As promised, I have several new recipes to share that our household has tried & enjoyed enough to vote them into the "keeper" book.
Having had my oral surgery this morning, and currently being on a soft diet, I of course am famished right now! And of course, I am craving peanut brittle? 
Go figure! I guess it is because I know that I can't have it, which in turn is making me want it even more. I don't even think that I have eaten or thought of peanut brittle since Christmas time.
I must say the procedure was not pleasant by any means. I would say that I would almost rather go through childbirth again except that took much longer that the 2 grueling hours that this surgery took.
They only did the right side, so I have all of this to look forward to again in 6-8 weeks. 
They first shot me up with Novocaine, then after that took affect they started the procedure, which is basically cutting my gum away from the tooth & rolling it down so they can "deep clean" the root area & remove any diseased gum tissue. The all is stitched up. I go in next week to get the stitches out.
The Novocaine is now wearing off & the pain is setting in. I was given a prescription for Vicodin, but I watch enough House episodes to know that stuff is scary & addictive!
So I will try the 800 mg. of Ibuprofen every 6 hours (next dose is at 2:30)
and then if that doesn't work & I am too miserable, I will resort to the hard stuff.
OK...enough about that...let's get on with the food stuff!
This soup was absolutely delicious (in fact, I may be having leftovers for my dinner tonight)
And talk about easy...this was a cinch ! 15 minutes prep & 25 minutes cook time.
Pasta Fajole Soup
1 pound lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1 (30-ounce) jar Ragu Chunky Garden-Style Spaghetti Sauce with Mushrooms and Peppers
1 (10 1/2 ounce) can beef broth
2 cups water
1 cup sliced celery
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1 (10 ounce) can Rotel diced tomatoes and green chilies
1 can white great northern beans, drained and rinsed
1 can dark red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 carrot, shredded
About 1 cup cooked elbow macaroni
1. Cook first three ingredients in a large Dutch oven over medium heat until meat is browned, stirring to crumble. Drain meat
2. Add spaghetti sauce and next nine ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add shredded carrots and macaroni. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Serve with your favorite bread.
Another easy 1 pot meal that was also very good ...found in a Real Simple magazine
Chicken with white beans and tomatoes
hands on time : 10 minutes Total time : 50 minutes Serves 4
Ingredients
* 2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans, rinsed
* 1 pint grape tomatoes
* 4 sprigs fresh thyme
* 4 sprigs fresh oregano, plus leaves for garnish
* 2 garlic cloves, smashed
* 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
* 2 tablespoons olive oil
* kosher salt and black pepper
* 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds total)
Directions
1. Heat oven to 425° F. In a 9-by-13-inch (or some other large) baking dish, toss the beans and tomatoes with the thyme and oregano sprigs, garlic, red pepper, 1 tablespoon of the oil, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
2. Pat the chicken dry and place on top of the bean mixture, skin-side up. Rub with the remaining tablespoon of oil; season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper.
3. Roast until the chicken is golden and cooked through, 35 to 45 minutes. Sprinkle with the oregano leaves.
Tip ( you know me...and I love to cook & drink wine!)
For even richer flavor, add 1⁄2 cup dry white wine to the bean and tomato mixture before cooking. Serve the dish with country bread to soak up the delicious sauce.
Like these one dish meals? Me too, so here's yet another one. This one comes from an All You magazine
Orecchiette with Broccoli, Tomatoes and Sausage
Preparation Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cooking Time: 25 minutes minutes
Yield: Serves 6
Cost per Serving: $1.21
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 ounces hot or sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
1 15-oz. can diced tomatoes, with juice
Salt
1 pound orecchiette or pasta shells
4 cups small broccoli florets (from one head)
Shredded Parmesan, optional
1. Warm oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until it loses its pink color, about 6 minutes. Add tomatoes with their juice and 1/4 tsp. salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of juice has evaporated and sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes.
2. While sauce is cooking, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Stir in pasta and cook according to package label directions. In last 2 minutes of cooking time, stir in broccoli and continue to cook until pasta is al dente and broccoli is tender. Drain, return to pot and toss with sauce. Serve immediately, with shredded Parmesan on the side, if desired.
This next one came from an Every Day with Rachael Ray magazine.
Sizzling Beef and Scallions
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces London broil, sliced into short, thin strips
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 10 scallions, green parts thinly sliced, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2/3 cup chopped red bell pepper
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
- 2/3 cup frozen peas, thawed
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 4 cups cooked white rice, chilled
Directions:
-
In a medium bowl, toss the beef with 1 tablespoon soy sauce. In a large nonstick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat. Add the beef and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; transfer to a bowl.
-
In the skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat. Add the scallion whites, bell pepper and ginger and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes; stir in the peas. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet, add 1 tablespoon oil and pour in the eggs. Stir the eggs until they begin to set, then stir in the vegetables. Add the egg-vegetable mixture to the beef; stir in the sugar and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
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Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rice, breaking up any clumps, then cook, without stirring, until heated through, 2 minutes. Stir in the beef mixture and scallion greens
OK guys, the last few recipes are going to have to wait for another post. I think that I am going to go & take that Ibuprofen a little bit early & see if I can get this throbbing in my mouth to ease up some.
If you end up trying any of these recipes, please let me know what you think! Good or bad.
Happy cooking! ~ Chef Zany 
candy & gum
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