Chicken Spaghetti

Andy and me in Maui, HI

When sifting through recipes online a month ago, I asked Andy if he'd ever heard of Chicken Spaghetti.  "Heard of it?" he surprisingly asked.  "Well yeah, we used to have it every week before our soccer games.  The moms would rotate cooking it for our team."  Turns out Chicken Spaghetti is much more popular than I ever knew- geez, I'd never even heard of the stuff until I came across the recipe. 

Mr. & Mrs. Jennings at the Pro Football Hall of Fame

Speaking of Andy's mom, that night we went to meet her, Andy's dad, Andy's sister (Carly) and brother-in-law (Slate), and Andy's precious nephew, Greyson, at Patrizio's for Carly's birthday dinner.  Carly and Slate had been in the Dominican Republic at the beginning of July, and Andy and I had just gotten back from Hawaii.  To add to it, Andy's parents had been on a road trip to the Pro Football Hall of Fame, so we all had vacation stories to share and Carly's birthday to celebrate.  And actually, for lunch that day, we had met Andy's cousin (Clint), Clint's wife (Patty), and their two sons (Guy and Coleman) for lunch at Joe T's.  It was quite the Jennings family day!

Coleman and me at Joe T's for lunch

But back to dinner... Greyson wasn't feeling very well, and we had him watching both Hop and Dora the Explorer on two different iPhones to keep from crying about his sore throat.  He wasn't satisfied with either Hop or Dora, so double screen time it was. 

Slate in the Dominican Republic

Carly professed that she'd forgotten her camera when they went to the Dominican, but was able to show us pictures from her iPhone (when it wasn't being used by Greyson- cue the crying).  I was prepared with our 550 photos on my friend, Whitney's, iPad that she had graciously let me borrow for our Hawaiian adventure.  (Thanks, Whit!)  We probably looked like super iGeeks in the middle of the restaurant, but it was fun to relive all of our trips.

Carly in the Dominican Republic

I did my best to try Chicken Spaghetti.  Given that it was from Cooking Light, I'm sure it wasn't as good as what Andy had growing up (let's be honest, full-fat foods often win that contest).  However, Andy claimed that he did like it, and was pleased that it was lighter and lower-fat than traditional Chicken Spaghetti.

Chicken Spaghetti
Cooking Light
Servings: 6; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 8

Chicken Spaghetti

• 1 c fat-free shredded cheddar cheese
• 12 1/2 oz canned chicken, drained & flaked
• 10 3/4 oz Campbell's 98% Fat-Free Cream Of Chicken Soup, undiluted
• 10 3/4 oz Campbell's 98% Fat-Free Cream Of Mushroom Soup, undiluted
• 10 oz canned tomatoes with green chilies, drained
• 1/2 fresh mushrooms, chopped
• 1 small onion, diced
• 1 medium green pepper, diced
• 1/2 tsp garlic salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 14 1/2 oz cooked whole-wheat spaghetti

1. Combine cheese, chicken, condensed soups, green chilies, mushrooms, onion, green pepper, garlic salt, and black pepper in a sauce pan on the stovetop
2. Cook spaghetti per instructions on box
3. When sauce mixture is hot and cheese is melted within, and spaghetti has been cooked and drained, pour sauce mixture over noodles

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Lasagna Roll Ups

My dad, Dr. Sam, me, Melynda, and my mom at my UT graduation, May 2008

My mom's friend, Melynda, and her daughter, Susan, and I have all been talking for months about organizing a mother-daughter dinner for the four of us.  My mom met Melynda originally through Melynda's brother, Miller, who has since passed.  Miller and my mom met through their mutual friend, Mike Cochran, whose wife makes the Mississippi Sin Dip.  After not seeing Melynda for a while, she re-met her through their mutual friend, Dr. Sam, at the Cowtown Marathon.  Even smaller of a world, Melynda was in a grief support group after her brother passed.  The leader of the group was my ex-boyfriend's dad, who took grief support training after losing his wife to breast cancer over ten years ago.  Oh, Fort Worth never ceases to amaze me.  I met Melynda with my parents one night, and I knew she was going to be like another aunt to me.  She is so much fun, and always up for something social! 

Melynda, Susan, me, and my mom at Dr. Sam's Suite Night at the Rangers' Game, 2009

Susan, Melynda's daughter, has a precious little boy named Andrew who I've been dying to meet, so Susan suggested we have the first annual mother-daughter dinner at her house.  Being huge fans of Pinterest, Susan suggested that we each bring our favorite recipe or Pinterest dish- something light and new.  Oh, gracious, now not only do I have recipes pinned on my Pinterest boards, but I have my food boards divided into categories- snacks, dinner, drinks, and sweets.  How to choose what to take?!

