Penne with Tomato-Cream Sauce

Jenna isn’t feeling entirely inspired tonight so she passed the blogging to me this time.  She reported that she got some knitting done while he napped, but he was rather fussy while he was awake.  Sounds like they spent a lot of time in the sunroom watching traffic drive by – Harlee is definitely entertained by that, as I’ve found on many occasions!  My guess is he’s working on some teeth… But then I feel like he’s kinda been doing that for months, with all the drooling and chewing on things he’s been doing.  Still haven’t detected any nubbins breaking through those gums yet though!  We’ve been trying different homemade purees of sweet potatoes, bananas, and squash so far.  He’s not too sure about it, and it sure is funny watching his faces (as you could see from his sweet potato experience from the last blog!).  I’m not in any hurry though – he’s just experimenting right now and from what I understand (and been told by his pediatrician), teeth are a sign that the digestive system is developed enough to handle solids, and since there are no teeth, well, no hurry!  He’s still getting the good stuff from his momma, which is important!

Speaking of good stuff, Jenna was in a pasta mood tonight so that’s the route we took.  It was interesting, since anything that required water had to be done in the bathroom sink.  Our kitchen faucet sprung a leak last night, so it’s out of commission until we fix it.  Anyway, I came up with this recipe about two years ago and I’ve been coming back to it quite a bit because it’s pretty tasty!  Add some easy homemade garlic bread and a salad and we’ve got a great meal!

Penne with Tomato-Cream Sauce

1 16oz box of penne pasta, cooked al dente

1 lb ground beef (or your choice of ground meat - venison in our case!)

2 tsp garlic powder

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 small yellow onion, chopped

½ cup sliced mushrooms

2 15oz cans tomato sauce

1 cup half & half or heavy cream

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Brown the beef with spices.  Drain grease (if you have any – venison doesn’t create any) and add peppers, onions, and mushrooms.  Add tomato sauce and cream, and stir while adding cheeses.  Stir until heated through and cheese is melted.  Combine with cooked and drained noodles, and serve!

Homemade Garlic Bread

½ loaf (or 8 slices) French bread

~4 tbsp Butter spread

1-2 tsp garlic powder

1-2 tsp Italian seasoning

½ cup grated parmesan cheese

½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spread butter on both sides of bread slices.  Arrange on a baking sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder, Italian seasoning, and cheese.  Bake for 8 minutes, until cheese is melted and bread is toasted.