Nature Abhors a Vacuum

I’ve discovered that an empty spot on the calendar is a sign to the universe that, clearly, you’re not doing enough.

Why is it that whenever my calendar has a blank spot, something rushes to fill the void? I had a nice, quiet week planned. No appointments, very few things on the Tasks list: Last week volunteering in the TAG classroom, PE for 9, last water polo practice. No vet appointments, no doctor’s appointments, no repair appointments. No rushing around.

Right.

And on top of that, Husband is getting sick (oh, he’s in denial about it, but I’m sure tonight I’ll be blogging about how he’s in bed with a 100+ fever…), and men are so easy when they’re sick.

9 could tell I was getting tense (13 was his oblivious teenage self, full of teen ‘tude and swagger, ready to pick a fight with 9 at the least provocation…I swear he was channeling his inner three year old today), so he decided to test my limits.

The conversation went like this:

9: Where is the camera?

Me: (only mildly panicked that he wants the big camera) Why?

9: So I can take a picture.

Me: Of what?

9: Of something outside.

Me: (more panicked because the boys had been jumping on the trampoline and, yeah, I want my camera up there) Of what outside, specifically.

9: It’s a picture for you.

Me: (his cagey-ness now has me fully worried) A picture of what?

9: A Very Beautiful Sunset.

So I let him use the camera. What do you think?

Sun-Dried Tomato Vodka Pasta

This is a quick, simple, elegant dish you can serve any time, even for last-minute company. And the best part? Aside from the mushrooms, everything is from the pantry, or is stuff you usually have on hand.

What You Need

2/3 c really good vodka

healthy pinch dried chili flakes

10 oz box shaped pasta; I like fusili, but rotini, elbows or shells will work just as well.

8 oz olive-oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes (or a heaping half cup if you buy the big jar from a place like Costco)

8 oz sliced mushrooms…get ones with really good flavor, like portobellos or crimini or shiitake. If you don’t have time to get mushrooms, just omit them….but it’s really, really, really good with mushrooms, so make sure to get some.

1 can tomato sauce

1/2 c milk or cream

olive oil

What You Do

Put pinch of chili flakes into vodka

Start pasta water boiling

Give the sun-dried tomatoes a quick whirl in a food processor. You want them chopped fine, so give them a few quick pulses in the processor. Don’t have a food processor? No worries, just dice them fine on a cutting board. But be careful, the olive oil they were packed in stains everything.

Once those are chopped, put them in a saucepan, with their oil, and start sauteing them. Add more oil if you need to.

Once the tomatoes are going, add the mushrooms. Add more oil, if needed.

Saute until the mushrooms are soft.

Remove from pan to a holding dish (bowl or plate)

Pour vodka and chili flakes into pan. Bring to boil. Boil for several minutes to cook off alcohol.

Add tomato sauce and cream (if you’re a vegan, you can use soy or rice milk, just use a scant half cup…we use the unflavored kind).

Add sun-dried tomato/mushroom mixture back into pan.

Simmer.

By now, the pasta water should be ready. Add some salt. Add pasta.

Slightly undercook the pasta (by a minute or so).

Drain pasta.

Add pasta a sauce to a large bowl. Mix together

Let it sit for a few mintues so the pasta can finish cooking in the hot sauce, and soak up all that wonderful flavor.

Top with some grated, fresh paremsan (please don’t use that dried stuff from a can), if you’re so inclined.

You can also use a heavy noodle, like fettuccine or really fat spaghetti with this sauce if you don’t have a shaped pasta on hand.

Serve with a green side salad and crusty bread.

Enjoy.

Recital

Thanks for the Mother’s Day wishes, Edie, Dru and Brandy! I hope all the moms out there had a fantastic Mother’s Day.

9 got up super early to make me breakfast and a latte, only he didn’t bother to wake me up…it was Mother’s Day, after all. So it was all cold by the time I woke up, but Dad came to the rescue…Burger King French Toast Sticks and taters and orange juice.

And a fresh latte when they returned.

9 and 13 went in together on 27 Dresses which I managed to watch in between all the loads of laundry and bouts of kitchen cleaning.

But here is a peek at the highlight of our weekend:

9 plays Whoop-Di-Do

13 plays Canon in D

How was your weekend? Did you accomplish everything on your Honey-Do list?

Honey-Do Weekend

In the years of gymnastics, I would long for weekends where we had nothing to do. When the boys quit gymnastics, I figured those weekends were right around the corner.

Um, no.

Because now we have time to recognize all the things that never got done because we were never here. Little projects, big projects, and all the projects in between.

It’s shaping up to be another busy weekend: the boys have a piano recital (note to self: need cookies) and then it’s out to dinner with the parents and sibs to celebrate Mother’s Day early (note to self: get mom a card). 9 is sick, so we’re hoping he’ll make it through his two recital pieces since his grandparents are driving for an hour to hear the boys play (note to self: remind children to stay healthy for functions their grandparents will attend). Then it’s back home to futz with the grapevine, replant some strawberries, work in the garden, cap the sprinklers where the pool will go, clean bathrooms, do laundry, vacuum floors, wash sheets, the next room in Amy’s Oranganizingpalooza, &c, &c, and so forth (note to self: assign children more chores).

So, it’s shaping up to be a honey-do weekend here in our little corner of the world. What’s on your agenda?