My dad, Dr. Sam, my mom, and Melynda at Cabana #3

I literally clicked on my "Din Din" (dinner) board, closed my eyes, and pointed.  Lasagna Roll-Ups were the lucky chosen ones.  Easy, light- they would be perfect! Susan made Chunky Avocado Dip, also a Pinterest recipe.  Melynda made Rosemary Biscuits that were full of flavor and delicious.  My mom made a "build-you-own-salad" mini-bar.  My cousin, Kyle,'s girlfriend, Jess, had made this mini-salad-bar on Thanksgiving Day at my Aunt Judy's house, and my mom could not stop raving about it!  In her defense, it was a really great idea- everyone could add the toppings of their choice (great for me who likes tomatoes and my mom who can't stand them) and their own dressing.

Melynda, Dr. Sam, and me at Santa Rita Cantina for my UT graduation party, May 2008

We spent the evening explaining Pinterest to my mom (who is still working on Facebook- trying to decide if she wants "Amy Sue" from 1st grade to be her friend or not), having girl talk, and talking about the different DIY and craft projects that we wish we had unlimited funds to put together.  The Lasagna Roll-Ups were a hit- everyone had just one, and they were filling and simple.

My mom, me, and Melynda at my dad's Welcome Home from Denali party on the 4th of July at Cabana #3

Lasagna Roll Ups
Kate Strickland via Pinterest
Servings: 8; Weight Watchers Points Plus Value: 6

Lasagna Roll-Ups before popping them in the oven

• 3 c chopped cooked chicken
• 1/4 c skim milk
• 1 c ricotta cheese
• 1/8 tsp white pepper
• 1/4 c crumbled feta cheese
• 8 lasagna noodles, cooked and drained
• 1/4 c grated parmesan cheese
• 2 c Prego spaghetti sauce

Lasagna Roll-Up

1. In medium bowl, combine chicken, cheeses, milk, and pepper
2. Spread some of mixture on each lasagna noodle and roll
3. In 13x9 baking dish, spread 1 c spaghetti sauce
4. Arrange lasagna rolls, seam-side down in baking dish
5. Top with remaining spaghetti sauce
6. Cover dish with foil
7. Bake at 375 for 30 mins or until hot
8. Sprinkle, if desired, with additional parmesan cheese

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Ravioli Casserole

Andy and me before his 27th Birthday dinner at Daddy Jack's

Last year for Andy's birthday, we went to New Orleans- read about that trip and Blackened Chicken here.  I knew I wanted to try to do something almost as equally fun this year, but New Orleans had put up some tough competition.  I told Andy that we had plans on Saturday, November 12, but that he could not ask any questions.  Knowing Andy is not being a big fan of surprises, I told him to rest easy and that he would find out on the morning of the 12th what the game plan was.

The Flying Saucer Group

I sent out an invitation on Facebook to all of our friends, and organized Andy's 27th Birthday Surprise 80's Pub Crawl.  Despite Andy's numerous attempts to find out what our plans were, my friends and I managed to keep the plan a secret.  On November 9th, I took Andy to dinner at Daddy Jack's New England Lobster & Chowder House- which was also a surprise, but he had been talking for months about wanting to go there.  On Friday, November 11th, we went to Wichita Falls to have dinner with his family.  We went to Samurai of Tokyo- a Japanese hibachi restaurant that he loves.  We spent the night in Wichita that night and went back to Fort Worth for the big surprise the next morning.

The Jake's Group

Andy and me at Jake's

Andy's baseball themed cookie cake

The Library Group

I gave Andy his presents on the  morning of his birthday- a sign from Frame the Alphabet that says "Jennings," monogrammed scotch glasses with a "J" on them, and a card.  Inside the card was a poem that looked like this:

Andy's card telling him what the game plan was

If you can't read the poem, it went like this:

You've been waiting and waiting, and patiently so-

despite all your begging and wanting to know.

Now you will find out what your birthday plans are-

but how to pick where to go? How to pick which bar?

So instead of ONE place for us to play and have a ball,

I figured, heck, why not? Let's hit 'em all!

We'll start at 8.0 at 3 for some afternoon boozing,

then onto Flying Saucer for any beer of our choosing.

Then it's 5 o'clock somewhere, but we'll be at Jake's.

At 6 is Houston Street- we have cocktails to shake!

