mid-week meal share: gnocchi with pomodoro sauce

I was totally in the mood to try something new for dinner. This meant searching through recent recipe saves and a trip to the store. It also means you don't quite look all the way through the instructions because the name of the recipe seems simple enough. Typically I like to give myself a lot of credit for  the meals I cook for the first time. Well, with this one.. I fumbled from the beginning to the end. It's about consistency, right?

Cost effective: about $15-$20 depending on brands you prefer.

Easy to concoct: ugh, it will be the next time I make it!

On your mark. Get set. GATHER!

¼ cup EVOO (yas, Baby Mama)

4 stems "italian flat leaf" parsley

4 stems oregano

2 stems rosemary

4 stems basil (2 for garnish)

½ diced yellow onion

1½ tsp (3 cloves) minced garlic

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes

salt + pepper

red pepper flakes

¼ cup heavy cream

1 16 oz package of gnocchi

*8 oz cherry sized mozzarella balls

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

*boil water and dice onions

1. In an OVEN SAFE (if you want to cook the recipe properly) skillet, heat your olive oil and add your parsley, oregano, rosemary and basil. This is where I initially fell off the wagon. A) I didn't realize the skillet would need to go into the oven and B) I apparently ran out of EVOO, how does that even happen?!

2. When your herbs are crispy remove them from your pan and add your onions and garlic and cook until your onions are translucent, per usual.

3. Add in the tomatoes and season with the required salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. I bought petite diced. The recipe seems to call for canned whole tomatoes that you crush. Depending on which road you want to take I would definitely just get crushed tomatoes because let me just say trying to crush petite diced tomatoes was annoying af.

4. By this point your water is likely boiling. Add in your gnocchi; boil until they are floating. Another fumble, I think I cooked them for too long? But I've never eaten them before so I really don't have a clue.

5. Simmer your tomatoes for 30-40 minutes. When your gnocchi's are done, drain and set aside.

6. At around 20 minutes I thought my tomatoes were cooked enough and added in the heavy cream. Remove from heat.

7. Add in your gnocchi's.

8. If you had the proper skillet, this is when you add your mozzarella and parmesan and broil until the cheese melts and becomes crispy. If you're a hot mess like me you'll have tried to melt the cheese by covering your pan.

9. Enjoy!

Mer, for me this recipe was a fail. It might have been a little different if I was able to broil it at the end. Definitely should've simmered longer with more spice. The flavor was very, very tomatoey. Brendon and Kennedy really loved it and I feel like that typically happens. I hate it, everyone else loves it. Which means two thing. 1) it's going to get requested again and 2) I will have to make dinner and then not eat it. The life of mom, amiright? But I also know that the next time I make it I'm going to buy pomodoro sauce instead of making it from scratch and I will likely transfer to a baking dish because I do feel like it would've made all the difference. And maybe I'll invest in mozzarella balls.

Gnocchi vs pierogi.

Leia

noodles + co

You know those days where you try to just be simple and take the easy way out? Maybe spend more money on dinner than you would've had you made it? Yeah, I thought last night would've been one of those days but I was inconveniently mistaken.

And trust me I know how first world problem this post is, but hey.

Last night I worked from 3p-7p (this is a shift I traded with a coworker until December for school) and thought I would order food for delivery and take it home. Smart, right? I thought so too since I had to work today from 3a-3p (yeah, that's right an 8 hour turn around between shifts; had I realized this when I agreed to the switch I probably wouldn't have.. but now I have the weekends off.. whatever).

So I ordered our food around 5:30 for future delivery at 7:15. I thought this was ample time for Noodles + Co to prepare and deliver my food. HAHAHAHAHAAA.

Well, I clock out right at 7 and hurry towards the front of the hospital because usually they are early (so do I feel silly complaining about the one time they fuck shit up? nah). I talked with a few ladies from my old job as I was waiting while they were heading out to leave, which made me incredibly sad, and tried to patiently count down the minutes til my food would arrive. Hangry, hangry, hangry.

Well, needless to say 7:15 rolled around and I still haven't seen or heard from anyone. At 7:21 I finally called to check on the order because at this point it's going to be almost 8 by the time I get home and will be an extremely small window to finish bedtime and fall asleep myself.

Noodles: "Noodles + Co, blah blah location now offering delivery this is blah blah how can I help you?"

Me: *not wanting to be a rude ass* "Um, I ordered food a few hours ago for 7:15 delivery and I was just called to make sure everything was okay with my order."

N: "Your name please?"

Me: "Leia."

N: "Leia.. Leia.. oh yes! Your order.. is.. right here and all ready to go! Um, 7:15.. we're just waiting on the delivery driver. They aren't here yet so your order will be on the way shortly."

