New approach to 'pasta' salads!

I can not get enough of grilled fresh veggies with pastas (as an ingredient! not served side by side!) or grains like brown rice or quinoa.

sooooo good!

Try adding sun dried tomatoes, asparagus, or pesto for some zing! Try black beans or hummus for protein, too!

I'm about to enjoy this smoothie—bing cherries, spinach, almond milk, flax seed, banana, and chia seeds!— and make a peach pie :)

Summery Peach Pie

Who doesn't love pie?

Especially cool, sweet and yet tart, delicious peach pie?

This recipe is so. very. simple.

Start with lots of peaches. Make sure you have 5... or 6... or 7... The motto less is more certainly doesn't apply here.

2 T milk

1/2 cup oil (a bit less than a full 1/2 cup)

1 1/2 c. flour

2 T sugar

1 tsp salt

Beat milk and oil, then pour into dry ingredients. Press into a pie pan. Bake @ 350 for 15 minutes.

1 pkg sugar-free jello (peach if you're using peaches, strawberry if you're using strawberries. you get it)

2 T cornstarch

1/2 to 1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Cook until thickened and clear. Stir in dry jello.

Slice fruit (6 skinned peaches) and put inside cooled crust. Pour fairly cool jello mixture over fruit and refrigerate.
My family usually eats it naked, but my grandma tops it with whipped cream. Either way you can't go wrong. Enjoy :)

Tomato Basil Pasta

Aww I'm still working on all of this fresh fruit. I can't imagine a better thing to wake up to besides a bowl full of fruit and cereals!!

This guy is packed! So packed that I took two photos so you can see all of the contents.
1 nectarine + blueberries + 3 strawberries + 1/2 banana + oatmeal squaresoatmeal + chia seeds + almond milk = awesome

Onto dinner!

Saturday Lacey and I spent the entire day in Des Moines and started the day at the Farmers Market. I picked up a coffee from Java Joes, tons of samples of nut butters (I just typed nutter buts) and bread samples from Great Harvest. Sooo good.

I also bought this great pasta from a local business. Tomato Basil. yum!
Tomato Basil Shrimp Pasta
These simple steps and simple ingredients result in an incredible and light pasta dish perfect for any summer night! Chop 1 small onion, 2 zucchini, 1 cup grape tomatoes, and julienne 2 carrots.Thaw about 25 shrimp... enough to nimble on while you cook :)Sautee onions, fresh pesto (Thanks Bob!), and zucchini.Add carrots and tomatoes.And cooked pasta.During the oven time, grill thawed shrimp with salt and pepper.And mix it up! Here it is all plated up. Enjoy!
It was incredible and so so fresh! I appreciate light-feeling-but-filling pasta dishes because usually pasta dishes are creamy and heavy. Sometimes that is great... but its summer! I wanted a fresh dish. This was it!It was that good. :)

Fruit Season

'Tis fruit season and I am in love! For snacks and breakfasts I have been enjoying one of these bowls and variations alike.... Toss any and all fruit with bran cereals, oats, and greek yogurt for a healthy and protein-packed bowl!Even though you can't see it all, this bowl has all of the following: nectarines, blueberries, raspberries, and bananas with grape nuts, oatmeal, chia seeds, almond slices, and greek yogurt. Happy 4th :)