Fox is at 7, The Library at 8-

they're not much for books there, but their drinks are sure great!

Paddy Red's is at 9, and lastly VIP's-

oh, and did I mention?

The theme is 80's!

I hope you're ready for your 80's pub crawl fun-

You're turning 27- party like you're 21!

We ended up cancelling the theme because Andy is about as fond of themes as he is about surprises, but we had a great turn out and a (long) fun day of bar-hopping around downtown Fort Worth!  I surprised him with a cookie cake from Great American Cookie because he had mentioned loving cookie cake at another friend's birthday a few weeks prior (I pay attention to these things!)  Thank you to everyone who came out and celebrated with us, and thank you for keeping my secret so Andy was surprised!

The Houston Street Group

Sundays are always lazy for us, and this was was especially so, so I decided to make a crock pot recipe so I didn't have to deal with cooking much.  I found this one on Pinterest, and it seemed pretty healthy.  It made SO much that we had enough for both of us for dinner, lunches the next day, and I even froze some in individual tupperware containers so I could take them to work later.

The Paddy Red's Group

Ravioli Casserole
Pinterest.com
Servings: 10; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 7

• 1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 (15 oz.) can tomato sauce
• 1 can stewed tomatoes
• 1 tsp. oregano
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning
• Salt & pepper to taste (I also added in some crushed red pepper to taste)
• 10 oz. spinach
• 16 oz. bowtie pasta, cooked
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese, shredded
• 1 1/2 cup mozzarella, shredded

1. Brown ground beef with onion and garlic.  
2. Put in crock-pot and add sauce, tomatoes and seasonings. 
3. Cook for 6-7 hours on low.  
4. Add the last 4 ingredients during the last 30 minutes of cooking and turn crock-pot to high.  
5. Add the fresh spinach, pasta, parmesan and 1 cup of the mozzarella and mix.  
6. Add the last 1/2 cup of mozzarella to melt on the top.

Keep on cookin'!

-Katherine

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno

With any new relationship often comes new friends.  Many of my friends have become Andy's, and vice-a-versa.  One particular friend, Elise, went to both middle and high school with Andy in Wichita Falls.  Elise and I became fast friends through Andy and kickball, and she is a total blast to hang out with.  She is hysterical, and I feel very blessed to call her my friend!  (So, thanks, Andy!)  When I met her, Elise was dating a guy named Sean.  Sean is about a head and a half taller than Elise, and together they always keep us laughing.  Andy and I were at a wedding in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in July 2010 when we received word that Sean had popped the question to Elise.


Elise & Sean braiding the Wedding Knot at Robert Carr Chapel

For the next year, Elise and I talked girly wedding talk, and I had been looking forward to her and Sean's wedding since we first heard of their engagement.  We went to their Stock the Bar couples wedding shower, and I went to her lingerie shower and girls wedding shower, also.  I took my time with their present, trying to be creative and unique, and this is how it turned out:

You can't really tell... but it is a colander filled with kitchen utensils like a timer, measuring cups, etc and then wrapped in their wedding colors

I was pretty proud of myself, but I still wanted to add a little something more, so I made them an "L" for Sean's last name, Lokkesmoe, and painted it in their wedding colors (navy and lime green):

An "L" for Lokkesmoe



Elise & me at the reception at Stockyards Station

Sean & Elise's wedding was perfect.  The ceremony was at TCU's Robert Carr Chapel.  I'd never been in this chapel before, and it was absolutely beautiful.  Elise was beautiful, too, even when she was her goofy self and making faces at the congregation part of the time.  The reception was in the Historic Fort Worth Stockyards at the Stampeded Room at Stockyard Station.  Babe's fried chicken catered the event, and it was definitely a treat.  I'd heard about Babe's, but never actually had it until the wedding, but it was well-worth the wait!  We danced the night away and took funny pictures in the photobooth- it was a very fun night with great friends and memories.  Thank you, Seanise, for including us in your big day! 

Andy, me, Ray, Lani, Michael, Jordan, Cody, Jennifer, Shane, Elise and Sean
at Elise & Sean's reception at Stockyards Station

The next day, I made this pasta for Andy and myself.  The weather was drizzly and crummy, so I thought a hearty homecooked meal would be a good touch for our couch day.  I found the recipe on Pinterest, and I knew Andy would love it because of the prolific amount of cheese.  The recipe yields a ton of pasta, so we definitely had leftovers for lunch the next day, and it tastes great when warmed up.

