1. Homemade pesto
Connor and I are obsessed! I used this recipe, which I got from my neighbor Ellen. I went to visit her and she fed me a bowl of freshly made pesto pasta made with basil from her farm, and I swear I had an out-of-body experience. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to go back to the pre-made stuff in the jar, ahhh!
Oh, if you’re going to make pesto at home, one thing I learned from this last batch was that the freshness of the basil makes a huge difference. I was lucky enough to get a very fresh bunch, and the basil notes were great – very, very flavorful.
2. Barilla Protein Spaghetti
I probably sound like a broken record, I know, but adulting for me equals trying to eat enough protein at every meal. The struggle is SO REAL. I bought a box of Barilla protein spaghetti on the recommendation of a nutritionist friend, and alas, I don’t hate it! It tastes like regular pasta and doesn’t have a funky texture. Tastes great with homemade pesto.
3. “The Babysitter’s Club” series on Netflix
I honestly don’t know how I missed this series of books when they first came out in the mid-’80s; I think I was deep in my trashy novel phase reading stuff like “Flowers in the Attic” by V.C. Andrews, LOL!
Netflix recently turned it into a television show and updated it with a modern twist, and you know what? It’s REALLY GOOD.
I’m serious, even if you aren’t watching it with a little one, it’s a sweet show with likable characters and relatable storylines. Give it a chance!
4. “Boomerang” by Imagine Dragons
Warning: this song will get stuck in your head, and you’ll find yourself awake in the middle of the night humming it internally as you contemplate the current state of your life and career.
5. Soul searching in the shower
Honestly, it’s the best place I’ve found to work stuff out. There’s something about the sound of water and having my body on autopilot (wash hair, condition, exfoliate, shave) that clears up my head. I seem to be able to make mental connections quicker there.
What’ve you been loving lately?
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I will have to try that pasta, Karen, because I too am forever looking for more protein! And that pesto looks amazing! I just got some basil from the farmers market so maybe I will make some pesto and freeze it.
I feel like I get plenty of protein in my diet, what I lack are leafy greens, so I’ve been trying sauteed mushrooms and kale with a miso glaze, broccoli slaw, kale with a spicy peanut/sesame dressing or spicy Korean cucumbers (Oi Muchim) and watermelon chaat. Anything to get more plants into my system.
I love thinking in the shower, but I have to be mindful not to space out and waste too much water. Lol.
Dear Husband returned from Japan last night and I’m loving all the sunscreens he brought back for me. Mostly my tried and true favorites, but three new ones to try.
Dear Daughter flew in on Saturday and she’s here for another week, so I’m loving have Nibbler, DD and DH all in the house at the same time.
Happy Summer!
My son went through a pesto stage a few years ago, so I learned to make it from scratch. I made mine with cashews and nutritional yeast (to make it vegan) and basil from the aerogarden. I also loved making pasta with pesto, green beans and potatoes.
I read the babysitter’s club books back in elementary school! It made me want to start babysitting too, but my Filipino parents nixed that idea haha