Scrap-Box Wreath and Pasta with White Beans and Bacon
Happy Monday! It is the last week of summer school, and we'll be working hard on the Freckle Juice summer reading projects. I'll re-cap the rest of our summer school experience next week, but until then, here's some Monday Made It goodness!
2. Pasta with White Beans and Bacon
Adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking
I made this last week on a night when we had sweatshirts on (in July!). It's a really great comfort food, and a way to use up some pantry ingredients. We also ate it the next day for lunch and it was fantastic.
1 lb of short pasta (I used Ditalini)
6 slices bacon, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste (I use Papa Joe's)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cornstarch (optional)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and boil water in a large pot. Cook pasta until just al dente, drain.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large pan over medium/high heat until crisp. Add butter, minced garlic and beans, stir for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and milk. Cook on medium until thickened. (If yours doesn't thicken enough, add cornstarch 1/2 tsp at a time until thick.) Add the pasta, toss to coat. Eat any men who jump overboard. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and rosemary. Serve immediately!
Mangia! Have a great week!
1. Scrap-Box Wreath
I was inspired by this post, and decided I just had to make a wreath of my own. I'm not overly into chevron (gasp) so I decided to just use the scraps I had lying in my craft box. I'll take this to school and put it ______ (haven't decided yet) because it matches the pillow I made for my rocking chair.
Step 1: Cut some fabric into strips about two inches wide. I had about a third of a yard of fabric left from a project I had made earlier this year, so that's what I decided to use.
Step 2: Pin one end of the fabric on a diagonal to your foam wreath. Wrap your fabric tightly around, overlapping slightly as you go. Pin again when that strip reaches the end. Continue until the entire wreath is covered.
Step 3: Cut a strip of contrasting fabric (pictured is a jersey/knit) into a long triangular shape. Pinch and fold like you were making a fan, then take a straight pin and poke right through the middle, securing the flower together. Place on your wreath, then pull on the fabric to get your desired shape. Repeat and repin until happy!
Step 4: (Not pictured) Cut a different scrap of fabric into a 1 inch by 8 inch length, wrap around the wreath and tie. Pin the knot to the wreath and hang!
**I added some of my hanging fabric around the flowers for an added burst of color. The best thing about this project is that it's all done with pins, so you can easily change it out by seasons or color schemes.
2. Pasta with White Beans and Bacon
Adapted from A Taste of Home Cooking
I made this last week on a night when we had sweatshirts on (in July!). It's a really great comfort food, and a way to use up some pantry ingredients. We also ate it the next day for lunch and it was fantastic.
1 lb of short pasta (I used Ditalini)
6 slices bacon, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste (I use Papa Joe's)
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 tsp cornstarch (optional)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped
Salt and boil water in a large pot. Cook pasta until just al dente, drain.
Meanwhile, cook the bacon in a large pan over medium/high heat until crisp. Add butter, minced garlic and beans, stir for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chicken stock and milk. Cook on medium until thickened. (If yours doesn't thicken enough, add cornstarch 1/2 tsp at a time until thick.) Add the pasta, toss to coat. Eat any men who jump overboard. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese and rosemary. Serve immediately!
Mangia! Have a great week!