Hey there fellow foodies.  In case you noticed it, I’m sorry for my absence.  My life has been taking over my life.  Did that make sense?  It did to me.  Anyway.  There’s a lot going on these days.  But I need to get back to this blog, because I really love this blog, and I really love cooking and eating.

So here’s the deal.  I got so into cooking for this blog that at some point I totally forgot to go to the gym on a daily basis like I was doing previously.  That, or, I got so into going to the gym on a daily basis that I burned myself out and decided I liked cooking and eating for blog like so way more.  Idk.  Sounds like a chicken or the egg kind of question.  The bottom line is, I gained weight.  And I started feeling really terrible about myself.  I didn’t like what I was seeing anymore.  I couldn’t even hide it with yoga pants and tunics anymore.  So you know, instead of letting that motivate me, in true Sassmaster fashion, I stuck my middle finger up at the gym AND at the food and stopped all of it.  F you gym, you wore me out.  F you cooking for the blog, you made me fat.  So F both of you.

Well then it finally got to a point where I wondered just WTF I thought I was doing.  Going to the gym made me happy.  I mean it didn’t make me happy to GO to the gym, and I wasn’t happy WHILE I WAS AT the gym, but when I LEFT the gym – oh, when I LEFT the gym – that adrenaline rush.  That rush of endorphins and serotonin and happy happy chemicals in my brain.  And cooking for the blog made me happy.  I like writing.  I like cooking.  I like eating.  I like photography.  There is no reason why I can’t find a balance and make both work with my lifestyle.

So I’m back in the gym.  I switched up my workout routine.  I’m backing off the weights some.  While I really loved lifting, I think it was just turning me into a beefcake.  Also I had quit cardio (oops) so I didn’t have a good balance.  So I reworked my routine to something I can manage several days a week, instead of every single day, to avoid burning myself out.  I am also adding yoga to my routine, because GDI I am not flexible like I used to be.

And I’m back into my blog.  I love this blog.  I love food, and I love sharing it with people.  And even if I’m only sharing these recipes with a handful of people, and they enjoy them, it makes it worth my while.

Speaking of the blog, can I just say that I’m seriously reconsidering turning this site into a vehicle for ad-generated income?  Because I am really starting to hate those blogs that take FOR-EV-ER to load because all the ad content is loading.  I would love to be a food blog that people can come to because they want the recipe, and not get roadblocked by all the freaking ad content that slows the page load.  Seriously – if I’m on Pinterest, and I see a recipe I want to try, and I click through to the site, if your site takes longer than like 10 seconds to load, I don’t care how scrumptious the picture looks, I am backing out and moving on to the next.  I can’t effing stand it when pages take so long to load.  Ugh and those friggin JOIN MY EMAIL LIST! splash screens.  STAAAAHHHHP.

Anyway.  We are here to talk about pasta today.  Simple, delicious, healthy (? do I make anything healthy here?  I am not sure?) pasta.  I love pasta.  I love pasta a lot.  It’s so comforting and carby and just the best stuff ever.  I especially love pasta covered in creamy sauces like my creamy roasted garlic tortellini and my penne alfredo.  But creamy sauces aren’t always the healthiest choice when it comes to having pasta for dinner.

That’s why I looooove love love this angel hair dish.  The garlic sauce can be made simply from olive oil and minced garlic, though I prefer to add a touch of butter for some richness.  And when it all comes together – garlic, olive oil, parsley, and a little sprinkling of Parmesan cheese – you will wonder how something so simple could taste so good!  Sometimes it really is the simplest things that taste the best!

I discovered this recipe a long time ago when I was first starting to cook, and I have modified it to my tastes over the years and now it’s a go-to staple in our house.  It is a rare occasion that we find ourselves without these four main ingredients in our house.  With this simple recipe, it’s easy and cheap to have a meatless entrée any day of the week.  Serve it with my balsamic garlic bread (recipe to come!) to round out the meal!