Here's the upside of being sick for awhile - you get mighty grateful for your health. Now that I'm feeling better, I am appreciating how good it feels to feel good. I am so very lucky, of course, to be in overall good health, it gives me pause (and because I'm from the Midwest, a hearty dose of guilt) to have such luck. I look at the bounty of my life, at this moment at least, and am overwhelmed. It motivates me anew to take good care of myself, and my family, which I enjoy doing anyhow. Today when I go to the store I will be buying even more vegetables and fruits, whole grains, and thinking about recipes that incorporate fabulously healthy (and delicious) ingredients like olive oil, almonds, berries, dark leafy greens, beans, soy, avocadoes, fish, yogurt, citrus. The world's healthiest foods. I use them pretty often anyhow, but I could use a boost, a challenge to incorporate them even more often. This quest for moderation includes making every calorie count, nutrition-wise. Within moderation, of course! Thank goodness (small amounts of) red wine and dark chocolate are also good for you... Woo hoo for red wine and chocolate!

Baseball Moms tonight! I'm going early so I can get back to spend the rest of the evening with John. Not a bad way to spend a Monday evening - beer & chat with the girls, dinner & chat with my husband. I'm going to try a new recipe tonight (as you can tell, I cook most of the time from my own head, but I also appreciate fabulous recipes and trying new things), from Jacques Pepin Fast Food My Way - oven-baked salmon with sun-dried tomato and salsa mayonnaise. The salmon, topped with bread crumbs and hazelnuts, is baked at 200 degrees for 45 minutes, a nice slow bake, until just done. Mayonnaise garnish is a simple stir-together of just a few ingredients. Finished with a showering of chopped fresh herbs. Of course, it all depends upon the quality of the salmon. I'm not always pleased with the fish that I buy, no matter where I buy it. That's living in Minnesota... Here's the deal. I'll post the recipe if I like the dish...later tonight. I think I'll accompany it with a veg that will also taste yummy with the mayonnaise, perhaps broccoli. Yes, broccoli sauteed in a little olive oil with sliced garlic. Alright! Baseball Moms, salmon, broccoli, and John. S-weet!

Had a blast, and a beer, with the Baseball Moms, at McCoy's. Woo hoo for the Baseball Moms - tonight Bobbi, Beth, and Sonya! Good, raunchy conversation, always fun. And then home to make the Jacques salmon - and oh my, what a salmon (recipe, definitely worthy of posting, is in comments, below). I bought - and smelled first, I don't care if it's obnoxious, I wanted fresh - wild Atlantic salmon, had the butcher trim the skin off. It's a lovely recipe, the slow bake yields tender fish, and the hazelnut (filbert)/bread crumb topping is a nice complement. And the salsa mayo, yum! I made the whole recipe, knowing it would yield much more mayo than needed, thinking I can use it with chicken and on sandwiches. Good stuff. I did not do broccoli, instead had a hankering for artichokes (I was thinking of that mayo, love mayo with artichokes). Bought frozen artichoke hearts, steamed them for a few minutes (per package directions), just perfect with the salmon. Spring on a plate. And oh, how I am craving spring. Ouch, it hurts. John and I ate our Jacques salmon while listening to Feminine Hijinx episode 3. I have to say, it makes me really happy watching him laugh while he listens to me talk shit with the girls. Makes me want to kiss him, ha. Woo hoo for FH!

Girls, girls, girls! Not in a Motley Crue kinda way (at which point I have to admit, I love me some Motley Crue, esp. Dr. Feelgood, on my iPod as I write this, no lie), but in a Suz + Baseball Moms kinda way. First up, Friday Morning (afternoon) Coffee with Suz, on her patio, with a naughty chocolate-chip brownie no less (yeah!), I was as happy as a clam talking it all to death with my Susie-Sales, Heavy-Metal Minx, woo hoo!

Then I took off for Baseball Moms at McCoy's, this time to celebrate Beth Collins' 40th Birthday - woo hoo again! Happy Birthday Beth! As usual, I had a great time, chatting with Bobbi, Suzanne, Bridget, Jen, and Gayle and meeting Lynne and Maria. And snacking on mushroom-brie pizza and the killerest - sweet potato fries with a side of ranch dressing, rarrr... Yeah, gooooood stuff. Man, we Baseball Moms have had a lot of fun over the years. Hallelujah Little League, even (especially!) when baseball season is over.

