Valentine's Day Dinner!

As in a previous Post I showed you where my hubby took us, the Arcada theater to see Maceo Parker.  We had a blast listening to some down home "Funk"!  Valentine's Day I thought I'd clean up the house really good, and set the table really nice & have a candlelight dinner for two!

(Hubby brought me home a card on the table)

NUMMERS!

We have a frontroom & dining room  combined.  I worked hard all day & I made us Spinach & Mushroom Manicotti for dinner!  I made authentic Italian sauce with the fresh garlic, meatballs & Italian sausage & let that simmer all day.  I even put my Nana's family secret ingredient in there & simmered it all day! mmmmmmmmmmm  It was great!   Normally you wouldn't put so much sauce on top, but my hubby likes his smothered! 

Okay, so you're dying for the recipe aren't you.  Well, maybe not the sauce, but how about the Manicotti!  Actually, I got a recipe off the box for the Spinach & Mushroom Manicotti, but I gave it my own flare.

 1 box of Manicotti    -   2 garlic cloves
 2 T. of extra virgin olive oil
1/2  bag of fresh spinach
 Fresh mushrooms chopped   -  2 eggs
1 tsp. of seasoned salt         1/2 lb. of ricotta cheese
1/3 cup of chopped basil leaves
2 T. of cooking wine

   *While preheating oven to 350 - Cook Manicotti for 7 minutes and rinse/drain in cool water - set aside.   Take a large frying pan put your chopped fresh mushrooms in a pan of your olive oil and chopped garlic and 2 T. of cooking wine and saute for 5 minutes stirring occasionally.  Then put your chopped spinach mix in with mushrooms etc. cooking for five minutes.  Set aside to cool.  Take your eggs & beat lightly in a bowl after which you pour your ricotta cheese with it, basil and salt then stir in mushroom/spinach/garlic mixture in the bowl too!  Add any spices you like.  I added a touch of garlic powder, pepper, and oregano.

 Get your baking pan and pour some of you sauce covering the bottom.  Fill the Manicotti... I find if you hold the cooked Mancotti actually straight up in the mixture and take a teaspoon & pour it down the Manicotti it's easier that way without anything falling out the bottom.  Once it is stuffed hold it straight up with one hand, and then take a spatula and put it in your baking pan.  Once your pan is full sprinkle some shredded mozzarella cheese on the plain Manicotti then take a ladle and pour your sauce over them.  Then sprinkle parmesan cheese and bake for 30 minutes.

Let me add one thing here when your cooking your sauce all day I started mine at noon & it simmered all day for six hours.  I also cooked fried my meatballs and sausage, and taking grease & pouring it all into the sauce & cooked it together. mm There ya go my friends!  Bona Petite!

Now, what I want to know is who's gonna
clean up this mess?

HUH?!!??