The majority of my weekend consisted of me sitting by the pool or on the beach swirling my feet in the sand {which surprisingly provides a nice alternative to an expensive pedicure…sand is like a natural, free food scrub}.
The weekend was beautiful, and hardly a CLOUD in the sky. Look, you can even see it for yourself!
But without clouds, there is never a second of relief from the direct beaming sunlight putting wrinkles on my face. So, yes it is true…I am the person that buys this stuff: SPF 70 sunblock lotion. I bet you saw this and thought SPF70?? Who really wears that, besides babies?? Why even go out in the sun? Well, lets just say I am rocking the “positively ageless” claims by Aveeno!
But we all know the real truth. It does not matter what SPF we wear, the best SPF is to simply go inside. In most cases there is no FUN in that when it’s a pretty day. But, the heat had drained my energy, and the word Target entered my thoughts. So I hope in the car and 2 miles away, I grace Target with my slightly sun-kissed presence {what the SPF didn’t BLOCK}. What caught my eyes first? Father’s Day Cards…What a special day for daddies and their little girls!!
And after I scoped out EVERYTHING on the shelves in Target, from garden pots to Kashi cereal, I made a trip to Barnes and Noble. Here I spent 2 long hours looking at books and magazine while sipping a cafe au lait from the coffee cafe. Which throughly caffeinated me for a fun dinner evening with my dear friend Cantrell and her family at their beach villa. {I am so mad at myself, but I snapped NO pictures that evening. Please, shed a few tears with me.}
And when I wasn’t in the SUN (wearing SPF 70), I was inside reading, watching movies, or being crafty (I have a few projects up my sleeve!! Anticipate a future post!)
And last but not least I want to share a “virtual treat” with you from my new cookbook. If you cannot manage to make it to William Sonoma for your own…NO WORRIES, I am here to save the day!
*I snapped this picture at erika’s today, while getting some water!!
naturally I choose a pasta dish (remember I was in Italy for months)…everything looks SUPER so I literally had to put my indecisiveness aside and just go with one:
spicy roasted cauliflower pasta
4 slices (each about 1/2 inch thick)
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 heads (about 2 lbs) cauliflower
3 Tbsp olive oil
salt
3/4 lb whole-wheat penne
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, chopped
3 Tbsp capers, drained
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 300F. Place bread slices on a baking sheet and bake until crisp and dry, about 30 minutes. Rub one slide of each slice with a garlic clove. Cool, then tear into chunks. Put in a food processor and process into coarse crumbs. Increase oven temperature to 400F.
Cut cauliflower into quarters. Discard leaves and cores and cut into slices about 1/4-1/2 inch thick. Mince remaining clove of garlic. Put cauliflower in a large baking pan and gently toss with olive oil, 1/2 tsp. salt, and minced garlic. Roast, stirring after 10 minutes, until cauliflower is browned on edges and tender when pierced, about 20 minutes.
Cook pasta in a large pot of salted water until al dente, about 12 minutes or according to package directions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water. Return pasta to pot and mix with cauliflower, lemon juice, parsley, capers, red pepper flakes, and reserved cooking water. Stir in bread crumbs and cheese and serve at once.
4-6 servings. source of vitamins. source of antioxidants
*recipe from eat well cookbook
yum… it’s only 8:30 am here but that pasta sounds like LUNCH! So would you think any less of me if i confessed that i am freakishly excited about going to Target on my upcoming trip? I mean, the beach, sure. Nature walks and bike trails, of course. moonlight crabbing, dinners with family and friends, swimming and crafts with kids, certainly. But HELLO target?! I can’t wait. I mean, is there an entire Martha Stewart section, with stickers and ribbons?! Last time I was in a Target it was decidedly less chic. I got word that there is one on the way from the airport, do you think Pietro would kill me is I made him stop before we even made it to the house?;-)
A) that house beautiful book is great (i don’t own it *yet* but love it)
B) love my pink recipe box! glad you spied it and liked it too. too bad it’s not slam full of your great recipes!
C)see you real soon!