Juris Doctor: Make it Look Easy Leek Pasta Salad

1,460…

days Extremely-Soon-to-be-J.D. (ESTBJD) has been in law school.

So what? you say. Lots of people go to law school. Big deal.

Contrary to popular opinion, I still think advanced degrees are a big deal. Even if everyone has to get one nowadays. Even if they don’t guarantee you a job, which in the case of my MFA degree never did, so I’m not disappointed by lack of marketability in a tough economy. No matter which way you look at it, going beyond what is required to further your education is something to applaud and celebrate (possibly with wine in your backyard on a Wednesday night).

But when you decide to get your law degree while working full-time at a major law fim, you deserve more than just a gold sticker. At least that’s how I feel about the fact that ESTBJD is graduating from one of the country’s best law schools Sunday afternoon.

For the last four years, four to five nights a week, ESTBJD went from work to school and from school to home(work). Sure, we got used to it. Sure, we never went on a honeymoon or on a vacation ever. I mean that really and truly. Sometimes it felt like we were waiting for a day that would never come. There were days when it felt like our lives were on hold. “Just wait until I finish law school” became our new favorite motto. Until recently, it started to feel like we’d be saying “just wait until…” forever.

And then the days started flying by and ESTBJD had more time to eat things other than pasta and frozen pizza and I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel (even if that light is two months of hardcore bar studying…).

For 1,460 days I worried, stressed, and was generally agitated at the thought of never-ending classes, lack of free time, and sense of missing out on all the fun. But throughout it all, I never really acknowledged what ESTBJD was giving up. He rarely complained. He made it look easy. Even when it wasn’t. Even when he wanted to give up, he didn’t. With a goal in mind, he worked towards his dreams and was pretty much willing to do whatever it took, knowing full well that what it takes is a relentless drive to keep going, no matter what the cost or the sacrifice.

So on this momentous weekend, in honor of ESTBJD’s incredible drive and accomplishment, I pledge to follow in his footsteps. Instead of getting distracted by other people’s lives, other people’s dreams, I’ll put on the blinders and focus on mine. Instead of worrying about what I’m missing out on, I’ll start spending my energy on the things I can do, not the things I see others doing. Rather than worry whether my life is going down the right path because of its unconventional and highly unrealistic dreams, I’m going to forge forward on my own path, even if it’s overgrown or hidden or scary.

I don’t mean to sound like a greeting card.

Except I guess I do. In my own way, this is my greeting card, my way of saying how proud I am to know someone who works for what they want and knows it’s OK to do that, even when people say you can’t or won’t or shouldn’t.

ESTBJD: You might make it look easy, but I know it wasn’t.

Make it Look Easy Leek Pasta Salad

(vegan)

Ingredients:

• 1 leek, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 3 T olive oil
• 1/2 cup Easy Raw, Vegan Mayo
• 2 T water
• 1/4 cup pistachios
• 1 lb. whole wheat fusili pasta
• 2 cups of frozen peas, defrosted

1. Boil water for your pasta.

2. Heat 1 T of olive oil in a small frying pan. When the oil is hot, but not smoking, add the sliced leeks and garlic. Saute until just cooked through (probably 3-5 minutes).

3. Place leeks, garlic, remaining tablespoons of olive oil, water, “mayo” and pistachios in a high-speed blender. Blend until you’ve reached a creamy consistency (the sauce should be thick, sort of like an alfredo sauce)

4. Cook pasta according to package directions. When the pasta is cooked, combine sauce, peas, and pasta in a large bowl and stir to mix well.

You can eat this warm or place in the fridge to chill.

And that’s it. Simple as four years of law school.

Or should at least help out with some lunches on the go while in law school.