If like me, you’ve been burning the midnight oil for too
many weeks or months now, weekends become a sacred heaven. But by Sunday night,
it is hard not to resent a Monday. Sunday evening used to mark the end of
fun, freedom and carefree vibe. By 4pm on Sunday, I used to feel complete
anxiety over all that I “still did not get done” or feeling completely not
prepared for the upcoming week or guilty for not stopping and smelling roses
and enjoying the weekend guilt free. I recently spoke to my friend Lily about my Sunday evening anxiety and she
suggested I create “The Sunday Home” – to ease myself into the week.

The Sunday Home is a work in progress activity but it is starting to take on the feel of tidy,
organized, and calm home.” It is far from perfect, but good enough to make me
feel accomplished, organized and relaxed as I make my way into a new week.

Part of the Sunday Home is having all the toys “find their
way back to their permanent spot,” the kitchen counters are cleared and
cleaned, the meal plan is posted on the fridge door, fresh flowers from Trade Joe’s
gracing the coffee table, school uniforms are laid out, to-do lists are
made and Sunday supper with Kiki is a family affair of prepping, cooking, and
sharing lots of laughter. Most importantly, Kiki is in bed and asleep by 7:45pm…it
might sound early, but by then she’s definitely ready and so am I….

And somehow all of this makes Monday and the new week much
easier to embrace and so did this Sunday Supper, Recipe
courtesy of Giada De Laurentiis.

Ingredients
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1-pound ground turkey
3 cups marinara sauce
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1-pound spaghetti (I used pappardelle pasta)
Freshly grated Parmesan

Directions
Heat the oil in a heavy large frying pan over medium heat.
Add the onion and garlic and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the
carrot and celery and saute until the vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes.
Add the turkey and saute 1 minute. Add the marinara sauce. Decrease the heat to
medium-low and simmer gently for 15 minutes to allow the flavors to blend,
stirring often. Stir in the basil. Season the sauce, to taste, with salt and
pepper. (The sauce can be made 1 week ahead. Cool the sauce completely, then
transfer it to a container and freeze for future use. Bring the sauce to a
simmer before using.)

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted
water until just tender but still firm to bite, stirring often, about 8
minutes. Drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the
sauce and toss to coat, adding enough reserved cooking liquid to moisten as
needed. Serve with the Parmesan.

Happy Monday Eve!!!