Being 25, and a recipe

Micah reminded me that my Birthday this year was much better than last year's. I suppose that’s basically true, since I didn’t spend a good percentage of it in the hospital. That was fun in it’s own special way.

Bananagrams, friends, Rock band, and red velvet cake. If you look closely, it looks like somebody tried to make the cake look store-bought. That was me. It was worth a shot anyways.

And just like any responsible 25 year old, I received video games.

Anyone up for some Super Smash Brothers? Cooking Mama? Beatles Rock band???? Hmm, maybe I should have asked for office supplies…

Nothing is better than a little lemon clam pasta on your birthday! Micah is king! He made dinner and hosted a little party for me. Ten points to Gryffindor!

And our plants are surviving the winter (somewhat)! For those of you who care.

And because I like you all so much (and because many of the links I posted are recipes) you get a tasty recipe! I don’t know if I have sung my praises to this book yet:

We simply worship America’s test kitchen, and take their advice on practically everything. Once in a while we catch the Cook’s Country show on T.V. and just eat it up (Pun?!). We recently made their pesto, and were so pleased with how FAST and delicious it was. It makes enough for one pound of pasta, and is done in 15 minutes.

~INGREDIENTS

3 garlic cloves, unpeeled

2 cups packed fresh basil

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 cup pine nuts, walnuts, or almonds, toasted

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons fresh parsely (optional)

Salt and pepper

HOW TO MAKE!

1. Toast the garlic in an 8-inch skillet over medium heat, shaking the pan occasionally, until fragrant and spotty brown, about 7 minutes. Transfer the garlic to a plate and let cool before peeling.

2. Process the peeled garlic, basil, oil, nuts, Parmesan, and parsley (if using) in a blender or food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. When tossing the pesto with pasta, add some of the pasta cooking water as needed to loosen the consistency of the pesto. (We made it with homemade noodles, which were moist enough to balance out the pesto nicely.)

TIP!

To toast a small amount of nuts or seeds, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Simple shake the skillet occasionally to prevent scorching and toast until they are lightly browned and fragrant, 3-8 minutes. Watch the nuts closely because they can go from golden to burnt very quickly.

We loved how the flavor of the garlic was present, but not overwhelming, due to the fact that you toast it before processing. It made for a nutty yet flavorful taste. My kind of meal!