Hometown Heroes

My hometown of Nashville, TN recently experienced a horrible flood..and unfortunately, didn't really receive much press due to other big headlines.  But Nashville is strong.  They have worked together to set up funds for flood victims and those who didn't have damage went to help their neighbors who did.  The damage to the Middle Tennessee community is beyond fathomable.  Houses were literally swept away, landmarks were hit, and the roads will take lots of man hours to repair.  You can see a brief slideshow on the Tennessean website.

Tons of merchandise was created to raise money for relief, with 100% of the proceeds going to the cause. A group of local (Nashville) artists and designers got together and created t-shirts to show support.  Here are a few of my favorite:

Jars of Clay is selling 5 different versions of their song "Flood" all for a total of $1..all proceeds going to flood relief.  

Go to www.jarsofclay.com to download and donate.

And the most recent news, the country music community is joining forces to do a benefit concert in June called "Nashville Rising: A Benefit Concert for Flood Recovery."  You can read more here.

There are also some really awesome posters through Lift Up Nashville.  Again, 100% of the proceeds goes directly back into the community.  So incredibly awesome that all of the artists are offering their products to benefit their community.  Here are a few of the posters:

I am proud of my city...and I'm proud to call myself a Nashvillian.  Though I'm far from home..I hold Nashville close to my heart and am doing as much as I can to support from afar.

If you would like to make a contribution on it's own, you can donate through The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee.

Love to cook

I love to cook.  I love to dive into my large array of cookbooks and find something delicious to make for dinner.  I love mixing everything together..and the fragrances that waft from the pot...mm, absolutely wonderful!  Today I took a trip to the farmer's market to stock up on some delicious fruits and veggies.  I picked up strawberries, zucchini, yellow squash, some greens, and tomatoes...all of which I purchased for a total of $15...a good deal in my books.  So I've planned a couple of fantastic meals and I'll have to blog about them as they arise because they are all pretty fantastic sounding.

Tonight I made Angel Hair Pasta with Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Goat Cheese and I got the recipe from Giada de Laurentiis' Everyday Pasta.  It is an easy, absolutely exquisite recipe.  See directions below.  I don't have a picture of this one because I took dinner to Joshua at the library.

Ingredients

• 1 (10-ounce) jar sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, chopped (oil reserved)
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 2/3 cup dry white wine
• 8 ounces angel hair pasta
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 ounces soft fresh goat cheese, coarsely crumbled
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil from the sun-dried tomatoes in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender, about 3 minutes. Stir in the garlic and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the wine and sun-dried tomatoes and simmer until the liquid reduces by half, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, stirring occasionally, about 5 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the tomato mixture and toss to coat, adding some reserved cooking liquid to moisten. Season the pasta, to taste, with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the goat cheese and parsley and stir. Mound the pasta into bowls and serve.

The side was asparagus...a request from Joshua.  I'll put my next dishes up later in the week.