ROASTED VEGGIE SUMMER PASTA

Yesterday was a good day in the garden

It inspired my to make one of my standby summer recipes

Oven roasted veggies, you can do this recipe with

squash, zucchini, broccoli, califlower, carrots......

Since I pick lots of squash I used squash this time

1. Chop veggies into bite size chunks

2. Toss into a bowl

3. Drizzle with about 3 T olive oil 

4.  Salt and Pepper to taste

5. Mix together

6. Pour onto a pan

7. Cook at 400 for 50min., stirring once in the middle

You may need to adjust time for different veggies, you are looking for them to be lightly carmelized

at this point you can cool them, flash freeze them and then bag them up to use later or go ahead and use them as a side dish or in pasta or soup.

Since I have been smelling the squash roast all day there was no way that I was not going to use it.

So I decided to make my Summer Pasta.

The great thing about this pasta is that you can make it quick and use up any leftovers you may have.

I started by putting these two to work

taking the leaves off of the basil, so I can make my Pesto (recipe here)

Okay, thes are my gardening clothes so don't laugh. Please tell me your kitchen looks like this when you are doing lots of cooking, notice my messy floor (I am not a neat cook)

Once the Pesto is made start the pasta

1. Cook what ever pasta you have on hand, cook until firm

2. Brown meat (I am using smoked sausage, but anything works)

3. After meat is browned add whatever roasted veggies you are using

4. Add 1/4 cup of pasta water to deglaze pan

5. Add strained pasta

6. 4 T pesto and another 1/4 cup of pasta water

Mix and serve

ENJOY,

Cha Cha

RECYCLE

Do you save glass jars?

I do, I use them for all kinds of things.

My latest project was to make storage contaners for our basement bathroom,

we had guest stay with us this week and I wanted everything out in the open were they could find it.

I used a crazy assortment of jars

a pickle jar

a cherry jar

a pesto jar

and

an old canning jar that a sweet friend had given me.

I sanded the lids to scuff them up

Painted them a grey blue

and

sealed them with MOD PODGE

and now I have pretty containers

without spending any money.

While we are down here

why don't I show you around

This is my favorite colletion

I love beauty products old and new

and the sweet little cabinet they sit in makes me smile.

I have an old bed pan hanging on the wall with magazines

(sorry Gwen) 

This old Borax dispenser hangs over the sink and still works

I bought it a few years ago in CA while on vacation

A chubby baby in a wash tub what could be cuter

and then there is the sign that shows just how weird my sense of humor is

and finally the sign that started it all

this sweet girl is on the door to tell you good bye as you leave

oh, wait I forgot one of my favorite things

the handles on the cabinet

I just love how vintage they are.

Hope you enjyed the tour and have

been inspired to recycle a glass jar in a new way.

Cha Cha

WHO'S CUP IS THAT?

Do you find cups all over your house and never know who should have put it away?

I DO!

It drives me CRAZY

and with Summer's more relaxed schedule

it gets worse.

But I have found a fun Summer craft that solves my problem.

Decorate your own cup.

This is mine, I love the colors in the paper and I wrote my favorite Bible verse at the top to remind me of how I want to view my life.

This is a super fun craft

we bought the cups from Micheals (they come with coloring pages in them, we chose not to use the pages)

with a little cutting

and gluing

You end up with cups that can not be confused with someone else's.

We made one for ourselves and one for each of the Grandma's and one for a sweet friend who is moving away.

It was a fun craft, that will hopefully make my Summer easier.

Cha Cha

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

Happy Father's Day,

we love you

LAST YEARS SHIRT MADE NEW

I wanted to show you lovelies my new favorite shirt.

This was last years favorite shirt, but when I pulled it out this year I was bored with it.

and I had this shirt that I never wore, I loved the colors but the bottom half was WAY sheer, not my style.

so I go busy making these two shirts into this one

and now last years favorite shirt is also this years

favorite shirt.

Cha Cha

Pesto

Do you remember when I posted the pictures of this,  as pretty as it is, it has a greater purpose.

Do you know what those green leaves are?

Basil

of all the things green and leafy that can be grown this is by far my favorite.

I am addicted to pesto and got to make some last night.

All of this becomes

this.

Pesto Recipe

1 cup  packed basil leaves

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1/4 cup walnuts

2 galic cloves

1/2 olive oil

Toss it all into the food processor and let it do all the work.

I freeze my extra

I cover the top of the pesto with more olive oil seal tightly and stick straight into the freezer, the extra oil keep it from turning dark from air exposure.

Now, I am ready for pasta, or if I am nice to share

Cha Cha