Lemon and Herb Pasta

Am I the only one who seems to be having a super busy summer?  It has been a while since I posted.  We were out of town and I felt I could spare some time today, while I wait for the rice to finish for dinner. 

Yesterday I pulled a recipe from Sunset Magazine for some Herbed Pasta.  I love being able to use fresh herbs from my garden.  So it sounded good. I wondered if my kids could handle pasta without tomato sauce but they suprized me, only slightly.  I started with home made pasta, which I usually do if it's not just a fast weeknight spaghetti.  That made the difference for them to actually eat it.  They did top it with grated parmesean though. 

I made the sauce as the noodles cooked and liked it so well I tried to double it.  That didn't work as well.  I didn't go ALL THE WAY back out to the garden to pick more basil but I had a little bit left, I also didn't add extra garlic and onion but tossed in some more thyme.  Anyway the result was way too lemony but I still liked it.  I should have left it alone but then it wasn't enough to cover all my pasta.  But no one complained so it wasn't too bad for all that.


I toped it with some plain grilled chicken and I thought it turned out to be a lovely meal.


Notes:  I didn't have chives so I used some of my garden garlic and a small amount of the tops of my green onions.  I did like the garlic in there, but didn't use a lot so it wasn't too strong.  I also used fresh basil and thyme as my main herbs and completly forgot about parsley, which quit growing so I didn't have any fresh anyway, but I did have some recently dried, just forgot.  I also didn't have any oregano, fresh or dry so I used some dry marjoram.  I doubt it made much difference. 


Lemon and Herb Pasta


8 or 9 oz fresh fettuccine
3 Tablespoons Olive oil
1/4 cup thinly sliced fresh chives
2 Tablespoons coursely chopped parsley
2 Tablespoons coursely chopped fresh oregano, basil, lemon verbena or tyme leaves. (or a combination of two or three)
1 teas. grated lemon peel
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice (yup, I used way too much)
1/2teaspoon greshly ground pepper


Prepare fettuccine according to directions.  Meanwhile, in a wide bowl combine all other ingredients.  Drain Pasta and put in bowl with herb mixture.  gently toss to coat.  Add salt to taste.

The Big Island

Another Birthday

This year my daughter wanted an island in the middle of an ocean with a palm tree and a beach chair.  

I don't get as fancy as I used to with my cakes.  I just don't have time.  She wanted chocolate which I couldn't fully cover with sand so just think of it as muddy sand or those spots on the beach where lots of dead seaweed and bugs get washed up in a bunch.

The party was decorated 'Luau' style with big blow-up palms and flowers and flamingos.  But the only pictures I got had girls in it and I didn't want to post any without their parents permission.  All the girls had leis and grass skits. 

The girls spent most of their time making shrinky dinks to put on charm braclets.  They were all very unique and cute.