fivebyevif

SimuCon this weekend. I tried to keep up with the jokers and the drinkers last night, but by 2:30 I was drooping and had to have Mike haul me home.

It’s been a long week, turning into a long month. I’ve had to be a leader. It’s tiring.

We’ve been eating out a lot, either because we’re working late, or because the company is catering in food, or because old acquaintances are in town and we want to hang with them. As a consequence, I am pining for my kitchen. I made dinner last night for the first time in…hm, right, we had homemade pizza last Saturday. Meh.

But last night! Last night I put my foot down, cowgirled up, and decided to make a fast pasta dinner. It was almost vegetarian. I threw in the last of the capicola for Mike, because spicy cured pork products make men happy.

Anyway, dinner: zuchinni “noodles”, made with a vegetable peeler. Sliced yellow peppers and halved cherry tomatoes. Fresh torn basil, hot pasta, a three-cheese (chevre, neufchatel, parmesan) and herb (tarragon, basil, oregano, garlic, red pepper flake) spread I made for Wednesday night’s GM dinner that didn’t get eaten much. Egg pappardelle. Pignolas, and the aforementioned porky goodness.

The peppers and zuchinni went into a colander, the pappardelle got boiled, and when they were done I saved about a cup of pasta water and dumped the rest (along with the noodles) into the colander, lightly cooking the vegetables. Then it all went back in the pot, along with the tomatoes and a substantial amount of the cheese mixture. Wet it down with pasta water, stirred until the cheese had melted and dispersed and everything was starting to thicken, then added the fresh basil. Finished it with a sprinkle of toasted pignolas and the capicola (which I briefly cooked in the same pan I toasted the pignolas), and that and a salad and some bread (with more cheese spread) was dinner. This was all stuff in my fridge, freezer, or pantry, and yes, it is a little unusual to have all those things, but it’s been an unusual month.

Tonight is hopefully the last in the long string of going-outs. I am looking forward to once again spending Wednesday nights with Mike, watching TV and eating food I have control over.

One of the things I honestly look forward to next year is getting a house close enough to work that we can have a long night but still stop home for a quick dinner. Right now, with Bobbhouse a 30 minute roundtrip, it’s just out of the question. I don’t want to go back to work once I’ve gotten home.

For now, though, I’m gonna go to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s and pick up some party supplies. After that, off to the hotel to check in. Ciao, bella.