It’s official — I’m sad that the seasons are changing. I love so much about fall (the trees are seriously breathtaking), but when I weigh all pros and cons…summer has my heart. This coming from the girl who is mid-chili contest, wants to wear a hoodie every day, and is approaching the few weeks of the year where college football and basketball overlap (squeee!).
There’s no sugar coating it – I miss summer. I love Michigan, but I’ve got the crappy weather blues…already. Throw me a bone here, folks – what do you do with 2 small children in a tiny town when the weather is awful? I need to become a Pinterest mom and get creative. Or else, I may be clinically insane come spring. I may finally understand why people with kids brave traveling…
I miss the beach and not taking 15 minutes and a million articles of clothing to leave the house.
I miss the smell of freshly mowed grass and the sights of people hitting the beach.
I miss the grill and as usual, regret not using it more.
I miss outdoor runs and watching the girls run through the sprinklers.
I miss walks every evening and kids sticky with popsicle remains.
Wrapping up our 2018 front porch dining was this 5 Ingredient Pesto Shrimp and Broccoli. The evening was perfect and dinner was DEVOURED by all of my little (and big) mouths. Sometimes, it’s the simplest of meals that never disappoint. Plus, our garden produced a MASS QUANTITY of basil. Today? I purchased a pathetic little basil plan from the produce department to use in a recipe later this week.
If you’re not feeding an army or want gobs of leftovers like me (Piper and I take leftovers every day for lunch!), be sure to halve this recipe. It makes a ton…and very generous portions! If you’re not a shrimp lover, swap in baked or rotisserie chicken…or go meat-free!
- 1 lb uncooked fettuccine
- 7 cups broccoli florets (about 1 lb)
- 1¼ cup prepared basil pesto
- 2 lbs peeled and deveined cooked medium shrimp (thawed if frozen)
- ⅓ cup grated Parmesan cheese
- Bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil over high heat. Add fettuccine, and cook 6 minutes. Add broccoli florets to pasta; cook until pasta is al dente and broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve ½ cup cooking liquid, and set aside. Drain pasta mixture.
- Return pasta and broccoli to pot; reduce heat to low. Stir in pesto and shrimp. Cook, stirring constantly, just until heated through, about 2 minutes, adding cooking liquid, 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed for creaminess. Top with Parmesan; serve immediately.
Weekly Menu: November 4th – 8th
- Sunday: Chicken with Pepperoni-Marinara Sauce over spaghetti with steamed broccoli
- Monday: homemade pesto-shrimp pizza with salad
- Tuesday: Chicken Tostadas and Avocado Dressing with riced and beans
- Wednesday: leftovers
- Thursday: Chicken and Mushrooms in Garlic White Wine Sauce with salad
Be well,
This recipe looks really really good – I want to try it 🙂