Guess what I got in the mail today?
No, I did not inharent a fortune from my great aunt Edna who was also a Duchess in the old country. I got one of those fancy pictures of my car with an over priced bill attached.
I am not ticked that I am writing the District of Columbia an exorbitant ticket, I am ticked because I have yet to get a legitimate ticket. This is the second time a fancy picture of my car has been sent to me.
The first – We had adventured down some shady streets on the not so harbory side of Baltimore. There was (I kid you not) a SWAT team setting up with giant flashing lights, trailers and the sort – with all the distractions, I may have run a red light. Flash of the camera and in the mail a few weeks later, there’s Frankie running a red light. Lesson learned: stop even if there is a SWAT team.
This time, I was doing a whopping 66 miles an hour on a 4 lane high way… Speed limit 50. I know, I’m all kinds of wild and crazy right? 500 feet down the road in the beautiful state of Virginia, speed limit signs may be seen up to 75…
It’s like skipping school for a week and then getting detention for being tardy when you do finally show up. Where are the cops when the James Bond theme song comes on my iPod and I have a wide stretch of ‘drive like a jackass’ in front of me? Where are their carefully placed cameras to protect our safety when I am called in to court on a Friday night for no logical reason? Or when I pull over to make sure everyone is ok in that hit and run I just saw? Where are the cleverly placed ‘safety cameras’ then? Generating money for who knows what company on a 4 lane highway…
Ok, now that I got that ball of grrr out, please feel free to spend a few extra minutes clicking around my site so tha I can earn some extra revanue to dig myself out of this one. 😉
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Penne with Sausage and Artichokes
adapted from Cook’s Country Skillet Suppers
Ingredients:
- 1 lb sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
- 1 onion, chopped fine
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 green pepper, seeded and sliced
- 8 oz penne
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 teas red pepper flakes
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 can artichoke hearts, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 tbs finely chopped fresh basil
- 2 teas balsamic vinegar
- salt and pepper
Preparation:
Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking up pieces with wooded spoon until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Transfer sausage to paper towel-lined plate to drain.
Cook onion and peppers in rendered fat, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add penne and cook, stirring often, until pasta is lightly toasted, about 3 minutes. Stir in garlic and pepper flakes until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth, wine, and cream and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, cover, and simmer, stirring occasionally until pasta begins to soften, about 8 minutes.
Arrange artichokes on top of pasta and continue to cook, covered, until artichokes are cooked through and tender and pasta is al dente, about 8 minutes. Off heat, stir in Parmesan cheese, basil, and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Serve.
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Congrats to Jan R who was selected by Random.org as last weeks winner of a copy of Pie it Forward!
Oh, I know that GRR feeling – the photo with your little car’s butt showing off…it’s annoying (but then I’m kinda proud of my little car showing off its butt to DC ticketers in defiance). Sorry…but your right – this pasta is a great anyday meal!
at least it wasn’t 56 in a 55. (*ahem* speedtrap) When I complained, the answer was… “how do you think we paid for the spanky new courthouse?”
oops.. spanky sweet pasta, too. We’ll take up a collection for you at the next Cantankerous Old Farts meeting
If you every do inherit a fortune from your great aunt, please let me know, ok? I’ll get you to adopt me. I’m sorry that you got caught doing what you weren’t supposed to be doing (ahem), but am really sorry that the price tag ends up being so high. That stinks. I hope that amazing looking meal served as real ‘comfort’ food for you!
That stinks, Kita. Do you live in the Baltimore area? I do to. We have more speed cameras in this state. It’s crazy. This dish looks amazing. Yum!
We live in MD, north of Baltimore but we travel through that area a lot. The speed cameras make me so grrr!
I am lucky enough to no get any thing in the mail like that yet, but I did get pulled over for going 40 in a 35 once. Which was a few weeks after my bf at the time got pulled over doing 125 in a 55 and was let go with nothing…grrrrr
Your post cracked me up…I got one of those wonderful pictures of myself in the mail too…at the time I ran the stoplight and saw the big blaring flash from the camera, I definitely swore to myself but hoped I was the exception to the rule and wouldn’t get a ticket…no such luck. Although, the SWOT was not present when I ran my stoplight – this just tickles me! Those tickets are darn expensive, so I definitely sympathize! Your sausage and artichoke recipe looks awesome – I love the combo!
Ooooh, now this looks both comforting and elegant. And filling! What a great combination 🙂
Ooooohh…THAT kind of fancy picture! Yannick is *r e a l l y* into cars and a fancy picture means you are about to be featured in a magazine. Your kind of picture means RIP-OFF.
Your rant did make me chuckle in places but I am not pleased that this happened to you. Twice.
I got one once and I swore up and down that I didn’t run it. Yannick was driving the chow wagon in front of me and the ticket said “failure to stop at a red light”. It was so nice of them to go above and beyond and include the link to the video clip of me totally pausing. 😉 Naturally if you fight it you know what happens. I said some discouraging words that day too…
Actually, to this penne, this is a great little meal and I adore artichokes in pasta. 🙂 I’m going to try your version! As we eat it I’ll tell all about your unfair treatment and sucky expensive photo!!!
Sorry about your tickets!
Love the giant chunks of sausage in this pasta, my favorite!