Small Update & More Recipes

For all of you that have emailed me asking....My voice has pretty much returned to normal! It only gets scratchy at night after using it through out the day. My singing voice is another story. It will take a bit longer before it is back.

Sam received his first report card for 2nd grade and I am proud to announce that he has all A's and one B! We are so proud of him.

I have been trying out quite a few new recipes since we moved here and have two more to share with you.

Beef Taco Bake

1 pound ground beef

1 can (10 3/4 ounce) Tomato Soup

1 cup Salsa or Picante Sauce (I used the Black Bean and Corn Salsa that Wal-Mart makes)

1/2 cup water

6 Flour Tortillas (8 inch) or 8 corn tortillas (6 inch) cut into 1 inch pieces (I used the flour tortillas)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese (since we love cheese I used 2 cups)

Cook beef in a skillet until browned. Pour off fat. Add soup, salsa, water, tortillas and half of the cheese. Spoon into 2-quart shallow baking dish. Cover. Bake at 400 F for 30 minutes or until hot. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.

Easy Shrimp Pasta

1/c cup balsamic vinaigrette dressing

1 lb. shrimp, cleaned

2 cups chopped tomatoes (about 4 medium)

1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped, divided

4 oz. cream cheese, cubed

3/4 lb. fettuccine, cooked, drained

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

Pour dressing over shrimp in small bowl; cover. Refrigerate 20 minutes (or longer if needed) to marinate. Remove shrimp from marinade; discard marinade. Heat large skillet on medium heat; add shrimp. Cook 3 minutes or until shrimp turn pink, stirring frequently. Remove shrimp from skillet, using slotted spoon; cover to keep warm. Set aside.

Add tomatoes and half of the basil to same skillet; cook and stir 3 minutes. Stir in cream cheese until well blended. Add shrimp; cook until heated through, stirring occasionally.

Place hot fettuccine on large serving platter; top with the shrimp mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining chopped basil and shredded cheese.