Creamy Spinach Penne

Creamy Spinach Penne 

I found this recipe on another mommy-food-veggie-blog that I read from time to time (http://www.squishedsquash.com), and OH.MY.STARS.  It was FANTASTIC!  Definitely one to add to our circuit.  

For the sauce:

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup of almonds

2-3 oz cream cheese, (I the light kind)

1 roasted red pepper

a couple big handfuls of baby spinach

pinch of red pepper flakes

salt and pepper

Put this all in the food processor and give it a whir until it's pretty smooth. Put it aside until your ready to use on the cooked pasta.

For the tomatoes:

2 cups of grape tomatoes

olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

salt and pepper

While the pasta cooks, cook all ingredients in a skillet, covered, on medium heat. As the tomatoes begin to wrinkle and release their liquid, remove the cover. It will carmelize a little and get thick.

For the pasta:

1 lb whole wheat pasta

2-3 more handfuls of baby spinach

feta cheese

Cook the pasta in salted water according to package directions, reserving some starchy cooking liquid. Toss hot pasta into a bowl with the spinach and the sauce adding cooking liquid if needed. Top with tomatoes and cheese.

Red Walk

 Violet and I went for a walk this afternoon and looked for red.  We found it, here and there, along with a black and white cat.

Writing

Watch out Shakespeare, my little girl is learning how to write!

Also, in other news, I finished an Indian Treepie.

Do Re Mi

So, you start out with this little tiny baby that is a bit of a stranger, and also a bit like every other baby you've ever seen or known or not known.
Then the thing starts to grow.
One day, it's 2.5 years old, and during Tuesday night's eggplant parmesan dinner you realize that your baby somehow became a little person.  But even more astonishing, you realize that the little person it has become is quite similar to an image you remember seeing in the mirror about 25 years ago.

It's weird when your kid starts learning things that you yourself remember learning.  I remember watching The Sound of Music for the very first time when I was little.  And, then I remember listening to the tape over and over and over and over until I absolutely had every single word memorized, and later sitting in the back of the VW bus, singing the songs on long road trips.

So, I guess it should be of no surprise that we now have this little creature running around our house, pretending that her fleece jacket is a wimple as she twirls and sings with the Von Trapp children.  --And every meal has become a concert; not a bad way to end the day!

http://youtu.be/JLWB_x2hMs8