Irish Soda Bread...and other things

Well, hello!

So it's been close to a year since I've updated my blog.  I feel terribly guilty about this, however, I would like to think I have an excuse.

As you know, Mr. PT and I were blessed with a sweet little girl in June of 2013.  Well, that sweet little girl has grown into a sweet, big toddler who will be two this summer!  This is very hard for me to believe; the time has truly flown by, just like everyone said it would.

I'm happy to say that our little one finally decided to grow some teeth and is eating like a madwoman these days!  She has a relatively diverse palate, and although genetics and personality are likely the cause, I would like to think I played a role in this!  Hopefully all those vegetable stir fries, smoothies, and salads gave her a heads up as to what she would be eating post-delivery.  Her favorites these days are cheese, milk, strawberries, bananas, and pancakes (my little pancake girl!).  However, she also eats rice, beans, avocado, pasta, oatmeal, broccoli, and plain yogurt!  I can't complain!

Our little girl has also grown up watching her crazy parents exercise.  While nestled in her car seat, Mr. PT would take her outside and use her as a weight for lunges and bicep curls (I'm pretty sure this is how she learned the concept of "up and down").  When big enough to stand, she would watch Mommy and Daddy share the bands for arm workouts.  She now screams "Run! Weee!" when it's time to get in the jogging stroller and shouts "my turn!" when I pull our the weights.  Her favorite toy?  Balls, of course!

Anyway, more big news on the way.  Mr. PT and I are now expecting our SECOND little blessing!  This, again, is very hard for me to believe.  Come August, we will be starting all over again with a new little person to feed healthy foods and teach band exercises to.  Not sure if our little one will be a "he" or a "she," but either way, we are very excited to give our little peanut a playmate.

So that's life here!  I'm sure life out there has been continuing on and you have many changes to report as well.  But let's get to a more serious matter...HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

Yes, it's that day when we must wear green to avoid getting pinched from our coworkers (this almost happened to me today).  It's also the day to celebrate our Irish heritage, whether we can claim it or not.  To celebrate, I thought about giving our little girl green milk in her cereal, but of course, she requested pancakes for breakfast so my plan was foiled.  Next year!

Instead, I pulled out my wonderful King Arthur's Flour cookbook, given to me at my high school graduation, and found three different recipes for Irish Soda Bread.  The first was traditional, the second fruity, and the third an "Americanized" version of the old classic.  After consulting with Mr. PT, we decided to go with the American version..."but with less raisins."

So here you go!  I included the link for the recipe.  I did not make a glaze for the top since the bread has a nice, subtle sweetness of it's own. I also used less raisins, per the husband's request.  Enjoy!

Americanized Irish Soda Bread

More Pancakes!

Mr. PT and I have yet to think of a name for our little one yet, but I'm considering giving her the nickname "pancake girl."

Or maybe we'll call her Maple?

Mr. PT suggested Mrs. Buttersworth but that is too much!

Long story short, I am loving pancakes.  In my first trimester, I ate waffles for dinner 4/7 nights a week because it was one of few things that didn't sound revolting.  Now, I dream about pancakes and waffles and french toast.  But mostly pancakes.  

Breakfast, in general, is a pretty amazing meal.

Mr. PT and I headed out of town last weekend for a conference he was a speaker for and we found two awesome diners to eat in!  

Diner #1, with blueberry buttermilk pancakes

Diner #2, with scrambled eggs, toast...and a side of pancakes

Am I obsessed?  Yes.  Do I feel bad about it?  Not really, because at this point baby Kent is in control and if she wants pancakes there is not a whole lot I can do about it.** 

However, I can help my wallet and my blood sugar by making healthier pancakes at home!  So this morning, when I was home due to snow, I made the PT version of pancakes, with oatmeal, fresh bananas and strawberries (no picture, sorry).

For lunch, I had leftover pancakes with homemade peanut butter, bananas, and a drizzle of honey.

Talk about a slice of heaven.

My amazing friends in Roanoke even agreed to throw me a baby shower and serve brunch...WITH PANCAKES!!!

**Tonight for dinner, we are having zucchini, eggplant, red pepper paninis.  I'm not completely nuts!

Combine with some sprints in your workout routine...if you're in the pool, watch the clock and do a lap every 60 seconds (do 5 reps).  If you're running or walking outside, walk the length of the street and sprint the sidewalk to the next block.  It will get your heart rate going and make you faster!

A perfect day of eating...kind of

If you could have a perfect day of eating, what would you eat?

