Snippets

Hi, friends!  I'm adjusting to life back at work.  The transition has gone fairly well, although - clearly - I'm lagging a bit on blogging, writing back to emails and keeping up with people in general.  I hope that improves because I love, love, love keeping up with my dear friends who are scattered all over the country. 

To get you all up to speed, I thought I'd share some reflections on my experience returning to the professional world:

•  I have a fear of heights.  My commute to work requires that I take the worlds tallest exit ramp.  Seriously.  The "hump" at the top is so steep that when you're approaching the top, you can't see where the road is going and you can totally imagine the road just dropping off.  It's like Shel Silverstein all over again.

• I bought my first pair of Spanx.  It has been pointed out to me recently that I complain about the size of my backside too frequently.  And apparently those who have pointed this out to me think this is an unwarranted (and annoying) trait.  So before anyone jumps on me thinking this bullet point is a butt complaint, let me just say that it's not.  I'm just saying that every woman, no matter how small, has some amount of, ahem, not-so-taut skin.  And certain fabrics, even when they come on size 2 dresses, just don't look so good over these areas.  So I bought Spanx.  And then I had a glass of wine.

• We use Lotus Notes for email at work.  No further comments. 

And, on a food point:

• Tonight's dinner consisted of bagged lettuce topped with Parma, olive oil, lemon juice, and balsamic vinegar and shrimp cocktail.  And half a bag of chocolate chips.  Cooking anything that requires much thought at the end of the work day just isn't going to happen. So when I do cook, I've been making full recipes (for 4 to 8 people) and freezing the extra servings.  This has turned out to be a wonderful, wonderful way to have a hearty meal on a lazy night.  And while last month was apparently my Kale month, this month has been my pasta casseroles month.  These aren't your mama's tuna macaroni casseroles, either.  Here's what I've been making:

 Multi-Grain Pasta with Butternut Squash, Ground Lamb and Kasseri - First of all, I love Mark Bittman, so I had to try this recipe.  Second, it's a delicious and cozy dish.  When I make it, I double the amount of lamb in the dish and I use fresh Parmesan instead of Kasseri.  I've made it with the kasseri (sheep's cheese - which is definitely good - don't get me wrong!), but the Parmesan gives it a smoother, less exotic (more traditional?) taste.  Also, I've made it with sweet potato instead of butternut squash when the grocery store was out of the butternut.  You can barely tell the difference!

Rigatoni with Eggplant and Pine Nut Crunch -  This one is major yum!  It's rich and creamy, but it's made with REAL FOOD, so for those who prefer rich and creamy, it's a fantastic option.  I've only made this one once, but it was a huge hit with hubby.  Next time I make it, I'll be doubling the veggies.  It seemed like a lot of veggies when I read the recipe and chopped all the produce, but the finished product is very pasta heavy. 

I hope you are all living big, laughing with gusto and loving with all you've got!  I'm so thankful you, my sweet, dear friends.