A girl can dream, right.  The girls on America's Next Top Model (ok, so yeah, I watch it - it's my weekly dose of the best trash tv out there and I'm not ashamed to admit it - I'm gay for Tyra Banks).  Well, I've been thinking about this blog.  How I'm approaching the one year mark.  I know, I know, there's still about a month to go but I'm just thinkin'.

I've learned a lot in this year.  I've done way more than I thought I could ever do on this blog.  I've had a lot of fun on-line journalling and chronicling all the stuff that I've been cooking and baking.  You guys have pushed me to try recipes that I probably would have put off - that's cool.


I dream sometimes about getting a call (or an email - it's 2010 right?) from a magazine or something like it.  The conversation would go something like this:
Mag: 'Hello Ms Wanda.  I am contacting you from PSPFOD magazine.'
Wanda: awkward silence.... 'Hello?'
Mag: 'Ms Wanda, we've been following your blog for some time now and we're so impressed with the work that you've been doing'
Wanda: 'Wow'
Mag: 'We were wondering if we could meet with you and discuss the possibility of hiring you as a contributing blogger on our website www.blahblinkduh.com.  We really think that you could add something to our online presence.  If you are interested, when might you be available to meet?'


... And you get the idea.  The reality is though, that although I've made things that I might not have made before I've also learned that simplicity in cooking is a wonderful thing.  There are some fundamentals and if you stick to them you are (mostly) guaranteed to get something good at the end of the day.  This recipe is one of those simplistic things that  fits right into that.  I could've thrown a lot into this dish and probably would have not too long ago.  This time though,  I pared it down.  Just mushroom, sundried tomato and spinach.  Simple (like duh simple) sauce and we had an easy dish that worked and made great leftovers as well.  Dreams are great... and necessary but sometimes reality can be just a good.


Spinach Parmesan Pasta
serves 4 - 6

4 cups rotini or penne pasta cooked al dente
1 large bunch of spinach (about 6 cups precooked) diced
4 cups button mushrooms, halved
1 small onion, sliced thin
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup broth, white wine or milk
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
2 tbsp dried basil (fresh would be nice too)
1 tsp nutmeg
dash of salt

In a large pan or pot add some oil or grease.  Add in the onion, mushrooms and spinach.  Cook over med/low heat until the spinach has wilted and the mushrooms are beginning to soften a bit.  Add in the cream, parmesan, basil, nutmeg and salt.  Add in the milk, broth or wine until the sauce is a good thickness for you.
Check the tastes and add in the pasta.  Toss the pasta and sauce together and serve.