I honestly didn’t know what to make for dinner tonight and was not in the mood to cook at all. Fortunately we had some chicken sausages on hand which made dinner come together in a flash when served with sautéed squash atop whole wheat penne pasta.
Truth be told, I prepped a batch of overnight oats for tomorrow’s breakfast this afternoon and ate them around 4 p.m., so by the time dinner rolled around I wasn’t that hungry.
I blame my lack of hunger on my lack of creativity in the kitchen this evening.
Still, a simple meal can still be a fantastically delicious one, and I ate it up!
Mini Tennis
After dinner, Ryan and I walked to nearby public tennis courts to play “mini tennis.”
Ryan and I first started playing mini tennis back in college. We played one time after dinner last week and said we must play more often now that the weather is cooler because it really is a blast!
Our version of mini tennis is different than regular tennis in many ways, most notably because it is played in front of the service line only.
We both are fairly friendly tennis players so we don’t really work up much of a sweat while playing, but we have fun volleying and occasionally making the other person work for a point.
Re-dos are necessary quite frequently due to a furry interference.
Book Club Update
In other news, I forgot to mention that I finished American Wife, the October book club book, last night!
I ended up enjoying the book more and more as it progressed and am looking forward to discussing it with you guys on November 15. I feel like there are so many different things to talk about with this one!
Since I like to have something to read constantly, I placed an order on Amazon.com for my next book right before sitting down to type up this post.
Unbroken!
My mom, dad and I were talking about the book this weekend, so I’m planning on reading it before passing it along to them. We all heard great things about it, so I’m looking forward to diving in.
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We were totally in the same boat not knowing or feeling much like making dinner tonight. I considered popcorn and cereal, and then I realized that was just depressing, ha. SO, I made your pumpkin protein pancakes and they’re delicious!! Thanks!!!
Your dinner looks great though..you can never go wrong with pasta and sausage!!
So glad To see I’m not the only one who breaks into her overnight oats early! 😉
Aw darn, the book I chose isn’t even the next one! Haha oh well, still looking forward to your thoughts on this month’s current book. The squash and sausage in the pasta is a great idea! I wouldn’t even have thought of putting sauce on it – I think instead I’d do pesto and goat cheese!
I used to play mini tennis all the time! We were taught the game when I took tennis lessons when we were little, and my friends and I loved to keep it up!
whwnever i don’t know what to eat for dinner (or am short on time) I whip up a huge salad with some protein on top and a baked potato. works every time.
Oooh a new book! I actually just mentioned your book club on my blog (and featured your blog lower on the post too – you should check it out: http://www.chateauwhitman.com/2011/11/what-were-reading-and-listening-to-and.html ). 🙂
Can you tell me/us more about mini tennis?!
Mini tennis is TOUGH! I grew up playing tennis so the mini stuff always threw me off…same with raquet ball… I am TERRIBLE!
I love chicken sausage! And on top of pasta is always a winner!
I am half way done with American Wife! It is getting better! Can’t wait to finish and discuss!
wow that sounds fun!
I just got American Wife from the library today–so I am going to start it tonight–in anticipation of Nov 15th. Wahoo!
Your pasta looks deeelish!
My husband & I enjoy tennis too, although I am horrible at it! It’s still fun to get out there every now & then!
I just finished Unbroken last night, it is sooooo good! And I loved American Wife too.
hahaha I love your mini tennis game! When Mike and I play tennis and we dress up in our “official” tennis duds (my sister used to work for Fila and would give us free clothes all the time so we have some awesome tennis outfits!). We may look like pros but we goof around when we play and have fun!
Chicken sausage is always my go-to when i have zero motivation to cook dinner. Do you have a favorite brand that you stick with? I love Al Fresco, and try to ignore the sodium content.
Your meal looks so good!!
I’ve been enjoying Unbroken. It is too intense for me to recommend to my book club, but it’s goooood. 🙂 Enjoy!
Unbroken sounds really good~ and chicken/italian sausage sounds so good right now~:)
That dinner looks pretty darn tasty for not feeling like cooking anything. 🙂 MIni tennis- I am horrible at tennis. My husband gets frustrated with me really fast. I would welcome that furry interference anytime. ha!
Soo glad you got Unbroken!! Its a great read, Ryan would probably enjoy it too. My Boyfriend and I read it together!. Just picked up the American Wife! Hope its good!
Unbroken is VERY VERY good. Highly recommend.
The Kidless Kronicles
Get ready for a really intense read with Unbroken—I needed to take several breaks while reading it, just to step away from the devastation. Great book.
🙂 So fun, I play tennis in high school for 4 years and we used mini tennis as a warm up!
Hahaha mini tennis sounds so fun! Your pasta dish looks so good!
I’ve never played mini tennis, but I remembering playing tennis in high school P.E, and I wasn’t the greatest at it, haha.
Mini tennis!!! That looks so fun!!!! I love that “furry interference.” Anyone with a dog understands that!!!
Hi! Im a new reader over from Chateau Whitman. I would love to join book club! How do I do so, cant wait to start following your blog!
I love mini tennis….or just tennis in general! I used to play Varsity in high school but stopped after that- I think it’s time to bring out my racket again!
Hey Julie!
Do you have any interest in doing a 1 week vegan challenge? (sorry, no mini kitkats allowed!). I am hosting one on sunnykatie.wordpress.com next week, and ending it with a giveaway. If you feel like shaking things up a little, let me know!
Unbroken is SUCH a wonderful book! I’m kind of a book nerd and read ALL the time, and this was definitely one of my favorites! 🙂
I just finished Unbroken and loved it – great pick!
Unbroken is one of my favorite books of all time! I sent Louie a birthday card last year and he sent me a handwritten letter back! I’ve also met him before and he’s one of the most incredible people I’ve ever met! You’ll love reading his story!!
My copy of The American Wife arrived yesterday, will have to read it pretty quickly to get involved on the 15th Nov without the ending getting spoilt!
Awww. Sadie could be a furry ball girl 🙂
Love. The pic of Sadie!
Never tried mini tennis, but it sounds like fun! 🙂 Oh, and your dinner looks GREAT!
I’ve been in a cooking rut lately too. I never know what to make for dinner anymore. Chicken sausages are great for when you don’t know what to cook. 🙂
I think ti’s awesome that you and Ryan play tennis together! My fiance is a tennis fanatic! He has been playing tennis since he was child. He played all through high school, college and lately he has been playing on some local teams. I love watching him play. It really is his passion. I’m so awful at it but it is a fun way to get exercise in 🙂
I used to love playing mini tennis! I wish I had courts readily available, but it’s so hard to find courts in NYC–especially nice, outdoor courts.
unbroken is really well-rated. i have it on my kindle but have yet to read it. ordered it for my dad, stepdad, and hubby around father’s day.
I work for Wilson Sporting Goods here in Chicago! I loved seeing your Wilson gear on the tennis court 🙂