Penne with Spicy Vodka Tomato Cream Sauce

A nice change from your typical tomato sauce! It's very easy to make and serve. It's delicious and healthy. It's also very inexpensive. This recipe is top-notch and would rival any Penne a la Vodka that you'd order in an Italian restaurant. 

Ingredients:

(Original Recipe makes 8 servings)

• 1lb uncooked penne pasta
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
• 2/4 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoon vodka
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
• 2 (3.5 ounce) links sweet Italian sausage.

Directions:

1.     Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to boil. Then add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente, then drain.

2.   In large skillet, heat oil over moderate heat. Remove casing from sausage and add to skillet. Cook, breaking up the meat, until brown. Add garlic and red pepper and cook, stirring until garlic is golden brown.

3.     Add tomatoes and salt; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

4.     Add vodka and cream and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and add pasta, toss for 1 minute. Stir in fresh parsley and serve!

Time:

·         Prep- 10 mins

·         Cook- 15 mins

·         Ready In- 25 mins

Valentines Day

Valentines Day is quickly approaching and what better way to show your loved one appreciation, than with a homemade sweet treat. A popular dessert this Valentines Day is Strawberry Tarts. I have been making strawberry tarts since I was young, and they have always been one of my favorite desserts. It's and easy fun dessert that looks great and tastes even better! You can also add other fruits to make it more colorful and vibrant. Fruit tarts pleases everyone with its natural colors. See below for the strawberry tart recipe. 

Strawberry Tart Recipe:

•                       1/2 (batch) Classic Sugar Cookie Dough, see below
•                 1 package(s) (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened
•                      1/3 cup(s) sugar
•                   1/2 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract
•                   1 package(s) (16-oz. fresh) strawberries, hulled and sliced
•                    cup(s) white chocolate chips
•                     1/4 teaspoon(s) vegetable oil

Classic Cookie Dough Recipe

•          3 cup(s) flour
•          1/2 teaspoon(s) baking powder
•          1/2 teaspoon(s) salt
•          1 cup(s) (2 sticks unsalted) butter, softened (don't use margarine)
•           1 1/2 cup(s) sugar
•           2 large eggs
•           1 teaspoon(s) vanilla extract

Directions:

1.      Prepare cookie dough in a large bowl. Then combine flour, baking powder and salt. In another large bowl, beat butter and sugar with a mixer at low speed until blended. Increase speed to high. Then beat for 5 minutes or until light. Reduce speed to low. Beat in eggs and vanilla until mixed, then beat in flour mixture just until blended. Divide dough into 4 quarters and flatten each into a disk, wrap in plastic and refrigerate overnight.

2.      When you're ready to make the tart, remove 2 disks of dough from refrigerator. Keep remaining dough in fridge or freezer for future use.

3.      Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Mist a pizza pan or large baking sheet with cooking spray. Break up pieces of dough and press together into a 12-inch circle. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until golden. Let cool completely on pan.

4.      Meanwhile, in a bowl, beat the cream cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla, and beat until fluffy. Spread mixture over cookie crust.

5.      Arrange strawberries on tart. Microwave white chocolate chips and oil in small bowl for about 1 minute, or until chocolate can be stirred smooth. Drizzle over berries. Refrigerate tart until ready to serve.

West Virginia Water Crisis

Thursday, January 9^th Crude MCHM got into the water system last week when it leaked from a storage facility at Freedom Industries into the Elk River, about a mile and a half upstream from WVAWC’s intake. About 300,000 West Virginia residents and 9 counties have been affected by the recent water contamination.

Public officials have been cautious about casting blame until the crisis is over and there’s a full investigation, but here are some points to consider:

• Freedom Industries is responsible for the leak. It’s their tank or their property and it’s the company’s obligation to maintain the structural integrity of its facilities. The tank that leaked was more than 50 years old and the state DEP officials say the leak containment system was virtually non-existent. 

• Freedom responded too slowly to the leak. A citizen reported a strong odor to the DEP around eight o’clock Thursday morning. DEP tracked it to Freedom Industries by 11:00 a.m., where employees were apparently unaware of the leak, despite a powerful smell.

•   West Virginia American Water Company believed that its sophisticated filtration system would handle the spill, and only several hours later issued the do-not-use order after it became apparent the chemical was getting through. 

• Freedom Industries tank farm does not require any specific permitting, beyond a standard license for rainwater runoff. “There was no environmental framework in place to stop the leak in the tank or the secondary containment,” DEP Secretary Randy Huffman stated.