How fun is the internet for keeping tabs on friends, family, and old boyfriends? It's crazy-fun, for someone nosy like me, I'm still blown away by the ability to find out pretty much whatever I want. And the pics, I do love the pics. Off the top of my head, here's what I pulled up just screwing around for a few minutes:

Left to right: college roomie Cami, friend Shane, cousin Blake, college boyfriend Tony, my dad, my stepmom's niece Farley

Hilarious, seeing all those faces together. Love it.

Tonight is my monthly Baseball Mom's night out. Nathan has played baseball, coached by his dad Carter, for years now. It is so much fun, seeing everyone at the games, that the moms decided to just carry on post-season and get together at McCoy's to chat and drink beer. Good timing, because our fridge is so packed with tasty leftovers - beef short ribs, tomato gratin, crab cakes, braised kale - that John will have no problem putting together a mini-feast for dinner tonight. (No leftover potatoes, we knocked those last night. Darn.)

Good antioxidant consumption today. I make the effort, I really do, to eat lots of fruit and veggies. I do better some days than others (as in all things, ha). Had lots of wild blueberries in my cereal for breakfast; tomatoes, kale, and a few almonds for lunch. Some tea for a mid-afternoon snack. Good start, we'll see how I carry through for dinner - pizza and beer, most likely? Hey, pizza and beer can't be all bad, it ushered me - and everyone I know! - through college in pretty good shape. My god, does anything taste better than after-bar pizza? Mmmm... Good thing McCoy's has tasty pizza, I think I can tell where my appetite is headed tonight, ha.

Get this – no pizza at McCoy’s with the Baseball Moms! Hey, I did my best to suggest that perhaps we should eat something but noooo – too much talking and beer-drinking to be done, no food required. For me that means it was mighty fine company – there are very few things that keep me from eating dinner. So woo hoo for the Baseball Moms: (me), Jennifer, Bobbi, Beth, and Sonja (and several others that couldn’t make it tonight)!

PS John was only just on his way home when I got here, after 9:00 p.m., so I called him on his cell and asked him to stop at McDonald's to pick up a burger and fries for me. Oh no! NOT moderate! But, oh, did it taste good. Wow. Fuck McDonald's for tasting so good. Sigh. 'Night.

Bloggin' on the porch on a lovely Saturday morning...ahhh...doesn't get much nicer than this. All my hard work is paying off and I'm actually starting to enjoy the spaces I've endeavored to clean up and beautify. NICE! I still have a chair to spray-paint, hopefully today, and other bits and pieces of things to do, but I'm nearing the end. And chillin'...yeah, baby!

I had such a nice day yesterday, too. Opened with Friday Morning Coffee with Suz - really, is there a better way to start one's day? - who in a twist on our usual routine, picked me up and we headed over to the Edina Art Fair. We did some serious wallet damage (ouch!) buying gifts for others and, uh, ourselves. Namely, necklace-type gifts. Suz didn't buy the one she's modeling here - it was WAY expensive, thus the look of longing on her face - but she did get a gorgeous one. And so did I! Some woman wanted to damn near buy it off my neck and Suz was like, step back, lady! Gotta love friends who will defend one's shopping turf - take that, beyotch, ha! And don't mess with Suz's dimples! After a yummy lunch at D'Amico and Sons (with all the rest of the women shopping at the Art Fair, ha), she dropped me off and was on her way.

Then last night was Baseball Moms, woo hoo! And a baseball game, to which I and co-Jiffy mom Nancy showed up a bit, er, late. I was totally busted by a "where WERE you?" from Nathan, but he had lots of fans there to support him, including Stace and Cooper Cuteness. Who had to don his adorable rain jacket because shortly after I arrived the skies opened and it POURED, sending everyone scattering for shelter. The rain did quit, and the game did proceed, and when it was done John and I headed over to Beaujo's Wine Bar for a late snack/dinner. After a lovely salad, and bowl of asparagus soup, it was time for beddy-bye, bye, bye. Nice way to end the week - and nice way to start the weekend, huh? Sparkly-necklace-shopping with Suz, beer and chat with the Baseball Moms, and a late evening meal with my husband? Sheesh!

It's supposed to rain, rain, rain today but I'll enjoy this window of sunshine while we have it. You enjoy your Saturday as well! Perhaps I'll grill me some pork ribs tonight, hmmmm, stay tuned...

