Ziti and Bruschetta

Both of these recipes are easy and when paired with a salad make a totally delicious meal.

Baked Ziti

Ingredients: 16 oz box of ziti
1 package veggie crumbles (can use 1 lb lean ground beef instead)
1 lb mozzarella
2 cans crushed tomatoes
1 1/2 cups grated parmesan cheese
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 medium onion

Directions

1. Brown veggie crumbles and onion. Add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes, and Italian seasoning. 2. Cook pasta until al dente. 3. Grease baking dish. We lined ours with alumimum foil to make clean up easier. Put pasta in baking dish.
4. Add veggie crumbles and tomatoes to the pasta and mix gently. Spinkle with about 2/3's cup mozzarella cheese and gently mix again.
5. Top pasta with a blend of the parmesan and mazzarella, sprinkling evenly on top. 6. Place in a preheated 350 degrees F oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes until the top is lightly brown and bubbly.

Bruschetta with Tomato and Basil

Ingredients 1 can crushed tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
6 - 8 fresh basil leaves chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1 French baguette or similar Italian bread
1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

1. Drain at least 1/2 of the juice from the crushed tomatoes and place the tomatoes in a small sauce pan. 2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
3. Slice the bread in about 1/2 inch thick slices and place on a baking sheet. Brush one side of bread with olive oil. 4. Add salt, pepper, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar to the tomatoes. Warm tomatoes. Then clean and chop basil. Stir it into the tomotoes. 5. Brown bread in oven.
6. Place bread on a serving platter. Olive oil side up. Top with tomatoes right before serving.

Enjoy your meal!

Happy baking,
Sunny & Star

Cross Country Day Four: Wisconsin Chedder and Spam Museum

Our fourth day cross-country started out with rain, and we drove north up into Wisconsin and then headed west into Minnesota...

In Wisconsin, we saw that yes, they love their cheese! We saw a store advertising "Cheese, Fireworks and Gifts." I think that says it all right there. We also drove past Wisconsin Dells, which looked really neat- they have the largest concentration of waterparks anywhere in the world, plus some really beautiful natural scenery along a river.

After crossing the Mississippi, we made it into the long stretch of southern Minnesota. We went by where they make Spam and have the Spam museum, but alas it was too late in the evening to actually explore the inside! At least we got a photo with a giant Spam can. Ha!