I’m glad that I’m not soluble

My friend Josh posted this on his website and I just HAD to give those friends of mine who do not visit Josh’s blog a chance to see this. So without further ado … click here for the soluble song.

I’m glad that I’m not soluble

My friend Josh posted this on his website and I just HAD to give those friends of mine who do not visit Josh’s blog a chance to see this. So without further ado … click here for the soluble song.

A la cuisine!

Lately I’ve been very into the food network. For those of you who have never experienced the food network it’s around the clock TV all about recipes and how to make certain dishes and all of them are really yummy. My personal favorites on food network are Everyday Italian, Good Eats, on occasion 30-minute meals (although Rachael Ray’s voice is obnoxious) and Iron Chef (more about that later). But as a result of food network I have become much more adventurous in my cooking. Case in point tonight we’re having lasagna classico which I learned from Everyday Italian. Layers of ground meat, ricotta cheese, spinach, pasta and grated mozzarella and parmesan. Yum. Hopefully. We haven’t tried it yet. Next week I’m going to try and make a spinach, mushroom and ricotta ravioli. Plus, I already have a lovely bruschetta recipe thanks to my future mother-in-law so it’s a perfect accompaniment to all of our Italian adventures. I have also discovered that I’m bad a desserts. I don’t do well with the dainty, creamy, berry-ness that is desserts. But I’m great at entrees and main dishes – hearty things like lasagna, pasta dishes, rice dishes, and on occasion, meat dishes can be done with reasonable ability. So onward and upward – to Foodland we go!

A la cuisine!

Lately I’ve been very into the food network. For those of you who have never experienced the food network it’s around the clock TV all about recipes and how to make certain dishes and all of them are really yummy. My personal favorites on food network are Everyday Italian, Good Eats, on occasion 30-minute meals (although Rachael Ray’s voice is obnoxious) and Iron Chef (more about that later). But as a result of food network I have become much more adventurous in my cooking. Case in point tonight we’re having lasagna classico which I learned from Everyday Italian. Layers of ground meat, ricotta cheese, spinach, pasta and grated mozzarella and parmesan. Yum. Hopefully. We haven’t tried it yet. Next week I’m going to try and make a spinach, mushroom and ricotta ravioli. Plus, I already have a lovely bruschetta recipe thanks to my future mother-in-law so it’s a perfect accompaniment to all of our Italian adventures. I have also discovered that I’m bad a desserts. I don’t do well with the dainty, creamy, berry-ness that is desserts. But I’m great at entrees and main dishes – hearty things like lasagna, pasta dishes, rice dishes, and on occasion, meat dishes can be done with reasonable ability. So onward and upward – to Foodland we go!

Summer breeze

It used to be that summer meant a number of things: no school, ice cream trucks coming down our street, and starting the year I went to college it meant the fresh tomato and mozzarella salad at Bread Co. Picture this if you will … fresh tomatoes, chunks of soft, fresh mozzarella, red onions, a little bit of basil all tossed together with yummy thick balsamic vinaigrette and served on a bed of rosemary onion focaccia bread. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Well … things have changed.

Starting about when I was 8 years old we had “school” with my mom every summer. The day started at 8 or 9 (I can’t remember) and we did things like study math and had reading time. We had a break every hour or so and incorporated into it was time to practice piano, and later violin. We had a lunch hour and also our music lessons and at the end of the day we had exercise – swimming and whatever else. So it was like we had school without ever going to school and of course we took a family vacation every year but our family was one of those families that packed in the fun from sun up to sun down so we always saw a lot of stuff but trips that involved going someplace and just laying there on the beach or on a back deck were pretty unheard of. Now, summer is summer school (teaching it) and reading and planning out the next school year. This summer it’s the wedding and the receptions.

Ice cream from ice cream trucks is now like 4 bucks an ice cream bar. You can get a whole box of ice cream bars for 7 bucks for something like 6 bars in the frozen food section at your local grocery store.

And then, today I went to Bread Co. and it’s well into May, almost June, and … the fresh tomato and mozzarella salad isn’t there! They’ve discontinued it! WHY????? I’m bummed. I might be forced to buy my own tomatoes and cheese and dressing and make my own. I actually think it might have something to do with the cost of tomatoes but I also think it was one of the most popular salads that Bread Co carried on their summer menu so who knows what happened to my most favoritest salad, all I know is that it’s gone. Boo.

Today it’s wonderfully cloudy and stormy looking outside. Hopefully it will break tonight and storm like crazy. I heart thunderstorms.

Summer breeze

It used to be that summer meant a number of things: no school, ice cream trucks coming down our street, and starting the year I went to college it meant the fresh tomato and mozzarella salad at Bread Co. Picture this if you will … fresh tomatoes, chunks of soft, fresh mozzarella, red onions, a little bit of basil all tossed together with yummy thick balsamic vinaigrette and served on a bed of rosemary onion focaccia bread. Mmmmmmmmmmm.

Well … things have changed.

Starting about when I was 8 years old we had “school” with my mom every summer. The day started at 8 or 9 (I can’t remember) and we did things like study math and had reading time. We had a break every hour or so and incorporated into it was time to practice piano, and later violin. We had a lunch hour and also our music lessons and at the end of the day we had exercise – swimming and whatever else. So it was like we had school without ever going to school and of course we took a family vacation every year but our family was one of those families that packed in the fun from sun up to sun down so we always saw a lot of stuff but trips that involved going someplace and just laying there on the beach or on a back deck were pretty unheard of. Now, summer is summer school (teaching it) and reading and planning out the next school year. This summer it’s the wedding and the receptions.

Ice cream from ice cream trucks is now like 4 bucks an ice cream bar. You can get a whole box of ice cream bars for 7 bucks for something like 6 bars in the frozen food section at your local grocery store.

And then, today I went to Bread Co. and it’s well into May, almost June, and … the fresh tomato and mozzarella salad isn’t there! They’ve discontinued it! WHY????? I’m bummed. I might be forced to buy my own tomatoes and cheese and dressing and make my own. I actually think it might have something to do with the cost of tomatoes but I also think it was one of the most popular salads that Bread Co carried on their summer menu so who knows what happened to my most favoritest salad, all I know is that it’s gone. Boo.

Today it’s wonderfully cloudy and stormy looking outside. Hopefully it will break tonight and storm like crazy. I heart thunderstorms.

The whole proud family of the grad

The whole proud family of the grad 

Proud family of the grad …

Proud family of the grad …  

Silly brother and sister at graduation

Silly brother and sister at graduation 

Genna Ray Cooper

Genna Ray Cooper