Update: well dang, those ribs were mighty, mighty fine. Fall-off-the-bone tender, crisped up with BBQ sauce on the grill, we devoured them in oh, about 3 minutes. Luckily, they are no work whatsoever. I popped them in the oven and let them slow-bake while John and I went to a movie. A few hours later, a quick pass on the grill, and time to Dig In, yum. I forced portion control on us all by buying only a pound - by the time the bones are out, no one could eat too terribly much, which is a good thing. A few ribs go a looong way calorie-wise. And I just made a simple green salad as a side. As fabulous as slaw and biscuits would be - Lawdy! - it's nice to let the ribs be the star. Plus, there's that damn moderation thing...

Baseball Moms and their boys were here last Sunday (sheesh, it's already Thursday, I'm behind!) for a sunny, splashy day of play and snacks and chat. So FUN! We had my favorite type of food day - potluck, baby, with yummy dips and spreads (Sonja's Gorgeous Cheeseball!) and chips and bars and pie. And hot dogs (Nathan's Famous) on the grill, of course, can't swim without the 'dogs. And cold beer, can't have Baseball Moms without cold beer. All good, my friends, all good.

The rest of the week? With a bounty of zucchini from my veggie share, and access to absolutely divine tomatoes, we've enjoyed a couple rounds of a super easy zucchini-tomato gratin, based on the filling of the Summer Tomato-Zucchini Tart recipe I posted last summer. Lighter (no crust, just zucchini, tomatoes, garlic, onion, mozzarella, olive oil, herbs, and salt, baked until melting and crispy on top), yet every bit as delicious, especially cooled to just-warm and served alongside a crusty baguette. Or pasta. Or rice. Something to soak up all the gorgeous, garlicky juices. To. Die For. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Jacques Pepin and the Baseball Moms on the menu tonight. Baseball Moms first, actually, so a beer and girlie laughs as an appetizer of sorts. Then home to whip up Jacques' instant beef tenderloin stew, which I've meant to make for quite awhile and am just now getting around to. Lovely, simple recipe. Saute/steam the veggies (carrots, diced potatoes and onion, baby mushrooms, peas) in one skillet, set aside. Saute tenderloin pieces in another for a few minutes. Deglaze the pan with a little wine and stock, serve tenderloin and vegetables together, moistened with a bit of the juices. Thin slice or two of crusty baguette. How fabulous does that sound? I'll let you know, and post the recipe in a bit. For dessert? A few luscious strawberries, so perfect right now they seem naughty, and I'm all for that.

(Oh, lunch, also incredible, tiny little cup of silky - leftover - potato leek soup with sweet, tender- also leftover - crab salad, cold today, and a handful of perfect red grapes. Kill!)

Oh. My. God. The "stew" was unbelievable. I may never make "real" stew again! Like, EVAR! This was so fresh, with sauteed vegetables and steak. You must try it, it's a total winner. Merde, Jacques, you devil. Je t'aime, and I'm already married... Menage a trois? (Just kidding, OMG, that's one of the first French phrases I ever learned, in probably 7th grade, before I even officially took French. Or experienced a menage a anything. Even now, it's just me and Jean [John], and no one else, sorry Jacques....)

Oh, and for dessert, I don't even need strawberries, it was all too good. Instead, a nice stroll around the 'hood, in the dark, one of my favs. Spy on my neighbors, heh, heh, heh...

Baseball Moms, woo hoo! We took the summer off because, well, we were all busy with baseball! But now baseball is (thankfully) done...so it was time to get together at local hangout McCoy's and have some beer with our chat, on a chair instead of bleachers (ouch but those bleachers hurt the bum). First Monday of the month, we're back on! As always, great fun.

I managed to completely talk my way through a scheduled dinner with John - not a shocker to those of you who know me, ha. He finally gave up on me and picked up take-out from Big Bowl - his fav, their take on a tenderloin steak. Luckily he's not a bit irritated with me (my sweetie!) and we're both home now, ready to call it a night. A night!

How to bounce back from a weekend of partying? Vegetables! Lots of vegetables, in fact, yummy and so nutritious. The refined foods and alcohol present at every party wreak total havoc with my appetite. I was a hungry girl yesterday but I'm back to normal today. Thanks in no small part to roasted eggplant, sauteed cabbage, baked squash, steamed artichoke, raw spinach, and tomato soup, all prepped ahead so I have easy access all week. Lots of water and green tea help too - good depuffers. Fresh berries and cantaloupe for something sweet. And fresh air and exercise, of course, to put some color back in the ol' cheeks (nice days yesterday and today, huh? Not very Christmas-y, but lovely nonetheless). By tomorrow, I'll be good as almost-new!

