You just can't go wrong with Tyler Florence...

I love this stuff.



French Onion Soup

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 55 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Weight Watcher Points: 2 without cheese and croutons, 5 with


1/2 cup unsalted butter
4 onions, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 bay leaves
2 fresh thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup red wine, about 1/2 bottle
3 heaping tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 quarts beef broth 1 baguette,
sliced 1/2 pound grated Gruyere

Melt the stick of butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper and cook until the onions are very soft and caramelized, about 25 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until the wine has evaporated and the onions are dry, about 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaves and thyme sprigs. Dust the onions with the flour and give them a stir. Turn the heat down to medium low so the flour doesn't burn, and cook for 10 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Now add the beef broth, bring the soup back to a simmer, and cook for 10 minutes. Season, to taste, with salt and pepper.
When you're ready to eat, preheat the broiler. Arrange the baguette slices on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle the slices with the Gruyere and broil until bubbly and golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes.
Ladle the soup in bowls and float several of the Gruyere croutons on top.
Alternative method: Ladle the soup into bowls, top each with 2 slices of bread and top with cheese. Put the bowls into the oven to toast the bread and melt the cheese.

Love resturant gift cards!

Hubby and I went to Olive Garden last night, and i got the Chicken & Gnocchi again. it's sooo good, and here's the recipe. I'm going to try to make thing next week.

Chicken & Gnocchi Veronese

4 servings
1¼ hours

45 min prep

1/4 cup

extra virgin olive oil
1 small vidalia onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, sliced (julienned)
1/2 zucchini, sliced (julienned)
salt
4 chicken breasts, sliced in 1/2 strips
2 small rosemary sprigs
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 lemon, juice of

Veronese Sauce
1 cup

parmesan cheese, grated
1/2 cup ricotta cheese
14 fluid ounces heavy cream

Gnocchi (or 1 pound prepared gnocchi cooked per package directions)
2 quarts water
6 ounces all-purpose flour
2 eggs
2 lbs russet potatoes
2 teaspoons salt

Gnocchi.
WASH potatoes and place in water. Cook potatoes until soft (cook time will depend on size of potatoes). Remove potatoes from water and cool in refrigerator.
PEEL cooled potatoes and push them through a fine grater (rice grater) until mashed; do not over-mash potatoes or they will get tough.
COMBINE potatoes, flour and eggs in a mixing bowl. Mix well until dough does not stick to hands (add small amounts of flour at a time if needed).
DIVIDE dough into 4 sections. Roll out each section into a long rope. Cut each rope into ½” pieces. Push fork tines on each piece for the classic gnocchi appearance.
BRING water to a boil in a sauce pot. Drop in gnocchi and cook until they float.

Chicken & Sauce.
COMBINE garlic, lemon juice, rosemary and chicken slices in a mixing bowl. Let marinate for at least 2 hours.
COMBINE Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese and heavy cream in a mixing bowl and set aside.
HEAT sauté pan on medium high. Add extra virgin olive oil, onions, bell peppers, and zucchini. Saute until onions are translucent (do not brown).
ADD marinated chicken slices and cook until slices are brown on all sides and internal temperature is 165°F Reduce heat and add sauce mixture. Bring to a simmer.
DRAIN cooked gnocchi and add to pan with chicken, vegetables and sauce. Stir to coat gnocchi with sauce.
SERVE gnocchi topped with extra Parmesan cheese.

Well it's definatley been a while...

Hope everyone had a great Christmas!

I've been slacking, big time on this blog, but life has been a little insane, and now, with the major holidays coming and going i'm finally having more free time to do what I want.

I have no recipes to share with you today, since I haven't been "real" cooking in awhile. With Paul's mom sick and stuff, it's been bagged dinners, (i know so gross).

Once the New Year starts it should be more cooking for me again.

I did want to share my awesome Christmas gifts though. Hubby did good, and turned the second bedroom into my scrapbooking studio. Oh yes!! :) 2 products i feel like i need to tell everyone about are these

Clip It Up-this can really organzing ANYTHING you do, not just scrapbooking. i've seen it for quilting squares, ribbon, stamps and ink, etc.

Xyron Personal Cutting System-cheaper than the cricuit and does the same thing!

the addition books are only 30-40 dollars instead of 100 bucks per cartidge. and the machine i actually saw in Big Lots the other day for 95 bucks, instead of the cricuit's over $200 price tag.

I love both of them so much already. i can't wait to have the entire room set up and ready to go.

My mom also pulled through and got me my first sewing machine.

Singer Simple-perfect for a noivce

I'm not sure why i wanted one so bad, but i jst feel like i needed to learn how to do it myself instead of asking her all the time.

My first project-curtains for the living room, and matching pillows.

I hope this entry finds everyone safe, healthy and happy!