Isala

We have a new addition to our bedroom. We needed a place to store linens and so we trekked to IKEA. I'd been looking at this lovely Isala Cabinet for a while and it just occurred to us that it would fit and be useful in our room! It a a lilac/grey color and it looks fab with our color scheme. I was able to put some bottles and my owl on top and they all look nice. The owl was made by Shirley out of fabric from our wedding (the flower girl's dress). It fits linens and still have more room! Now I just need a solution for storing blankets in the living room. Requirements include, colorful, sturdy, and doesn't make a mess. Have you seen the baskets at various stores? They shed all over the place. Bleck.

Also, I never showed off the curtains that Paula fixed up nice for us in our room. The fabric is also from IKEA and is a great price. I think it is something like $8-$9/yard but it is wider. I think 54 inches wide. It is also a heavier material. The fabric here is a crazy design of leaves and olives. Alan was the one who picked it out and it worked out to well. Frankie likes to stare at them, I think, because of the contrasting colors.

Tonight for dinner, pasta with asparagus...



PASTA WITH ASPARAGUS

Serves 4

Ingredients:

8 ounce package angel hair pasta 1 1/2 oz extra virgin olive oil, divided 1 clove garlic, minced 1 pound fresh asparagus spears, trimmed and chopped 1 cups grape tomatoes, halved (or campari quartered) 8 oz broth or dry white wine

1/2 - 1 teaspoon dried dill freshly ground black pepper to taste 1 cup shredded cheese (Parmesan or similar)

Directions:

1.	Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add angel hair pasta, cook until al dente; drain and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil to prevent stickiness.
2.	Heat the remaining olive oil in a skillet over low-medium heat, and cook the garlic for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus and tomatoes, stirring to coat. Pour in the broth, and continue cooking uncovered 10 minutes, or until the asparagus is tender, but still bright green.
3.	Place the pasta in a large bowl, and toss with the asparagus and tomato mixture. Season with dill and pepper.
4.	Serve pasta with with shredded cheese.

Variation:

Replace half of broth/wine with 2-4 oz lemon juice (to taste) and 2-4 oz butter,  and substitute pine nuts for tomatoes. Top with cheese and zest from a lemon. Shredded chicken is a good addition to either recipe.