Tomato and Mozzarella Pasta al Forno
Originally from Pinterest, healthified by Kate Strickland
Servings: 6; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 12

Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta al Forno

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil (if you use the garlic in a jar, already minced, you do not need the oil)
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 14oz cans diced Italian plum tomatoes
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1 lb tube pasta (shown here with ziti)
• 8 oz mozzarella cheese
• 2/3 c parmesan

 

Tomato & Mozzarella Pasta al Forno



1. Heat oil in skillet.
2. Add garlic and cook over medium high heat, 1 min. *If you use the garlic in a jar, already minced, skip the oil)
3. Add tomoatoes and oregano and simmer rapidly, stirring occationally until thickened (appr. 15 mins)
4. Add salt & pepper to taste
5. Meanwhile, cook pasta
6. Toss pasta with sauce
7. Place half of pasta in an oiled 9x13 dish
8. Cover with half parmesan and half mozzarella (I mixed the two together in a bowl before putting half the mixture on the pasta)
9. Top with remaining pasta, then the rest of the parmesan and mozzarella
10. Bake at 400 for 15 mins

Keep on cookin'!
-Katherine

Vodka Penne

Disclaimer!!:  Please keep in mind this blog is intended to be lighthearted and fun and to simply recall memories associated with food, drinks, and recipes!  I do not condone underage drinking or the consumption of alcohol before high school functions!

There are many moments/days/events to which we looked forward to in high school.  This list included, but was not limited to the following: Howdy Week, The Battle of Bryant Irvin, Homecoming, Canwick, senior off campus lunch, the Senior Trip, the ISAS Fine Arts Festival, graduation, and, of course, Junior/Senior Prom. 

Before we knew it, it was senior year.  The AP tests, finals, football games, and our Senior Trip to Playa del Carmen had all come and gone.  It was suddenly May and time for Junior/Senior Prom.  Out of the 93 graduating seniors, 43 of us had gone to school together kindergarten through senior year.  Thirteen years is a long, LONG time to be with each other.  (Although I will insert a shout-out to my 20 year girls- I don't know where I'd be without Whitney, Keri, Chaney, Samantha, Kate, or Frances!)  Our same senior boys who all of the freshman girls thought were so cute in their khaki pants, boots, and white button downs, were the same boys who we senior girls had seen picking their noses in first grade at Camp Write Along.  To put it quite frankly, we wanted something new.  So, five of my best girlfriends and I decided to ask boys from other schools.

Chaney, me, Kaitlan; Samantha, Kate, Whitney

Since it was us girls asking the boys to prom (how gauche, right?), we decided to save some money and have dinner at our friend, Samantha's, house.  Our parents and the boys met us girls over at Sam's that night, and we had a nice little dinner planned out.  Little did our parents know that we also had decided to stash our underage supply of liquor under Sam's bathroom counter.  ("Yes, mom, I have to go to the bathroom again, let me be!") So all throughout dinner, we were sneaking off to the bathroom and making drinks so we could be good and ready for prom.  Maybe we could have pulled it off, too, if our parents hadn't decided to take our pictures in the front yard.  All of the girls' heels were sinking in the grass, and, as if that isn't difficult enough sober, we had a few drinks in our system, too.  Just picture us stumbling around in our long prom dresses, giggling the whole time and chewing mint gum and quickly as we could.

So, off to prom we went- limo and all- and had a marvelous time.  The Fort Worth Club was decked out in vines, trees, gorillas, and parrots for our jungle-themed Havana Nights prom, and we spent the night dancing and planning where to go afterwards.  We piled back in the limo and headed back to Sam's house, not knowing we were in for quite a surprise.  We arrived home to six sets of very annoyed parental units.  Apparently, our suspicious parents had good noses and could detect our (not-so-discrete) beverages (despite the mint gum chewing), and they had raided our stash.  Although they were "disappointed in our decisions," they still let us go to the after-party.  Relieved we weren't in more trouble, we grabbed our overnight bags and headed out to our friend's house and land in Aledo.

Matt, Kate, David, Kaitlan, JM, Chaney, Whitney, Corey, Samantha, Palmer, me, Kyle

As soon as I got in the car, I checked my overnight bag- Score! My vodka filled water bottle was still in there!  Take that, mom and dad!  One point for me!  My Gatorade mixer had made it, too- I was ready to party.  After being at our friend's house for about an hour, I looked at the water bottle of vodka that my best friend and I were sharing, and it was empty.  "Whitney!"  I said in horror, "We've drank a whole water bottle of vodka in 30 minutes!  We're gonna be sick!"  "Yeah, I know," said Whitney, "But, strangely, I don't feel like it's affected me at all."  Surely those whole 8 ounces each would kick in soon, right?  Wrong.  It never did. 