I would prefer a perfect week of eating, but wouldn't we all!

I was going through my most recent food photos and realized I had shots of breakfast, snack, and dinner that I could eat every day if I had to!  Well, I would probably get tired of them eventually, but, you get my point.

Let's start the day off with breakfast.

French toast with fresh fruit.  Mix 3 eggs, 2-3 tbs of milk, and your favorite flavors.  I go crazy with vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg.  Toast your bread crusty, soak in the egg mixture, and cook in a non-stick skillet until brown.

Go to work, the gym, whatever you need to do to build up an appetite.

Mix 1/4 cup peanut butter with 3/4 cup vanilla yogurt and your favorite granola (I had some blueberry flax granola!).  Nosh on a banana and bar of some sort.  Today I treated myself to an organic blueberry poptart.  This is not a regular in our house, but it was leftover from our cabin weekend, so, what they hay!

If you have not tried mixing peanut butter and yogurt yet, try it!!

Before you know it, it's time for dinner!

Homemade pesto with whole grain spaghetti!  In a food processor, blend a handful of walnuts (or pine nuts) with 1 1/2 cups of loosely packed basil leaves.  Add a handful of parmesan cheese, 2-3 cloves of garlic, and enough olive oil to make it your desired consistency...less if you like it chunky, more if you like it runny.  Experiment with this one and add more of any ingredient to get the pesto you like.  You really can't go wrong, unless you forget something!

So what do you think?  Could you eat this every day?  What have you made recently that you are loving?

Combine with a swim.  Do 10 laps to warm up, 6 laps of kicking, 6 laps of pulling, and 8 laps of alternating breaststroke/freestyle. 

Cabin fever!

Mr. PT and I decided to slip away from Roanoke for the weekend and drive about an hour south to Fairy Stone State Park.  For the Fairy Stone legend and history, see here!

We rented a cozy little one bedroom cabin right on the lake.  It was the perfect kind of camping for me because we got away from cell phones, computers, and televisions but still had a hot shower and a stove!  Perfect!

Friday night, we unpacked and explored our little cabin which took all of 10 minutes.  We decided to snack for dinner on cheese, fresh bread, and fruit.

Mr. PT drank a dark beer while I sipped my San Pellegrino.  Wine would have been amazing but...higher calling these days.

Saturday morning, to further satisfy my hunger for pancakes these days, Mr PT made fresh blueberry pancakes with bacon...and coffee for me, of course!

Ohhh yummy.  We used the rest of our organic pancake mix with buckwheat flour, extra milk, a splash of olive oil, and fresh blueberries.  So good.

Saturday afternoon was chilly, but we were determined to see the park!  So we bundled up and hiked 3 different trails, seeing only two other hikers in the quiet woods.  It took us about three hours but it was worth it.  We got a great workout and saw some beautiful views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

 

After our hike, I was totally worn out.  Exercise with a 25 month old baby (fetus) is doable but my stamina is not what it used to be.  I get what they call "round ligament pain" which basically feels like a cramp in my side.  But it was fun toting baby around the woods!

For dinner, we brought some pre-made pizza dough made by our favorite local bakery and the makings for calzones!  I filled Mr. PT's with tomatoes, cheese, peppers, onions, pepperoni, and basil.  Mine had tomatoes, peppers, onions, mushrooms, spinach, and goat cheese.

Double yum!

Saturday night Mr. PT crushed me at both rummy and Bananagrams so I made him give me a 20 minute foot rub.  Ha!  We read for a little bit in front of the fire and then crashed.

Sunday morning, we knew we had to be out by 10am, so Mr. PT got crackin' on breakfast.  Literally, with scrambled eggs, toast, and bacon.

We don't eat bacon often, but when you are camping, it is kind of essential.  And if you are making bacon, you might as well cook your eggs in bacon grease.  Then you really feel like you're living!

Overall, it was a fantastic weekend getaway.  If you are feeling the winter doldrums getting you down, I encourage a weekend away, whether it's in a cabin or a beach-front hotel.  Who cares if it's not swimming weather?  Sometimes a change of scenery and foreshadowing of warmer days is all you need to get through the next snowstorm.

Combine with an outdoor exploration!  Don't worry about how much cardio or reps you're getting.  Get to a park and explore for a few hours.  You may just e a bit sore the next day!

My new favorite snack

I'm kind of going through a blueberry thing right now...

 whole wheat bread with cream cheese and fresh blueberries

Another perfect snack.

