B and I can easily get addicted to TV shows, particularly the "humorous drama" genre. Recently we discovered that Netflix allows you to instantly watch certain DVDs from your Wii - amazing! But the selection is somewhat limited, so in perusing the list I came across Weeds, a Showtime TV series starring Mary-Louise Parker, among others. I'd heard some about this show, but couldn't remember if it was good or bad...but seeing as how there were at last 4 seasons on NetFlix, I realized it had to be pretty good to last that long.
So, we put in in the queue. I watched the first episode...and immediately watched it again, this time with B. And we were hooked.
The show is (simply stated) about a suburban housewife-turned-widow who needs to make a living to keep up with the rest of her cookie-cutter town. So, she turns to selling marijuana. And she's good at her job...most of the time. If you're sensitive to swearing or sex or drugs - stay away! But we love the humor in the show. Aside from the fact that it's odd and quirky and an overly dramatic life for one family - it feels almost REAL. The cattiness of the PTA ladies, the fake niceness of neighbors who are secretly peaking through your bushes, then Diet Coke addictions...all incredibly "funny because it's true."
So now, two weeks later and halfway through Season 4, I've decided that Weeds really does carry a "dinner and a movie" theme...and no, not Special Brownies ;)
We sat down last night to a simple dinner of herbed pasta...or, as we'll now call it, Weedy Linguine.
Servings: 2
The Characters:
1/2 lb of your favorite pasta (I used a half-box of Ronzoni Healthy Harvest Linguine, Whole Wheat Blend Pasta, 13.25 oz
1/4 cup of grated parmesan cheese
1/4 tsp of garlic powder or 1/2 tsp garlic salt (ONLY use this if you didn't salt your pasta water)
3/4 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp dried oregano or thyme
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp dried chives
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
The Plot:
Boil water and cook pasta according to the directions on your pasta box. Whole wheat pasta typically takes longer to cook - mine took almost 15 minutes to get tender!
Drain pasta, but don't rinse. Pour pasta back into the pot it cooked it, and add all other ingredients. Start with 1 Tbsp of olive oil; if you feel it needs more - add more! It tastes better with the full 2 tablespoons, but that's not great for my ability to button up my pants - so I tend to go a little lighter :)
If you salted your pasta water, the parmesan should add enough salty flavor that you won't need the garlic salt - just use the garlic powder instead.
Mix, serve, and enjoy!
The Ending:
Yummy. Simple, garlicky, herb-y...it's like a grown-up version of Pasta-Roni, or buttered noodles we had when we were kids. I had mine with a glass of wine - not quite a pipe or a joint, but it's my vice ;)
Oh, and the show? Watch it if you get a chance. Keep the kids out for this one. It's raunchy. But hilarious. Makes you wonder who in the neighborhood is toking up after the kids go to bed. I don't know about you, but after watching this show, I feel like it's a lot more than I imagined....
