~Linguine With Roasted Grape Tomato And Basil Marinara Sauce~

This is a simple and delicious recipe that is great as a meal or as a side paired with your favorite main dish.

~Ingredients

1 lb dried linguine
2 pints grape tomatoes
1/4 tsp salt for sauce, more is needed to salt the pasta water
1/4 - 1/2 tsp coarse ground black pepper, to taste
1 small to medium onion sliced thin
2 cloves garlic finely minced or grated
1/2 cup fresh basil chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley chopped
1/3 - 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese or your favorite hard Italian cheese
olive oil
balsamic vinegar


~Directions

Fill a large pot with salted water, bring to boil and cook linguine according to package directions. Reserve one cup of pasta water for use later if needed. Heat up broiler. Place grape tomatoes in a baking pan (that fits in your broiler) with a couple of tablespoons of olive oil, salt and the pepper. Broil the tomatoes , shake once or twice to get more even cooking, until the skins are split and they have a nice char, usually about 15 minutes or so. Put approximately a tablespoon of olive oil in medium sized pot and slowly cook the garlic, and onions until they are soft and translucent, do not brown. If they need a little more moisture use a bit of the reserved pasta water. Add the roasted tomatoes, basil and parsley to the pot and cook on a low to medium heat approximately 5-10 minutes stirring occasionally. Toss with the linguine. If needed add some of the pasta water to lengthen the sauce. Serve drizzled with balsamic vinegar and topped with the grated Parmesan. Enjoy!

~Encouraging Words~

A few of my favorite ecouraging and inspirational quotes are...

"When things go wrong as they sometimes will,
When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit."
~ Unknown

"God provides the wind,
but man must raise the sails"
~Saint Augustine

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, therefore,
is not an act but a habit."
~Aristotle

"Every artist was first an amateur."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Have a great day! :)

~Curried Cucumber Spread~

This a cool flavorful spread that is great on hearty multi-grain or wheat crackers. A good choice for a summer time snack!

~Ingredients
8 oz. softened cream cheese
1/2 red onion chopped fine
2-3 tbs. mayonnaise or sour cream
1-2 tsp. curry powder, adjust to taste
1 medium to large cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped fine

multi-grain or wheat crackers

~Directions
Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise or sour cream, and curry powder until creamy and smooth. Fold in onion and cucumber. Chill for several hours in refrigerator, then serve with crackers.

Enjoy!