Pasta, Pasta, and more Pasta

It has been a slow week with classes starting, but a good one. Unfortunately I was sick again but it feels like everything is officially gone so that is very good news! It's also been an incredibly cold week as well. We have seen snow flurries the past few days and this morning, I took a run and could barely move forward with all of the wind gusts. We might be headed to Greve in the Chianti region tomorrow, but are unsure of the transportation with the recent snow. It might be another laid back weekend in Florence, but in the few weeks ahead I have a Venice Carnevale day trip with Kaitlin, Paris weekend with Kenan and Julia, then possibly Munich, and finally Rome with the school.  February is shaping up to be a pretty busy month, so I guess I'll be able to stand Florence for another weekend (just kidding guys, of course I can).

I will tell you we have been eating enough this week. I got a huge package of mushrooms at the store last weekend, so basically everything I have been eating has contained a little bit of olive oil, a little bit of herbs, and a little bit (or a lot...) of mushrooms. 

On Monday I made bruschetta for lunch (fit with mushrooms, parsley, olive oil, and sliced tomatoes!) The next day, I spiced up my food life with adding tomato and balsamic to my pasta (I wasn't sure how the balsamic would taste but it turned out to be pretty good! Then again, you can't really go wrong with such a simple meal). 

Then last night, I was really just pulling everything out of the pantry and decided to add apple and onion to my mushroom pasta. It was just for fun, but I ended up liking all of the flavors together and I'll probably try the meal again. So that's my week of mushroom delight. 

I must include Kaitlin's "drunken spaghetti" to my week of meals. We took taste the rainbow to the next level. Green spinach and red tomatoes for the salad, Purple pasta (that had been dyed by red wine) all served on our typical blue patterned plates. I must say, when i saw the meal I was a bit skeptical. I had never tried purple pasta before, but was definitely willing to. It ended up being one of my favorite meals we have cooked so far! The flavors were so unique and really delicious. I'll never turn my nose up to purple pasta again. 

Maybe I'll actually go to the supermarket, and not have to be restrained to just mushrooms and pasta. Stir fry? Chicken? Anything but pasta? Sounds good to me. If you have any (stove top) recipes (because we don't have an oven) send them my way! Believe me, I'll try anything.