Finally!

Last year, the winter seemed so mild with 50 degree days all the time. This year, the cold weather is definitely lingering. But this week was finally getting warm! I was going to head to Core Power after school for some yoga, but it was just way too nice to be in a Hot Yoga class. So I laced up my Newtons for their first outdoor run. They have never seen the earth...just a treadmill. I ran two laps around the park, which made me pretty happy. Last March, after a sedentary winter, I doubt I could've made it halfway around the park.

When I got home, I had some time to plan a reading lesson for tomorrow. The book is called Lemonade Stand and about two kids setting up a stand to sell lemonade, cookies, and brownies...a perfect book for the perfect weather! This book reminds me of this summer when the kids I babysat made a lemonade stand. They were sooo excited. We made posters and even put out free dog treats! We pulled out the Fisher Price picnic table and waited. TONS of cars drove by, and no one stopped (well, except the neighbor lady and the kids' dad when he got home from work). Seriously people. A four year old is trying to make a few extra bucks and you can't take two minutes to buy a 50 cent cup of lemonade?? I'm not complaining (can't break the Lenten promises!), but I will never again pass by a stand without buying at least a dollar of goodies. Even if I don't want it, I'm still buying.

Anyway, dinner tonight was Rustic Pasta from Alicia Silverstone's book The Kind Diet. The book has a ton of recipes, but this was the first one I've tried. It was easy, vegan, and very tasty.

Rustic Pasta

1/4 pound pasta
2 tbsp olive oil
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or thinly sliced
2 celery stalks, diced or thinly sliced on a diagonal
1/4 c. shoyu (soy sauce)
1/2 tsp fine sea salt
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 head green cabbage, thinly sliced
5-6 tablespoons marinara sauce

Bring a large pot of water to boil for the pasta. Salt the water and add the pasta; cook just until al dente. Drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the onions and cook for 7 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and saute for 3 minutes longer, until the onions are transparent and turning golden.

Add the celery to the skillet and saute for 3 or 4 minutes. Stir in the shoyu, salt, and garlic powder, the add the cabbage; saute for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes longer. Add the pasta to the skillet with the sauce and toss together. Cook over medium heat for a minute or two and serve.