle parmesan on top after cooking.
2. Meanwhile, put the vinegar in a small saucepan. Simmer until 3 tablespoons remain. Stir in the brown sugar and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove from the heat. Add butter and allow to melt while cooking pasta.
3. Cook the penne in a large pot of boiling, salted water until just done, about 13 minutes. 
4. Grill chicken while pasta is cooking, then cut into bite sized pieces.
5. Drain the pasta and toss with the butter, vinegar, asparagus, and the remaining 1 3/4 teaspoons salt. Serve with additional Parmesan.

Home is where the hearty food is

So, this morning my senses were tingling for a little dessert.  Yes, this morning.  I didn't want pancakes or cereal or granola, I wanted sweets!  So, I made this Almond Joy Oatmeal.  Score one for Pinterest. It was delightful.  It counts as a breakfast food but hit the spot on the sweet spectrum as well.  And I'm not talking Lucky Charms sweet, I'm talking healthy, satisfying sweet that you can feel good about.  Here's why.  It uses almond milk rather than normal milk.  Here's the plus side, it has only 35 calories per cup vs. 1% milk at 90 calories per 1/2 cup.  Win!  So, mix yourself up something delicious.

Almond Joy Oatmeal

Prepare oatmeal as directed, substituting almond milk where recipe calls for milk or water.  While still warm add 1/8 cup coconut and 3 TBSP chocolate chips.  Allow chips to get a little melty before eating.  Delish!  Enjoy!

My first MAJOR project

So, I've had a bit of the re-do bug lately; which is sad considering that we have been in our brand new house

 for less than 6 months... Anyway, I got the bug.  Bad.  My first two attempts at squashing said bug were fruitful, yet unsuccessful.

 I painted myself into a corner (literally) with this one.

  And this 'little' project had me up before the sun and made me sore in areas I didn't know had pain receptors.  Even my fingernails hurt.

  However, my desire to re-do returned with a vengeance, this time bringing with it the need to clean.  (As if I don't already have enough of that to do.)  I knew my next step would determine the course of the next few days, my happiness, and that of my sweet, yet unsuspecting, husband.  My solution, which I clearly didn't think through, was to overhaul my pantry.  I had, literally, one day to start and finish said project because in a house with two little boys and a husband, food piled on every visible surface is all the invitation needed to turn "I'm going to clean up the pantry" into "Uh, babe, we kinda 'cleaned out' the pantry...".  I got a little excited and forgot to take a 'before' picture, but lets just say, this

 ALMOST does it justice.  My pantry is slightly bigger, which equates to more space for bigger messes.  So, you don't know exactly what was in my immediate future, but you get the point. There was little to no sense to how things were stored, and things were haphazardly thrown back in wherever it was convenient (NOTE: 'convenient' for a woman and a 'convenient' for a man are two very different words.  Not to mention what is 'convenient' for a child).  But I digress...

So, I began my journey to order by clearing everything out of the pantry.  I wanted to see what I had, what I didn't need, and what could find a new home.

See what I mean by 'bad idea' in a house full of boys?

This was the real problem... all the snacky foods...

 So, once everything was a way bigger mess than it ever was to begin with, I got to it...

I painted all the shelving a simple white with an easy to clean finish

 Organized all my paperwork while waiting for the paint to dry

Painted the walls a beautiful grey (Olympic 'Flagstone')

 My playlist for the day

 

Stenciled a fun design in white to add some visual interest.

My goal now is to actually be able to see my walls.

And, the finished product...

Ta da!!!

I know it looks like there isn't much in there, but the key to having an organized, pretty pantry is to minimize what you keep in there.  Otherwise, things get lost in the back and end up going bad before you even realize you have them.  This method will end up saving you time and money.

I have a separate food storage location where I keep back up storage as well as less frequently used items.  That way I have everything I need, but it doesn't prevent me from seeing what I already have.

Here's a shelf by shelf breakdown of the logic...

TOP SHELF: Infrequently used items that were more efficiently stored out of the way, but still in the kitchen.  

 (who wants to run to the storage rooms for paper towels when there's a spill?)

Baking mixes are in the black tote, bags of chips are in the woven tote

SECOND SHELF: Random snack foods that need to be out of easy reach

Miscellaneous loose candy, etc. is stored in a tote for a clutter-free, easy to grab snacking

THIRD SHELF: Eye level (for me anyway, chest height for hubby) staple foods.

Drink mixes in a tote.  Again, less clutter.  Rice and pasta with accompanying sauces.

FOURTH SHELF: Breakfast staples.  Easy for the kids to reach so mom and dad can sleep in. :)

A girl can dream, right???

BOTTOM SHELF:  Canned goods.  The stuff you need on a day to day basis but still clutter things up.

Kept on a lower shelf to be mostly out of sight, but still within easy reach.

I found these two AMAZING hanging baskets at Ikea for $4 each!

Once again, I am all about de-cluttering.  These shelves provide containment for items that normally would get strewn about.  Cereals that are nearly depleted, oatmeal packets, peanut butter, and Ramen.  

Good, old Ramen. Blech!

And, on the floor I keep a large supply of flour and sugar in 5 gallon food storage buckets with air tight lids.

I go through these things too quickly to keep in a smaller jar.

Also, another woven tote houses the potatoes.

Hopefully this gave you some inspiration to tackle your own pantry.  If you need ideas, motivation or help, leave a comment.  If you have any helpful tips of your own feel free to share them in a comment as well.  Show some comment love!

My next goal is to post a blog in less than 2 hours next time.....

Wish me luck!