Why Didn't I Think of That?

Every once in awhile I see someone do something in the kitchen that
is so simple and practical that I wonder why I never thought of doing
the same thing.  Today it happened while having lunch at the seafood
counter in Whole Foods Market. If you haven't eaten there, I highly recommend it.  It is probably the best quality and most flavorful seafood around in such a casual environment.  The store near me is amazing (Emeril taped an episode there last year so I think that says something), with five interior mini restaurants,

a full wine bar, classes - it's my favorite store. 
And I heard they give away a free baby tree to every customer on Earth Day. 

I am so going to get my tree this year! 

Anyway...

I'm sitting at the counter watching one of the chefs cooking and assembling fantastic looking food and I noticed that rather
than slathering oil over the fish by hand or pouring from its container, he had a spray bottle and just sprayed it over the pan or the fish on what appeared to be an as needed basis.  

Maybe others have seen or heard of this, or already do it yourself,

but this method was new to me and I thought it was brilliant!  

I Almost Made a Cake Today

I like grocery shopping.  I really do.  Sometimes I even love it! 

I will spend time planning meals and writing out my list in anticipation of a shopping trip.  Once there, I will take time to smell the produce, sample whatever is being offered that day, pick up a coffee to stroll around with, and generally have an okay time all by myself.

However, one time when this is not the case is when I find myself needing to run to the store for only one thing!  This is irritating enough all by itself but what makes it worse is that the store closest to my house is one of my least favorite.  I don't go there for regular shopping.  If I am there, it is only out of necessity.

So, today I decided I wanted to make a cake.  I printed the recipe and started checking for ingredients only to find that I was missing one thing.  One!  But it was probably important. 

I debated about whether this was worth a trip to Store I Don't Like. 

Turns out, I really didn't want cake as much as I thought.

Do you have places you avoid even though they are convenient?

I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in this.

St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day has never been a really big deal in my family.  We wear green and eat potatoes and all that but we're not those people you see in the parades with their costumes or in the bars drinking green beer. 

A tradition that we do have for St.Patrick's Day is an Irish-themed dinner.  Tonight was supposed to be corned beef, colcannon, soda bread, and maybe an Irish creme cake for dessert.

However, my son, the competitive chorus singer, has a rehearsal concert tonight.  The kid really is musically gifted and I absolutely love seeing him perform on stage!  So we will be celebrating St. Patrick's Day tomorrow. 

That's probably okay though because it's quite possible

that I am the only one in the house aware that
today is St. Patrick's Day as I am the only one wearing green! 

Best Bruschetta

Everyone seems to have their own ideas about what makes a great bruschetta and this one is my husband's absolute favorite!  Anytime we order bruschetta in a restaurant, he always compares it to mine
and points out how I could have made it better. 
He's awesome like that!  ;)

Here's the recipe:

2 cans diced tomatoes with Italian seasonings, drained

1/2c. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4c. olive oil

1 TBSP balsamic vinegar

1/2c. fresh basil, chopped

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

French baguette, sliced

2c. mozzarella cheese, shredded

1.  Combine all ingredients, except bread and cheese, in a medium size bowl.  Allow to marinate 15-20 min.

2.  Place baguette slices on a baking sheet and broil until lightly toasted.

3.  Spoon bruschetta over each slice and sprinkle with mozzarella.

4.  Continue broiling until cheese is melted.  Serve immediately.

I should have taken a picture prior to adding the cheese

because the colors really are gorgeous!