Postcrossing Postcards from the Past Month

I've been bad about scanning lately. So here's a bunch of postcards I have received from other postcrossers over the past month.

Which one is your favorite?

I have a few favorites: The strong man, the Moomin (hippo) card, the robot,

Looking to Use Public Space for an Event?

I have been working with a nonprofit to find locations to hold a walk next spring. It has been a challenge to find space that might be good for about 200 people and have a pavilion and have availability in March, April, or May 2010. What I have discovered is St Paul doesn't reserve park space until January of that year. Not any sooner. I don't see how that could work for brides planning weddings but I believe what I was told on the phone.

Since it might be cold here one of these three months I also looked at possible indoor facilities, like the sky ways in St. Paul and the Metrodome.

I think it would be cool to have a walk in the sculpture garden outside the Walker Museum but I'm not sure if it is possible.

Thinking about a New Collection

I've been thinking about collecting globes. Of course I'll have to wait until I'm working full time again. But I like the looks of the ones here that I found online. I don't know what it is about maps and globes for me now. But I have enjoyed collecting map based postcards and want to expand into the globes or maybe snow globes too.

What do you collect?

Recipe: Pasta Puttanesca

I made this tonight for dinner. I really liked it and it was as easy as they say in terms of the speed to put everything together. I just served some bread along with it.

Pasta Puttanesca Gourmet | June 2008

by Ian Knauer

Our take on this dish, famously named for the fact that Italy's "ladies of the evening" quickly made it between clients, is just as fast and easy as the original and requires nothing more than some everyday items you probably have in your pantry already.

Yield: Makes 6 servings
Active Time: 10 min
Total Time: 30 min

1 pound dried spaghetti, spaghettini, or linguine fini
5 garlic cloves, forced through a garlic press
2 teaspoons anchovy paste
1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes in juice (preferably Italian)
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons drained capers
Pinch of sugar (optional)
3/4 cup coarsely chopped basil

Cook spaghetti in a pasta pot of boiling salted water (2 1/2 Tbsp salt for 6 qt water) until barely al dente.

While pasta boils, cook garlic, anchovy paste, red-pepper flakes, 1 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp pepper in oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until fragrant and pale golden, about 2 minutes.

Meanwhile, purée tomatoes with juice in a blender.

Add tomato purée to garlic oil along with olives and capers and simmer, stirring occasionally, until pasta is ready. Stir in sugar if desired.

Drain pasta and add to sauce. Simmer, turning pasta with tongs, until pasta is al dente, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle with basil.