As someone who has made two cross country moves now, I can confidently say I do not want to do that again. There are definitely going to be at least two more moves in our future, but another one 1700 miles across the country is not something I care to experience again. I will spare you the boring details, but basically, our move back to Texas was just as (if not more) chaotic as our move to NYC! We did not get the moving truck until 10 hours after we were supposed to pick it up, and then there was the part about getting the moving truck stuck in the mud in Tennessee at 1 AM and having to call a tow truck that didn't arrive until 4AM... But, we are now safely in Texas and we made it!
Life in Texas has been pretty swell so far. Despite the 100 degree heat, I am enjoying the central A/C, Tex-Mex almost every other day, and going to sleep at night to peace and quiet. I haven't woken up at 3AM to my downstairs neighbors playing loud music, or to a police siren echoing through the city streets. I am also driving everywhere and listening to the radio once again! And then there is lots of swimming and getting my Texas tan back again : ) Don't get me wrong, there are a million things I will miss about NYC, but as of this moment, I am perfectly content with where we are now.
I have also been just blown away with all the help and support we have received from our family and friends here. Although we decided to move only a few weeks ago, everything has been working out to make our transition to Texas run smoothly (besides the actual moving part, lol). There were so many things we had on our to-do list to move here, and many of them have already been taken care of with the help of our family. We have been extremely blessed. Once we get a little more settled, it will be time to start job hunting, and figuring out exactly what we will be doing. A bit scary, but I'm not too worried because now I am 100% confident now that is where the Lord wanted us to be at this time.
Since we have been staying with my parents until we find a place of our own, I have been trying to slowly get back into cooking, after eating out far too much during the packing and moving process. I have been so amazed by the space in the kitchen, and how much more counter space I have to work with compared to our little closet apartment in NYC! Like, you have no idea.
There is a Whole Foods nearby, and also an HEB (I MISSED YOU HEB!!!!) so I am pretty spoiled with all of the great quality produce. Summer squash is one of my favorite vegetables, and what better way than to throw it into a pasta? It's extremely light and flavorful, and everyone in my family loved it. Omit the shrimp if you want to make it vegetarian!
Summer Squash and Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients:
- 1/2 lb. wild shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1 lb. pasta (I used penne but feel free to use your preference!)
- 1 medium zucchini
- 1 medium yellow squash
- 1/2 large onion
- 1 bell pepper
- 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup white wine
- sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3-4 basil leaves for garnish
- slice of butter
- olive oil
Directions: Cook pasta according to package directions and drain and set aside. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil to avoid sticking.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, and melt a little bit of butter. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper and cook in the skillet until pink. Remove from pan and set aside on a plate, but keep juices in pan.
While pasta and shrimp are cooking, dice all of the vegetables into bite-sized pieces, and mince the garlic. In the same skillet, add a tablespoon of olive oil. Add zucchini, squash, onion, bell pepper, and garlic and season with salt and pepper. Cook until onion is clear and squash is soft. Pour in chicken broth and white wine, and raise heat to a simmer. Let liquid deglaze pan and reduce by half, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes.
Toss pasta in vegetable/liquid mixture, and top with shrimp, tomatoes, and fresh basil.
