Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

I never post. I am a bad blogger. I shouldn't even call myself a blogger.

I'll be better. I swear. There's been an infinite amount of adjusting to my new life in the midwest and my real day job. I'll get there. I will. Have faith.

In the meantime, this salad turned out too good not to share. It was kind of an accident. I was going to make a more traditional salad, but our lettuce was nasty, dead in the fridge nasty. So I started throwing fresh stuff together, and deliciousness was born. Is deliciousness a word? Oh well. Deal.

It tastes like summer. Literally, August. Peaches, sweet dark tomatoes, fresh whole milk cheese and creamy avocado with a splash of good balsamic. That's it, about 10 minutes and you have a delicious, sweet, decadent, and summery lunch...or side dish...or breakfast. Ya know how I roll.

Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

You'll Need...
2 medium heirloom tomatoes, cubed (I used amazing dark red almost purple tomatoes from Trader Joes)
1 medium avocado, cubed
1/4 cup of whole milk mozzarella, cubed
2 juicy peaches, cubed
2 tbsps balsamic vinegar

Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Done! :-)

Happy Father's Day...as always slightly late.

I am terrible at being on time for all things, including acknowledging things like holidays celebrating people. So, it's now 2am the day after Father's Day and I am finally sitting down to post a bit about the greatest guy in the world, my dad.

Things to know about my dad.

1. He's a superhero.
2. He's Italian.
3. He's like really Italian. Like SUPER Italian.
4. He's an Italian super hero.

5. He's super smart. Especially at math. And money. And Italy. And soccer.

6. Ok. Super smart at all things in life.

7. He's one of the hardest working people on the planet. 

8. He used to wear his hair in a fro with really tight jeans.

9. He's incredibly photogenic. Seriously. I didn't get this from him.

10. He's unbelievably and wildly supportive, loving, caring and understanding. I wouldn't be the person I am today without him and I am very lucky to have him as a dad!

That is all. Happy Father's Day (yesterday) to all you great dads out there. I hope you enjoyed your day and got presents and ate pasta. 

Today for Breakfast...

we had, whole wheat pancakes with smooshed raspberries.

smooshed=yum.

Week In Review: Teeny Bit of Cooking

A lovely week here in Michigan. Beautiful weather, good food, great people, fun baby. We are adjusting, and now all thats left is to move into our own place. We can't wait! I've got so many decorating ideas, I can't wait to get started. I also can't wait for the puppy to have her own space, I feel like we are cooping her up, she just can't handle the excitement of being around the other dogs here and becomes a complete a total maniac. Like seriously, maniac. It's like she's possessed. Alone with us, normal dog. Downstairs with everybody, demon from hell.

She'll be fine.

I'm going to go enjoy this sunny morning. Found an exciting person working in Michigan last night, just sent an email begging for a meeting...more on that later!!!!

Photos: Making marinade/Quinoa Avocado Dried Fruit Salad by Shutterbean/Frog Dog/New Couch Fabric/Making Paneer/I MADE PANEER/Baby A

Sausage, Kale & Mushroom Risotto

There are lots of things I love. Three of them are sausage, kale and mushrooms. I also love rice. Also, fancy words, like Arborio.

Do you love these things? 

Here's my challenge to you. Pick things you love. Throw them in a pan. Whisk whisk whisk. Enjoy. Then tell me about it please.

That's kind of what this risotto recipe was for me. I read the original recipe and it called for spinach, also a loved thing. I've made the spinach version, is bangin' (yea I said it), but this time when I went to make it I had kale. 

Whoa. 

The slight crunch of kale really took this creamy dish over the edge. Things I love in a pan. Cream, crunch, yum.

This is getting ramble-y. That's kind of what happens after Chako and I eat an entire pan of risotto. Rambling happens.

Unpacking and Being Healthy

I put too much stuff in my juice to make it all fit on the picture! So...JUICE!!

We made it to Michigan. We are getting pretty settled. It was pretty intense for me at first, and I don't think I let myself be prepared for it. Especially because we are staying with Chaco's parents for the first few weeks (who are the most kind and generous and welcoming people ever), and because I don't have any sort of job or work lined up and because I need a car...I just felt like I was on vacation. Then when I realized I wasn't on vacation I would freak out. I need a job! I need a car! I've been a little bonkers.

Then yesterday I had a little job interview for a part time gig, and I took the car for several hours and found my way around on my own. Something about this little act of getting lost then finding my way, and running errands without Chaco just made me feel like myself again. I think I just needed to feel like an independent lady for a minute. I've lived in New York for years, for a lot of it on my own and I just didn't really know how to react to the change, and to moving with someone.

I'm very happy to be here. The pace is different, I feel suddenly more relaxed and I'm getting creative ideas that I want to work on on my own, new things I want to try. You'll see and hear more about those soon...

Also, since we arrive here, we are taking steps to be more healthy and lose a bunch of winter weight we gained while being all lazy and in love in the city! Seriously, it needs to happen. For my birthday I got a JUICER! Then we went produce crazy at all the GIANT HUMUNGO grocery stores here, and we are juicing crazy.

That's what went into today's juice. Carrot, cucumber, bok choy, grapefruit, green apple and ginger. This one is not as elegantly curated as other, but it was very tasty and packed full of healthy stuff.

I am getting addicted so you can look forward to more posts with fun juice combos and recipes. I've been getting a lot of ideas from Shutterbean, as she is a master juicer!

Enjoy, have a great day, be healthy, and RELAX! It's Friday!

A Moving Story

I have a special story for you. A horror story. 

Seriously, it's frightening. I'm shaking. It's a story about moving. About attempting to pack everything you own into boxes and bags and baskets and on the backs of your pets and then renting a truck and putting it all in the truck and then getting the animals in the truck without the help of sedation and then driving 12 hours only stopping to pee and get Burger King.

Are you scared now?

Want to meet the main characters?

We have fear. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. Monday we will be moved. At least into Chaco's parents lovely home. Then we will do it all again a few weeks later. But that will be much less scary.

The next few days are going to be a bit insane. We have a goodbye party tomorrow night, then its go time.

More updates next week. Hopefully we will look less like above.

Oh, and Chaco got new glasses. Not pictured here. He's super hot.