Tree Trimmers from Hell and Creamy Mushroom and Sausage Pasta

It is pretty difficult to contain the mayhem when you have four dogs, two birds and a partner who needs to sleep during the day to work at night.  Things really came to a head with this issue today.  My neighbors to the east don’t really keep up with their trees.  It has been an issue for quite some time and bugs the crap out of us.   This morning we see a tree trimming truck in the driveway of their house.  Just as Tiffany is going to bed, the chainsaws start up in full-force.  It is Saturday so we know this is going to happen.  Not really much you can do about yard work during the day.  However, they are the nosiest and dumbest tree trimmers ever.  Around 10:30 this morning a tree hit the side of our house.  As if the boom wasn’t loud enough, they also scraped the limbs along the side of our house as they moved the fallen tree to their truck.  For some reason, they also kept walking through our front yard which constantly set the dogs off in a tirade of barking. From their cages, the birds could also see the limbs falling which caused them to scream and whistle Andy Griffith.

Later in the day, I was watching Dallas and having some spaghetti when I heard a knock at the door.  Naturally, the dogs went ape shit crazy.  Like any sane person, I ran and hid.  We’ve had an issue with security companies and Jehovah’s Witnesses coming to our door.  I’m not interested in what either is selling so hiding is the solution to this problem.  When I sought shelter in a proper hiding spot, I left my spaghetti unattended.  At some point during the crazy barking one of the dogs ate my spaghetti.  As I was checking their mouths for evidence of the crime, I heard another knock at the door.  The dogs went off again and I heard Tiffany say, “What? Why?”  I sprang into superhero mode and ran to the garage, opened the door, stormed out and yelled, “What do you want!?”  It was one of the tree trimmer guys. He asked if he could get in my backyard because they cut a tree down that fell across the fence into my yard. Incredulously, I looked at him and told him my partner was sleeping and his screw ups were really louder than the average screw up.  I let him in the backyard to find that the tree had fallen on our electrical line.  I gave him another good lecture, but I doubt he could hear me over the sound of the two brain cells in his head fighting for control and the continuing roar from his two coworker’s chainsaws.  Can you imagine what would have happened to this guy if he had jacked up my electrical line and screwed up my viewing of Dallas?? 

Creamy Mushroom and Sausage Pasta

Ingredients

½ pound dried pasta

13 ounces ground mild Italian sausage

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups sliced crimini mushrooms

¼ cup diced shallots

2 cloves garlic, minced

¼ cup white wine

1 cups mushroom broth

½ cup half and half

¼ cup light sour cream

2 ounces cream cheese softened

¼ cup fresh chopped parsley

Salt and pepper

Preparation

Cook pasta according to package directions.  Meanwhile while pasta is cooking, brown Italian sausage in a pan over medium heat.  Once browned drain on plate with paper towel.  In the same pan that you cooked the sausage in add two tablespoons of olive oil and heat over medium heat.  Stir in mushrooms, shallots and garlic.  Cook 5 minutes or until mushrooms are softened and brown.  Pour in wine and mushroom broth allow to cook for 5 minutes.  Scrape any brown bits that have stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Return sausage to the pan.  Stir in one tablespoon of the hot broth into the half and half to temper it.  Stir tempered half and half, sour cream and cream cheese into broth.  Continue cooking until the cream cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly (5-7 minutes).  Stir once more and add chopped parsley.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Recipe Source

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