Combine with a fitness class...I've been enjoying the PUMP classes to build up my arms and legs for spring!

 

Good morning!

One of my favorite ways to start the day.

Whole grain cereal (in this case, Life + Grape Nuts) topped with fresh blueberries, drowned in vanilla almond milk.

YUM.

Combine with a workout today.  Just do it.

Weekend Eats

Mr. PT and I trekked through the blizzard to visit my sister and brother-in-law in the Richmond area this past weekend.  Man, was it worth it!  We did a lot of laughing, eating, watching stupid TV and funny movies, and beer/wine drinking.  Well, they drank.  I mostly tasted and chugged water.  Higher calling these days!!

We ate some really tasty meals!  Friday night we headed to a Thai restaurant and had sushi and vegetable lo-mien (guess which one I ate).  Saturday night my brother in law grilled some chicken and we made quesadillas on the George Foreman!

These were filled with sauteed onions and peppers (in olive oil and taco seasoning), Mexican rice, grilled chicken and cheese.

Dipped in your choice of toppings!  Guacamole, lettuce, sour cream, salsa...

Saturday morning, my sister Kelly felt adventurous and made a fantastic vegetable quiche!

She sauteed onions, peppers, and spinach in olive oil with a pinch of salt.  She pre-baked the pie shell for about 10 minutes then filled it with the vegetable mixture.  On top, she spread 4 eggs mixed with a touch of milk and cheddar/mozzarella cheese.  This baked for about 30 minutes.

Delicious! So much good food!  So much fun!

Combine with...traveling exercise!  Don't know what to do?  Offer to take the family dog on a walk.  You'll get a good workout while giving your hosts a break for the day.

Better Batter

I don't know if it's the surplus of Ihop and Denny's commercials on television for the NFL playoffs or my baby's love of breakfast food, but I have been craving pancakes all weekend!

I know I've made some pretty healthy pancakes with buckwheat and whole wheat flour in the past, but today is a different day with different cravings and I wanted fluffy, buttermilk pancakes.

Mr. PT and I almost stopped at a diner after church, but we thought it would be better to save our money (not only do we have a baby on the way but we have a car on the way out...) and make our own.

I stopped at the store for some essential items and came across this intriguing package in the organic section of the store.

I realize pancakes are not that hard to make from scratch, however, my stomach was growling and the word "buttermilk" was calling my name.

They turned out beautifully!  Thick and fluffy, just what I wanted.  Pancakes and waffles taste the best with real maple syrup.  I know it's expensive ($8? Seriously??) but the taste of real maple is irreplaceable.

Fresh fruit in the winter is also a refreshing reminder of what is to come in a few months.

If you scoff at packaged pancake mix, try Ruth Reichl's version of the real thing.  She was the editor of Gourmet Magazine and a food critic for both the LA and New York Times.  She has written some fantastic memoirs and writes a killer food blog.

Combine with a day of rest if you need it.  Swim, bike, run, rest.  Give yourself a much needed break once in a while.

Green and Leafy

Not diggin the sauteed kale?

Try it in a quiche!

Saute your chopped onions, mushrooms, and peppers in olive oil until soft.  Add stripped, rinsed kale leaves and cook until wilted.  Throw your veggies in with 5-6 whisked eggs, 3/4 cup cottage cheese, and some seasonings (I used fresh rosemary, salt and pepper).

Line a pie dish with a pie crust and pour the egg mixture in.  Bake at 350 for about 40 minutes or until slightly crispy and the crust begins to brown.

You can also make an oldie but a goodie...kale chips!

Strip the kale leaves from their stalks and rinse them.  Swirl them in a salad spinner to get the moisture off.  Line them on a sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt/pepper and bake at 400 for 5-6 minutes.  Make sure they don't burn!

There are endless ways to eat those green leafy things!

Combine with fast-paced 20 minute strength workout, followed by a 10 minute stretch session.  Ahhh...

Scrambled deliciousness and Roasted roots

Welcome autumn!

Mr. PT and I joined a friend for a 5 mile trail run this morning, enjoying the crisp fall air and the last of the green leaves.  Autumn is Roanoke is breathtaking!

We worked up quite the appetite, so after picking up some of our favorite bread, we enjoyed some vegetable scrambled eggs.

Have people always told you eggs are too fatty and loaded with cholesterol?  Not if you eat them in moderation (we eat eggs about once a week) and pair them with vitamin-rich vegetables.  For this scrambled mix, I whisked 2 eggs with chopped pepper, onion, tomato, grated cheese, and fresh dill.  YUM.