Not that I had THAT much to recover from. I actually didn't make it to our neighborhood Yule Celebration last night - too tired, I'm a wuss! Sigh. I had so much fun with the Baseball Moms here on Friday. Everyone looked so beautiful! And brought the most amazing tasties to share! The amount of food we had - obscene, actually. Brownies, cookies, cheeses, dips, spreads, crackers, chips - all of it - and more! Everyone went wild over Sonja's gorgeous cheeseball, chock full o' pecans and scallions and topped with fruit jelly (sounds strange, but it's an incredible sweet complement to the soft, salty cheese and crunchy nuts; recipe posted in comments, below). Met some fun new-to-our-group moms, got to catch up with our "core" group, covered lots of gossip, laughed my ass off - the usual! Thanks ladies!

Little break from the festivities at least the first half of this week. Then back at it this Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Ouch, says my butt. Doh!

Party, party, par-taaaay...woo hoo! Kicked up my (painfully, ouch!) high heels last night at John's office holiday party at the Walker. Lovely evening, filled with lots of good food, wine, and conversation. Opened with an ice-cold glass of Muscato, with Stu the Wine Genius, in the bar at 20.21. Then upstairs to find Debbie, cocktails, some seriously fun appetizers (including an itty-bitty cheeseburger; sounds potentially goofy, but it was pretty and delicious), and a lovely sit-down dinner. Closed with a slow, romantic dance with my honey (masochistic shoes way kicked off at that point), a fairy-tale beautiful drive home around Lake of the Isles, and beddy bye-bye-bye. Bye.

This morning, tired, pasty, sore-footed, with messy hair and black circles under my reddish eyes, I whined to John that I'm not really a Party Girl anymore. He said, awwww, it's OK honey, and gave me a big hug. Sigh. It's true, sniff. I'm not. However, I will try my best...

...tonight, Baseball Moms, here, so more food, drink, and FUN! Can I swing it? Stay tuned... Whipped up a few simple appetizers, including an antipasto platter for which I roasted asparagus, eggplant, and carrots; spicy sweet peppers and roasted cippolini onions snagged from Byerly's olive bar; paper thin slices of imported salami; crispy breadsticks; and a quick "aioli," basically mayo into which I stirred minced garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and herbs. Easy and pretty - good combo. I made up a recipe for savory olive muffins, enhanced with a touch of onion, garlic, and parmesan cheese. I'm setting out a couple of spreads with crackers - the blue-cheese walnut I posted a couple of weeks ago and a simple-as-sin shrimp. Last, I rolled up thin slices of salty, truffle-enhanced Italian ham in purchased puff pastry dough - I'll slice and bake right before everyone arrives. Few candles, little wine - bring on the moms and we'll call 'er a party! Yeah baby! (Recipes posted in comments, below.)

Soooo...those of you who bet that I wouldn't actually make that walleye last night - you win! Big surprise, haha, I started talking at 5:00 and didn't stop until 9:30! Happy Hours, woo hoo! Gosh I had a great time, gabbing with Baseball Moms Beth, Bobbi, and Jen. Usually someone is running off to a PTA or a Little League meeting, but not this time. Friday Night, baby, no obligations and time to par-tay! Well, sort of. Pretty restrained, but great fun anyhow.

So I'm cookin' the walleye and asparagus tonight! Early, in fact, because then I'm off to see the long-awaited Spider-Man III with Nathan. He saw it last night already...but once is never enough when it comes to super-hero movies, oh no.

Another fun crowd at the baseball game today - my brother David is in town from NYC. Mr. Good Luck Charm, Nathan's team scored their first win (despite the rain out) and were riding pretty high as I ran to my car to get away from the freezing, blowing wet, YUCK!

Glad to be home, dry and cozy, in my soft, warm sweats, ahhhh. Time to snuggle down with an episode of Desperate Housewives while I fold laundry. That's a little ritual of mine. The two go together so marvelously, don't you think? Almost as well as foie gras and Sauterne - but not quite. Gee, sure could go for some foie gras right about now...Napa, anyone? Sigh...

