I wanted to make some kind of fancy update to the site, throw a party, go out for drinks, or make a bunch of delicious snacks for my fans, followers, and friends… but then I went to Las Vegas last weekend for a crazy girls trip, came home exhausted to a boyfriend and cat that missed me, a messy house and dirty laundry, a giant Norwegian parade on my street, and a super busy work week… not to mention Evan took off today for San Francisco to visit his sister, and I’m off again tomorrow, to northern California for a family visit. So, the big celebration I dreamed of isn’t happening this week.
Eventually, when I have a free weekend, I’ll have a real party to celebrate, complete with specially crafted cocktails, creative eats, and delicious goodie bags. And I’ll write the post I should be writing on my one year blogiversary, about how much I love this little site, how it’s led to so many fun times, and how blogging about my fantastic food life has helped me discover what makes me tick. But for now…while I unpack from Vegas and re-pack for Cali, Biscuit and I will have a nice, quiet celebration, with a glass of wine and a grilled cheese sandwich (for me) and a plate of Fancy Feast (for her).
Hopefully next week things will calm down a little, and I’ll see Evan more than a couple hours. Maybe we’ll have a little champagne toast to celebrate one year of blogging. Maybe the sun will even come back and we’ll find time to invite friends over for drinks, grill, and relax on the balcony … or maybe there will still be laundry to catch up on, Evan will be taking off for a guys-only Memorial weekend trip, and I’ll be getting sushi take-out and working late every night.
If we do end up finding a few minutes for a nice dinner, I want to make the salad I made two weeks ago… when life was calm and easy-breezy. The amazingly tasty salad I barbequed on the grill, with the garlicky, lemony dressing I whisked together in mere minutes. The simple salad with nothing but homemade dressing, deliciously charred romaine, and crusty grilled baguette slices. The salad we took our time to eat on the balcony as the sun set, while Biscuit chased bees and Evan and I caught up on each other’s day. The salad of calm, warm, spring evenings at home with my sweetie.
Ah, a girl can dream.
Fully Grilled Caesar Salad
1.5 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Juice of 1 large lemon
1-2 cloves pressed garlic
1/3 cup fresh grated parmesan
Generous salt and pepper
1 large romaine heart (or 2 small-medium)
1/2 baguette- halved lengthwise
For dressing, whisk to combine everything except romaine and baguette. Salt and pepper to taste. Heat barbeque to medium/medium high heat. Cut romaine heart(s) lengthwise in half, and brush cut side with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Brush baguette with olive oil. Place romaine and bread cut side down on grill and cook 1-2 minutes, until charred, but not overly wilted. Serve still warm. For presentation, serve romaine hearts whole, surrounded by bread and dress to your liking. Or, slice lettuce crosswise and serve in a bowl, with sliced baguette and dressing.
What was I eating one year ago?
Chipotle Chicken Soup