People might also tell you potatoes are too starchy and loaded with carbs.  Again, eat them in moderation (once a week or so) and be sure to include some other greens with your carbs.  Earlier this week, to empty out the crisper, I sliced my potatoes and tossed them with sliced radishes, sliced green peppers, olive oil, fresh dill, salt/pepper, and lemon juice.  I then roasted this mix on a baking sheet at 400 for about 30 minutes, or until they were cooked and crispy.  

Again, YUM.

Don't be afraid to push yourself out of your comfort zone.  If a friend calls you up to climb a mountain, don't automatically assume you can't do it.  Forewarn your friend you might be slow and get out there and try.  

Peaches galore!

 Mr. PT and I had big plans this Labor Day weekend!

Make a peach cobbler...eat a peach cobbler.

We considered sharing, but we never got around to it.

Okay, okay.  We didn't just sit around and eat, I promise!  Scatter in some bike riding and running up Mill Mountain, a walk on the Greenway, and 4 hours of kayaking on the James River and you'll get a better picture of our 3 day weekend.  We are a household with a personal trainer, after all!

Peaches are peaking!  Now is the time to buy them in crates, barrels, buckets, whatever you can find to haul these golden delights home in.  Pair them with ice cream, cereal yogurt, peanut butter, or munch on them solo.

And if you have an extra hour on your hands, or a few helping hands, make this fantastic peach cobbler.

You will need:

-4 cups sliced peaches (7-8)

-1 tbs lemon juice

-1/2 cup sugar

-1 tbs tapioca

-2 tbs melted butter, plus 1/4 cup chilled

-1 cup flour, sifted

-1 1/2 tsp baking powder

-1 tbs sugar for batter, plus 1 tsp for top

-1/4 tsp salt

-1 egg, beaten to a froth

-1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 12x8x2 pan.

Combine peaches, lemon juice, sugar, tapioca, and melted butter.

 Sift flour for a second time with baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Work butter into flour mix with pastry cutter to consistently like cornmeal. 

 With a fork, stir in combined egg and milk.  Spread evenly over peaches.

Bake until crust is golden brown and peaches are bubbling (40-45 min).

*for extra flavor, add 1/4 tsp almond extract and a pinch of cinnamon and cloves to the peaches!

Enjoy this heavenly seasonal fruit paired with outdoor exercise while you still can!

Make way for more vegetables!

It's Monday!

Time to clean out the fridge and make way for more vegetables from our farm share!

Hm.  What to do when you have a bunch of vegetables you don't know what to do with.

Or, if you are not participating in a farm share but want more vegetables on your plate, what comes to mind?

Salsa!

Chop some tomatoes, onions, peppers, and cilantro.  Toss with corn, beans, lime/lemon juice and spicy spices (cumin, cayenne, chipotle...the works).

How about stuffed baked summer squash?

From the Good Food Good People family...

•  2 tablespoons butter
•  1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped 
•  2 garlic cloves, minced
•  3/4 teaspoon salt
•  1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage
• 1/3 cup chopped walnuts
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• About 1/4 cup freshly shredded parmesan cheese
• 2 delicata squash (about 2 lbs. total), halved lengthwise and seeded

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are soft, about 3 minutes. Stir in sage and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in nuts. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine eggs and parmesan. Stir in nut mixture. Divide stuffing among squash halves, sprinkle with more parmesan, and bake until tender when pierced with a fork and tops are browning, about 45 minutes.  Pair with green beans and corn salad.

Or maybe a sandwich?  Toast your bread with havarti cheese, spinach leaves, onions, and mushrooms then slap on a fried egg!

Eggs aren't your thing?  Replace with tomato and pepperoni!

When all else fails, throw a bunch of chopped vegetables tossed with olive oil and salt into a 450 oven for 20 minutes.  Toss with spinach leaves, chopped cabbage, your favorite herbs, balsamic vinegar, and a snazzy cheese for a hearty salad.

This mix comprised of cubed potatoes, squash, onions, mushrooms, corn, peppers, and carrots.  That will clean your fridge out!

Okay, if you are looking at these options and thinking, NO WAY, do what my preggo sister does.  Throw some spinach leaves in a tasty fruit smoothy as this fellow blogger does (yes, her pictures are much fancier than mine...I'm dealing with it).

I know you think Mr. PT and I are veggie freaks, but trust me.  If you start eating more vegetables, you will start enjoying them more.  I promise your body will thank you.

