CREAMY MUSHROOM AND SNOW PEA FETTUCCINE and CREATIVE WAYS TO USE COCONUT OIL

Sunday suppers at Estelle's are easy to prepare, yet....absolutely delicious!

My new favorite "go to" grocery is Sprouts!

It's smaller than larger chain groceries, and their produce is from local farmers.

Everything is fresh, most everything is organically grown and rather inexpensive.

I picked up a package of fresh Fettuccine, fresh mushrooms, spinach and snow peas! 

This received two thumbs up from Mr. Wonderful!!!

Put water onto boil for pasta. Salt water and cook according to the package. 

Do not overcook the pasta. Boil for 3 minutes. 

2 T. olive oil

2 T. butter

¹⁄₂ cup onion

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1 carton of fresh mushrooms

1 ¹⁄₂ T. flour

³⁄₄ cup chicken stock

¹⁄₄ cup half and half

¹⁄₄ cup Parmesan cheese

1 package of fresh fettuccine

¹⁄₂ cup fresh spinach

1 package of fresh snow peas 

Salt and pepper taste

Finely chop onion and thinly slice the mushrooms. Heat olive oil and butter in skillet over medium high heat. Add onion, mushrooms, and garlic. Saute until the onions and mushrooms are soft. Stir in snow peas.  Whisk in flour. Cook for another minute. Whisk in chicken stock until well blended. Then add half and half.

Simmer until thickened. Whisk in Parmesan cheese. Then add a handful of fresh spinach. Salt and pepper to taste.

Serve with hot Italian bread! 

Postscript~

CREATIVE WAYS TO USE COCONUT OIL~Sprouts

Choosing products from your pantry that perform double — or triple — duty is an easy way to live a more eco-conscious, waste-less life. And at the top of your multitasking list should be coconut oil — which is as effective for cooking (try it with your next stir-fry or pour it over your popcorn) as it is for moisturizing dry skin, hair and nails. It doubles as an all-over body hydrator that's inexpensive, versatile, antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial. Plus, it has a decent amount of antioxidants and smells like macaroons. What's not to love?

With coconut oil, you can get a close shave without having to worry about moisturizing after. You can put a little on a cotton ball and sweep it over your eyes gently to take off your makeup. Or, you can stick with the Band-Aid approach and apply coconut oil to cuts and scrapes to speed up the healing process.

Coconut oil is already used in many over-the-counter hair products, so why not cut to the chase and avoid all the unnecessary chemicals? Try applying it as a deep-conditioning hair treatment for damaged ends. Though you'll never be able to repair damaged hair fully, studies say coconut oil provides the natural nutrition and essential proteins required for nourishing your stressed tresses.