Merry Baseball-y Christmas! Yes, tonight we improvised and had Baseball Moms here at the holiday hacienda - really just Beth, Sonja, and myself, pretty super easy. We decided to gather here last minute, so no planning or shopping required, which ended up being rather fun, I must say. I lurve last-minute pantry cooking, gets the creative juices flowing. End result? A quick crustless quiche with ham, tomatoes, and cheddar, and an olive-feta appetizer pizza for miladies. Beth helped me build a roaring fire, and Sonja brought deadly little ice cream bon bons from Trader Joe's, mysteriously all gone since John got home, hmmm... (No, we didn't eat them all stacked on top of each other, which made for a fun party-on-a-plate pic, but would be admittedly yuck-o to actually consume, ha.) We lazed and chatted in front of the tree and fire until, well, the fire dwindled, the beer ran low, our tummies were full, and it was time for the ladies to toddle on home.

And so now, it's time for me to toddle on to bed. John keeps yelling from the bedroom how sorry I'm going to be tomorrow and he's right (just this once). So with that, g'night!

Here we are, Little League baseball season once again, the third time since I started this blog - time flies, eh?! I have to say, it feels good to be back in the fresh air and warm sun, eating a little dust, catching up with the Baseball Moms (outside of McCoys, ha), and watching my nephew Cooper Cuteness running all over the place, thinking he's ready to play some ball. "I want to go in there!" says Cooper, age just-2, pointing over the fence at the Big Boys, the cool ones, the ones hitting and throwing the ball as hard as they possibly can... Eeek!

We had a game yesterday too, an appetizer of sorts before the dinner I made for Dad, Susanna, Stacey, Cooper, John, and Nathan. We all ended up here by four or so, in time for Jake (my parents' dog) to take the inaugural '08 swim in the pool (splash!), while I pulled together some (real) appetizers and Cooper and Nathan ran around chasing Jake. We vegged out - literally - with sauteed artichokes and roasted asparagus, followed by a first course of thin fresh pasta with favas and morels (hey, what can I say, 'tis the season) and a dab of creme fraiche. Oh, don't worry, we beefed up plenty - a whole beef tenderloin roast, rubbed with minced garlic, herbs, olive oil, and coarse salt, grilled crusty and served over slices of grilled bread with sauteed cherry tomatoes, spring onions, and Brussels sprouts. With zabligione for dessert, oy we were stuffed, daring to ring in spring with a truly spring-y meal.

Today, due to a lovely, sunny visit with my friend Kathie, I actually achieved sun rash, itchy and bumpy and...completely welcome. Hey, I'll take any sun at this point, especially on Kathie's pretty patio, especially in comparison to gray clouds and snow. Rash on!

Moderate it: roasted vegetables make delicious - and not overly heavy - appetizers. The goal is to set out a nibble, not fill everyone up before dinner.

There is nothing moderate about this heat, yowza! Hellish (96 degrees), humid (dewpoint in the 70s, that's tropical, my friends, yuck), scorching (nary a cloud to cast even a bit of shade), and stifling (just a whisper of muggy breeze would be better than nothing). Basically it's dripping, nasty, ugly HOT. A salad day, or ooh, a gazpacho day, both sound lovely, although I had neither. Meh, the heat makes me feel like I'm swimming in more of a fog than usual, so while I made it to the grocery store, I didn't actually prepare anything with the ingredients. Lame! I know! Perhaps I'll be more inspired tomorrow, when I get my veggies on. And, I picked up a pork tenderloin at the store today that I plan on grilling tomorrow with lots of barbecue sauce for quick pulled-pork sandwiches. (Nowhere near as gorgeous and decadent as the pork shoulder I slow-grilled last summer, but pretty damn tasty nonetheless.) In fact, I'll do it in the afternoon, before things get crazy in the evening, so we'll be good to go for a couple of days. Yeah, that'll put me back on track! I need to get back into fighting form for the weekend - I'm bringing a dessert to a dinner party on Friday night, Stu The Wine Genius and his wife Debbie are coming for dinner on Saturday, and Sunday the Baseball Moms and their boys are coming for a big swim. Woo hoooooo, it's gonna be a HOT one!

Happy Mother's Day! Sniff. Oh, don't get me wrong, it's a lovely Mother's Day - here I sit in my sunny, comfy office, in my jammies, with a hot cup of coffee, typing away (clearly one of my very favorite things to do), having just read the perfect, lovingly handmade card from my son. Love it all. The sniff is for the verklempt-ness that comes over me as I think about how lucky I am to have so many wonderful women in my life, women who are fun and make me laugh, yes, but who also hold my hand and have gotten me (and John) through all of life's many ups and downs - marriage(s), divorce, death, pregnancy, birth, miscarriage(s), parenting, step-parenting, moving, illness - you name it, they've been there for me (us). Whew. Sniff. So, Happy Mother's Day ladies - most of you are mothers, some aren't technically (except to me, ha!), but all of you are well loved and appreciated...

