First Football Weekend 2010

 WHOA--It's the first weekend of real football!

Wyatt was stoked. In fact, so excited that he had trouble going to sleep Saturday night. We aren't sure if it was disappointment with the Tigers or anticipation for the Texans on Sunday.
Either way, here's how we spent out time.

Starting early on Thursday, we made sure everyone was well rested. Wyatt took the time to pose with Momma after a nap. He's still rocking the double cul-de-sac. Grow in side hair, grow in!

 Friday was "Go Texans Day" here in Houston, and while there was nowhere to go, C. Cowboy made sure to declare our household part of the fun. Wyatt rocked his pretty-much-too-small onesie for the day. I think this picture makes his head look huge. Good brains, kid, good brains. He's not so much in the mood for smiling when we get the camera out as he becomes more interested in it as a toy. I have to sneak attack him.

I did use my ninja skills to snag this one while we were waiting for Daddy to come home Friday afternoon. What a dollface.

 Is Saturday in "Death Valley" any match for Casa de Loupe. I'll let you be the judge of that. (And I hope Ali is reading this blog for that very quote.)

First off for any football partying is the food right? We steered clear of typical fatty "tailgating" food, and I tried this new pasta recipe. It's going to be my new go-to for BBQs or perhaps potlucks. Qualifiers: it's super easy, makes a large bowl, and is quite tasty.

Here's multiplydelicious.com's Summer Vegetable Pasta Salad

:

 INGREDIENTS:

1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 pound pasta, such as penne or fusilli
12 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 cup fresh baby spinach, chopped
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

**I didn't have fresh basil but some herb mix including basil that worked. I simply added it to the marinade at the beginning. I would also recommend adding more garlic, more lemon, and yes, more SALT! Next time I would also add some Tobasco or red pepper flakes for a kick.

Instructions:
In a large bowl, whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, shallt, garlic, thyme, and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper.  Add tomatoes, yellow pepper, and lemon zest and gently toss.  Let marinate at room temperature for15 to 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil and cook pasta according to package directions.  Drain and run cold water over pasta to stop the cooking.  Set pasta aside and let cool slightly.
Add the pasta to the the large bowl with marinated tomatoes and yellow bell peppers and gently toss.  Stir in mozzarella, spinach, and basil (and chicken if using) until well combine.  Serve immediately or refrigerate until ready to serve.

I did add chicken to mine for a heartier dinner. 

While I don't have step by step cooking pictures, I do have this web gem--a close up of the MINI farfalle pasta. How cute is it?!? It may be Fall's hottest trend. I will have to see what other recipes I can concoct with it in the upcoming weeks. Of course, we do need some Fall weather for me to get excited about this.

 We were very lucky for this little man to nap while we ate. A dinner with two hands shared with a husband? Winner!

And then it was game time! Wyatt watched with intensity but became quite annoyed with LSU's weak offense, particularly with Jordan Jefferson. He's not a fan.

 No Sunday pictures. Instead you get this blog post. As of right now the Texans are up by 10 and Wyatt's napping. We have some gumbo defrosting for supper, and I am about to dive back into The Girl Who Played With Fire. A good day! Hold on, Texans! Hold on!