Archives for June 2010

First and foremost- let’s get this pasta salad going!  It’s so good, and best of all it’s amazingly SIMPLE!!  And who doesn’t love a good pasta salad?!

So take your choice of pasta.  I used farfalle (the little bowties).  And I used the whole box.

Cook it according to package directions.  Let it cool off.

Then take a jar of Artichoke Salad (it’s got artichokes, red peppers, and olives in it).  Save some of the stuff that it’s marinated in.  Give it a rough chop, and add it to the cooled pasta.

I also added some sliced black olives to mine because I’m cool like that.

Then add several tablespoons of the marinade from the artichoke salad.  To your own personal taste level.  Then add a little salt and pepper and you’re done!  Let it hang out a bit so that the pasta can soak up the flavor of the marinade before you chow down.  If you want to be a show off you could add some fresh herbs to it.  I was just too darn lazy to walk outside and pick some out of the garden.

Easy huh?!

And so pretty!

Other than this, there’s not much going on around here today.  It’s raining- YAY!  My plants are going to be SOOOO happy! 

I need to work on a project for my Women’s Nutrition class but I keep putting it off.  I have to say that I’m kind of disappointed in this class.  I thought that it would be far more interesting than it actually is.  And I also thought that we would be learning about…oh…I don’t know…women’s nutrition?  Instead it turned out to be almost exactly like my food and culture class.  hmmmm….

Anyhoo- I’m headed to the kitchen to make some yummy chocolate chip cookies for the husband.  😀

Have a good one!!

My wonderful husband took me out for a lovely birthday afternoon yesterday!  We had a blast!

We went to a vegan restaurant right here in Fort Worth.  Spiral Diner.  It’s the only vegan restaurant in the metroplex, so it’s a good thing that it’s AMAZING!!!!  I can’t tell you how refreshing it was to just open a menu at a restaurant and order whatever I wanted.  I didn’t have to ask if anything had any lard in it.  I didn’t have to say without the cheese.  And I didn’t have to have plain lettuce!  (Which actually happened to me at a restaurant once- a steakhouse.  I didn’t have a choice but to go there- it was mother’s day, so it wasn’t my decision.  Can you believe that they didn’t have a single salad dressing that didn’t have milk or cheese products in it?!)  This was just a nice relaxing lunch.  And the food was seriously amazing!

Hubby got the Cowboy Burger!  It looked really good!  He said it was fab!

Cowboy Burgers make husbands happy!

And I got the Taco Salad!  Holy salad batman!!  This was GOOD!  It had lettuce, corn, black beans, peas, carrots, their Mexican Quinoa, and avocado!  Topped with sour cream, with salsa and ranch on the side!  Heaven. on. earth!

I can’t wait to go back!

Then we wondered around the mall while we digested.  I went to origins and got some fun face stuff.

Then I got my nose pierced!  For reals! 

I’ve been wanting to do it for FOREVER, so I figured my 30th bday was a pretty good reason to stop being a wussy and do it!

It hurt, I’m not going to lie.  But it only hurt for a few seconds, then it stung for a bit and then I was good to go!  It’s a little sore today, but I just got a hole punched through my nose with a big-ass needle, so that’s to be expected right?

Anyhoo- it’s super duper CUTE!  And I’m SO glad I did it!

See?

And on the way home my hubby bought me a new cookbook!  :)  I love that dude!

Here’s what I got…

I’m going to try a recipe tonight- can’t wait!!

I’m headed to the grocery store now- catch ya on the flip side!! 

I realize it’s not morning any more, but what a lovely one it was!  I didn’t really want it to end.  Mostly because it was just really nice outside this morning.  The kind of morning where you just hang out outside on the patio with a book and a big mug of coffee.  And that’s exactly what I did!!

mmmmmm…..coffee!!!

I can and sometimes do drink my coffee black, but I’m a creamer kind of girl at heart.  It just gives it a great smooth taste and I just heart it!  Here’s what I’m using at the moment- LOVE this stuff!!!

And breakfast!

Whole wheat blueberry banana muffin!  It’s a recipe I’ve been using for quite a while and I tried to Vegan-ize it.  It just needs another tweak and I’ll share the recipe!  And it tastes even better with a bit of Earth Balance- yum!

And can’t forget a good book!  I’m a chronic re-reader- I’ll admit it now.  I LOVE to read, but not really the “good” stuff- I like fun stuff, especially vampire stuff!!  I think I’ve read the Twilight Series about 10 times.  The Harry Potter books even more than that(I realize that’s not about vampires, but you know what I mean).  And this is my third time through the Sookie Stackhouse series.  The only book I’ve read more than the Twilight’s is A Wrinkle In Time.  I’ve read that probably a hundred times over the years!  It’s always been my favorite book ever since I was a wee lassie!  Though The Secret Garden and Little Women are right up there (although those ARE considered the ‘good” stuff, LOL).  Ahh, the good ole days!  I am a speed reader- I seriously DEVOUR books.  I can read read read all the live long day!  Oh how I love to read!!

Anyway, this is what I read this morning.  Love that Sookie Stackhouse!  I’ve already finished it and I’m looking for something else- maybe I’ll re-read A Wrinkle in Time again! 🙂

After that I did my discussion for my business class and took my quiz (96- woot!!).  Then I played around in my little garden.  Here’s the latest harvest…

A New Mexico Green Chile and a handful of yellow pear tomatoes!

And here’s how my garden’s looking…

Basil and Rosemary

Bell peppers (yellow I think)

Hello little cucumber!!

Yellow Straightneck squash

Okra! 

Beefsteak tomato

A wee little watermelon!  Isn’t it cute?!  (I don’t really have any place for my watermelon vine to go since it’s hanging out in a pot, so it’s just kind of curled around the pot, LOL!)

Zucchini time!

And my yellow pear tomatoes.

Looking good huh?  This little garden has been a bigger success than I thought it would be- I’m planning an even bigger one for next spring!  And thinking about what I want to do in the fall- maybe broccoli, Brussels sprouts, and some lettuce.

Now I’m going to make some cookies!  I’m Vegan-izing one of my mama’s old cookie recipes!!  Ranger Cookies- mmmmmm!!!!!!  I may or may not post it.  I may keep it secret- every gal needs a few secret cookie recipes right?!  😀

Later Alligators!