May.

It has been a hectic week. So much going on and so little time. I haven't been posting because we didn't have our internet connection setup at our new place and when we did have it for one day, the next day it was "accidentally" unplugged by the cable company. Joseph was about ready to go nuclear on someone at Cox Cable Company!

Anyways, here are some things you missed...

In honor of May Day (I think this "holiday" is only celebrated in Iowa) I bought some fresh lilac branches at our local florist, except they didn't compare the very fragrant bushes in the Wanek's front yard, but it was a good reminder of home.

I got this salad idea from a friend at work. She halved cherry tomatoes, threw in some fresh garlic & basil, sliced cucumbers and soaked them in balsamic vinaigrette. She ate her "salad" just like that but when I got home, I made her concoction, and I added the greens at the bottom and freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Yummy!

A few days out of the week, I work nights and Joseph works mornings. He usually asks me what I'm going to be doing all day and I answer "Probably cleaning up, washing dishes, working out....etc" but usually I'm shopping online, laying by the pool, or sitting around eating and watching TV :)

So in an effort to make it seem like I really did do something, I made a quick lunch (yes, we eat lunch at 3 p.m.) before he got home from work.... bruschetta! I didn't feel like turning on the broiler so I toasted the bread on my skillet with a little olive oil. It turned out perfect, probably even better than broiling them in the oil because the top was just crisp enough and the center was pretty moist! (And yes, a glass of wine at 3 p.m. is okay)

This post has quickly turned into a cooking exhibit! I had a little store credit from my mom to Williams-Sonoma from Christmas that I hadn't used so I made Joseph drive me up to UTC (a mall in La Jolla which was about 20 minutes away, which now seems like a day trip drive) to use it up on our new place. I bought some hand soap and lotion for the kitchen sink, a sea salt jar for the always-empty salt grinder, and an All-Clad Grille Pan. We came right home and made grilled chicken panini's with home-made guacamole, grilled onions, melted Monterrey jack cheese, and fresh greens. The cost was well worth it!