Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Pasta with Roasted Peppers, Greens and Ricotta






Today was one of those days. The kind of day when you have a long To-Do list and nothing on it gets done.

Wait. Actually that is not today, that is everyday.

But while everyday, I just push off the today list to tomorrow, "today" some of the things on there had to be done. Simply had to. And one of them was to get Valentine's day gift or treat or some such thing for LS's class. Yes, for a class of four year olds who care the sheeshkabob about Saint Valentine. All they I am sure want is some colored candy which unfortunately I wasn't going to give.

Now all these years I have never sent gifts to school on V day. I have sent treats for the party but not individual gifts for the kids. "We just did this for Christmas. Why again in February?" was how my general train of thought went.But this year in a moment of weakness (or maybe it was the moment when I was busy clicking a food photo)I promised LS that I would send goody bags on Valentines Day. I promised but did not lift even one of my fat fingers towards that promise until I made the TBD list for today. "Buy V G.Bags", was scrawled on it along with several other illegible stuff which may  have included "Go to Gym" or may not.

To keep that promise, I came home; took a shower; drank tea with one several Marie Biscuit; quickly made a Pasta with roasted sweet pepper, spinach and ricotta because the tub of ricotta in the refrigerator was inching towards its expiration; donned a jacket and then rushed out to the nearest available store that sells stuff that can qualify for "V G.Bags". Thankfully the husband was around to take the kids to their taekwondo class and I could scratch that from my list.

So the main thing is, I donned a jacket and rushed out. When I say donned a jacket, I "donned" it on whatever I was wearing at home while sipping tea and cooking pasta. If you know me or in the case that you don't, it is high time you understand the way I function. I do not sip tea or cook pasta in designer wear. Forget desinger wear which I don't even own, I actually prefer drinking tea and stirring pasta in tracks which have been through the wash cycle so many times that they are now super comfy and in t-shirts so frayed at the edges that they might work better to mop my counter than covering my body. The only reason I like winter, is zipping up that jacket hides my wardrobe inadequacies in most places.

Comfortable in the super cape power of my jacket I breezed through the aisles of the store trying to figure which pack of valentine cards will give most bang for my buck, all the time feeling like I was being hit by a cold draft. But there was too much on my mind, like Winnie or Dora,  to pay attention to drafts and winds.

Finally all set, when I was at the checkout, the young guy at the counter was extra nice and kind of treating me like he would an older senile lady. You know, how you are extra nice and gentle and sweet when you encounter a ninety year old who is slightly woozy in the head. Well she has a reason, her sleep medication is doing that. "What is my excuse", I thought. It was then that I glanced down and what do I see ? The jacket that I had so confidently zipped up at home, had somehow unzipped midway and split up exposing my threadbare tee and holey pants. I surely looked like someone whose upper storey needed some repair work. Struggling with that zipper did not help at all and I quickly gathered my stuff and walked to the car. Fast.

Now I need a foolproof jacket. That tee and track pants are here to stay,

That said this Pasta with Roasted Red Peppers ,Greens and Ricotta was pretty good. A pinch of Garam Masala and some garlic made it better. It was inspired by a recipe in NY Times and will be packed for school lunch tomorrow. Of course it works perfect for a dinner too.

The recipe is in my kids' blog where I am storing lunchbox ideas.

13 comments:

  1. LOL! Here is a jacket you should get - The Zella "No Chill" hooded jacket at Nordstrom. It's on sale now and is super cool. So cool it will deflect attention from the old t and tracks!

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  2. I love winter because I can wear my comfortable threadbare clothes under my jacket! Sweet post.

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  3. i loved your words completly and could so well identify with it, coz even i am messed up like that, for most of the time.

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  4. That's the only thing I like about winter. I can wear my coat over anything or nothing. Put a nice scraf and the boots...I look perfectly fine (that's how I love to believe).

    I wish I could like pasta...for some reason I cannot convince myself to cook pasta. It surely helps on a day with a long list of "to do-s".

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  5. I dropped by to say thank you personally. when i moved to uk for work 5 years ago, i started to look for recipes online as my ma was mostly out of reach when i cooked after offic. so if it was not my mother it was your blog and recipe that gave me ideas to cook.... so when you dropped by today at my blog and left a comment it meant a lot...I am very new at blogging and really started beging forced by friends.. and like it a lot...everything comments, specially from someone like you comes.. it really makes a day... thank you just not enough! yet.. thank you...and please do visit me when you have time

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  6. That's the beauty of winter, isn't it? Wear anything but a nice coat gives you a very different look. I love pasta. It's such a comfort food.

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  7. Tea with Marie Biscuit ...Aha!

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  8. real good thing in world is a real good dishes to eat

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  9. Perfect. Bold, simple flavours, straightforward to make, and probably will be enjoyed by all.

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  10. I heart the super cape power of the winter jacket too. I have done the same way too many times now and one embarrasing moment happened when I realized I was at Victoria's Secret wearing the stained, faded T under the jacket and the scarf. Not pretty. :-)

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  11. I can totally relate to your ToDoList. How magically the list keeps getting longer though you are continuously ticking items off? :)
    Very "doable recipe". Thanks!
    Have you thought of a hoodie and dark blue denims? :)
    Good choice of book. Anne is a very endearing character and LMM is a wonderful writer whose words transform into real images if you let go while reading.

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  12. Mouth watering Pasta dish...

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