Amy B., Ana, Barb, Barbara K., Baseball Moms, Cami, Carol, Chris, Debbie, Dot, Etta, Grandma Meyer, IPWA Ladies, Jen L., Kathie, Kathleen C., Kim, Marge, Mary F., Mary P., Mary S., Maud, Michelle, Mom, Polly, Rishia, Stacey, Susanna, Susie, Valerie

As for Mother's Day treats? Coming up in a bit..."surprise" brunch tasties from Lucia's To Go. OK, not so much of a surprise because I said to John, for Mother's Day, take the kids and pick up brunch for me at Lucia's to Go. But hey, I didn't put in the actual order, so I absolutely don't know what the tasties will be, therefore the surprise. I'll check in the with details as soon as I've consumed them. Stay tuned...

Uff. Stuffed. Happy Mother's Day to Me indeed! What a brunch - warm crepes with gooey chocolate and strawberry fillings; soft, warm cinnamon streusel coffee cake (unbelievably, decadently yummy, man I love that stuff); mushroom frittata; a baguette sandwich filled with olive-oil-drizzled arugula and creamy St. Andre (brie) cheese; and crispy, crusty, chewy pizza topped with fresh tomatoes and basil. Hoooooey, that was a big 'un, I don't think I'll be eating much the rest of this day, ha. But I'll have my sweet flowers and balloon (the cutest!) to help me celebrate the rest of the day. I LOVED it all, thanks John, A, and Nathan!

La La Lucia's! It has been awhile since a stop by my favorite restaurant, so when John had a last-minute suggestion to slide in last night, I said (screamed) YESSS! I was really tired, and not at all in the mood for cooking (I had planned exactly nothing for dinner), and it was cold and blustery outside...in my book, the perfect recipe for a lovely night at Lucia's. I ducked into the warm, cozy front room, full of happy people, sipping perfect wine and eating pretty things, and thought, ahhhh, I am home. What? I'm not home, what a weird thing to think. I sat down, became one of those happy people, sipping perfect wine and (thinking about) eating pretty things, and it hit me - BAM - why I had the "I am home" feeling. Lucia's is...my WIFE! Or the wife I wish I had. You know, the 1950s version who has a delicious dinner ready for me at the end of the day, in a warm, cozy room, with a nice glass of wine. What a fabulous thought. I smiled, ordered a thick pork chop, sipped my wine, and waited for my husband while I enjoyed my wife. NICE.

Then tonight, I was out the door again, this time to hook up with the Baseball Moms at McCoy's. We were a pretty small group this time, but it was of course way fun to sip beer, howl, and talk it to death with Beth, Bobbi, Sonja, and Brage. Thanks for the fun night, ladies!

Definitely time for beddy bye, bye, bye... G'night!

Two down, one to go! Woo hooooo, we are party central again this weekend! Friday night we were invited to dinner by a family at Nathan's new school. So fun - cool people, lovely home, great kids, and delicious wine and food. Salmon, fresh herbs and vegetables, a drizzle of lemon juice and olive oil, all wrapped up in foil and passed over the grill. We opened up the individual packets to find perfectly moist and fragrant fish, with lovely juices that flowed handily over to the pile of rice waiting patiently on the other side of the plate. Yum. I baked and brought a Cherry Tart with Almond Crust, with fresh cherries as well as fresh peaches and blueberries. Good stuff.

Then yesterday, another pool-and-wine party with Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius (Rudy and Ana are in the Hamptons, poor souls, ha). Sooooo fun, a gorgeous, hot day, perfect for floating and sipping. And eating! Stu and Debbie brought two Turley wines, in honor of our Napa trip (and stay at Larry Turley's home), both delicious. In the pool we drank the white, a 2003 The White Coat, a rich blend, quite golden and delicious. With dinner we drank a 2004 Lodi Zinfandel, from the Dogtown Vineyard (not the one we overlooked), fantastic. Tasted just like Napa, sigh.