Baffled by my new-found high tolerance, I told my mom the next morning, "I feel fine!  I thought I'd feel awful, but I don't!"   My mom started laughing instantly, and I remained clueless.  As it turns out, our parents had raided our overnight bags.  My mom told me that she went through my bag and said "Oh, good, all Kate has in her bag is this bottle of water! That's responsible of her!"  Then Sam's (not-quite-as-naive-as-my-mom) mom took the bottle, opened it, smelled it, and said, "That's not water- that's vodka."  Oops, I guess the Dasani bottle wasn't as clever as I'd thought.  So, unbeknown to us girls, my mom and Sam's mom poured out the vodka and filled the water back up with water.  That's right- Whitney and I were drinking watered down Gatorade all.  night.  long.

Well, 7 years later, I still drink vodka drinks, and I have heard of people using it in their cooking.  In an effort to find something different that's Italian-y and pasta-y, I found a recipe for Vodka Penne.  Vodka?  In pasta?  Quite frankly, it sounded disgusting.  I love vodka/waters, vodka/tonics, vodka/cranberries, vodka/pineapples, bloody marys (maries? marys?), and screwdrivers, but those are all drinks.  How does liquor pasta work?  Well, I figured if liquor could work in meatballs, making Bourbon Meatballs, then surely it could work in pasta.  So give this one a go if you're looking for a twist to the typical pasta dish.  Just make sure you're using vodka and not water when you make the sauce!

Vodka Penne
Weight Watchers
Servings: 9, Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 9

• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 medium shallots
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 tbsp minced parsley
• 1/2 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 3 tbsp canned tomato paste
• 2 oz vodka
• 1/8 tsp table salt
• 12 oz uncooked penne pasta
• 1/2 c heavy whipping cream
• 20 leaves basil

1. Heat large skillet over medium to large skillet
2. Add butter, shallots, and garlic
3. Saute until shallots start to caramelize (3-5 mins)
4. Add parsley, sea salt, and pepper, stirring occasionally
5. Add tomato paste and mix to make a paste
6. Cook for appr. 5 min, stirring occasionally
7. Add vodka
8. Scrape bottom of pan to mix all ingredients and cook appr. 5 mins

*Meanwhile!

1. Bring medium pot salted water to boil
2. Cook pasta in water accordingly
3. Drain water from pasta

*Then! Back to the sauce pan...

1. Add cream to the tomato sauce
2. Reduce heat to low, simmer appr. 3 mins
3. Add pasta to sauce, mix to coat
4. Top with basil & season with salt & pepper to taste

Baked Ziti

Some days (cough *most days* cough) I really, really miss college theme parties.  However, I am never one to let being out of college stop me from planning a theme party.  In fact, I am The (self-designated) Spirit Coordinator for the WAKA kickball team, Down 'n' Dirty, and I love planning theme nights for the team to boost morale.  More kickball stories to come soon.

St. Patrick's Day was, in college, similar to Cinco de Mayo or Texas Independence Day- a holiday that I never gave much thought until my freshman year of college, but now look forward to annually.  My St. Patrick's Days have, since 2005, been filled with green clothes, green jewelry, and green beer.  This year, I had to work 1:30-10:00pm on St. Patrick's Day, but that wasn't about to get this green-eyed girl down.  I sported my green scrub pants to work with pride, and I quizzed the patients on "fun facts" about St. Patty.  I think this was much more entertaining to me than the kiddos, but, nonetheless, we were makeshift-celebrating.  (For example: The real St. Patrick wasn't even Irish! He was born in Britain!)

MaryEllen and I in our "I (Shamrock) Beer" Shirts for St. Patty's 2009

Due to my limited time to celebrated the holiday on actual St. Patrick's Day, the Saturday after St. Patty's Day, I decided to have a cookout.  My cookout consisted of about 20 of my closest friends, all decked out in our green shirts/hats/shorts/etc.  Everyone was to bring their own drink of choice, and I provided the burgers.  I also decided to make French Fries (Ore Ida- super simple, in the freezer aisle) to go with our burgers.  When pulling out the French Fries, I knocked my hand against the oven, burning the living daylights out of my finger.  As the blister quickly formed, I desperately tried to pick up the scalding hot fries that had fallen all over inside of the oven and on the floor.  Turns out the fries were a bust, and I have a scar on my left hand to constantly remind me of my mishap.

