update

I feel like a flake. It must be because I'm pregnant because when I'm about to sit down to eat after spending quite a bit of time at the cutting board or stove, the last thing I'm thinking about is, "oh wait a second, I have to take a picture!" Pretty much the only thing I'm thinking is, "FINALLY". So my poor camera has been a little neglected, which is why I haven't posted in a while. And the saddest part is I've actually been making good food! So I know food posts without pictures are way lame, but I still think my readers deserve to know the joys of simple delicious food, so I will share anyway. Both of them are just additions to my old favorites anyway.

First of all, my salsa. I have it listed as avocado salsa, but I often make it without the avocados, and it's still the best salsa ever. Tonight, I was in the mood for chips and salsa, but since it was dinner time, I thought I'd heft it up a bit. My sister said she made my salsa once with corn and black beans, so I tried that, and it was amazing! You know those meals that you almost regret eating so much but then you remember that it's actually mostly good for you? Well, this was one of those meals. Add 1 can of black beans (drained and rinsed), and 1 can of corn (drained). We were planning on using fresh corn from our neighbor's garden, but we were a couple weeks too late. But if you have access to fresh corn, cut it off the cob and sauté it until a little caramelized, and you won't believe the joy you'll experience.

And going back almost a whole week, I made panzanella for our church Labor Day picnic. It was a total hit! I know this is pathetic, but whenever we have potluck type meals, I am constantly checking to see how much of my contribution is gone. And if I leave before it's all gone, I get a little sad. So this time was a success. And the variations I made were a bit bigger this round. I tossed the stale bread cubes with a couple tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and a couple of table spoons of melted butter and salt and most important, a clove of grated garlic. Then put them in a single layer on a baking sheet and put them under the broiler for about 2~3 minutes, until crispy and golden. The darkness depends on your broiler, so keep a good eye on them! And then I added 3 colored bell peppers (yellow, orange, and purple) to the salad along with capers and 1 seeded hot house cucumber, halved lengthwise and cut into 1/2 inch pieces. I think calamata olives would be great, too. Mmm! Anyway, this is a fantastic recipe, you should try it out.

Next time I promise I'll bring my camera to the dinner table! Until then, happy cooking, friends!