some more thrifting & lazy nights

this afternoon we went thrifting/antiquing and i was able to find some more vintage pyrex pieces! i think these are 60s-70s era, but i've been researching some other 50s pieces that i'll keep my eye out for. afterwards we went to downtown geneva and stopped in the spice house and kiss the sky, two of our favorite local spots. i bought some great indonesian cinnamon and ryno got a radiohead record!
when we got home we did some bear things. despite currently being broken from a bike accident he will most likely blog about, he was kind enough to hang my cast iron skillets on the wall in the kitchen and i reorganized the cupboards. this freed up a lot of space in our virtually non-existent kitchen - something i'm constantly messing with in the pursuit of functionality. this is what we've had to work with!


for dinner i made one our go-to quick and simple meals and it definitely hit the spot with some wine. coming from an italian background, one of the first things i ever learned how to cook was a simple tomato sauce and pasta. right now i just throw everything together, so these measurements are just estimates. like most cooking, seasoning and spices are definitely dependent on an individual's taste. ryan and i both prefer a more chunky sauce, but give the tomatoes a quick whiz in the blender before adding them to the pan for a smooth sauce.

better than jarred tomato sauce!



ingredients:
2-4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 T extra virgin olive oil
one large (28 oz.) can of organic diced tomatoes
2-3 fresh basil leaves
1/4 t dried oregano
pinch of sugar
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
optional: swirl of dry red wine
optional: a few generous pinches of crushed red pepper flake

one package whole wheat angel hair pasta

1. while water is boiling for pasta, heat olive oil over medium flame and add garlic. sauté until fragrant - make sure not to burn the garlic or else your sauce will be bitter!
2. add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. add basil, oregano, sugar, and salt and pepper. if using wine, add and continue to simmer until alcohol is cooked out. if using red pepper flake, add to taste.
3. continue to simmer while pasta cooks. strain pasta (reserve some pasta water), and add to pan with the sauce, adding enough pasta water to moisten the pasta. stir to incorporate and served drizzled with a bit more olive oil, if desired.