Cravings can be a wonderful thing especially for me in the kitchen. When it gets cold outside, I want to be in the kitchen. Cooking makes me happy. I enjoy it. I was craving spaghetti carbonara. Again, a pretty simple dish, and one that I normally have the items in either the pantry or the fridge.
Chop three to four cloves of garlic.
Cook bacon, and keep the fat in the pan. Remove the bacon from the pan, and coarsely chop.
Barilla has this wonderful pasta that has 17 grams of protein so I can have some pasta and not feel as though I am cheating completely (because we all have those days). Follow the directions on the pasta to al dente. Drain, but reserve one or two cups of pasta water for later in the dish.
Mix together two eggs and one cup of Parmesan. You can add more eggs just make sure that you whip or blend it with the cheese thoroughly.
Add the pasta to the pan (with the bacon), stir to coat. 
Quickly stir in the egg mixture, and add a generous amount of black pepper.
Add some of the pasta water if it seems thick, but just continue to stir until the cheese mixture is fully coated on the pasta.
Top with grated cheese and parsley if desired.
This made my night! It is rich and creamy, and completely satisfying.
Let me know if you try it.
Blessings.
Saute’ in Olive oil, salt and pepper for about two minutes. 
Add the dried Orzo to the pan, and saute’ until bits are browned. Gentle stir to coat the orzo with the oil on a medium high heat.
Add in two garlic cloves grated (won’t be as bitter as chopped, and you just want to heat it through).
Bring three cups of chicken stock to a boil, and add in the browned orzo. 
Simmer until the Orzo absorbs most of the stock. Taste, and add salt and pepper if needed.
Add in one medium bag of spinach leaves, coarsely chopped.
The spinach will wilt as you stir it into the orzo.
Then add cheese (I added a half of cup of fresh mozzarella, and let it melt before adding the Parmesan). I used about two cups of Parmesan – largely grated – reserving 1/2 cup for the table.
I loved it, and it was a nice accompaniment to the Salmon.
My plate with the added Parmesan cheese to the Orzo, Salmon with the 
Melt three tablespoons of unsalted butter and add a large, finely chopped shallot.
Add salt and pepper, and cook until translucent.
Add in a cup rice, stirring to coat the rice with the butter. Cook until a bit browned.
For my liquid I use 2/3’s cup chicken stock and 1/3 cup wine (warmed – not hot or cold).
I also added four cloves of roasted garlic (smashed). It adds a nutty flavor and isn’t in your face garlicky. Add about a half of cup of liquid at a time, and stir until adsorbed.
Continue this process until the rice is tender (about twenty minutes) with adding the liquid until the three cups are in the rice.
When the rice is done, add in the cooked sweet potato. Stirring gently. 
Then my favorite part gets added – the Parmesan cheese. I like large bites of cheese, so I add in slices instead of grating it into the rice.
David’s plate below. I served this with a roasted pork loin with fig-balsamic sauce (recipe coming soon).
And my plate (note the extra Parmesan cheese!). 
I love this…and even though I am not supposed to eat rice, I think that this is okay (especially since the amount is less than a half of cup). I do concentrate on eating the protein first especially since my gastric sleeve surgery.
Open two of the cheese wedges, and add into the pan with the shrimp.
You can add more cheese if you like, but I didn’t want it coated more.
You can place this on a bed of spinach or arugula like I did or on cauliflower rice. 
My plate. I made enough shrimp for several dinners or lunches. You can make this as saucey as you want or gummy like mine is. The flavored cheese adds a ton of flavor to the shrimp. 
I really liked this. Super quick to make, and can be done in a wide variety of flavors with the cheese assortments with 
For the sauce: pound of ground beef, 3 cloves of garlic, and a medium onion. Sauteed until cooked through. 
Seasoning: cinnamon (yes, just a bit), Italian seasoning and Oregano, salt and pepper.
I used some of the Slocomb Tomatoes that I put up a couple of years ago for the sauce (and just let it simmer for a while), and a couple of cups of red wine. 
I added some tomato sauce as it wasn’t deepening like I wanted.
Wipe off the moisture from the zucchini, and place into a 9×9 dish sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. 
Next, layer…with sauce…
Mix together a small container FULL FAT ricotta cheese, 1/2 cup parmesan, egg, and a generous amount of pepper.
Hint: drop the half of cheese mix into spots around the dish THEN spread out to cover.
One block of mozzarella cheese, shredded. Sprinkle a third of it on the first layer. 
And, repeat…
Once you add the second layer of cheese mixture, top with mozzarella, then add the other 1/2 cup of parmesan. It will add a nice crust to the top.
Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes or until nice and bubbly.
Remove the foil, and bake for another 10-15 minutes or until cheese is golden brown.
I LOVED mine…the noodles (zucchini) were perfect for me…and it was the perfect serving size. 
David’s portion (and he had seconds!), with extra’s.
We had leftovers for the next several nights, and even had some for when Carmen was home. She even enjoyed it! The cinnamon really adds a nice hint of something extra.
And, yes my fingernails are still stained! So, the recipe called for the following: cup of bourbon, 1/4 red wine vineager, orange peel, juice from orange, salt and pepper. David had exactly one cup of Bourbon left…it was a sign…it was meant to be used for this recipe! 
Bring to boil the bourbon, vinegar, juice from the two oranges (and peels). Note: I added an additional 1/4 cup of vinegar, and cinnamon stick, and a bay leaf. Simmer for ten minutes or reduced by half, then add the cherries.
Let cool, and place into jars. I partially filled two jars. One will be a gift (birthday), and the other to be served over chicken or pork…whatever I can come up with in the next couple of weeks. This will keep in the refrigerator for over a month, and can be served with cheese, or meat.
Clean, and peal the potatoes.
I used a boxed shredder, and used the large grater side.
Spray the bottom of a casserole dish (9×13) with non-stick cooking spray, and then layered the potatoes on top.
The rest was either frozen or canned, but assembled and re-purposed into the casserole. The first being the roasted bell peppers, chopped to add color and a bit of a bite.
Jimmy Dean frozen turkey sausage. I had half of bag left in the freezer. So simple, pre-cooked. Done.
(8) Eight eggs, beaten with a cup of sour cream (no milk- do what you can with what you have – right?).
Mixed in ground mustard (a must for my breakfast dishes – adds a bite without a lot heat), parsley, salt and pepper. Blend together.
I added about 2 cups chopped frozen broccoli to casserole. With the red bell pepper it adds a nice color.
Pour the egg and sour cream mixture over the top of the hash-brown layers.
Top everything with shredded cheddar cheese (again, what I had in the freezer). 
Oven at 350 degrees, and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown and cooked through. Since everything was already cooked but the eggs, it really is a simple bake.
My corner piece…
It was bright, creamy, and super yummy! Carmen loved it – she didn’t have to make anything for breakfast- score. And, it made for great leftovers for the week as well since it was mainly David and I at home.
Breakfast Casseroles are a great way to use up to lots of little things left in the freezer or refrigerator. Carmen really liked it. I loved this. David really enjoyed it as he loves potatoes, and anything that I cook with them in it. What do you cook that you use up your leftovers or extras?
For the cheese mixture: 1/2 cup mayonnaise, 2 tablespoons butter (soften), garlic powder, Italian seasoning, parsley, Parmesan Cheese. Mix together until well blended, and spread on bread.
Top with Mozzarella, and broil until cheese is melted, and golden brown.
Slice and serve.
I confess…these were super yummy. I had two slices. I so miss bread. This was super easy to do, and came out flavorful. I would add more garlic powder next time as I didn’t measure.
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