October Challenge: Days 21-24

Day 21 - A recipe

Cooking is one of my favorite hobbies. I hoard cook books, and LOVE looking at cooking blogs and watching the Food Network. I wish I had the time to cook amazing meals every night. I am so looking forward to our lives settling down as soon as we're both out of college so that we're both home at dinner time.

I wish the recipe that I'm sharing was a little bit more original, but it's not. It's from The Pioneer Woman, and it's seriously the best pasta EVER. I would make it 5 nights a week if it wouldn't make me gain a hundred pounds. I also know that it was especially made for me, because my name is in the title :). The recipe is below, but click HERE to see the step by step photos on Ree's website. Seriously - so good. go make it. now.

Penne a la Betsy

Ingredients



■¾ pounds Penne Pasta
■1 pound Shrimp (We usually use chicken)
■3 Tablespoons Butter
■3 Tablespoons Olive Oil
■1 whole Onion (small)
■2 cloves Garlic
■½ cups White Wine (or To Taste)
■1 can Tomato Sauce (8 Oz)
■1 cup Heavy Cream
■Fresh Parsley, to taste
■Fresh Basil - To Taste
■Salt To Taste
■Pepper To Taste


Preparation Instructions


Cook the penne pasta until tender-firm, also known as al dente.
Peel, devein and rinse (under cool water) 1 pound of extra large shrimp. Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil 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. Now, put the cooked shrimp on the cutting board and pull off the tails. Chop the shrimp into bite –sized pieces and set aside.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.
In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and sauté, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally. If you would rather not use wine, you can use low-sodium chicken broth instead (about ½ cup).
Now add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.
Now chop your herbs, about a tablespoon of chopped parsley and about the same amount of chopped basil, or if you’re feeling very proper, chiffonaded.
Now add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce. Give it a stir and add salt and pepper to taste. Throw in your herbs and stir until combined. Finally add your cooked penne pasta and give it a good stir.

Day 22 - A website that has been meaningful since your loss.
There are several websites that have been meaningful over the past year or so.  I would say that the first one that really helped me, was thebump.com's miscarriage/pregnancy loss message board. While I was still pregnant, I loved reading everyone elses posts on the different trimester boards. I never really posted there, but I liked reading the questions and answers from all of the women who were as far along as I was. I noticed that there was a board for loss, and after Olivia died I got pretty involved in it. I met some AMAZING women who have been some of my greatest friends ever since. I honestly do not know where I would be emotionally right now without that board. I received so much support, and it was just so amazing to have a place to vent, where I wouldn't receive any judgment because everyone there completely understood. As of gone through this cycle, I've kind of stopped posting there, but I still check it out every once in a while, and keep in touch with quite a few of the ladies from the board on a regular basis.

I also want to encourage you (even though I know that I've posted this a bajillion times) to check out faces of loss if you have a chance. It's amazing, and definitely meaningful to me.

Day 23 - A YouTube video that makes you laugh

Totally hilarious. But only if you watch Sunday Night Football AND like Jane Lynch as much as we do!



Day 24 - Where you live.

Well. I live in Omaha Nebraska.