Orange Sangria Sun

And the orange rose out of the glass like the sun bringing to light the gift of sweet sangria...

Eggy & Cheesy

Morning eyes tired,

Need caffeine to get me wired.

My tummy is empty

It screams ‘please, feed me!”

Iced coffee’s in the fridge chilling,

Now I’ve got to find something filling.

No sweet morning treat will do,

No donuts, no bearclaws, no sugary goo

A breakfast on-the-go is needed,

I don’t have time to eat and be seated!

It’s egg & cheese time,

So salty, so cheesey, the most for my dime

Gone in just a few bites,

It was just right

Now I’m ready for the day

Starting out the egg & cheese way

One Word Wednesday

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Prosciutto, Peroni & Pizza

There’s so much constant motion in our lives, the energy is bound to bundle up and burst at some point.  And when it bursts and we find ourselves in a funk, the old-ish adage “food is love” proves itself to be so true.   To counter a recent bad day, I snapped into action and put together a simple Italian dinner for two – antipasto, salad, pizza, and Peroni.  When life is moving so fast around you, the best thing is to slow down, relax, and talk about anything that isn’t work or money or stress.

 

Sunday Dinner

This Sunday, I had dinner with friends both old and new.  The wonderful world of Facebook let me know that my new friend Ally is friends with my old friend Gretchen!  Mike and I went to Ally and Rusty's house (hosts of the first cookout of the season) to have Sunday dinner with Gretchen.  Unfortunately her fiancee and puppy couldn't make it, but hopefully next time they'll be able to come.

Due to an "accidental" trip to Foxwoods the night before, I was feeling a bit lethargic on Sunday.  My lack of energy turned my plans to bring over ingredients to cook something amazing with Ally into putting together black bean salsa and a feta, avocado, and tomato salad before I came. 

The two dishes I brought should be in every woman's summer recipe box - they are simple, inexpensive, and quick to put together.  Recipes are below.  But first... let's oogle some meat:

We had teriyaki chicken, mustard chicken, and pork tenderloin, all grilled masterfully.  I probably could have eaten every bit of meat that was cooked, but I held myself back.  My parents are going to be getting many requests for grilled pork over the summer (I'm "summering" in Tiverton, RI with them for July and August - dinner cooked for me every night when I get home, I can't wait!), I forgot how much I love it! 

Disclaimer: I wish I could go ahead and take credit for this gorgeous photography, but I am a horrible liar and I have to give credit to a seaman's catch.  Isn't it wonderful?!

Now onto two summer recipes...

Black Bean Salsa

1 can black beans, drains & rinsed
1 ripe avocado, diced
1 can whole kernal corn
(fresh leftover corn from grilled corn on the cob would be perfect!)
1/2 red onion, diced
2 medium tomatoes, seeded & diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine (optional)
2 T sugar
1 t salt
2 T olive oil
The juice of 1 lime (or lemon)

Mix sugar, salt, olive oil, and lime/lemon juice separately. Pour mixture over the rest of the ingredients.  It's best to chill for at least an hour.  Serve with tortilla chips!

Tomato, Feta & Avocado Salad

2 containers of cherry tomatoes, halved
2 avocados, diced
1/2 lb feta
Olive Oil
Salt
Pepper


Combine tomatoes and avocados.  Crumble in feta.  Top with a few generous swirls of olive oil. Salt & pepper to your liking.  Note: don't prepare this too far in advance.  The avocados will turn a bit grey when they're refrigerated (but they still taste good when it's leftover time).

Mmm!

Tuna Salad Wrap, Uninterrupted

Especially in the summer months, I try to get out for a true lunchbreak at least once a week.  Sometimes I'll eat first and then go for a walk or sit in the Common to read for 45 minutes, or I'll go sit at the bar somewhere (no beer I swear...) and order a quick meal.  Eating at the bar too often turns into a $15 lunch, and I'm not rich woman... there are times that tab could break the bank!

But, I discovered the perfect compromise: lunch at Boston Common Coffee Co. Typically, this is my breakfast spot.  I indulge myself in an iced mocha and a croissant every Friday, my little weekly treat to myself (okay, my one-of-many weekly treats).  Lunch here is great, you can order your meal "for here," and eat it at the large counter facing the windows.  It's the best of both worlds - lunch out without the tip!  Plus, it'll only run you about $7.

I've been wrapped up in my book lately, The Island, a story about 2 generations of sisters dealing with the blows of life on Tuckernuck, a small island off of Nantucket.  I'm always drawn to books that are set in areas familiar to me.  When the writer mentions places I've been to like Something Natural and the Chicken Box, I feel so much closer to the story.  Also, I'm going to Nantucket in September for my annual reunion with my girlfriends from home, so it makes me even more giddy for that trip (love you, rats!).  Because the 10 minutes of reading I do on the bus every morning isn't enough, I really wanted to get a good read in during my break.

This place is the best spot in Downtown Crossing to sit, relax, eat, and read read read.  I ordered my tuna wrap with a side of cold tortellini salad, grabbed a seat at the counter, and started to read.  My order number was called within a few minutes, and I took this beautiful plate back to my seat:

Lately I've been big into tuna salad wraps.  I've been craving one from Atlantic Bagel in Hingham but, poor me, I don't have a car to get me there.  Their tuna wrap is perfect: crisp lettuce, fresh tomatoes, diced pickles, and they make it on the same board they use for bagels so you get that leftover-bagel topping taste that I looove.  Boston Common Coffee Company makes a pretty good wrap, they don't have diced pickles, but I can't complain.  And you cannot go wrong with pasta salad, ever.  Maybe it was a little too much for one person at lunch, but, oops, I cleaned my plate anyway.

For 45 minutes, I ate and read, uninterrupted and happy as a clam. The food is good, the atmosphere is good, and, as they say in Tuckernuck, "life is good!"

One Word Wednesday

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