Summer Shrimp Pasta

We're in the middle of a heat wave.  Out lovely old building does not have air conditioning, and the very pretty large windows only open 6 inches as a burglar precaution so a breezy draft is all but nonexistent.

Our dinner planning largely revolves around it not being too heavy, and not requiring an oven.  Ovens make our home unlivable these days.  In my quest across Pinterest and a few blogs I can across a one-pot pasta by Martha Stewart that inspired tonights dish.  Except that I took out all the veggies it wanted and changed the spices so it ended up it's own thing.

The penne and shrimp are tossed with olive oil, minced garlic, fresh basil, lemon juice, and tomatoes with crumbled feta on top.  It's deliciously light, citrusy, and a little salty with the feta.  Joe declared, "Man, you really have a way with sauce!"  after eating it, so not too bad for a first try.

As usual, the full recipe is at the bottom for a quick reference.

Fresh Strawberry Muffins

As you can probably tell by this being by third strawberry-related post in a row, buying two pints of strawberries might have been a bit much.  The better part of the first batch went into sauce for our french toast and some strawberry rhubarb crisp.  A few days laters the already ripe strawberries were getting a little harried by our very warm kitchen and our fridge that has a tendency to freeze things.

Before they got squishy and gross I figured I'd be best to bake them up.  I scoured the internet for a recipe that I could bring to work with me so it wouldn't go to waste.  Most recipes seem to be in the cobbler/pie variety- which are delicious but pretty impractical for nurses running in and out of the break room in a jiffy.  And then I came across these muffins!

You should know if you're considering making them that they're a little time intensive.  There's a couple steps, and they take probably 2 hours or so.  It's good for a summer day when you're doing other things and can jump in and out to check on them.  It's not terribly complicated, but maybe not worth the trouble if it's not a labor of love.  For me, I was enjoying a nice summer morning where I didn't work until 3, so I had time to bake and stress-relieve.

They end up being the consistency of a nice gooey banana muffin, with a light, sweet strawberry flavor on the inside and a strong tangy flavor from the roasted strawberries on top.  And, of course, they're best warm and fresh from the oven.  This makes 1 dozen muffins.