After a quick shower, it was time to get some food on! I started by grilling bread for a quick appetizer, served alongside hard salami, roasted peppers, and olive tapenade from the deli. For a first course I made a red cabbage salad - red cabbage sauteed until wilted and then tossed with crispy bacon and a warm shallot dressing and topped with a warm, breaded goat-cheese medallion. Crunchy, creamy, salty, gorgeous - all the good stuff (recipe in comments, below). And for dinner I grilled a couple racks of lamb chops, cut into two-chop pieces before smearing them with a mixture of minced garlic, mint, oregano, rosemary, and tarragon (the herbs on my deck) bound with a bit of olive oil. Alongside I grilled Potatoes on the Grill, or more accurately, La Finca Veggies and Potatoes on the Grill, because I threw in carrots, fennel, green pepper, and onion, all from my veggie share this week. For dessert I had baked a Lemon Picnic Cake (lemon cake soaked in lemon icing, yum; recipe in comments, below), with whipped cream and raspberry sauce. Uff, we were stuffed as we chatted in the dark, watching the pool lights shimmer eerily off the trees, while Nathan took a pre-bedtime dip.

So! Now it's Sun-day, and time for a Baseball Moms and Players Swimming Party! Another hot sunny day, perfect for grillin' some 'dogs, eating lots of salty chips and appetizers, drinking ice cold beer, munching on cookies and bars, and chatting the afternoon/evening away while the boys raise hell in the pool. Yeah, baby!

Again, I rave about Lucia's. I know, I know, but I can't help it, I love the place. Last night John and I ducked in for another perfect Date Night dinner - cozy, simple, relaxing, delicious. I had a roasted chicken breast, boned but with crispy skin, served alongside mushroom bread pudding in a pool of truffle demi-glace. Shut. Up. As you might already know, I am over-the-moon for savory stuffing/bread pudding/panzanella/panade-type dishes, and for truffle-anything, and I occasionally (!) like me a crispy roasted chicken as well, so I was all over this dish. I even smacked John's fork away with my own - clack! - when he went in for a bite of the bread pudding. He doesn't particularly enjoy stuffings or mushrooms, what the heck was he doing? After I chased such silliness away, I fell into a lovely, truffly trance, mmm... I'd say I ate every bite, but I couldn't pull it off. I gave half the chicken breast to John, and had to leave behind a few carrots and brussels (Lucia's always does the yummiest veggies), but I gave it a good go! And I was stuffed. But in that good way - warm and buzzy and sleepy. I slept like a rock. Man I love that place.

Good thing I got such good sleep - busy weekend! 'Tis the season! Tonight, Baseball Moms, tomorrow night, the neighborhood Frat Party, uh, I mean Afterglow Party, where all the grownups get dressed up and party down and have a grand old time. John would rather die than attend such a fete, so he'll be home with Nathan (boys' night!) while I happily head out on my own. Fa la la la la, la La La Lucia's!

I don't know about you, but I'd have a hard time getting through the day without plenty of sips of tea and coffee. It's not about the caffeine - I have to down the decaf/low-caf version these days. (Old much? Sigh...) It's really about flavor and interest. What can I say? My 'buds get bored fast. I've been on a green tea in the a.m. kick these days, experimenting with different high quality brews from TeaSource. A visit to their store is always a blast for sampling various teas and tisanes (herbal teas), but ordering online is quick and easy too, check it out. Recent favorites are Green Arrow green tea and Lemongrass herbal tea. Hot in the morning, cold in the afternoon, hot after dinner, that seems to be the pattern. Tasty, healthy, no-calorie drinks, as stand-ins for a glass of wine or something "dessert-y" at the end of a meal, are a moderate epicurean's best friend, along with:

...ripe peaches and strawberries. I can't say how much I'm enjoying them right now. Pure decadence - but not really. Prrrfect.

...dried red pepper flakes. Yeah, the kind you grew up shaking on pizza slices, I'm a bit obsessed with them right now. Add a generous pinch, along with minced garlic, to olive oil and heat for a few minutes before sauteeing a variety of vegetables. Finish with lots of freshly squeezed lemon (or a drizzle of really good balsamic vinegar), and Kosher salt, and you will be glad. Good for you too, nice.

...grilling food. I'll grill damn near anything at least once. Well, maybe not eggs. But fish, veggies, fruit, bread, pizza, potatoes - yum! I love not having to clean up pans afterward. I love cooking outside. I love delicious results from lighter ingredients. Get thee a grill basket, and a roll of aluminum foil (for making packets), and start experimenting, says I. It's fun!

...iPods. Yay for summer songs! Yay for shameless reminiscing! Yay for looking like a complete dork while you walk/bike and (try to secretly) sing along! Hey, if it helps me get my butt out the door, it's all good, dorkiness be damned.

