It’s early in the morning right now. I woke up around 5am and couldn’t fall back asleep. I’m a person who needs lots of processing time in order to keep track of everything, and with busy days and busy kids I don’t get that time as often as I would like. Every once in a while, I wake up early and can’t get back to sleep, so I get up and make the best of the quiet, dark hours. Kyle gets up early almost every single morning, and on these rare days when I wake up before everyone else I can see why he does. It’s still and silent and it’s nice to sip a cup of coffee from beginning to end without interruption. Not that I’ll be making a routine out of this. You know what I love more than silence and coffee? Sleeping until the last possible moment before I have to get up.
Last week was productive and busy. I got to celebrate my birthday quite a few times with my girlfriends, and my friend Marion ditched her family in order to spend some time with mine. It meant so much to me to have her here, and the girls adore her. Kyle and I also got to go celebrate both on my birthday and Valentine’s Day! I was completely spoiled the last week.
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In between celebrating we’ve been taking advantage of the amazing weather to get outside for little hikes, playing in the backyard and dreaming about what we will plant in the garden. We’ve also been working on turning the garage into a usable space for Kyle, and I’ve been turning our house upside down in an effort to organize the kids’ toys, costumes, and books. How in the world do children accumulate so many things? Even though I’m diligent about keeping the flow of stuff to the donation center steady, the toy bins seem to slowly fill with random trinkets and dolls! As the weather is decidedly spring-like, I guess you could say we’ve been spring cleaning. A program we plan to continue on with this weekend.
With all the meals out and madness of taking on huge projects, I’ve been cooking very simple, inexpensive, one dish meals. This salad of Orzo Pasta with Sausage, Spinach, Feta, and Dried Cranberries has become a staple around here. It’s my go to lunch on weekends.
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ORZO PASTA WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, FETA, AND DRIED CRANBERRIES
Ingredients.
16 oz box orzo pasta
4 cups baby spinach
4 fully cooked chicken sausages, sliced 1/4” thick on the bias
1/3 cup crumbled feta
1/3 cup dried cranberries
1/8 cup champagne vinegar
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons finely minced shallot
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
small handful fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
Directions.
In a very large bowl whisk together the champagne vinegar, mustard, and shallot. Continuing to whisk, slowly drizzle in the olive oil. Season the dressing to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook the sliced sausages until golden on both sides. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool a bit.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil, cook the orzo until al dente. Drain, and rinse with cold water until cool. Transfer to the large bowl with the dressing and toss to coat.
Add the sausage, spinach, feta, parsley, and dried cranberries into the bowl with the pasta. Toss gently to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Serves 4 adults.
PRINTABLE RECIPE.
ORZO PASTA WITH SAUSAGE, SPINACH, FETA, AND DRIED CRANBERRIES
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