Summer Fresh: Linguine with Shrimp, Tomatoes and Basil

This is a sponsored post. I was compensated financially by Barilla to write it. All thoughts, 
feelings and opinions about their pasta are my own. 


Happy Summer everyone! Oh, it feels glorious to be kicking off my favourite season. We've had gorgeous weather in Saskatoon, and already there have been several days of It's Too Damn Hot There's No Way In Hell I'm Going To Turn My Oven On. I think it's been a week now, and I'm beginning to miss my baked goods! My house is so old and just loves to retain the heat of the day. It's a beast, I tell you. Alas, one shall not complain of the heat, as those -30C temps are only 6 months away. Instead, I shall embrace the back sweat, and just change more often into my pretty summer clothes. When it's too hot to sleep, I'll step outside and admire the solar lights my mom has plunked all over the garden. If the house feels like it's on fire, I'll turn on the hose and douse myself with the cold, cold water. It's basically the 45 year old woman's version of running through the sprinkler. Afterwards, there will be ice cream in the shade, and the trees will sway in the summer breeze and I'll be glad that I live where I do, back sweat and all.

Chipotle Roasted Corn & Quinoa Salad with Prawns

Today's post is short and sweet, kinda like the remaining days of summer.  In between picking loads of strawberries at the U-Pick, and doing loads of laundry, and checking on the garden and checking the clock I thought I'd squeeze in a quick post to tell you about this awesome salad.  Wait a second, back up Renee, what's the deal with watching the clock?  Well, by handsome man returns from his holidays tonight, in exactly 4.25 hours and I'm just a wee bit excited.  It's been a long long long nine days.  Funny thing is we both booked our holidays before we met way back in April, and the funnier thing is that we both went to the Windsor/Detroit/Toronto area for our time off.  Neato, huh?  It's just one of many good signs guiding our way.  Warning:  I could go all mushy and stuff on you in this post.  Just sayin'.

Pinch Me: Curried Carrot Soup with Coconut Shrimp

 

Where do I begin?  This week has been insane - but in the best way.  On Friday I found out I won for Best Main Dish in the Canadian Lentils Recipe Revelations Contest.  Remember that Lentil & Chickpea Curry with Coconut Milk?  That was the winning entry!  Lucky, indeed.  Thank you so much to Canadian Lentils for the recognition.  I'm super pumped, and that Amazon gift card is going to be put to good use:  new chef's knife, maybe an ice cream maker because I keep whining that I don't have one.  And books. Like this one, and this one.  And maybe the Drive soundtrack, if only to remind me of Ryan Gosling every time I hear it.  Le sigh.