Taste Buddees: Bonjourno! An Italiano Dish!

Wow! It sure has been COLD outside. Just the other day, Spencer and I ventured out to our local grocery store to buy some ingredients for this luxurious beef stew and thought we were going to freeze our little noses off. Lol! Good thing we didn't, because the pasta we made tonight not only helped us beat the cold, but was so good it made our noses run!

Rotelle...? More like, ro-TOWER OF PASTA!

We sure did have a hankering for something heavy and hot... and not just our reflections in the mirror, lol! Nope, we decided to make some good ol' fashioned eye-tal-ee-an-o noodles.

All the colors of the rainbow.

I suppose I may have been, personally, in the mOOd for nOOdles (oh, so close to a rhyme, lol!) after seeing The Great Beauty at Iowa City's brand spankin' new theater, Film Scene. It was a really great film!

#1: Nutmeg.

The main character is named Jeb and is a retired writer and quite the partier! ;)

#2: Black Pepper

He spends the first half of the movie celebrating his 65th birthday and the second half "facing his demons" of his past. As if anyone could have any demons in ROMA. LOL. Not after Tom Hanks chased 'em all out!

#3: Onion Powder (maybe...?)

The movie was very pretty, though, all in all and made me (you know me... such an old soul! hahaha) consider what it is I want out of life. Do I want to spend my days in a hedonistic gambit, chasing superfluous pleasures?

#4: I think this is garlic powder

Or do I want to dedicate myself to something meaningful, fulfilling, sensuous, and healthy?

#5 is definitely salt

Oh! I was talking about cooking! LOL!

GOT MILK?
YEP, TOO MUCH OF IT!

We all have our various hobbies, I suppose. Some people knit, some people crochet, and some people like to cook a hearty Italian dish for their friends on a cold winter evening!

Row, row, row your boat!

When it all comes down to it, meaning might just be found not in the actions we do, but in the ends to which we aspire: people. Like that young fella said in that movie with the bus, "happiness real only when shared."

licklicklicklicklicklick

Oh, look at me being such a gosh darn downer. Y'all know my sauce pan is always half full! *winkyface

Whip it up! WAAAAHOOOOO!

At the end of the movie, though, this cute little nun came to bless all the people of Rome. She was just a little old doll! They said in the movie that she only slept two hours a day on the floor and that all she ate was roots. Can you imagine?

Is that a white chocolate hot chocolate?
Nope! It's a roux! Lol!

That had to have been just a part of the movie--the part about eating roots--because I don't know ANYONE who could turn down this simple roux made from butter, milk, flour, and some spices, lol!

The Long Shot

You know, if you had to punish me, you'd have to take away my ability to cook scrumptious meals! That'd sure be plenty of penance paid for me! Lol!

"Ashes to ashes, DUST TO DUST"

I really don't think I could handle such a life of piety like the sister in the movie. I mean, she was just so darn skinny. Of course, I think she was meant to be the *foil* for the main guy, and show what he was not, but still...

Gobble, gobble! LOL!

Oh, tsk, I'm getting all heavy again... and it's not just the wine talking! Lol! Or should I say, the vino!

Uncorked!

No, I think a little fun every now and then is always a good thing. It's like my mother used to say, "love what you do and you'll never work a day in your life." Well, if I could cook for a living, I'd never have to punch a clock! Lol!

Swirlies swirling in the steam

Nope, just LICK A SPOON! HAHAHA!

No flash photography, please! LOL!

I think if I wasn't just a homemaker, I'd like to be a film critic. Can you imagine? Just sitting around watching movies all day? Heck, I could do that! Lol! Two thumbs up!

Well, aren't you a tall drink of WINE?

I wouldn't make a good critic, though. I just enjoy everything! It's just so nice to get out of the house once in a while and go to a nice place, get all jazzed up... but then it's back to the ol' grind! Lol!

The man in the iron mask

Really! I love what I do!!!!!

"Art of the Everyday"

I wouldn't imagine my life any other way!!!

Just a taste

Oh, look at me, I'm GUSHING! Oh, stop it, me! LOL.

Taste it

I mean, there are a few things I'd like to do in life: visit Asia, learn a new language, build a piece of furniture, see the world, backpack Europe, bungeejump, skydive, eat one of those big ol' pizzas they had on the new the other day...

WHO CUT THE CHEESE IT WAS ME I DID IT

...but I don't know if that's me talking or the wine!

Falling Action (get it? LOL!)

Or should I say... the VINO! LOL!

Sloppy McSloppers

I guess if I keep cooking, I wouldn't even have to learn Italian or French... I can just stay in my kitchen and TASTE the romance! La bella nolte. Arriva Dercci. Gondola.