I created this recipe a few years ago and it has become such a hit that people coming to my house for dinner routinely request it. Again, it’s simple and easy to make (since I have a two-year old and very little time for elaborate meals), yet it tastes like you were cooking all day. Try this one! It’s delicious!

Penne a la Vodka

Ingredients (Feel free to adjust proportions to suit your liking):

1 package of penne

3 tbsp. of butter

3/4 cup of pancetta

2-3 shots of high quality Vodka

12 oz. tomato sauce

1/2 cup of heavy whipping cream

Parmesan cheese, to garnish

Prepare:

1. Cook penne until it is almost done. Set aside.

2. Melt 3 tbsp. butter in a pan.

3. Saute 3/4 cup of pancetta in butter until pancetta browns (~5 min).

4. Add 2 - 3 shots of vodka to the pan. Stir until alcohol burns off (~3 min).

5. Add 12 oz. tomato sauce and 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream to the pan. Mix well.

6. Stir penne into the pan.

7. Plate and garnish with parmesan cheese.

Yes, that is what my Ex called me the other day. Master Chef! Just two years ago, he said my food tasted bland and would watch over my shoulder as I prepared food. Now, he can’t get enough of my cooking.

Two years ago, I took up cooking. It’s a passion of mine and I absolutely love preparing meals for my family and friends. In those two years, I’ve improved by leaps and bounds; today, I cook at least one meal per day (more if I’m not working) and have expanded my repertoire of recipes significantly. One of my favorites (and Gavin’s, as well) is a very simple dish that turns boring, ordinary broccoli into a special treat. Better yet, it’s super easy to make!

Blasted Broccoli

- Preheat oven to 500 degrees

- Cut 2 heads of broccoli into florets. Dry thoroughly

- Toss florets in olive oil, salt, and pepper

- Arrange florets in single layer on baking sheet and put in oven for 8 - 10 minutes (until florets are slightly browned)

- Remove from oven. Enjoy!

To give you a sense of how good this simple recipe is, you should know that because of it, my two-year old son actually requests broccoli because he thinks it’s a “treat.”

Twenty years ago, Type 2 Diabetes, high cholesterol, and high blood pressure were virtually unheard of in children. Today, hundreds of thousands of American youngsters are being treated for these problems, which are byproducts of obesity. And they’re being treated by prescription medications usually reserved for adults.

I understand the seriousness of these problems and I fully support treating them, even in young children. But I think it is positively asinine to use medication to do so. Yes, some people have genetic predispositions to weight gain and its associated complications. More people, however, simply spend too much time in front of their XBOX and not enough time exercising. They eat processed foods and they live sedentary lifestyles. It makes me really angry when parents are too lazy or stupid to do the right thing for their kids and give them healthy foods and the encouragement to be active.

From the NYT:

Some experts have expressed concern that the increases in many of these obesity-related drugs reflect a systemic failure, with doctors and parents turning to them because they find lifestyle changes too difficult to implement or enforce.

You think? I mean, how hard is it to shut the TV off every once in a while, cook some veggies and lean meat, and encourage your kids to make the choices that will benefit them for the rest of their lives? Or, are we that lazy as a society that we’ll look for whatever quick fix there is, even if it’s not with the best interest of our children in mind?