Mushrooms and Scream

Boy, do I hate cleaning.

And I do mean hate.

My poor Mama fears asking me to vacuum or dust at our house. What?! Dust? What for? No one will notice! Needless to say, she's a fabulous housekeeper. I abide more by a policy of cleaning when I'm expecting guests, or every 2 weeks. I am, however, a big believer in perpetual neatness and everything being in its place. It's the OCD in me, and I don't hate it.

I despise vacuuming with the ancient machine my parents bestowed upon me, Swiffering, dusting, scrubbing the tub and the sink, wiping down the counters, disinfecting, etc. But when it's all said and done, I'm always so proud of what I've accomplished. This is the first time I've ever lived entirely by myself, and I'm proud of my cute little apartment!

Why yes, I do line my bathroom trash can with Kroger bags. It's called saving money and recycling.

 Yes. There are stuffed animals on my bed. Alphies, for any ADPis out there, and the HSC tiger (Ian named him Frank, because he's frankly awesome), for anyone out there dating a Hampden-Sydney gentleman.

In other news...

I waged an internal war with myself all day. Literally a war. Should I grocery shop before Ian comes to save time? Nah, I should wait for him because he's actually excited to shop and cook together. But shouldn't I shop ahead of time because I know I'll be starving and grouchy by the time we actually sit down for this meal? So. Much. Turmoil. Ultimately my decision? Wait. Ian was grateful that I did ;)

 The ingredients for our "Good Housekeeping" vegetarian Fettuccine with Mushrooms and Cream

 Vitamin Water and SoBe Life Water are absolute staples in my life

 I feel like a new woman with an arsenal of Chobanis!

Some new stuff I'm giving a try -- Fiber One blueberry muffin mix (healthy and yummy!), blue corn tortilla chips, Kashi Honey Puffs cereal (another new cereal to try!), Otria Greek yogurt dip, and light Balsamic vinaigrette dressing (instead of my beloved Olive Garden dressing)

We commenced making dinner after a very stressful trip to Kroger.

 We feverishly chopped what seemed like an exorbitant amount of mushroom...

 I put Ian on Pasta Duty.

 The mushrooms cooked down quite a bit. If you plan to make this recipe (which I posted a few days ago), I recommend using the heavy whipping cream called for. We substituted fat-free half-and-half at the suggestion of a more seasoned culinary whiz, but our sauce didn't quite turn out as thick as anticipated.

 I love the idea of adding fresh basil and sun-dried tomatoes to dishes!

 The finished product! We raced to sit down, dress our salads, and dig in...

 And I hated it.

Alright, I didn't hate it. But in hindsight, I definitely would have changed a few things. I would have made only one 9-oz. package of fettuccine. I also would have topped the plated pasta with the sauce instead of tossing the pasta in the sauce in the saucepot. The result was that the pasta was slightly overcooked, while all of the creamy sauce and mushrooms settled to the bottom of the mix.

Ian declared the recipe a keeper. He had 3 helpings, while I dejectedly asked if we should order Papa John's. I declared that I'm a very long way from being a Master Chef. I'm lamenting the amount of leftover pasta in the fridge, too...

You live and you learn. At least I'm experimenting!

I surprised Ian with sugar-free peach Jell-O for dessert, and he surprised me by renting "Paranormal Activity 3" from Redbox. He hates scary movies and they're my absolute favorite, so it's always a nice treat when he voluntarily watches one with me :)

Well, my "blends," it's time for a little PA, and a relaxing evening with the boy. Happy Friday!

P.S. What recipes did you botch before they were keepers? How did you learn to substitute healthier ingredients into recipes?