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Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Dream Dinner Table
Saturday, January 18th, 2025

Sorry, I’m so late posting! My website was down this morning, and I had to wait for the hosting site to do whatever they did to fix it. It’s all good now. ~DD

Yesterday, I underwent a PET scan to see how all those rounds of chemo did. I read the radiologist’s report and instantly went into “Google-MD” mode with my daughter, but I’ll wait to see whether my pieced-together diagnosis matches my oncologist’s on Monday. Damn, I hate waiting! I’ll share whatever he tells us. You’ve followed me, supported me, and encouraged me all along the way; you deserve to know the good or bad that comes of all this.

So, onto today’s puzzle!

Maybe you don’t know it, but I love food. I’m a huge foodie. I’ll try anything. Traveling to so many different countries in my younger days, I was game for anything. I remember eating a shared sheep’s head sitting in the middle of a bed of couscous on a huge tray with half a dozen Saudis around me—so delicious. A Greek woman, who I visited in her home, made a lovely Greek salad with cucumbers, tomatoes, olives—and octopus. I tried it, and guess what? I loved it! I have so many fond memories of food adventures.

These days, I’m a bit homebound, but my daughter has my foodie gene and finds exotic things to cook. The kids aren’t always so eager to experiment, but they probably have a more diverse palette than their peers at school.

I am a huge lover of pasta. The photo above? I make ravioletti with sundried tomatoes, onions, spinach, pine nuts, basil, oregano, olive oil, tons of garlic, and it’s so good. It’s one of my dd’s favorite things to eat. I like it with chopped up artichokes, too, but she doesn’t like them. *sigh* In that picture, she made the homemade focaccia bread. So yummy.

Of course, I make a very tasty spaghetti with meatballs. The 11-year-old recently went to the local Italian restaurant and ordered theirs and couldn’t finish it. She said mine was much better. Proud grandma moment there.

I’m always perusing pasta recipes on Pinterest. This looks so incredibly easy. Pasta with spinach, and it looks like bits of walnuts? I’d be all over that.

I digress because I’m hungry, and you’re here for a puzzle and contest…

Today’s puzzle features an aspirational (for me) dinner party. Pasta, seafood, all kinds of sides… For a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card, tell me your favorite pasta dish that you think belongs on this table. If you have a link to the recipe, it would be much appreciated, but if it sounds good, I’ll Google the heck out it! Have fun!

16 comments to “Saturday Puzzle-Contest: Dream Dinner Table”

  1. Deb Brown
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    1
    · January 18th, 2025 at 2:11 pm · Link

    I’m just a spaghetti or ravioli lover no particular recipe grew up with nothing fancy so sauce and pasta was it.



  2. Margaret
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    2
    · January 18th, 2025 at 2:14 pm · Link

    My favorite pasta is Orrechetti with pancetta or prosciutto with peas in a cream sauce with grated cheese. It is scrumdiliious! The orrechetti hug the sauce and the meat and the peas. Each spoonful is an absolute experience.

    Wishing you all the best! And thank you for giving us the opportunity to support you in your journey, and continuously keeping us entertained.



  3. Delilah
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    3
    · January 18th, 2025 at 2:18 pm · Link

    Deb! You don’t know what you’re missing, but then again, I know some in my family love what’s familiar and hate to stray from it. You do you! 🙂

    Margaret! I’m googling!!!!! The Orrechetti sounds gorgeous. And thanks for the good wishes.



  4. Anna Sweringen
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    4
    · January 18th, 2025 at 2:23 pm · Link

    Angel hair pasta with clam sauce



  5. Elaine Swinney
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    5
    · January 18th, 2025 at 2:30 pm · Link

    My favorite pasta comes from a restaurant here in Baton Rouge called Gino’s. It is the Veal Parm. the red sauce is the best. I also love the spaghetti and meatballs. Let’s just say their recipes are the best. It is old school.



  6. Pansy Petal
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    6
    · January 18th, 2025 at 2:46 pm · Link

    Oh! Now I am hungry and I don’t have the ingredients for my favorite pasta – Fettuccini Alfredo, either shrimp or chicken. Red sauces don’t always agree with me, but white sauces, yum! As for my recipe? I am not as adventurous as you. I open a jar of Alfredo sauce, through in some shrimp or chicken, maybe some extra cheese, a bit of pepper and pour over Cooked fettuccini noodles. YUM! Bon Appetit!



  7. Eileen McCall
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    7
    · January 18th, 2025 at 3:15 pm · Link

    Does Orzo count? I make a great black pepper and shrimp orzo with lemon!



  8. BN
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    8
    · January 18th, 2025 at 3:31 pm · Link

    spaghetti



  9. Jennifer Beyer
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    9
    · January 18th, 2025 at 4:12 pm · Link

    I don’t eat any pasta! I gave it up years ago and don’t miss it anymore. My daughter likes Rachel Ray’s Broccoli Pesto Pasta.



  10. Mary Preston
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    10
    · January 18th, 2025 at 5:29 pm · Link

    I do like a home made lasagna.



  11. Mary McCoy
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    11
    · January 18th, 2025 at 5:57 pm · Link

    https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/245774/bucatini-allamatriciana/
    We love bucatini because it is a little thicker than spaghetti but is hollow so it holds the yummy sauce. This is a classic preparation from Rome.



  12. Theresa Privette
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    12
    · January 18th, 2025 at 7:08 pm · Link

    My son does chicken piccata we serve it over angel hair pasta. https://www.sipandfeast.com/chicken-piccata/#wprm-recipe-container-5964



  13. Barb Jack
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    13
    · January 18th, 2025 at 7:38 pm · Link

    I’m Ukrainian, so my favourite was my mom’s homemade noodles (kesta,) basically a basic egg noodle hand rolled and hand cut about a med egg noodle width . We ate it with chicken broth ( chicken noodle soup) and I loved because I could have more noodles than broth .
    My son in law says that’s his favourite dish, when they come out , I have to have kesta ‘s youshkoo at least once a visit 😊
    My favourite Italian pasta is Carbonara, in any form, mushroom, shrimp whatever



  14. Delilah
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    14
    · January 18th, 2025 at 8:32 pm · Link

    Anna! Sounds delicious. I’ll have to try it!

    Elaine! Thanks for the suggestion. That’s a dish I don’t think I could try cooking. Sounds a bit intimidating. LOL

    Pansy! I love anything with Alfredo sauce. I prefer it to red as well!



  15. Delilah
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    15
    · January 18th, 2025 at 8:34 pm · Link

    Eileen! Black pepper and shrimp orzo sounds divine!

    BN! Gotcha. We love it too!

    Jennifer! Pesto is a fave of mine, too. Doesn’t need meat at all.

    Mary! I have to try that. Love lasagna, even the premade kind, but yeah, fresh is best!



  16. Delilah
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    16
    · January 18th, 2025 at 8:36 pm · Link

    Mary M! And you gave me a link! I’m writing down the ingredients for the next grocery shop!

    Theresa! A link as well! The picture makes it look so yummy!

    Barb! I’m going to seek out kesta on Pinterest! Thanks!



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