It's Fall

It's Fall. I can tell for a few reasons.

1. I turned off the AC yesterday and opened all the windows. It was 60 degrees when I left the house to drop Riker off at daycare this morning. Whaaat?

2. I started drinking hot tea in the afternoon.

I love that Yogi Tea tag. I was just about to pull out the tea bag and toss it in the trash when I noticed the saying, and it stopped me for a moment. I think it's often easy to forget to show compassion and kindness, especially when life is busy and work gets a little stressful, and it's something I always feel I can do better on. I pinned the tag to my bulletin board in my office so I can remember it daily.

3. Football is back!

And so is my undying obsession with Sons of Anarchy, which took a hiatus during the warm weather. I've been seeing the billboards advertising the new season starting next week, and have been getting an itch to start watching it again. Yesterday was a bit of a rough work day, and with my stress level a little high and the cool weather and darkness setting in early, rather than doing something calming like going for a walk or doing some yoga, I got a sudden urge late in the day...must.watch.SOA. And so we did. One episode on Netflix was all it took and I'm hooked again. I'm hoping to finish season 3 next week, fly through season 4 and DVR season 5 which starts on Tuesday so I can pretty much watch SOA through the whole winter.

4. I'm craving pasta. I'm staving it off by making big bowls of spaghetti squash smothered in homemade red sauce and leftover pesto, and it's working.

I'm not sure how it happened, when just last weekend we were beaching and BBQing and it was 95 degrees and humid, but it did happen. It's Fall. I can't say I'm upset, it's one of my favorite seasons. It's almost time to break out my boots and start drinking pumpkin spice flavored everything. Wee!

Off to work, happy Friday!

Pesto Pasta Salad

Hello, friends! I can hardly believe it's the last real weekend of the summer. Sad face. At least we have some good stuff planned. Last night we kicked off the weekend early with dinner with a bunch of our good friends at Labrador Lounge. The food was delicious (keep an eye out on Jersey Bites for a review soon!), but the company was even better.

We went with three other couples - Heather & Kevin, Adam & Liz, and Dan & Jen. We had so much fun and all said we need to do it more often.

I got up bright and early this morning for work, but we closed at 2:00 today and I'm now waiting for my family to roll in. We have a big group staying with us this weekend, including my parents, sister and her boyfriend, grandmother and two cousins. We'll be beaching, BBQing and wine tasting all weekend so I probably won't have time to check in much, so I figured I'd leave you today with a fantastic pasta salad recipe in case you're looking for a dish to bring to any backyard parties this weekend. Basil is still in full swing, but not for much longer, so now's the time to make it!

Last weekend I made this pesto pasta for our BBQ and everyone loved it. I made a huge double batch and the whole thing was devoured.

I almost bought the pesto since I had so many other things to make, but then I checked myself. Pesto is so easy to make and tastes SO much better when it's fresh. Plus, Heather has mountains of basil and she sent me a giant Ziploc bag full of the stuff to use.

I made it in the morning but didn't toss it with pasta til the afternoon, so I coated the top of it with a thin layer of olive oil before sticking it in the fridge. The olive oil protects the basil so it stays bright green and doesn't oxidize while being stored. A little tip I learned a while ago from Ina Garten.

When it was time to serve, I tossed it over cold pasta and added garden cherry tomatoes and blanched broccoli. Yum, yum.

Can't get enough of this stuff. I had some leftover pesto (I actually made 8 cups of it) so have been eating it on everything lately - tomatoes, shrimp, crackers, everything.

Riker's out with his grandparents for the afternoon and Matt and I are both done work, so we're going to head out and enjoy some alone time for a few hours before the craziness of the weekend ensues. I'm thinking some crabbing and then a drink at the tiki bar is in order. :) Have a great Labor Day Weekend!

Pesto Pasta Salad

Serves 8-10 as a side

Ingredients - Pesto
4 cups loosely packed basil leaves
1 cup grated parmesan or romano cheese
2/3 cup walnuts (or pine nuts)
3-4 medium garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Pinch salt and pepper

Ingredients - Salad
1 pound pasta (I used bowties)
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 bunch broccoli, cut into small florets

To make pesto: Combine all ingredients except oil and s&p in a food processor. Pulse until it becomes a thick paste. With the blade running, stream in the olive oil until the pesto comes together. Then add salt & pepper to taste. May be used right away, or stored in the fridge for a week or in the freezer for a few months.

To make salad: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions; then drain, rinse with cool water and set aside.

Blanche the broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes. (Tip: Just add the broccoli to the pasta during the last two minutes of cooking, then drain and rinse it right along with the pasta).

When the pasta is cool, combine with the pesto, broccoli and tomatoes. Serve immediately. Note: If you're not serving immediately, reserve some of the pesto and toss it again right before serving so the salad doesn't get dry.

Zucchini Noodles with Sunflower Seed Pesto

We've been on a bit of a recipe drought lately. It's time for a new one! Lately my good meals have been eaten out and my home meals have been pretty typical or - as in the case of city days this week, a Balance bar and a spoonful of peanut butter - nonexistent. Except last night.

This pile of "noodles" would've looked much more appealing if I'd put it in a bowl and tried to take a pretty picture, but I was starving and Matt was already halfway through his serving by the time I took my first bite, so this is what we've got.

A while back I came across a recipe for sunflower seed pesto and tucked it away in my brain for a later day. To my surprise and delight last night, I came downstairs after work and found Matt tossing things into the food processor to make his own version, and it turned out delicious. The pesto has the usual stuff - basil (fresh from the not-yet-planted-garden), garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, s&p, but instead of pine nuts or walnuts, it has sunflower seeds. The sunflower seeds gave it such a unique flavor - smooth, not quite nutty, but really interesting. And really tasty.

For the "pasta," I made a batch of zucchini noodles the same way as last time. Shredded up and a quick blanch in boiling water. I also steamed some fresh broccoli for an extra serving of the green stuff.

Italian food without the carbs. Mmm.

***

Off to curl up with a movie on this rainy evening. My parents are coming in late tonight for a quick visit on their way to PA, and tomorrow Matt, Riker and I are headed for a mini family getaway to the Poconos. Yay for the weekend!

Zucchini Noodles with Sunflower Seed Pesto

Serves 2

Ingredients
3 medium zucchinis
3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds
2 handfuls fresh basil
2 large garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/4 cup olive oil (plus more as needed)
Salt and pepper to taste

Using a mandoline or julienne tool, shred the zucchini into long, spaghetti-like strips. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil; drop the zucchini strands in for 1-2 minutes, until hot but still firm. Drain and set aside.

In a food processor, add sunflower seeds, chopped garlic cloves, basil and parmesan cheese. Pulse until everything is combined and minced well; drizzle in olive oil while the blade is running, until the pesto comes together in a smooth paste (start with 1/4 cup and add up to a 1/2 cup as needed).

Toss the cooked zucchini noodles with the pesto and serve immediately.