Snow Day!

I think I have formed my ideal Monday routine, Clean, Bake, Play & Cook...Yesterday was a Snow Day here in RI. Not that we were hit with an enormous amount of snow or anything. I think the City didn't want any school buses stuck in the snow for hours again (don't even get me started!).

The girls ended up staying in their PJ's all day (wouldn't that be nice?!). They played, read and watched TV while I cleaned a little and baked some really yummy Chocolate White Chocolate Chip Cookies. Check out the recipe on the back of the Nestle Toll House White Chocolate Chip Bag. Watch out, they are slightly addictive and oh so chewy! In the fridge I had some Italian Sweet Sausages purchased the day before from Venda Ravioli. I was inspired by a recipe I saw in Jamie Oliver's book, "Jamie's Dinners". In olive oil I sauteed 3 chopped cloves of garlic and some dried oregano. I then added some Tomato puree I had just pulled from the freezer (fresh from my garden roasted, pureed and frozen this summer), sprinkled with a little Salt and pepper and warmed up. I put some of the warmed up sauce in a baking dish, added a 14 oz. can of (drained) cannellini beans, and added the sausage that i had cut up into chunks. Placed into my oven which was preheated to 45o and baked for 30 minutes. In the meantime, I made some polenta:

• 3 cups of milk
  
• 1 Tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup stone ground cornmeal (give Kenyon's a try)

1. Combine the milk, butter, sugar and salt in a heavy saucepan and heat to simmer.
2. Slowly add cornmeal in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Lower the heat and continue stirring with a wooden spoon until the mixture has thickened and leaves the sides of the pan, about 10 minutes.

Boy when the sausage mixture came out, the sauce was so sweet and the sausages were a perfect texture. I sliced them and put dollops of the mixture on top of the polenta and grated some Parmesan cheese to put on top. Jim and Emma loved it , but alas Zoe said, "Ewe, YUCKY" and pushed it away! Don't listen to a three year old. Give it a try, I know you will say YUMMM!