For Ma...

Well, after dedicating myself to a smoke-free, fit, vegan lifestyle last post, I almost immediately disregarded it.  Oh well.  Getting back on track now though.  Baby steps, mind you.  First step, back to 1,200 vegan calories per day.  None of this "an egg every now and then" nonsense; straight up vegan!!  At least for the time being.  I've got about 20 pounds to lose before I get to my goal weight, so I'm going to tough it out until at least then.  Meanwhile, I've been promising to post some pics for my mom, so that's the main point of this post.  I do also have a new vegan recipe I tried out for the first time for lunch the other day--Arrabiata sauce served over fettuccine.
It was quite good, but HOTTER THAN HELL.  Of course, as the word arrabiata translates to "angry," I shouldn't have been surprised.  I reduced the amount of crushed red pepper flakes by half of what the original recipe called for, and it was still scorching.  In future I think I'll cut it down even more, and that is the amount which will be used in the recipe I post here.  Here we go:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 a smallish onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1 (14.5 oz.)can diced tomatoes with the juice, pulsed in blender till smoother but still slightly chunky
1/4 cup diced hot pepper rings (picture of the brand I used, to follow)
1 tsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
Pasta of your choice (2 servings worth)

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add diced onion and cook for a few minutes.  Add garlic and pepper flakes and cook until garlic is just golden and onions start becoming translucent.  Add vermouth or wine and cook until reduced by about half.  Add tomatoes, diced peppers and sugar and simmer over medium heat, uncovered,  until sauce is thickened (about 15 minutes).

Meanwhile, prepare pasta of your choice according to package directions.  Reserve about 1/4 cup of the pasta water right before you drain the noodles. Add reserved water to the sauce and bring to a bubble.  Toss in drained pasta and cook for one or two minutes so that the pasta can suck up the sauce.  Stir in parsley and serve! 

I topped mine with some nutritional yeast flakes, but if you're not vegan go with some freshly grated parmesan!

And here's the pic of the pepper rings, just so you get an idea of what I'm talking about!

Okay Ma, here go the pics!

First off, we have the pics of my second batch of baby birds which were laid, hatched, and then grew up, in an empty hanging basket in my back yard (this is them with their mama)...

My banana tree which is quickly passing the fence line despite being dead and cut down to a mere stub only a few months ago...

Lilies which are almost past their prime, but still nice to look at...

My crepe myrtle, still valiantly trying to grow beyond the point of looking like a flowery shrub (no flowers just yet)...

This plant which I am quite fond of but have absolutely no idea what it is (any ideas?)...

Jasmine (with the geckos)...

My lemon tree's lone lemon (how I pamper that single piece of fruit)...

And my ever-growing herb collection (now with dill, rosemary and Greek oregano!)...

The seed packets which still have yet to be planted (I'm gettin' there!)...

Oh! (Off subject) here's a pic of the chocolate biscotti I made a few weeks ago...

Hope you enjoy, and I'm going to TRY to post a bit more regularly than I have been! :)