Yep, still raining....but that is not stopping me!

My grandmother gave me this plant over 20 years ago. It is still going strong after eight moves and across many state lines. The fascinating and very special thing about this geranium is that it rarely has a dormant period. She blooms all of the time. We call her Momoo after my sweet and wonderful grandmother and Momoo is still amazing, even in plant form.

So, I did something. I did something crazy and exciting, at least for me anyway. I signed up for private dance lessons with my BellyRoc teacher. She is going to teach me modern, hip hop, belly dancing - a fusion of different styles. I can't wait. Part of me is completely terrified, and part of me is completely excited too. I have thought about taking classes up in Needham for years but for some reason it never came together, I wasn't ready, or something. I guess now is the time. She is an incredibly talented teacher and that intimidates this 43 year old me but I am excited to let go a bit and learn some moves! It makes me feel vulnerable as well as empowered and that is a good thing.

This morning I realized how much I love waking up Sage in the morning. Sosie too, of course, but there is something about Sage in the morning - she has a hard time opening up her eyes and she is so still and calm, wrapped up in her green blanket and then she wakes with a smile on her face. I want to bottle it. Sosie is getting so big. She has grown about 2-3 inches over the last couple of months. I love giving her kisses in the morning too and waking her up is a balance act of providing space and love at the same time. I love trying to find that balance as a parent all the time.

Put on Lonely Boy by The Black Keys and get cooking!

This recipe is adapted by Susan Branch in her Summer cookbook.  It is a staple, especially in the summer. I seem to be yearning for spring since my recipes are for warmer weather recently. Anyway, as you know I like to blog simpler, yummy and pretty recipes, perfect for a weeknight.  This is such a recipe.

Lemon Linguine
1/2 cup olive oil
juice of three small lemons (and zest of 1/2 lemon - optional)
1/2 red onion
1 garlic clove, minced
toasted pine nuts
1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh slivered basil (give or take)
12 oz  or so pasta. It is called linguine but in truth I have used all kinds. Last night I used Cipriani pappardelle
parmesan to taste

This is an incredibly flexible recipe. I have added asparagus, peas, grilled shrimp, etc. to this dish.

Add lemon juice to olive oil.  Play around with this. Add lemon juice and taste. Some people like more of a tang than others.

Then, add the tomatoes, basil, onion, toasted pine nuts and garlic. Let sit so that everything meshes together nicely.

I also made a Caesar salad and roasted broccoli with this dish. I prepped everything, threw the broccoli in the oven and started cooking the pasta. As an aside, I am a person who loves lots of vegetables with dinner. My mom told me she was raised to have the protein, starch, green vegetable and salad. I think of that each night I cook dinner. I may not always have one of these but I do tend to have multiple vegetables.

So, after pasta is done, put the sauce on top of the pasta and mix well. Add parmesan to taste and serve more with dinner.

Voila! Enjoy and have a great night!