Working Girl Cooks!

I’m sorry it has been quite here. My hubby was in the hospital Thursday night. Last Saturday he woke up with a very sore throat. On Sunday, it got much worse. I took him to the doctor and we both got tested for strep throat. He was sent home with Penicillin and some strong Motrin. On Monday, he woke up and his throat was practically swollen shut. His left ear was killing him as well and the left side of his head was throbbing. So he went back to the doctor. The strep test was negative so they gave him Amoxycillin and Vicodin and sent him home. The swelling got better but he was still in a lot of pain. The antibiotics did not seem to be working. My hubby spoke to his best friend who also happens to be a doctor in residency. When he described his symptoms, his friend said to go back to the doctor immediately. So he went back and they found a bunch of small abscesses on his throat. They admitted him right away and did a blood test and CT scan. Apparently, he had a form of tonsillitis. But because the abscesses are so small he did not have to have surgery (Thank God!). He just had to stay overnight so they could administer heavy antibiotics. I picked him up on Friday and he was doing much much better. It was like he was a whole new person! Anyways, it’s been a crazy week, so I’m sorry for the lack of post, but I still managed to cook (and eat everything myself since my hubby can’t really eat right now)!

This is a cheesy pumpkin pasta that I made. I combined two recipes: Rachel Ray’s Pumkin Pasta and Gourmet Magazines pumpkin mac and cheese found here.

I started by cooking the pasta according to package directions. Then I chopped half of a large red onion and three pieces of garlic. I heated my skillet over medium heat and added my olive oil. I sautéed the onion and garlic and soft and aromatic then added two breasts of diced chicken (I wanted some protein!)

Then I added two cups of pumpkin puree, 1/2 cup of milk, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, dash of nutmeg, a couple of pinches of cinnamon, and some salt and pepper. I let this simmer a bit and added a handful of chopped fresh sage and about a cup and a half of mozzarella cheese. I removed this from the heat and stirred in the cooked and drained pasta. YUM!