Combine with...exercise.  Try not to get overwhelmed with the plethora of information on the best way to exercise.  Just get out there and move.  Do it consistently.  Push yourself.  You'll feel a difference.

Bananas for Breakfast

Is anyone else having trouble keeping up with their bananas these days?

I normally have the occasional banana that browns before I can eat it.  It ends up in the freezer patiently awaiting its day to become banana bread.

However, recently, with all this hot weather, my bananas have had much more success than me with brown skin!

Thanks to this fellow blogger, I have a new recipe to use my mushy bananas with!

I love how this recipe uses raw oatmeal!

Use the link to check out the recipe!  

I changed a few things...I used only 1/2 cup of sugar and regular vanilla yogurt instead.

I also think I will throw in some cinnamon next time!

These muffins are delicious with a light spreading of butter, jam, cream cheese, or just plain!  We had guests on Saturday morning, so they paired deliciously with fresh fruit, scrambled eggs and veggies, portobello and onion bread toast, turkey bacon, and coffee, of course!

Mmm...doesn't get much better!

Combine with a morning run, walk, or run/walk.  Beat the heat and get out there before the sun does!

Bread distaster turned toasty

While recently surfing the world of Pinterest, I saw a pin for fresh bread made in the crock pot.

What???

I decided I had to try it.  I love making bread, however, with the exception of pizza dough, I hardly take the time to do it.  Mostly because we have an amazing local bakery that makes fresh bread much easier to enjoy.

However, I had a Kitchen Aid mixer hook that was dying to be used and crock pots make everything easier, right?

I did a quick search for simple bread recipes and came across one for a French Batard.  The instructions appeared to be very similar to most bread recipes I had at home with the exception of not requiring 12 hours of rising! Bingo!

Bread making can be very intimidating, but if you follow the appropriate steps, make some key observations along the way, and give your dough the time it needs to come alive, you will have success.

You will need:

-1 1/2 cups warm water (when I say "warm," I mean that you can put your finger under the water and it is hot to the touch but not too hot that it is uncomfortable or you have to pull your finger away)

-1 tbs. sugar

-1 1/2 tsp. yeast (I use active fast rising)

-1 1/2 tsp salt

-3 3/4 cups flour (I used 1/2 whole wheat and 1/2 all purpose)

Mix together the warm water, sugar and yeast.  I usually put these ingredients in a drinking glass and whisk them with a fork for 10-20 seconds.  Set this aside and give it 10-15 minutes to itself.  Now make your observation...is it foamy and bubbly?  If it is, you did it right! If it isn't, your water was too hot or your yeast was too old.  Try again.

Did I mention bread making is kind of like a science experiment?

Once you make it past this step, measure your flour into a mixing bowl and combine with the salt.  If you have a hook attachment for your mixer, yay! You just saved your hands and shoulders from a workout.

With the mixer on low, slowly add the wet yeast mixture to the dry ingredients.  This is when your observations are, again, very important.  Give the dough some time to figure out what it's going to do, but if it continues to be dry and flaky, add a dash of water.  If it's incredibly sticky or not coming together, add a dash of flour (not too much of either!).  Do what you need to do to get your dough looking like this:

(thank you google images)

If you do not have a mixing hook, it's not the end of the world! I have made bread plenty of times the old fashion way.  Slowly add the wet yeast mixture to the dry ingredients while slowing stirring with a wooden spoon.  Once it is combined, turn it out onto your floured countertop.  Start kneading!

Once your dough is ready to go, pull out that crock pot and line it with parchment paper.  Place the dough inside, turn the crock pot on high, and walk away!

The wonderful part of the crock pot is that it takes care of both the rising and the baking!  Mine took about 1.5 hours to finish.  I knew it was done when the house was filled with the smell of freshly baked bread and the loaf was slightly brown on the bottom.

Here is when the disaster occurred.

I read that I could place the bread under the broiler for 5 minutes to get a nice, crusty top.  So I did.  And then I broke the cardinal rule of using broilers...I walked away!  I went outside to water my plants, heard the timer go off, ran inside to check my lovely bread, and it was scorched.  It was smoking.  It was charred.

I exaggerate...it was only burnt on top.  The majority of the loaf was safe, but to see that perfectly baked bread blackened like burnt toast was just heartbreaking.

My broiler and I are currently not on speaking terms.

After I calmed down and let the bread cool, I quickly realized that all was not lost and it still tasted delicious once you pulled the burnt part away.  Mr. PT and I enjoyed freshly baked bread for the rest of the week!

