SENSORI

Knocked out by knock-out roses

After being on the road for a few days, I came home to find the knock-out rose bushes in our front yard e-x-p-l-o-d-i-n-g with blooms.  I couldn't get my bags in the house fast enough.  I rushed to get my pruning tools and started clipping stems of roses.  Look at the splendor! I've made a few arrangements for our neighbors and one for our house, but these roses looked their absolute best when first cut.  You might be able to see dew on the petals in the photo (you can click on the photo to enlarge it).  And they smell soft and powdery - just delightful!

What matters

I walked my dog today on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. (my hometown, which I miss terribly).  These two young gents photographed above, adorable as all get out, were cooing at my dog, and asked if they could play with her.  I obliged, of course.  They ran her around a bit, and threw her mini-tennis ball for her to chase.  They were having a great time.  Right after I snapped this shot, there was a WWE-styled take down and these lads were wrestling and giggling in the grass.

Watching these two friends reminded me of what really matters in life.  What matters about people is what is inside their hearts and our making the effort to discover what lies within.  What matters is making time for friends, friends into whose eyes you can look deeply and know they have your back.  What matters is feeling free enough to wrestle in the grass with your best friend.  What matters is smiling at a stranger.  These are things that matter.

Hoodblooms

 
Finally, I'm posting about something other than food.  Look at this beautiful, crisp white bloom on a shrub in my neighbor's yard.  More photos of flowers, bunnies, ducks and other natural delights found within a two block radius of our home are on my Picasa site.

Pasta Salad Sits Pretty Aside a Juicy Grilled Burger

Grilling outside this past week has been a treat.  We didn’t have to run inside to warm up after turning over the food.  In fact, we had to find some shade to avoid the sun!  We grilled hamburgers and they turned out thick, juicy and yummy (see photo right; doesn’t that burger look dee-lish?!?).  It’s a given that my husband Baxter will have french fries with his hamburgers.  He loves fries and is lean with a super high metabolism so he can eat whatever he wants without consequence.  Under the guise of eating something healthier than french fries, I made a pasta salad for myself.  And yes, Baxter ended up eating my pasta salad, too.

Friends, don’t buy store-bought pasta salad or make it from a boxed pasta salad kit.  Most store-bought options contain overdone pasta and soggy vegetables that are swimming in oil.  The boxed kits are overpriced and contained spice packages that are loaded with sodium and other additives that don’t contribute much to flavor.  With a few fresh ingredients and a creative flair for adding things like cheese, you can easily make a pasta salad at home that suits your tastes, looks gourmet and screams “I’m fresh!”   Start with a pasta shape that makes you smile!  For the pasta salad pictured above, I used fusilli or corkscrew pasta, but you can use farfalle/bowtie, shell, elbow shaped pasta or even cut spaghetti.  Just remember **don’t overcook the pasta.**  Cook your pasta al dente or it just won’t taste good.

Choose some fresh vegetables and herbs for your salad.  For the pictured salad, I used a combination of diced tomatoes, cucumber and green bell pepper and chopped parsley.  I seeded the cucumber and tomatoes to avoid adding too much water to the salad.  You can find a great, quick how-to YouTube video on seeding a tomato posted by the Chatelaine Test Kitchens if you need a few seeding tips.  Instead of fresh tomatoes, try grilled or sun-dried tomatoes.  You also can try a variation of grilled, steamed or blanched asparagus tips, roasted eggplant cubes, steamed broccoli or cauliflower, chopped carrots, mushrooms . . . the possible vegetable variations are endless.  Let your imagination and palate lead you.   Lightly dress your salad with olive oil and a little vinegar if you choose.  Or you can use lemon juice or the juice of any citrus fruit instead.  Add salt and pepper to taste, and you might try adding dry Italian or Mediterranean herbs.  Then top your salad off with some cheese.  I used grated parmigiano-reggiano on the salad pictured above.  Other options are mozarella, feta and chevre.  Be creative and choose a cheese that pairs well with the other ingredients you’ve selected for your masterpiece!  Toss your salad ingredients gently before serving, then dig in and enjoy.