Summer Nights...dwindling way...

I'm officially done with my first semester of my second graduate degree and though, I am thrilled to be on the road to becoming a counselor, I must stop to wonder, what was I thinking? With one week left of summer, and many unfinished summer projects I wonder if I will have the time to finish them all. The truth is a resounding no. Instead I have plunged into a couple of my favorite passions reading and cooking. I went to the grocer a few days ago for the first time since well...May? (Life has been a little nutty.) And have been cooking and reading and watching random TV and sleeping. I love sleeping too.

Anywho, so the cooking has been the most fun. One of my favorite things to do is to make one thing and use it to make several others. First, I made a fresh tomato salsa, with 3 different types of heirloom tomatoes: red, orange and green. I whisked together vinegar, salt, evoo, lime juice, and sriacha (Asian hot sauce.) Diced some onions and tossed it all together. I must say it was delightful. I snacked on it and then used it for some tasty tacos that evening. The next day, I made a Mexican pizza for lunch using all the same ingredients. Tomorrow my plan is to use it to make huevos rancheros.

Since I have gained some cool kitchen gear from the wedding I find the magic of appliances wonderful. I made chocolate chocolate chocolate cookies, made a dozen and froze the rest of the dough in order not to indulge completely. Warm cookies and milk hit the spot tonight. I also made homemade blueberry pancakes. Breakfast was yummy and also froze a bunch to save for Eliot's snacking and breakfast on crazy school mornings. You can pop them in the microwave and have a good morning with no fuss.

My last foodie treat was linguine with zucchini and chickpeas. I saw the recipe in Real Simple (I borrowed the picture from there too.) and though I like to take inspiration from recipes but I usually don't make them. I don't like following directions, or I'm impatient or I am a cooking artisan, any way you play it, this recipe looked good and simple. A rinsed can of chickpeas (always wash canned beans to get the salty preservatives off), cut fresh zucchini, garlic sauteed in olive oil, salt and red pepper flakes (I eat these on everything lately). While working on the mix cook up your pasta of choice, I used angel hair. Once the zucchini looks soft and the pasta is ready-just mix and add Parmesan cheese. I wish I had fresh cheese because the taste is so much better but I am not that cool. It was good and it was enough for 4 healthy servings. Still have a bit in the frig.

I am catching up on my nonacademic reading. Finished Friday Night Knitting Club and ordered the sequel (which I didn't know existed until my friend Michele told me thanks!), picked up Julie and Julia (which I am loving, thanks CD!) and finished up Trees Grow in Brooklyn which was great as well. I am on a roll!

Tomorrow another new food adventure awaits and more joyful reading...but better yet I might do some of that gardening I was talking about, go for a bike ride and hopefully see my little kiddies E's in the afternoon! Eliot is on the mend it seems. Keep those prayers coming and soon he will make his debut on the blog too.