oh my gosh... yum!

Doing a lot of reading tonight to prepare for the vegan change.

I just came across this amazing sounding recipe and wanted to share it with you. Let me know if you try it before I do, what a nutritious meal served up in a delicious package!

Pasta with Chickpeas and Rosemary
(amounts given are my best estimates - vary according to taste)

3 Tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
good pinch of dried red pepper flakes
1 15oz. tin good quality chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) drained and rinsed
1 15oz. tin good quality diced tomatoes (if you like your pasta extra saucy, use 2 tins and increase the amount of garlic)
1 Tbsp minced fresh rosemary (or 1 tsp dried, crumbled with your fingers)
Fresh or dry pasta to serve 4, preferably whole wheat or something like Barilla Plus*
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese (or vegan substitute) to serve.

Heat olive oil in wide frypan or saute pan. Add garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute ~ 1 min, careful not to brown the garlic. Add tomatoes, rosemary, and chickpeas. Simmer ~20 minutes until tomatoes have reduced and separated from the oil. In the meantime, cook the pasta according to package directions. With a potato masher, mash some of the chickpeas and tomatoes into the sauce, and season with salt and pepper. Toss with cooked pasta and Parmesan cheese (or substitute).

Serve with a mixed green salad (dress with a simple vinaigrette and chopped nuts or seeds).
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This recipe packs plenty of protein, iron, and zinc; a decent amount of calcium, and if you use Barilla Plus pasta (which I do as often as I can), a good dose of Omega-3's as well. 

They Say it's my Birthday...

and it is!

I'm used to being frozen and miserable on my birthday. Miserable because it's cold, not miserable in general. It's been 70 degrees the last couple of days... still 62 at midnight. I don't think it's really my birthday. Who's tricking me?

Okay, seriously now. I'm missing all of my Boise friends, missing Girls' Weekend this year, missing Santa Rampage... I usually start celebrating a month in advance! I was told by my friend, Chad, that he thinks you can celebrate for the amount of days equal to the number of years you are. That sounds good to me. He also said, take 2 weeks now, 2 weeks in June (because I said I'm moving my birthday to June) and just sprinkle the rest around the rest of the year. I like that idea even better!

Brian and Tiffany's 10th Annual Glog Party is this Friday. I still need to get a dress to wear, better get on that A.S.A.P. Should be lots of fun. A big get-together with Glog, lots of yummy food and plenty of people. We get to dress up all fancy too!

Wish I could have ALL of my loved ones here with me!

P.S. It's Rio's birthday too! He's 3 years old today. :)

( a couple of baby pictures of my sweetie poo.)