Primo Primavera
Hey y’all! I hope your Saturday was a great one!
This afternoon, my mom, Ryan and I took a nice 3 mile walk, and then I set out on a run on my own—another 3 miles! I was tired, and was kind of slugging along, but it just felt SO good to be outside! The sun was shining, and it was 60 degrees…it was just perfect! I have to take advantage of the nice weather while we have it!
When I got home from my run, my mom was starting on dinner. Pasta primavera was on the menu tonight—perfect for spring!
She got the recipe from Colleen Patrick-Goudreau’s The Vegan Table. It was delicious—so many fresh veggies!
We enjoyed appetizers by the fire outside as the pasta cooked. My mom had set out crackers and hummus, as well as this date appetizer. This appetizer was so simple, but so delicious. You take dates, and then stuff them with a hunk of parmesan cheese and a toasted walnut. The flavors taste so great together…the perfect combination of salty and sweet.
Today is Katherine’s actual due date…but no baby yet! Sophie, come out and meet us! We’re not as bad as you think!
Wine was also enjoyed, of course:
Dinner was served with a Bruschetta of sorts—french bread slices topped with olive tapenade and tomatoes, as well as a spinach salad with red onions and pine nuts.
And of course…dessert! Mmmmm…brownies—can’t beat ‘em. 
Taste the Rainbow went well today…largely because of my mom and her healthy cooking!
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Holy Yum – delicious eats!
I´m sure you´ve had a blast!
I´ve just found you´re blog, and I´m loving it so far
Have a great Sunday, girl!
Brazilian XOXO´s,
Gabriela
Thanks for finding my blog!!! Welcome!
ps- I love the name of your blog!
Mmmm I’m drooling over the combo of pasta primavera, brownies, and dates stuffed with parmesan!! Amazing meal, my dear!
Have an awesome Sunday!
the pasta looks terrific – and love the idea of dates with cheese…i love salty sweet combos.
It was really tasty! I’ve also seen people do the same thing with dates, pecans, and blue cheese…yum!
the olive tep on bread, the wine, the pasta, stuffed medjools on the cutest platter ever! the brownies…..OMG again, you have the best food, Anna!
And for the pregnant lady…I wish her strength. I know that feeling of I want to have my baby already…first baby’s if it’s her first, are usually late. Well, and then there was skylar. 2 weeks early…boy was i surprised!
Yep, it’s her first…she’s ready to meet that baby! lol
I’ve never thought of stuffing dates with savoury stuff! I always thought of them as a aweet food, like a dessert…I think I need to start experimenting! I do adore dates…
All that food looks great, I’m glad you had fun!
Those stuffed dates look amazing! Great combo!
Wow all that looks amazing!
Was this a special occasion or just a normal everday dinner at your momma’s house? It looks great!!
What an amazing looking dinner! The pasta primavera, the dates, the bruschetta…total foodie heaven! Sounds like a great night, and good luck to your sister!
The pasta looks fabulous! Date and cheese are a dangerous combo for me…only because I can’t stop eating them.
I hope that little baby has made her way out!
Oh those veggies look great. I love tapenade, yum. Love the fire pit, it’s getting to be that kind of weather here too!
your sis looks so pretty and happy girl!
Your sister is adorable! I will be thinking “hurry up baby!” thoughts for her!
Glad you’re enjoying good weather. It was sunny and 61 here yesterday!
I just wanted to share my research on agave nectar with you. All agave is fructose, even tho it is not required labeling.
Agave nectar (or agave syrup, as it’s sometimes called) is a plant-based sweetener derived from the agave cactus, native to Mexico. As with maple syrup, agave juice is extracted from the plant by tapping into it, pouring it off, then putting it through a filtering and heating process. The slight heat allows excess water to evaporate and activate enzymes that convert the existing carbohydrates into fructose, resulting in a sweet taste.
One third of the calories in fructose are converted to cholesterol by your liver, specifically VLDL, the “baddest” cholesterol which burrows easily into arterial walls to form plaque. That is part of the reason for the lower glycemic index of agave. If you eat sugar, and all of us do, sucrose is the “healthiest” form. It has a higher glycemic index, but “what you see is what you get.” So, if fructose is bad for you, why do you need to eat fruit every day? Well, the answer is that fructose in fruit is neither as concentrated as it is in HFCS or agave nectar nor absorbed as readily because of the fiber in the fruit. And, the 5 daily servings of fruit and veggies should be more veggies than fruit.
Ooooh I love a good date! Especially when they’re stuffed with something yummy! What a great dinner!
Yum, all that food is making me hungry!
Looks like you are having a blast at home, enjoy all that yummy food!
That pasta looks great! I love all the veggies.
try goat cheese instead of parmesan in those dates. awesome.