So, I'm very much looking forward to tomorrow! Yep, I'm talking about the Sex and the City movie, like everyone else, I admit I'm dying to see it. The girls, the clothes, the city (even the food!) - all of it. I have a date to see it with my husband, in fact, since he's the one who introduced me to it. A little lunchy-poo, followed by the 'vie, ooh now that's a nice Friday. Then to top it off, Baseball Moms - how appropriate, right? SATC followed by Happy Hour with the girls? Absof--kinglutely!

Moderate it: pop your own popcorn in a little bit of olive oil and smuggle it into the theater for a healthy treat. We've all heard how bad movie popcorn is calorie-wise, even a small, unbuttered. Plus - I realize I'm in the minority here - I think it sucks and that the freshly popped at home version blows the theater stuff away. Pop that!

Wow this weekend flew by, here it is Sunday already. What happened? John was away skiing with the boys and I was going to enjoy a nice, quiet, productive weekend... Which I did, sort of, but then as usual I accidentally kinda filled the time too and before I knew it, the only quiet night I had was Thursday. And it was awesome! A long walk, followed by polenta for dinner (of course). But after snuggling in for an excellent-but-disturbing book (Jesus' Son) and movie (In the Valley of Elah), I had rather completely creeped myself out...

...so was quite glad to see that like the shoots of an early crocus, a spontaneous Friday-night gathering of the Baseball Moms had sprung joyfully from the grey snow into my inbox. Laughter to the rescue! McCoy's or bust! And of course I had a blast, cackling and screaming and talking smack, as well as eating pizza and drinking beer, with Beth, Bobbi, Jen, and Sonja. Thanks ladies!

Then last night, off to my parents' for another delicious dinner (Dad's pheasant roasted in cream, alongside rice, a quick salad with little goat cheese tartlets that I made, with Susanna's scrumptious buttery- cinnamony apple crisp to finish). Hanging with Nathan, Stacey, Dad, and Susanna most definitely set my spirits right again. I admit it, I'm overly-affected by dark stories and movies, but luckily I'm easily steadied by good company, good cheer, and good food. Omigosh, I sound like a hobbit! Well then, just call me Stephanie Baggins, ha. A mite tall for a halfling, but my appetite for comfort is in the right place!

Ah, a little sun and warmth again, enough for me to be out on the porch, happy, happy. It just doesn't want to be spring around here - two steps forward, one step back, I guess. Not complaining! The cool air, warm sun thing going today is fabulous!

Our Friday lunch date at Lucia's was typically lovely. I spiffed up a bit, always fun. We scored a window table, enjoyed a gorgeous glass of rose, then split a cup of pureed chickpea-carrot soup, topped with a few tiny cubes of crispy fried croutons. Enough to add a hint of richness to the smooth and creamy-seeming soup, absolutely delicious. For our main we both had the salmon, seared crispy, buttery inside, served alongside a few boiled new potatoes (so fresh, so sweet) and sauteed sugar snap pea pods (ditto on the fresh and sweet rave). Gorgeous on the plate, simple and clean, perfect to eat. We left very happy and not at all weighed down.

Then on to the Sex and the City movie. Not completely fabulous, but fun to see anyhow. I'm not giving anything away by saying that it made me appreciate the quality of the TV version even more - more biting, funnier, more beautiful, realer. I came home from Baseball Moms to find John awake and made him watch an (HBO On Demand) episode with me (he always enjoyed the edginess of the show, thought the movie tried way too hard to be girlie; I agree). We chose the one where Carrie's shoes are taken from a party - hilarious. I just needed to put the greatness of it all back in my head, you know? Mission accomplished. And then, I could think back on the movie and enjoy it more, I do like the way the movie ended, satisfying and appropriate. Check out this review on BuzzSugar, good points (I read it this morning, not before I went to the movie). And definitely see it! It's not perfect, but you'll be glad.

It's a grilling day today! Hmmm, I might do hot dogs (Nathan's Famous and Hebrew National are both awesome picks) and a big salad. I'd say I'd only do hot dogs for the kids and throw a piece of fish on for John and me, but when I do that, the hot dogs end up looking so damn good that I totally regret not just going for it. So, I'm just going for it!

Moderate it: one hot dog doesn't have to kill a healthy diet. Yeah, they're not the healthiest choice in the world, but they're not total calorie-bombs either. Have it on a whole-wheat bun, load on the veggies, have a salad alongside, and enjoy every salty bite. Yum.