Just Another Fettuccine Lunch

HAND-MADE FETTUCCINE
W/ VEGETABLES & TOMATO SAUCE

Awoken by the cries of a child at 7:15 this morning, I got up and walked over to Marcus' room. Lately, this has been the time of cheerful awakening for a ten-month-old boy, but today he appeared rather upset, as if he needed more sleep. 

Unsure of whether I should let him sleep in, I made the trip to the kitchen to make a fresh bottle of formula. If he slept in, I thought to myself, I would have enough time to brush my teeth, feed Bob, have a morning coffee, apply some make-up and be ready to head out into town for a short visit with a friend and a gym workout.

To a busy mother of a vibrant infant, that defined productivity and helped decide on the course of action. As soon as Marcus secured the long-awaited baby bottle and his face displayed full satisfaction, I went about my morning routine. Within about an hour, the sleeping beauty awoke, ready for another day of exploration and discovery, and by 9:30 am, the two of us were dressed, packed and ready to take on the world.

Browned, then sauteed vegetables

The day was going well right up until we left a friend's home, having been introduced to a miniature angel Lily, born only three days earlier. Holding the little girl brought back the memories of joy in caring for a child that fragile and innocent and intensified the desire to have another baby. After all, Marcus needed a sibling and a friend to play with, teach, learn from, protect and build a life-long relationship with.

Tomato paste

Within fifteen minutes, we were back at the town centre, where we acquired some winter clothing, fresh produce and considerable enough appetite to set sail back North, to Lake Country. Having fed Marcus before the trip back, I wondered about the contents of my fridge and what could be prepared fairly quickly, when I remembered the hand-made fettuccine leftovers and soft over-ripe tomatoes, begging to be used in a scrumptious au naturel sauce.   

Tomatoes processed in a Magic Bullet blender

Having arrived home and laid my son in his crib for an afternoon nap, I went on to follow the usual process of sauteing vegetables, pureeing tomatoes and combining the two for a home-made tomato sauce. Close to the sauce being ready, I boiled some water in a small pot and cooked my fettuccine for exactly ten minutes. My lunch- a thanks for errands run earlier- was now complete, with the exception of je ne sais quoi. 

Gorgonzola (blue-veined cheese)

Sizing up the contents of my fridge once again, I resolved to grate a small amount of gorgonzola on my pasta. Despite the realization that parmesan would almost certainly complement my dish, I went for an edgier solution and never regretted it! The meal turned out healthful, filling and cooked just in time before the unexpected power outage, allegedly caused by a motor vehicle accident, that lasted for five long hours. But that is another story...