I couldn’t let the spring pass by without posting at least one asparagus recipe.
The blog world goes gaga for asparagus, but until recently, I wasn’t the biggest fan. Then I discovered that when you grill or roast asparagus, it turns into an entirely different vegetable.
I should have known. I seriously don’t think I’ve ever met a grilled vegetable I didn’t like.
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Do you know what pizzelle are?
Even harder question: Do you know how to pronounce “pizzelle”?
I thought I did… until the woman at the bakery where I bought these made it rhyme with “gazelle.” Pazelle. Huh. Or maybe she was rhyming it with “Gisele”? I’m not sure, but it really threw me for a loop. In my puzzling over the pronunciation, I hadn’t even considered that option. Some googling put me back on track, though, and I think I can now confidently say that an acceptable Americanized pronunciation is “Pete’s ellie.” And yes, all we’re going for is an acceptable Americanized pronunciation, so that you don’t stumble over the word, but can also use it in a sentence without pretentiously faking an Italian accent.
Anyway, let’s get back to the first question. What are the darn things? Well, they’re Italian cookies that look like thin waffles. They’re sweet, usually crunchy, and sometimes dusted with powdered sugar. The ones I bought were almond-flavored, but they are also commonly flavored with anise or citrus.
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It’s been a long week in these parts. Monday was not the best day, obviously, and that set a heavy tone for the week. I also started off the week already excited for to our trip down to Moab today. And waking up on Monday morning looking forward to the weekend is NOT a way to have your week pass by quickly!
Thank goodness Friday is finally here! My hiking shoes are packed, my gas tank is full, and Nate and I are psyched to drive down to Moab after work/school this afternoon. The one slight issue: my enthusiasm for planning is trumped only by my enthusiasm for grocery shopping. Also, I tend to think that I can cook 5 or 6 dinners in a week. Wishful thinking. I cooked twice this week? But as always, I got a little overzealous in the produce section last Sunday, and forgot that I don’t have the weekend to cook up any odds and ends. Goodbye asparagus, avocado, and bell peppers. Good thing you aren’t like the three most expensive things I could have purchased.
Anyone want to come over and clean out my fridge? I’ve got some wilted asparagus for you.
I won’t be in the kitchen this weekend, but should you be inspired to whip up a tasty brunch, lunch, or dinner, may I suggest these baked eggs:
We don’t often have eggs for breakfast, since I will pick sweet over savory any day, but I did make these for lunch recently. I think they’d even make a great dinner (I mean, they have spinach!), especially if you’re in the mood for a breakfast-for-dinner-ish type thing.
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Not gonna lie, after Monday’s events in Boston, it still doesn’t feel right to post a recipe.
Boston is my hometown, and most of my friends and family are there. Nate has run Boston several times and has lots of friends in the Boston running community. Marathon Monday is one of my favorite days of the year in Boston, and I was seriously bumming on Monday morning not to be there… and then I was quickly very happy that Nate didn’t run this year and that we were thousands of miles away.
All our friends and family in Boston are safe, thank goodness. But I’m very sad for those who were injured and killed, their families, and the Boston community. And I can’t just carry on with a guacamole recipe without mentioning how sad and shaken up I’ve felt. So, love to everyone from home – glad you are safe!
Now that I’m thoroughly depressed, let’s talk about food.
Guacamole is always a crowd-pleaser, especially when the crowd includes those of us who can eat enough guacamole for the rest of the crowd. And this guacamole is extra-special because it has two secret ingredients. Of course, I’m not good at keeping secrets, and I already gave away one of them in the title of this post.
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Spontaneity: not my thing.
Lists: totally my thing.
The way I get excited for things is by planning them. Vacations, parties, meals, you name it – planning is just my way of looking forward to something.
Come to think of it, that’s probably one of the reasons I like blogging so much.
This weekend, Nate and I have plans to go down to Moab, UT, one of my favorite places. Moab is home to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as an adorable downtown and lots of mountain biking, climbing, and running. I’ve been there a few times, but only once with Nate, and that was for about 24 hours. I’m excited to go back with him and show him Arches and Canyonlands, both of which are suuuuper beautiful and make me so happy to live in this state.
I’m starting to get excited for the weekend as I plan out which hikes we’re going to do, where we’re going to eat, what I should pack, etc. I haven’t made any lists or strict schedules for us yet… but you know, there’s still time. :)
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