Me: "Okay, thanks.............................."

So then I just get upset. The delivery driver isn't even to the store yet to pick up my food????

So, I call back.

Noodles: "Noodles + Co, blah blah location now offering delivery this is blah blah how can I help you?"

Me: "Yeah, it's Leia again I'm just going to come pick up my order."
N: "Okay, sorry about that! We'll have everything ready when you get here!"

Me: "No problem......................................"

And then just confusion; like duh! Of course it's going to be ready because you already told me it was bagged and ready to go already AND it'll probably be cold by the time I get there because parking is going to be hell downtown. Which yeah, it was totally hell. I had to drive around two blocks and even then I still parked in an illegal spot while I ran inside.

Guys, they didn't remove the delivery fee or the driver's tip from my bill. The bag was warm but only because it had been sitting under the heat lamp or whatever. It's 7:45. I didn't make a scene I just asked for the various fee's to be refunded. I couldn't believe they didn't just automatically credit it back to me. And then I still had to drive home.

The food was still an okay temperature when I got home which is the only reason I didn't call them to complain. I do value customer service and understand restaurant employee's get the brunt of all bitching that they don't always deserve but Noodles + Co almost got me, man. Mainly for the sake of knowing how much extra time it cost me on my already limited window for sleep.

And I left my leftovers at home.

Leia

kindergarten fun facts: week 5

What did you learn in school this week?

Kennedy: "I learned the word for blue in Spanish."
Me: "And what word is that?"
K: "I forgot."



¡Adios!
Leia

hurricane matthew

I have been seeing so many Hurricane Matthew McConaughey's! But in all seriousness I have been a nervous little wreck following this one on the news. I have friends and family along the East coast and when it's expected to be category 5 upon landfall you tend to question their well-being every hour on the hour. Needless to say they are handling it much better than me.

STAY SAFE!

Leia

westworld + other television

Currently there are four live shows that I am watching which I think is a first. Hallelurr for DVR and On Demand!

1. This Is Us. I had been waiting FOR MONTHS for this show to premiere and it finally has. Let me say major tear factor for each episode. If you haven't checked it out I highly recommend it.

2. American Horror Story. Chilling, chilling, chilling. Also sort of confusing.

3. How To Get Away With Murder. Just caught the first episode today On Demand. 

And saving the best for last..

4. Westworld. Premiered last night on HBO and I am HOOKED. So many things to discuss and ponder. The acting is tremendous. WATCH IT; John Wayne meets the Matrix?

Grab the popcorn!

Leia

school

If there's one thing that's stressing me out right now, it's definitely school. If any of you recall last semester I sort of threw in the towel with applying to Eastern's nursing program because I was falling below the competitive line and with how hard I worked there was no way I was going to apply to be told, "well you're a fucking loser, pedal your shit elsewhere."

So I had researched other programs like a crazy person a found the best alternative; the best alternative still required that I take yet another class. I was waitlisted for the computer course I needed for what I thought was a December application deadline to start Winter 2017. Well, firstly I missed the email that said, "yo, it's your turn to get off the waitlist" and I had to waitlist AGAIN and I did not get a second chance. Secondly, I must have looked at the dates wrong or they changed them but the deadline now is in January for Fall 2017. Fuuuuuuuuu. I am catching zero breaks. Thirdly, after starting my new job I'm not even sure I want or can be a nurse. Some of this stuff I see is horrid and stomach wrenching. And the key word here is SEE. I feel woozy just looking at some of these people let alone having the compassion to care for them!

Then it was time to scramble. Do I go for nursing and switch if I can't handle? Do I switch back for an easy Bachelor's? What about my pell grants and maxxed out loans? Slkfoieawjfoajbsdoviajseofinbaoisdrfjaosjf. I decided that I would enroll in classes to fulfill my Psychology/Health Administration degree. I still owed a bit of a balance to Eastern and before I could register I needed to pay it off. My dad and stepmom helped me with that and I was able to register. Once everything was all squared away I had a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Throwing away that year of hard work and classes that would literally be for nothing weighed VERY heavy on me. So.. I withdrew from them and got on track to apply for Nursing again. Well, then I felt the horrible debate again. And, I am going for straight Health Administration now. Ultimately I don't believe I am cut out for Nursing, nor am I passionate enough.

TRUEMU.

Leia

kindergarten fun facts: week 4

What did you learn in school this week?

Kennedy: "Make an S and close the gate!"

Focusing more on numbers I presume this week as she had other clever little rhyming tunes on how to master the art of number writing.

8

Leia