Happy Sunday, all you beautiful people!
I
am back and in full swing! Since I last
posted on this new blog, many exciting things have happened. First of all, I got engaged! M tried a romantic Valentine’s Day proposal,
but with my inherent ability to spoil things like this, I fell asleep on the couch
while we watched a movie. Like the
trooper that he is, he pulled off a wonderfully romantic day-after-Valentine’s
Day proposal and I sobbed like a little baby.
Our wedding is scheduled for October of next year, and I become a giddy
schoolgirl whenever I think about it.
The
second change – we moved from our beautiful but tiny one-bedroom apartment into
a three-bedroom house about 30 minutes away.
We were given an amazing opportunity by M’s parents to move into their
old house and we are incredibly thankful for them. I am, however, feeling the change from
cleaning a one-bedroom apartment to a three-bedroom house! Phew!
And
the last change – we got a dog! Cooper
is a Siberian Husky and it seems that fate (and some wonderful friends) just
brought us together. Cooper is
energetic, spunky and oh-so-sweet. He
does have some quirks, but we tell ourselves that he is just preparing us to be
parents someday.
Well,
my friends, I’ve finally figured out that, with a little patience and
creativity, we can all jazz these leftovers up so they seem like a whole new
meal. My obstacle for this gorgeous
Sunday was some plain, whole wheat pasta.
I made a batch of American Chop Suey at the end of last week, and
discovered that I had boiled WAY too much pasta. I put the extra pasta in the refrigerator for
later. Instead of buying a bottle of
boring old marinara or heavy alfredo, I decided to try my hand at making a
quick basil pesto. This tangy, lemony,
garlicky goodness was the perfect sauce for the whole wheat pasta. I tossed in some steamed broccoli and grilled
chicken for the perfect toppings. This
pesto is so versatile; you can add things you like or leave things out that
aren’t your fave. Most types of basil
pesto incorporate pine nuts, but I didn’t have any in the pantry and I am not
much of a fan, so I decided to leave them out.
(Note: I you don’t already grow
your own basil – do it! It can live on
your windowsill and saves a ton of money when making pesto and other delicious
and healthy dishes!)
Just a fraction of the fragrant basil - excuse the horrid photography!
Here’s
the super easy recipe:
Kelsey’s
Quick Basil Pesto
Ingredients:
·
About
1½ to 2 cups of fresh basil (I used lemon basil, but love sweet basil as well)
·
1
½ cloves of garlic (minced)
·
About
a teaspoon of lemon juice
·
½
cup grated parmesan cheese
·
Olive
oil (amount will depend on consistency desired)
·
Salt
and pepper to taste
Instructions:
·
Put
basil, lemon juice, parmesan cheese, and garlic in food processor. Pulse until basil is chopped and ingredients
are combined.
·
With
food processor running, slowly drizzle in olive oil until desired consistency
is achieved.
·
Add
salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or
cold!
See? Super simple but absolutely delish! This pesto is a light, healthy sauce for
whole wheat pasta or spaghetti squash.
If you’ve got extra pesto, try freezing it in an ice cube tray for
ready-to-heat portions. Do any of you
have creative leftover makeovers? We can
all stand to add some jazz to our meals and keep some money in our pockets!
Feeling
like I’ve kicked the leftover-tossing habit on this beautiful Fall day, and
ready to hit the sack before a busy week.
Have a great week, all!