I bet some of you are wondering if I skipped out on my return flight and remained in South America.  Sadly, no.  Nick and I returned to Chicago as scheduled, but I've been frantically catching up at work since.  Whatever level of relaxation was achieved on vacation has been quickly and thoroughly reversed. I have the first two days of photos up on my Flickr account, but I haven't found the time to go through the rest or post about it yet. I will soon.  It was an amazing trip and I am looking forward to sharing it with you.

When life is busy, we still need to eat -- but sometimes the convenient options just make me feel more rundown.  Next time you find yourself reaching for an uninspired box of mac and cheese or a bag of ramen, consider how quick and satisfying it is to make your own pasta. Forget the fancy machines and pasta roller attachments.  They aren't necessary.  Using only flour, a few eggs, a rolling pin and a knife -- you are minutes away from tossing your own fresh pasta into boiling water. I was recently reminded of this by the Pioneer Woman.  She offers her friend Ryan's great rule of thumb: 1 cup of flour plus 2 eggs equals pasta for 2 people. 

Pour a cup of flour on the counter.  Make a well in the center.  Crack two eggs into it and mix the dough with your hand, kneading until it is smooth.  Let the dough rest for about 5 minutes and then roll out on a lightly floured surface.  Slice into strips with a knife (a pizza or dough cutter works well too) and cook for 2 minutes in salted boiling water.  I tossed my pasta with some olive oil, garlic, dried basil and sliced tomatoes.  

It's going to be another late night at work -- but at least I know I have the other half of my pasta dough waiting for me in the refrigerator.