Jennifer, MaryEllen, Brynne, and Me at Dallas' Greenville Avenue St. Patty's Celebration, 2009

About now, you may be wondering why I'm talking about burgers and fries when the recipe is titled Baked Ziti.  Well, here it goes.  I found and then adapted an awesome recipe for Baked Ziti with low-fat sausage in it.  I was very eager to make it, so I adventured to WallyWorld (Wal-Mart for all of you non-Texans), grabbed a buggy (shopping cart), and went Wal-Martin.  That's how we do it in Texas.  I had everything ready to go, preheated my oven, and suddenly smelled something burning.  I opened my oven and smoke and flames jumped out on me.  French fries that had fallen into cracks in the bottom of the oven were on fire.  Holy cow- I am burning down my house.  What do I do? I know how to cook but know ZIP about kitchen fires!! Time to get my dog, baby blanket, teddy bear, computer, camera, and sca-doodle out of here! 

Then rational Kate kicked in.  I had gone to the firehouse at Mayfest every year when I was younger, surely I remember something from there! Stop, drop, and roll! Nope, that's if I'm on fire.  I had no. clue. what to do.  Water- water puts out fires.  I filled a cup of water, and I threw it in the oven.  It sizzled, I shrieked, and I jumped to turn off the oven.  What to do, what to do.  Call my mom.  Moms ALWAYS know what to do.

Kate: "Umm... mom? My oven caught on fire, and I threw a cup of water on it, but now what do I do?"
Mom: "YOU DID WHAT?! NO NO NO! You could put out the pilot light or make the fire worse somehow!  Throw a wet towel on the flame or baking soda- yeah, baking soda!"
Kate: "Welllllll, the flame is already out.  But I need the oven back on for a new recipe- it'll be okay... right?"

Per my amazing mom's instructions, I turned the oven back on and let those ridiculous fries burn into ash.  For further info, here's how to handle an oven fire in the future.  As it turns out, my Baked Ziti still turned out amazingly delicious and is now one of our top favorite meals.

Andy liked it so much the first time, I decided to give it a go again last week.  In keeping with my love of themes, of course ANOTHER fire broke out.  I have an open flame stove top, and a paper towel was laying on the counter top.  Open flame + paper towel... you do the math.  This one was a bit less dramatic.  No, I didn't throw baking soda on it (although that is now readily available in my cabinet), but it was easily smothered.  So here's the Baked Ziti recipe, and here's to hoping that it doesn't bring with it quite the drama and "excitement" that it has brought me.  Keep in mind, make sure your oven doesn't have any leftovers stuck in it when you preheat ;-)

At Delaney's Irish Pub for St. Patty's Day 2011

Baked Ziti with Low-Fat Sausage
Kate Strickland
Servings: 4; Weight Watchers PointsPlus Value: 13 (these are large servings, you can definitely make it into 6 servings for smaller appetites!)

Baked Ziti with Low-Fat Sausage

• 3/4 lb raw sausage (I use the least low fat I can find- 96/4)
• 1 med onion, chopped
• 1 med green pepper, chopped
• 28 oz canned, diced tomatoes (the spicy peppers are good, too, for more flavor)
• 2 tbsp canned tomato paste
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tsp fennel seed
• 1/2 tsp table salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 12 oz uncooked ziti pasta (you could probably substitute any noodle here, but ziti is a hearty noodle and can handle this hearty sauce)
• 6 oz shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 9 x 13 in. pan

1. Position oven rack in center of the oven, preheat oven to 350
2. Crumble sausage meat into large (LARGE) saucepan and brown over medium heat, stirring often (about 4 mins)
3. Begin to cook pasta per package's instructions (this may be done a bit before or after your sauce- no worries! just move it to a cooler burner)
4. Drain off any fat (using 96/4 sausage, you won't have much)
5. Add onion & bell pepper.  Cook, stirring often, until softened (about 3 mins)
6. Stir in canned tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, basil, thyme, fennel seeds, salt, and pepper
7. Bring to simmer, reduce heat, cook uncovered 5 min, stirring frequently
8. Drain cooked pasta
9. Combine the cooked pasta and the sauce you've just made
10. Add in 1/2 of the cheese (3 oz)- stir it all together
11. Spread evenly into 9 x 13 pan
12. Top with remaining 3 oz of cheese
13. Bake about 20 mins, until cheese is bubbling (Or, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 20 mins.  Remove foil.  Continue to cook for 5-7 more minutes uncovered.)

Enjoy!