Random thoughts

I'm in a blogging sort of mood, but I've got all sorts of random thoughts going on in my mind this peaceful Saturday morning.  First, I am kind of excited!  Travis (and Kim Swindell...Kim, you are a superstar!!!) are participating in a cycling event in Muenster, TX today.  And the girls and I will be meeting up with him and the Swindell family to join all of Muenster at the Germanfest! It is sure to be an exciting, fun adventure, and I will be posting pictures later (that is, if I can figure out how). 

I've been in a summer sort of mood lately.  I am so ready for lazy afternoons at the pool, morning tea and toast on my back patio under the big shade tree, snow cones, vacations to Kenya, visits to Austin to see my lovely sister and her family, and just a general sense of calm.  I love summer, and somehow, even though the school year is not over yet, I am already getting into summer mode.  Perhaps it is all the fresh vegetables that I have been cooking with lately!  All of the culinary experts will cringe at the thought of any other alternative, but I have discovered the magic of cooking with fresh garlic.  (Actually, perhaps it does not take a culinary expert to cringe at the thought of using jarred garlic instead of fresh).  But honestly, I never thought it made much of a difference, and I am nothing if not practical, so jarred garlic has been a cooking staple around here for quite awhile.  But oh the taste of fresh!  I made a simple spaghetti dinner last night, and I sauteed 3 cloves of sliced, fresh, organic garlic along with the chopped Kale I always add to my sauce, and poured in the jar of Prego (yes I do see the irony of my jarred sauce paired with the oh so fresh garlic).  But oh wow, what a difference!  The garlic just permeated the sauce in a non-overpowering mild, sweet, garlicky sort of way. I also made some fantastic fresh green beans.  First I steamed them for about 5 minutes.  Then I sauteed them along with a couple of cloves of chopped garlic, a little olive oil, and some salt.  MAGIC!  I've never been very good at making green beans, but the garlic inspired me to try again.  Next I'd like to try roasting garlic.  I have heard it is fantastic, but I'm not sure how to do it.  Let me know your tips! 

Yesterday after getting a much needed adjustment from the wonderful Pam Kendall, I had about 20 extra minutes before I needed to pick up my 2 favorite daughters from school.  So what did I do? I made a mad dash into Plato's Closet (the little resale shop in the Albertson's shopping center on 377).  It has been a really long time since I have visited a Plato's Closet, and the location near me is relatively new.  So, I wasn't sure what to expect.  But, oh my!  I could have spent my entire DAY there!  It was like rummaging through a good (more fashionably dressed) friend's well organized closet and finding all sorts of things that she let me have for just a few dollars each!  I had only 20 minutes to shop, but I got a whole bag of clothes that I absolutely love!  I cannot wait to go back! 

I am feeling grateful today.  I have such a wonderful life filled with terrific people.  I have a husband who treats me like a queen, children who adore me (most of the time!), and friends and family who make up the community that I share life with.  I love them all so much!  I love my home and all of the memories and secrets it holds.  I love the quiet peaceful moments, and I also love the feeling I get after a long, busy, productive day.  I love the ebb and flow of my life.   

I've had a great week.  I have worked hard.  I have enjoyed my family.  I have enjoyed my time.  I have enjoyed my life!  I hope you have too!

First blog

I'm new at this blogging thing, but I often have thoughts I'd love to write down, or recipes I'm excited about (like the one I made tonight!), and ideas I'd like to share. Most of all, I just like to write.  So, if this blog is read by no one, it will at least provide an outlet for my thoughts and feelings, which I tend to write better than I could otherwise express them.

Today has been a beautiful day.  After working a half day and picking up my kids from school, which was a rare treat, the girls and I had lunch together and picked up a few things for a new recipe I wanted to try for dinner tonight.  After we got home, the girls played in the backyard for hours, entertaining themselves with our big tree in our miniature backyard and of course, their vivid imaginations.  If I could bottle Madeline's imagination, I am pretty sure it could fuel a rocket to the moon and back.  Yesterday, she helped me to create in my mind my very own made up animal, complete with a zebra striped dragon's head and a flower tail.  I did very little of the creating, because every time I would suggest something, she would ask me if I got the idea from somewhere else or if I made it up on my own.  Of course, all my ideas were from something I had seen before, so she suggested some original ideas to help me create my animal.  I wanted to name it Cosmo, but clearly that was not a creative name.  I can't even remember what we ended up naming it now, but it was definitely non-sensical and something Madeline totally approved of.  She said our first "imagination lesson" was a success, despite my obvious lack of skill.   Madeline inspires the kid in me and helps me see the beautiful in the small things in life.  She is perpetually positive and happy, and I have so much to learn from her! 

Clara helped me cook dinner tonight, which she often does.  We made pasta with homemade Vegan vodka sauce (recipe below), and it was truly delightful.  Sometimes when I cook, it is just about getting dinner on the table, but today it was about togetherness, quality time, and enjoying good food.  I love that!  For the first few months after our family decided to try out a (mostly) Vegan lifestyle, cooking became very difficult and it was something I dreaded.  I didn't know what to cook or how to prepare it or how to enjoy it.  My kids really struggled with the decision we were making for them, and meal time was not my favorite time of the day.  But Clara's love for cooking really helped her learn to try new things and appreciate the healthy ingredients we were using to make our food.  Now after a year of our new lifestyle, I love cooking Vegan, and my family loves eating the food I prepare.  I hope to use this blog to share new recipes I discover!  They are great for the vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike (at least I think so).  :)

Today, I sat in the branches of a tree with my daughters, I took a nap in the middle of the afternoon, I hung tissue pom poms from my daughter's ceiling, I "watched" baseball with my husband (while blogging, of course), I took joy in the small things; today I lived in the moment. 

Penne Vodka

2 tsp olive oil

4 cloves minced garlic

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

28 oz can crushed tomatoes

¼ cup Vodka

¼ tsp dried thyme

¼ tsp oregano

1 tsp sat

A few dashes of black pepper

½ cup sliced almonds

¼ cup finely chopped fresh basil

16 ounces penne pasta

Bring a pot of water to boil for the pasta .  Preheat the sauce pan over medium/low heat.  Add the oil, garlic, and crushed red pepper to the pan and sauté for about a minute, until fragrant, being careful not to burn.  Add tomatoes, vodka, thyme, oregano, basil, salt and black pepper.  Cover, and turn the heat a bit to bring to a simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Meanwhile, add pasta to water and cook.

Once the sauce has simmered for 20 minutes, add almonds.  Use an immersion blender to blend the almond into the sauce until creamy and only slightly grainy.  (I do not have an immersion blender, so I just poured the sauce into a regular blender and pureed until smooth.)  Serve over penne pasta.  Enjoy! 

This recipe is fantastic when it is served with oven roasted asparagus.  Just trim fresh asparagus, place in a baking dish, drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, add a few dashes of salt and pepper, and roast in a 400 degree oven for about 8 minutes.  Delish!