Gnuts for Gnocchi

I made gnocchi for dinner tonight, and it was so simple and quick that I just had to share! I used a prepared gnocchi, which takes only a few minutes to cook, and but if you have a recipe for the real thing, that would be even better. I had major resistance from my preschooler--she doesn't like tomatoes--but after I coaxed her into trying it, even she like it. The addition of fresh parsley really brings a sparkle to the sauce, and the sour cream brings a decadent creaminess. I meant to make it with ground beef for a heartier sauce, but supper was so late tonight that I just skipped it. However, I think adding shrimp or pan-seared chicken tenders would be divine! I also think this would be a great vehicle to get some zucchini or spinach (or both!) into your diet! This recipe is going into my regular rotation, for sure!

Super-Simple Gnocchi Supper


1 box Delallo Gnocchi
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic, onions, and basil
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
2 tablspoons chopped fresh parlsey
2 heaping tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon butter
Fresh Parmesan, for garnish


Directions
Heat a medium saucepan of med-low heat. Add butter. When butter is melted, add minced garlic and sautee for 1-2 minutes. Add tomatoes and heat until it simmers. Add sour cream and parsley. 

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi to package instructions. Drain and add to sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and serve immediately.

I dressed it up with a Pocoyo bowl. Fancy!

Slow-Cooker Love

I am totally in love with my slow-cooker. Have I said that before? Head-over-heals in love. It is now a permanent fixture on my counter top, no longer banished next to the fondue pot under the cabinet. I have seen the light!

This weekend I made Creamy, No-Stir Risotto in the crockpot, and now, I am (of all things!) making home-made yogurt in it. I am so excited about it, I am smiling as I write this post! I plan on posting the recipe for the risotto, but I am still tweaking it. My idea is to use prepared butternut squash soup (the Cambell's in the green box) to make a no-fuss, dump-it-and-leave-it butternut squash risotto, and my results were promising (and quite delicious). It's just that the proportions were a little off, so I want to refine it before sharing. However, I will post the link to the original recipe that inspired me:
No-Stir Crockpot Risotto

The yogurt was a surprise. I've been wanting to make home-made yogurt for years, ever since I saw my aunt do it. Only fear and the price of a yogurt maker kept me from doing it. So I get the bright idea to Google "How to make home-made yogurt", thinking surely there is a way to do it safely without a lot of trouble or fancy equipment, and what should pop up in the results but how to make yogurt in the crockpot! The blog, A Year of Slow Cooking, is one that I actually became familiar with way back before it was very big. Wow, has it grown! I highly suggest that you check it out, if you haven't already.

Life: Summer Cooking

Tonight, I made the first pot of okra and tomatoes of the season! The onions, garlic, and okra all came from my garden (my tomatoes are hopelessly late this year). It was spectacular! Find my recipe in the recipe box on the left. Next okra recipe to try: gumbo!

Pumpkin can officially crawl, and he is trying to pull up onto his feet. All I can say is: No! No, no, no, no, no! 

I'm taking the kids to Kindermusik this summer, and it is going so well. We're in a class that all three can be in together and they love it! Doodlebug is really coming out of her shell, and even little Pumpkin squeals and smiles at the music. I'm so glad I decided to sign us up.

I took Darling to the library today, and we found tons of pictures books about elephants. We checked out six books. I think we will start doing weekly visits. It was such a nice time together.