Here we were at dinner-making hour and all the kids claimed supreme boredom and couldn’t seem to entertain themselves. I reluctantly suggested a fort. Out came all the blankets in the house, pillows and dining chairs. Along with the craft project for Mimi’s birthday, my house was left in shambles and the fun lasted a whopping 5 minutes. I hardly completed a single thought before they were calling my name again.
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Mike wanted to grill steaks, so I just made a simple pasta salad. I included some chopped organic zucchini and chopped yellow squash from Elmer at the farmer’s market. Sweet old Elmer.
I made a pesto with the basil from the mini garden.
This is the pesto recipe I always use:
2 cups fresh basil leaves
1 large garlic clove, peeled
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup grated parmesan
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
Sea Salt, TT
There are a few possible variations to this recipe. You can use any oil you like: olive, grape seed, avocado, etc. You can use walnuts instead of pine nuts…
I add a little mayonnaise and freshly squeezed lemon juice to my pasta salad.
For more pasta salad ideas I often refer to this page:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/grilling/grilling-central-course-sides/articles/mix-and-match-pasta-salad
You can add a little torn basil as a garnish. I didn’t use fresh parmesan from the block last night, but if you ever feel like splurging, head over to Whole Foods or Fresh Market and buy a chunk from the deli section. I promise, the flavor will exceed your expectations. When you buy the “real” stuff, it lasts forever. To store, wrap in a new piece of plastic wrap after each use. If you see any mildly bits, simply slice them off. When you’ve used all but the rind, throw the rind into a soup to add flavor.
For the steak, Mike used this recipe:
http://www.finecooking.com/recipe/five-minute-marinated-skirt-steak.com
It was delicious!
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If you feel overwhelmed by all the nutrition advice, calorie recommendations and diet trends, read these: Fact. Not Fad., Let’s Crunch Numbers!, Help Me To Help You!
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