Try not to be intimidated by bread making!  It really is one of the more simpler projects to do in the kitchen.  It just takes some practice.

Combine with a workout extension.  Take your typical 30 minute workout and make it longer and harder, taking a few more breaks here and there.  Pushing for endurance will make you stronger and a better athlete!

Ch-ch-ch-Chia seeds!

For those of you who tried the flax seeds and said....no.

Or those of you who looked at the flax seeds and said....no!

I give you, chia seeds!

These are tiny little seeds that are native to Guatemala and Mexico.  They are packed with protein, fiber, and other fantastic vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats.  They also, in my opinion, have hardly any taste.  They have a bit of a texture (a light crunch), but they are truly hard to notice when combined with other strong flavors and textures.

Vanilla yogurt with strawberries, walnuts, granola, and chia seeds

So if you are willing to try a different seed supplement, try the chia seed!  As with the flax seed, a little goes a long way, so eat in moderation!  (about 1 tsp. will do).

Combine with a day of outdoor exercise.  I explored a new hiking path today with friends.  I even did some swimming in frigid water!  Was it structured exercise which burned x-amount of calories? No...but I felt fit enough to do it, which is the goal.  Challenge yourself with a few hours of unstructured exercise.  You will feel alive.

Summer Breakfast

Baguette-French toast with fresh cherries and yogurt

Looking for an easy way to eat healthier?  Eat at home.  

Combine with your own bodyweight.  It's your best weightlifting tool!

Good Food, Good Days

Our last shipment of vegetables brought us an abundance of spinach!!  Mr. PT and I ate a lot of salads this week, however, we were also able to enjoy a few excellent meals that non-traditionally incorporated our juicy greens.

One night, we came home from a long bike ride up the mountain and lined corn tortillas with spinach leaves, topped with black beans and cheese.  We heated these "tacos" up in the oven and topped them with salsa.  You could hardly taste the spinach (which might be good for some of you) but the texture change was awesome!  They had a subtle crunch on the inside and the tortilla held up a little better (corn tortillas tend to get droopy when warm).

On Saturday morning, we woke up thirsty for a hearty smoothy!  We threw in the usual...banana, vanilla yogurt, milk, 5-6 carrots...but then we added a handful of spinach leaves.  In case you were wondering about the taste of this smoothy, it was saved by frozen strawberries and cinnamon.  These last two ingredients gave it a delicious fruity punch.  Mr. PT added peanut butter to his for some extra protein.

Our strawberries were generously donated by our neighbor who has a plethora of them in her backyard!!  To freeze, you must wash them, let them dry completely, "flash freeze" them (put on wax paper and freeze for about an hour) then pack them in a freezer bag and freeze (in case you were wondering).

This last meal does not have spinach, rather, it contains the delicious red kale we received from our veggie share last week.  I wanted to try something different with the kale this time around, so I tweaked a recipe I found from this fellow blogger.  It sounded simply fresh and light...right up my alley.

You will need:
-1/2 bunch kale (any variety) or about 3 packed cups sliced into ribbons
-2-3 tsp minced garlic (more if you like!)
-1/2 box pasta
-1/4 cups olive oil
-2 lemons (1 sliced in half and then into thin wedges, the other zested and juiced)
-1 green onion, diced
-rosemary, black/red pepper, salt

Heat a large pan with 1 tbs. of olive oil.  Saute green onions until soft.  Throw in 1 tsp garlic and kale ribbons and saute until the kale has wilted.  Remove from pan and set aside.

In the same pan, heat 1/4 cup olive oil with 1 tsp garlic and 1/2 of the lemon wedges.  While these are "infusing," boil your water and cook your pasta accordingly.  When the pasta is strained and ready to go, carefully remove  and discard the soggy lemon wedges.  Add the rest of your minced garlic and rosemary to the oil and simmer for 3-5 minutes on low. 

 (infused olive oil)

Meanwhile, put your pasta in a big bowl and toss with rest of the lemon wedges, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cooked kale mix.  Finally, add the infused olive oil and toss.  Enjoy warm with some mozzarella cheese or cold as a pasta salad. 

This dish was extremely flavorful and wonderfully light.  Mr. PT and I treated ourselves to a few slices of baguette with butter on the side.

This vegetable share will only get more interesting!  Stay tuned!

Combine with house hunting on foot or wheels.  Even if you are not in the market for some new digs, it is fun to browse your favorite neighborhoods and get ideas from others' landscaping and paint jobs.  Why not get exercise while you're at it??