Kristin and I have talked a lot lately about what it takes to make healthy meals at home on a consistent basis. I told her that I felt that I could make dinners at home for about three weeks, five dinners a week, before I just got completely burnt out. She agreed.
We’re both new-ish wives, and as I reflected on what I had been cooking for the past nine months I realized that I made a production out of EVERYTHING! And it was exhausting. Then I would get burned out and we would eat out for a week straight. I just didn’t have the energy to keep doing that.
So, my resolution from hereforth is simple. Simple, simple, simple. It reminds me of the recovery acronym: K.I.S.S. Keep It Simple, Stupid. You could say that I am now in Extravegant Weeknight Meal Recovery.
The tool to aid my recovery is Moosewood’s Simple Suppers, a grand cookbook that is healthy, tasty, gourmet and, I kid you not, simple. Easy. Each meal I’ve made has taken no more than an hour, tops, and always tastes delicious.
Last night I threw together the Sundried Tomatoes and Pine Nut Pasta with a field green salad.
Sundried tomatoes, almonds, walnuts, parsley, garlic, olive oil and parm
Syrah, Tempranillo and Grenache
Care is one our favorite wines: you can taste all of the unique characteristics of each the Syrah (big berry juiciness), tempranillo (oak, tobacco) and Grenache (vanilla, smoothness). It went really well with this pasta and would have been even better if we had a nice pepper-bison-steak as well. We bought if from house.wine (for $15) in Fredericksburg, Texas. I love that place!
Wine is an important part of dinner for Jonathan and I. We don’t have wine every night, but probably at least four nights (and I only have a full pour–4 to 6 oz–on the weekends). It adds a gravity to meals that is sorely needed in our go-go-go culture. Besides, it’s tasty and fun!
Wine shouldn’t be extravagent either! Keep wine as simple as your dinners. Play around and inform yourself about what you like. It’s definitely worth the exploration.
With that said, I’m out for now! Happy Tuesdays! My next report will be after Jonathan’s first frisbee game of the summer season. I’m sure the pictures will be of coconut waters and orange slices 
