In the Kitchen: Rachel Ray's Christmas Pasta

Since the brother and SIL moved back to Michigan, we have instituted a monthly family dinner. This rotates from house-to-house. With the exception of summer, we've been pretty regular about our little soirees. Since the SIL is hosting Thanksgiving this year, I took October. The dumb thing on my part is that I scheduled it for the day after Seventh Grade Camp.

I don't know if I've ever blogged about Seventh Grade Camp before, but suffice it to say, it is not for the faint of heart. Three days (it used to be five) of teaching in the woods with well over 200 12- and 13-year-olds is not for the weak-of-mind nor for the weak-of-body. Here's how you know it was a good camp:

• No one died.
• No one got lost in the woods.
• No one got sick enough to go home.
• No one got homesick enough to go home.
• No one was naughty enough to get sent home.
• No one tipped a canoe on the lake.

Anyway, I was not going to want to cook yesterday, so Mom came up with the idea of making spaghetti sauce last weekend and freezing it. Reheat the sauce in the crock pot, cut some crusty bread, whip up a salad, and make the pasta, and there you have dinner. Brilliant, Mom.

I went with Rachel Ray's Christmas Pasta. I have made this recipe before, and it is always delicious. I've linked to the original recipe, but I alter the meat amounts slightly because I'm just not a fan of veal. The meat ingredients I use are as follows:

• 1/4 pound pancetta
• 1/4 pound bulk hot Italian sausage (can use links, but not as easy)
  
• 1/2 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage
• 3/4 pound ground sirloin

And with that, I will leave you with a Halloween drawing courtesy of Kidlet #1.



And next, Kidlet #2 wearing her John Lennon glasses.



And finally, Kidlet #2's photo of Kidlet #1 cheezing for the camera.