I’m back! I stayed away a little longer than intended because there’s babies who needed hugging and afternoon naps that needed to be taken and a slower pace in general was the order of the day.
And then I sort of started getting ideas and inspiration, and hit the kitchen and took lots of photos. That’s the way it ought to be, right? Blog when you feel it’s time? I think it’s better than just putting up filler. I felt a little guilty, like I was wagging school but who knows when the next blog break will be and OMG WORK is looming on the horizon and years get crazy and I sort of thought I should make the most of the serenity of the break before the time flies and the girls are 18 and wanting to borrow the car.
You guys are way cute for inquiring as to my whereabouts.
Anyway, one of the things I was doing was learning to make pasta because this guy >>
bought me a pasta machine for christmas. And he played me serenades (ok Metallica’s not really serenading but shhh don’t ruin the moment) while I tinkered around and we ate out in the evening breeze with the pretty light I like so much.
My pasta is heavy and weird. But edible. I am going to get so much better, especially if I don’t make it during feral hour, like I did last week. 5pm is NOT optimal for making fresh pasta for the first time. Ever. I think this year I might bitch-slap the high achiever out of me for just a little while. Just because I can do something, doesn’t mean I should. Chill out, girl.
I jazzed up a normal everyday pasta sauce with homegrown herbs which admittedly haven’t done too well lately. I planted them in very bad soil intending to fertilize them to see how they go and they sort of just gave me the finger and sat there, withering. I got busy with the baby and ignored them, sadly. It was my own fault for planting them where other decorative plants should go because I’m all “grow food, not lawns man” with zero clue of how to actually go about growing food instead of lawns.
I live and I learn.
As does this yogurt-covered chunk of pure cuteness attempting to be like her dad. Except there’s no way she’d eat pasta or this tomato sauce or anything that isn’t a sandwich. Sigh.
Did you have a great break? Tell me all about it. I used the time to visit some blogs – new ones and old favourites – to poke around and say hi and catch up. If I missed you and you wrote a post about your christmas or whatever, do link in the comments! I love to see what everyone got up to.
♥ The linky will be up every Monday morning, and will stay up until the following Sunday. It doesn’t matter if you eat your meal on a day other than Monday – it’s just an easy day to create the link.
♥ Visit at least one other blogger and leave some love. This is so much more cool if we’re in it together!
Fettuccine with red wine and herb sauce
| Serves | 2 |
| Prep time | 10 minutes |
| Cook time | 30 minutes |
| Total time | 40 minutes |
Ingredients
- pasta, (cooked)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 can italian diced tomatoes
- 1 handful each fresh herbs - I used rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- pinch salt and pepper
Directions
| Step 1 | |
| Saute the onion and garlic gently in a little olive oil until almost translucent. You don't need a big pot, a small one is fine. | |
| Step 2 | |
| Turn the heat up and add the wine. Cook until wine is reduced and is just coating the onion and garlic. | |
| Step 3 | |
| Add tomatoes, sugar, salt, pepper and herbs. Turn heat down. | |
| Step 4 | |
| Simmer until you're ready to eat. The longer you simmer, the thicker and richer the sauce gets. Too early and the tomatoes juice will still be a bit runny. This is great for summer though, as it makes a light, fresh sauce. | |
| Step 5 | |
| Serve with pasta and a drizzle of olive oil on top. | |
