Easy Vegetarian Pasta from Ina

My mom was in town and being a vegetarian, she always introduces me to some really good meatless recipes.... This one from Ina Garten was really good, and it was even better the next day. I am going to try this one for sure when my amazing friend Marya comes to town in April (which will be like a mini-food and wine festival at our house...I can't wait!)

1 tablespoon good olive oil

1 tablespoon minced garlic (2 cloves)

2 cups heavy cream

3 lemons

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound dried fusilli pasta

1/2 pound baby arugula --We used about half of this. (or 2 bunches of common arugula, leaves cut in thirds)

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan

1 pint grape or cherry tomatoes, halved
Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the garlic, and cook for 60 seconds. Add the cream, the zest from 2 lemons, the juice of 2 lemons, 2 teaspoons of salt, and 1 teaspoon of pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until it starts to thicken.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add 1 tablespoon of salt and the pasta, and cook according to the directions on the package, about 12 minutes, stirring occasionally. Drain the pasta in a colander and place it back into the pot. Immediately add the cream mixture and cook it over medium-low heat for 3 minutes, until most of the sauce has been absorbed in the pasta. Pour the hot pasta into a large bowl, add the arugula, Parmesan, and tomatoes. Cut the last lemon in half lengthwise, slice it 1/4-inch thick crosswise, and add it to the pasta. Toss well, season to taste, and serve hot.

Street Hangings...for your home

You know those cool banners hanging on city streets? Well, you can buy them -for a pretty penny - and some of them are super cool at BetterWall.com! I happened to see their add while I was hanging out North Star eatery in Columbus...super fresh and organic food! (Their breakfast is amazing and their veggie burger is the best I have ever had.) Anyway, you can hang out in there and read their magazines...lots of neat ones, e.g., Dwell, Gastromique etc. and of course, scan the ads like Better Wall. I'd love to have this Tiffany Banner for my very craftsman house, but $375 is definitely a bit steep.

Another mom essential...Kohl's

I love Target, Starbucks, Nordstroms, and the rest of the usual suspects, but you never hear as much about Kohl's and what a fabulous store for kids clothes, some toys, pantyhose, bras, and even a few cooking essentials. Just today, I bought socks for my 4 year old, pantyhose for work-- another topic for another day...but women should get a pantyhose allowance --- earrings, couple of beach toys, towels ~ amazing price, a pair of rubber coated tongs which will be safe on my blue pot. Furthermore, the Kohl's card is totally worth it... great discounts.

So...what's your Kolbe?

We recently did this really cool assessment at work called Kolbe. What I like about it was that it got at how we "work". Are you a fact finder? Do you like structure and organization? Are you a "dreamer with big ideas"? Do you like to do things with your hands?
It also relates to our personal lives...Do I handle the packing for our trip and my husband researches the area? I am a "blue"...he is a "red". Makes sense!

Also, after you pay for the assessment, you get a really nice overview of your Kolbe.
Finally, Oprah also seems to think it's a good thing as well and her site includes an interesting story about learning styles.

It's not quite summer - greek salsa and chicken

Tomatoes that are not ripe and red are sometimes better off cooked or in this case -- food processed. This was a "let's use whatever I have in the fridge" concoction and it worked very well!
Ingredients:
1 pint cherry tomatoes -- or any tomato that looks like it needs some help
1 stalk celery and/or a couple slices of a cucumber
1/4 cup red onion
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. vinegar
3 slices of good bread-- I used a good thick loaf and put it on the grill with a little olive oil and garlic with my chicken. Combine all vegetables in a food processor and pulse until slightly chunky. Add oil, vinegar, and 1/2 cup feta to salsa - stir. Toss with cubes of bread.
Serve with a piece of grilled chicken.

A non-cooking Mom essential...

It's been a wintery weekend in Ohio and I have been wearing my ski gear for most of the weekend, and I was reminded of how much a I love my Marmot Precip Jacket. It's great for layering, rain, snow etc. but what I love the most as a mom is the pockets. There are 2 huge side pockets that you can put anything inside....wallet, phone, sippy cups, apples, juice boxes, mittens, hats, Thomas the Train, tennis balls (for the dog), can of soda~ beer maybe, cereal bars, a diaper, package of wipes....you name it.

A taste of spring on a REALLY snowy day

Winter doesn't want to let go...but cilantro reminds me of spring, so we had our nice and very fun neighbors over last night for Cilantro Chicken Pizza and of course, some vino. (Not a whole lot going on in the city last night other than snow!)

Ingredients

2 medium marinated and baked skinless boneless chicken breast - chopped (Any marinade will work. I used a Wegmans Speedie Sauce.)

1 frozen pizza dough

2 cups shredded cheddar or other cheese blend

Cilantro Pesto (compliments of Simply Recipes)

2 cups, packed, of cilantro, large stems removed
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 teaspoon chopped and seeded jalapeno chile
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
1/4 cup olive oil
In a food processor, pulse the cilantro, onion, chile, and salt until well blended. With the food processor running, slowly add the olive oil in a steady stream.
Add more oil as needed for your use.

1. Spread pesto over dough (follow package baking directions -- may require it is slightly pre-baked)

2. Top with chicken.

3. Sprinkle with cheese and bake -- mine took about 9 minutes.