birthday presents just make a meal better

it was my birthday and what this birthday girl wanted was cast iron. my big sis let me pick out a piece and what i choose was the grill pan and with some birthday $$ i got the cast iron press to go with it. what did i envision while shopping…..homemade painni heaven. a little impromptu meatless monday dinner party with my friend ingrid as the experimental taste tester of my first attempt at homemade painnis, i made up a batch of fresh pesto, loaded up my bread of the week, a pain polka, with diaya mozzarella cheese, and pressed away. the sandwiches were accompanied with a spring mix salad tossed in poppy-seed dressing. glasses of wine and gossip flowed. and the painnis….to die for!