Well hello, hello!
My gorgeous morning has morphed into a cloudy and semi-chilly afternoon – rats! I did manage to make it out for a 2 mile stroooooll during lunch today. It was the perfect temperature for a work walk. Not hot enough where I feel like a sweaty mess going back to my desk and not so cold that I dreaded going outside – just perfectly cool and breezy 
My walk took me through the streets of downtown where I’m proud to report that I hit every single “walk” sign on the traffic lights – how does that even happen? I felt very lucky 
So try and follow this thought train I had today: the gray weather got me thinking about sweatshirts and sweatshirts got me thinking about puttering around the house and puttering around the house got me thinking about cooking and cooking got me thinking about my blog.
While it’s true that I like to exercise (well 60/40, I do like the results of exercise!) and my heart has been stolen by traveling (it’s got a cold, death grip on it, really!) – the real reason why I started this blog is because I absolutely love to cook. I love coming home, throwing open my back door to let the breeze roll in, changing into some comfy clothes and just chopping, preparing, sauteing, experimenting, learning and tasting (oh tasting!) – I love it all. If I knew then what I know now – there’s a good chance I would have gone to culinary school when I turned 18. Sidenote: why, oh why, do they let 18 year olds choose their majors?! My friends and I always look back and just laugh at how little we really knew back then. I’m sure I’ll be saying the same thing in 10 years about the present, though. 
I have to say though, as much as a dream come true going to culinary school would have been, I wouldn’t trade the college experience I did have, for absolutely anything. I made the best friends, created the most fantastic memories – oh, and learned a few things too! I can honestly say that I live my life without a single regret and I wouldn’t trade my college experiences for any culinary school in the world. I’m just saying…it would have been cool, right?! Besides, I feel like I’m doing ok without a formal culinary education?! It least Ben seems to agree and I guess that’s all that matters!!
So back to my original thoughts – this gray day found me in the kitchen, with the back door open and in a sweatshirt…whipping up a Frittata. Isn’t that just a great word?! Frittattattatata…love it.
My frittata had:
- 3 eggs
- 3 egg whites
- sprinkle of parm
- sun-dried tomatoes
- S&P
- thyme
- “melon seed” shaped pasta (isn’t that a great shape?!)
- zucchini
- asparagus
- black forest ham
- roma tomatoes
First I cooked up some pasta in salted, boiling water and added it to a medium bowl with the whisked up eggs, parm, sun-dried tomatoes and S&P. Then in a big skillet, I sauteed the zucchini and asparagus and added the ham to warm through for about 30 seconds. I added everything together in the skillet, gave it a few stirs and let it cook over medium-high heat for about 4 minutes (until the bottom was golden brown). Then I popped it under the broiler to let the top brown too. I sliced it like a pie (mmmm, pie) and topped the whole thing off with some chopped, fresh, roma tomatoes. WHEW!!
Everything chopped up and ready to go:
Eggs, parm & seasonings whipped up, then add pasta and sun-dried tomatoes:
Sauteing up the veggies (ham goes in when those are a soft):
Everybody in the pool. Cook until bottom is set and brown, then put under the broiler:
Frittata baby!
Tomato topper:
Fabulous Frittata:
Hmmmm, yep…could have eaten the whole thing it was so good! I really think everyone should try adding pasta to their frittatas – it makes it much more hearty and “meal like”. The savory parmesean cheese and sweet, chewy sun-dried tomatoes really make this dish special too. Add in some ham, veggies and eggs and you’ve got a winner folks!!
Here’s another thing I love about cooking – you can do whatever the heck you want to. Every Sunday I plan out meals for the week and go grocery shopping to get the ingredients – but sometimes when it comes down to it, I just don’t feel like eating what I had planned out! Well, I had all the frittata ingredients already on hand for other stuff, so I just borrowed them for this dish! Voila! I love improvisational cooking – it’s just the best. Waiting to see if your dish turns out like you planned – or even better – it just the greatest
So friends – it’s true. I’m passionate about cooking. I could cook all day, everyday. Tell me, what are you passionate about? Is it an activity, a person, a place, a hobby? Let’s hear it!
Go ahead and bring the left-overs for me tomorrow
looks bomb!
That looks wonderful!
I’ve never seen melon seed pasta, it looks great!
It’s never too late for culinary school! I’m in college now and am planning on going to culinary school after =) Life’s too short to not do what you want!
The frittata looks delishhhh. I almost made one tonight too! YUM!
Hmmm, I love frittatas and yours looks REALLY good!!
Your frittata looks delicious! I also plan out my meals for the week but frequently end up switching up the menu.
As for things am passionate about – my husband, cooking, and music. I, too, would like to go to culinary school at some point.
Mmmm looks sooo good! I need to try putting pasta in mine!
I made my first frittata earlier this year. Can’t believe I ever lived without it. An easy, healthy recipe.
I’m so with you on the whole — why do they let 18 year olds choose their majors. it’s true in every sense!
I tried a frittata before, however, didn’t like it. so maybe i’ll try this one. but boyfriend doesn’t like breakfast for dinner.
I love it! Yum! Along with cooking the food, you also take really great photos! I also love to cook, however, I don’t feel like I’m very creative so I end up “stealing” others ideas! I am definitely going to make this fritatta! It looks soooooo yummy!
I’m passionate about so many things! I honestly couldn’t narrow it down to one thing. I love cooking as well and I’m making more of an effort to be creative and not so structured with recipes and what not. Thanks for the inspiration!
I guess the thing I am most passionate about without a doubt is my family. There are other things I would like to be passionate about such as exercise, but I’m not sure how you make yourself passionate about something you just really aren’t passionate about. Make sense? My question back to you is….do you think you can make yourself passionate about something if you really have the desire but not the passion?
Courtney: I absolutely, 100% agree – live is WAYY to short to not do what you love. I just need to find a way to get the mortgage paid while I’m in pursuit of it!! Ahh!!
Erin: Ben also hates breakfast for dinner – hates it a lot, actually! BUT, he scarfed this one down – I think it was the pasta that made him feel like it wasn’t so “breakfasty”!
Becca: I also “borrow” others’ ideas – no shame!
Luann: I think you can grow into a passion. For instance, I didn’t cook all that much as a child, or even into my teens. ACTUALLY, I didn’t come to be passionate about cooking until I was around 22! But I don’t think you can force yourself to be passionate about anything – maybe come to tolerate it? To me, the underlying definition of “passion” indicates that it’s something you choose to enjoy, rather than force yourself to enjoy. That said, desire is a powerful thing – where there’s a will, there’s a way!
That fritatta looks absolutely amazing! Some of the things I am passionate about: school, learning, the outdoors, exercise, and children.