Soiree :: Tuscan Bridal Shower

Last week we celebrated a coworkers wedding with a Tuscan themed bridal shower.  With City Winery as the perfect happy hour spot to celebrate our bride-to-be.  We featured large sunflowers at each place setting and as individual centerpieces.  We used each team member's favorite cupcakes as place cards and the bride-to-be's place card was held by a wine cork.  We gifted her wine glasses from her registry and a bottle of Mendoza's finest wine, which fit the Tuscan wine theme perfectly.  And just for fun we played a round of celebrity spouse and made the bride-to-be match each one of us to our celebrity spouse crush.  Congrats Sheetal, so excited to celebrate your wedding with you and your Mister. 

Tasty Thursday

Had an OB appointment today, B's doing great, only four and a half more weeks till he's here.  Mommy on the other had has lost a pound since her last appointment, so bring on the carbs.  This sauteed shrimp in white wine over pasta looks amazingly delicious.  I would however, ditch the parsley for cilantro and add crushed red pepper.

INGREDIENTS:

1 (1-pound) package whole wheat linguine

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 clove garlic, minced

3 tablespoons white wine

1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved

1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1/4 cup Italian flat-leaf parsley, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once boiling, salt water and add pasta. Cook for about 8 minutes, or until al dente.
2. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté olive oil and garlic until garlic becomes golden, about 2 minutes. Add white wine and cook for about 2 minutes until the wine has reduced.
3. Add halved cherry tomatoes to saucepan. Once tomatoes appear soft, about 5 minutes, add shrimp and saute until they turn pink, about 5 minutes.
4. Drain pasta, reserving 1 cup of pasta water for finishing sauce. Add linguine, parsley and a splash of reserved pasta water in saucepan, tossing together for 2 minutes on medium heat to combine.  Use more pasta water if needed to moisten the sauce.
5. Salt and pepper to taste.

Last night's pasta dinner

Delicious creamy, tomatoey goodness! Love this recipe from Pioneer Woman.

Ingredients: 

• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 Tablespoons Butter
• 1 whole Medium Onion, Finely Diced
• 4 cloves Garlic, Minced
• 1-2 cups Mushrooms
• Italian sausage
• 2 cans (15 Ounce Each) Tomato Sauce Or Marinara Sauce
• Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 1 cup Heavy Cream
• Grated Parmesan Or Romano Cheese, To Taste
• Fresh Basil, Chopped
• 1-½ pound Fettuccine

Start with a whole onion chopped add that to a warm skillet of 3 tablespoons of butter and olive oil.  Add 4 chopped garlic cloves sautee for 3 minutes, add the Italian sausage, cook for 8 minutes.  Optional- at this point go ahead and add chopped mushrooms and cook for 5 minutes. Add the tomato sauce, salt and pepper to taste and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add cream, Parmesan cheese, chopped basil.