Ginger Tisane

I've been experimenting in the kitchen with my free time. I love to cook and never really had the time/energy while working. I created this ginger tisane yesterday and have been loving it. Here's a general recipe:

4-5 medium sized (~ 1/8") slices of fresh ginger
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1 TBSP lavender honey
a few lemon verbena leaves (optional)

Boil 6 cups water or so in a tea kettle. In a teapot, add above ingredients. Pour boiling water into teapot and let steep about 15 mins. To serve: pour into a tea cup using a strainer to catch ginger, leaves and pepper. Or, serve cold over ice in a cup (strain before as well).

It's spicy, fragrant and complex. I've been enjoying it. Again, let me know what you think!

PS- never thought I'd be at a point in my life where I have random things like lemon verbena growing, but there you have it.

Mmmm Pasta- a new recipe creation

On Monday I got hungry for lunch. Since we'd just gotten back from NY on Sunday, there wasn't much in the fridge. That's when I invented my current favorite: Brown Rice Penne with Spicy Corn. Easy, quick and oh so tasty. If you want protein with it, you can add in a chicken breast. Here it is:

Size: 1 serving

2 TBSP good olive oil (I used lemon flavored O and Co oil)
1 thinly sliced shallot
~1 cup frozen corn (I like Trader Joe's white corn)
2-3 TBSP white wine
~1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
1 TBSP Nantucket Secret Spice
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup brown rice penne pasta (you can buy this at Trader Joe's or substitute plain penne if you wish)


In a biggish pot, boil a good amount of water to cook your pasta in. Simultaneously, heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and saute for 1-2 mins. Add frozen corn, white wine, crushed red pepper, Nantucket spice and black pepper. Crank up to high for a minute to get the sauce really simmering for ~1 minute. Then lower to med-low and let simmer. Cook pasta in salted water for 7 mins, watching your sauce to make sure it's not drying out. If it is, put the heat to low and cover. Drain pasta, dump into a dish and add all of the yummy sauce you've just created. Eat hot.

Let me know if you try and what you think!

My Maiden Voyage

So, I've embarked on a three month sabbatical from work, with a strong possibility that I won't be returning to my former job. It's an odd place to be and I'm on day two. My last day at work was Feb 15 and I headed out to NY with my husband on a red-eye that night. On our way back to San Francisco, we stopped in LA for my mother-in-law's surpise birthday party (which was wonderful, btw). And now, I'm home and have a wide vast expanse of free time on my hands.

Here are my key accomplishments so far:

• Caught up on my horrible reality TV addiction by watching all the shows I tivo'd while away
• Had lunch with a friend
• Reviewed my online spending report for the last 6 months
• Created a new budget
• Finished up some stuff from work
• Researched all of the free musuem days in SF
• Went grocery shopping
• Researched a new gym to join
• Read my Fortune Small Business mag I'd had sitting around for 3 weeks

I'm starting this blog to chronicle my free time off, because, well, why not? I've got the time...