Retrospect

documenting life, creating art.

Tag Archives: dinner


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Carb load up!

My husband is going on a long, hard bike ride tomorrow with some friends, so he requested pasta for dinner this evening, in order to load up on his carbs for the ride. No problem; I love when he makes requests…it removes the ever-present “what to make for dinner” question, making my life just that much easier. Looking through his most recent cycling magazine, he found some meal ideas that looked pretty good to me as well, and I thought I would share one of the pasta dishes he found that we had for dinner tonight. Mmmm good!

  • 1.5 cups diced red potatoes, skins on
  • 1.5 cups green beans, fresh or frozen, cut into 1″ pieces
  • 3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 8 oz. semolina spaghetti (I used angel hair only because my husband prefers it)
  • 1/4 cup basil pesto
  • 1 Tbsp pine nuts, toasted
  • 1 Tbsp shredded Romano cheese (we omitted this because my husband can’t have cheese)

Bring four quarts of lightly salted water to a boil. Add potatoes, beans, and garlic. Cook, uncovered, for 3 minutes. Add pasta and return to a boil, stirring often until it’s al dente. Remove a quarter cup of the pasta water and combine it with the pesto in a large serving dish. Drain the pasta, potatoes, beans and garlic and toss gently with the pesto. Top each serving with pine nuts and Romano cheese to taste.

I do not recommend doubling this recipe, like I did this evening, unless you are feeding an army! It makes quite a lot of food, and it is rather filling…your teenage sons will love you for making this! I do highly recommend making this the night before a long work-out the next day….say your next triathalon, Tour du France, or Olympic competition. This packs a real carb punch; dieters beware! I fueled up for my workout tomorrow: National Scrapbook Day!!! Yowza! Happy fueling!


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Beware the Ides of March…

I just like saying that. Today happens to be Hubby’s birthday. I had to work, and he had a doctor’s appointment (oh, joy), but we were invited out for dinner by my mother which was a real treat. Cake and coffee was at our place after, and all-in-all, it was a nice day.

Ish shelee, I am so glad you were born on this day, a long time ago. I celebrate you and your presence in this world and in my life. Happy birthday, and many more to come.


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And now, for tonight’s menu…

Tonight we had a little dinner party for the hubby’s birthday (Tuesday). The big question is always “what to make?” Hubby decided yesterday that he wanted the soup pictured in last month’s Food Network Magazine, the “Pesto Bean Soup” featured in the 50-things-to-make pull-out section (just love that part!). So that, and homemade Heart of Winter bread (thank you, Rina ;-) )were the features on tonight’s menu, with a rich chocolate torte (courtesy of Costco) for dessert.

  1. Saute 5 sliced garlic cloves with a pinch of red pepper flakes in olive oil.
  2. Add 2 cans drained cannellini beans, plus 1 cup water and let simmer for about 8 minutes or so, until it thickens (this in itself is its own recipe; you can actually leave it as is, and not make the soup).
  3. Add 3 tablespoons pesto.
  4. Add 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese.
  5. Pour the bean mixture into a pot and add 3 cups chicken broth, and 1 cup chopped celery; cook 15 minutes.
  6. Stir in 1/2 cup each chopped olives (I used Kalamata) and roasted peppers.
  7. I let it simmer for a bit for the flavors to marry.
  8. To go with the soup, homemade Heart of Winter loaf, fresh out of the oven (find the recipe here).
  9. Last but certainly not least: a chocolate torte with raspberry and chocolate ganache filling for dessert (fantastic!).

(I doubled my recipe to accommodate guests) Dinner was delicious. Couldn’t wait for tomorrow to share.

But wait, there’s more! Sorry, a little joke from work…

I did manage to get that little poem from my daughter put into a layout. I believe these little treasures should be put somewhere they cannot be lost or forgotten. Here’s my solution:

For you scrapbookers: keep those little notes and special items and use them in your layouts, as is. We R Memory Keepers has great divided page protectors which are also perfect for these kinds of things if a layout is not what you want to do.


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Jack and Charlie’s

What a double treat my daughter and I had this evening; a luxurious dinner out with family. It’s my brother’s birthday, and our family gathered together to share each others’ company and a delicious meal. Each one of us splurged, and I went with the filet minon on puff pastry with butternut squash. To die for. But, alas the company was the real treat. Happy birthday, bro!


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Dinner with friends

I grew up being terribly shy. I was the wallflower who stayed in the background, nursing a glass of punch, not knowing what to say and hoping to stay invisible…even at my own birthday party when I turned 5. Needless to say, I was the kid who didn’t get invited to lots of parties. As an adult, I never, ever, had a get-together at my own home…the thought would make me shudder. My husband, however, is a social butterfly with his friends. He is the kind of friend who calls on a regular basis just to say hello and see how you are, always with news, a joke, and a little gossip to spill. He enjoys having company over, and when we first married, egad, I loathed to think that he would want to invite friends over for a dinner or two and then what would I do? Get nervous, get anxious, get real and get over it. That’s it.

I have finally learned that true friends are the ones I don’t have to be nervous around. I don’t have to worry about every little thing; they don’t notice that dust bunny hiding in the corner, they laugh about the overcooked chicken, they don’t judge my every word. And for once, I now give myself reason to relax and be myself: that’s all a friend really wants from me. Of course, I don’t know if I could have understood this, or learned this lesson if it were not for my husbands friends…now our friends. They come in two’s or three’s (my husband enjoys crowds as much as I do) to enjoy a meal and share some comaraderie. They are delightful people who epitomize what a friend truly is. We talk about art, books, the latest happenings in our lives, and what-not; it’s okay to disagree, debate, or mention that the chicken is a little dry. I have so much fun during our gatherings that now I am the one who suggests we have people over. Yes, me! Who knew!?

So tonight, two friends are coming over for a birthday celebration and I am making Portuguese-style fish stew with homemade bread, and individual chocolate cakes for dessert. I can’t wait!


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Portuguese-style Fish Stew

I made this the other night for dinner, and it won rave reviews in my home! It’s filling but not too heavy, and healthy. Since I couldn’t find striped bass, I used shark, and it worked beautifully. I believe any firm white fish will be good, as long as the fillet is not too thin.

Active time: 30 min./serves 4

  • 3 Tbl extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 2 tsp paprika (smoked or sweet)
  • 1 sm onion, thinly sliced
  • 1 sm green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 14.5-oz can diced tomatoes
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1.5 lbs skinless striped bass, cut into 2-in. chunks
  • crusty bread, sliced and toasted, for serving
  1. Heat 2 Tbl olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the bay leaves and paprika and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add the onion, bell pepper, tomatoes, garlic and 2 Tbl of the cilantro; season with salt and pepper. Cover and cook until the vegetables are softened, about 10 minutes.
  2. Add 1 cup water (I used chicken broth) and reduce the heat to medium low. Season the fish with salt and pepper, then nestle the pieces among the vegetables in the pan. Cover and simmer until the fish is just cooked through, 5-7 minutes.
  3. Divide the stew among bowls. Drizzle with the remaining 1 Tbl olive oil and sprinkle with the remaining 2 Tbl cilantro. Serve with the bread.

Delicious, enjoy!

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