Four plane rides, 2 rental cars, and 5 different beds later, I arrived home yesterday afternoon.  Sixteen days is a long time to be away, so I couldn’t be happier to be back in our apartment.  A combination of work and play, the trip has left me somewhat burnt out and craving routine.  Just a few hours after we got home I headed straight for the grocery store and stocked up so we could enjoy dining in all week.  I have many meals to talk about in the coming days, but first I couldn’t not share a few photos from our travels.  The latter half of my trip was spent in Colorado, partaking in a week long slew of wedding activities for one of Brandon’s dear childhood friends.  The wedding and all events leading up to the big day were a blast.  Both Brandon and I are going through a bit of social withdrawal not being around all the great friends we hung out with from sun up to sun down for 5 days straight.  Thankfully we have some great photos!

{A flip cup dance break really solidified the group’s bond on our first night out.}

{Post wedding rehearsal burgers in Evergreen, CO}

{Fly fishing inspired sheet cake at the rehearsal dinner.  Note- I have a serious love for sheet cake.}

{The groom and his groomsmen loving on their suspenders.}

{In between moves on the dance floor}

{The happy couple the morning after, in their homemade “Team Ivy” shirts.}

Four plane rides, 2 rental cars, and 5 different beds later, I arrived home yesterday afternoon.  Sixteen days is a long time to be away, so I couldn’t be happier to be back in our apartment.  A combination of work and play, the trip has left me somewhat burnt out and craving routine.  Just a few hours after we got home I headed straight for the grocery store and stocked up so we could enjoy dining in all week.  I have many meals to talk about in the coming days, but first I couldn’t not share a few photos from our travels.  The latter half of my trip was spent in Colorado, partaking in a week long slew of wedding activities for one of Brandon’s dear childhood friends.  The wedding and all events leading up to the big day were a blast.  Both Brandon and I are going through a bit of social withdrawal not being around all the great friends we hung out with from sun up to sun down for 5 days straight.  Thankfully we have some great photos!

{A flip cup dance break really solidified the group’s bond on our first night out.}

{Post wedding rehearsal burgers in Evergreen, CO}

{Fly fishing inspired sheet cake at the rehearsal dinner.  Note- I have a serious love for sheet cake.}

{The groom and his groomsmen loving on their suspenders.}

{In between moves on the dance floor}

{The happy couple the morning after, in their homemade “Team Ivy” shirts.}

Today we “celebrated” our 4 year anniversary and purchased tickets for our August trip to Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam. Having never been to Asia before, I couldn’t be more stoked!  After spending most of the evening trying to find deals on tickets we had little time left for dinner, which meant take out.  I’m fully convinced that hunting for plane tickets online drastically increases one’s appetite.  Hence the need to order drunken noodles, panang curry, and papaya salad.

With my work travels starting bright and early tomorrow, the reality of the vacation we booked today hasn’t really set in. But if this trip is anything like our last, it will be nothing short of amazing.

Today we “celebrated” our 4 year anniversary and purchased tickets for our August trip to Japan, Singapore, and Vietnam. Having never been to Asia before, I couldn’t be more stoked!  After spending most of the evening trying to find deals on tickets we had little time left for dinner, which meant take out.  I’m fully convinced that hunting for plane tickets online drastically increases one’s appetite.  Hence the need to order drunken noodles, panang curry, and papaya salad.

With my work travels starting bright and early tomorrow, the reality of the vacation we booked today hasn’t really set in. But if this trip is anything like our last, it will be nothing short of amazing.

There are days when I crave a really simple pasta.  Don’t get me wrong, I adore a good Penne alla Vodka or a heaping bowl of Carbonara.  But when the heat and humidity starts to rise (as it has this week), this is the pasta I crave. Fresh herbs, citrus, and a serious amount of garlic.

I also tend to crave simple dishes like this just prior to an upcoming trip- even more so when that trip involves constant dining out.  This Friday I depart for a whopping 9 day stay in Las Vegas.  Yes, 9 days.  I’m actually pretty excited about the actual work, just not so much the hotel food.  There will be some quality meals thrown in here and there, but for the most part I’ll be eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the Las Vegas Hilton.  So in preparation, I’m eating as much homemade fresh food as possible.  Simultaneously I’m cleaning out my fridge, as I’ve had zero time to go to the grocery store.  After these pasta leftovers are finished, our “homemade” meal will be pb&j for the rest of the week!

Linguine with Lemon, Basil, and Garlic Oil

Serves 4

1 lb linguine

1 c chopped fresh basil (not 1 cup leaves, 1 cup total chopped)

6 large cloves of garlic, minced

zest and juice of 1 lemon

good olive oil

salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

parm for serving

Set a large pot of water (with a heaping spoonful salt) to boil.  While heating, place minced garlic in a small sauce pan. Cover generously with good olive oil. Season with a pinch of salt and several grinds black pepper  Set to a very low heat and let cook while you make the rest of the meal.  Make sure the heat is very low as you don’t want the garlic to burn.

Once water is boiling, drop pasta.  Cook until al dente, 8-9 minutes.  Drain pasta and place in a large bowl.  Pour in garlic oil, chopped basil, lemon test, 1 tsp salt and several grinds black pepper.  Toss well.  Serve immediately with parm and extra lemon wedges alongside for topping.