The tomatoes in the top basket are from my neighbor, along with the lovely green beans in the bowl to the right.

Then today a family friend brought over the beets in the casserole dish (I had to ask her how to cook them) she said bake them and put butter on them. I’m trying it in a few minutes. She also brought over the giant zucchini, some yellow squash behind it and a big giant bag of cherry tomatoes I realize you can’t even see in this photo.

I’m also going to steam the green beans and dress them with salt and olive oil to go along with our pasta dinner (and the beets, which are a little bit of an experiment.

On another note. If you are looking for a good deal on Parmigianno Regianno, let me recommend Costco. I’ve been buying it there for years. Be sure to always buy the parm with the stamp on the rind like this:

Outfit:

Creme colored tee (garage sale)

Black skirt (Target)

Black sandals (Dansko)

Large silver hoop earrings

Silver necklace with diamond pendant

Menu:

Breakfast: store bought bread toasted with peanut butter and banana slices

Snack: Some white popcorn in a bag at the park

Lunch: Leftover shredded chicken wrapped in tortilla with lemon juice and tapatio sauce; chips
Dinner: Pesto pasta; green salad with avocado; pinot grigio

Bookclub: Six Oreo cookies. (We discussed The Book Thief)

Finances:

$20 for a bike for my daughter at a garage sale (she wanted one for her birthday)

$3 for coffee

$1 for tee at garage sale

Giardino

Yesterday I mentioned how I received dozens of free plants outside the market. I am still busy giving them away and trying to find pots for the remainder. (What I have left is what is on my picnic table)

One of the simple pleasures in life is growing a garden.

I have dreams of an inground garden someday, but for now, I get enormous pleasure out of my potted herbs, tomato plants and flowers.

I keep it pretty simple.

I started with half a dozen tomato plants, now I will double or triple that. I have cherry tomatoes, Big  Boy, Juliet and Roma’s. I also am growing basil, rosemary, and Italian parsley and have three large pots of red geraniums. Now I have dozens of petunias I will put in pots.

On a hot summer day, I love walking out my backdoor in my yellow Provence kitchen apron with my kitchen shears and cutting some herbs for dinner. Tonight I will pick a large amount of my basil for the pesto pasta.

Right now in June, the tomato plants aren’t much to look at, but by August I will have a jungle lined up against my wooden fence.

When my tomatoes are ready, I will prepare a simple salad my Nana used to make using vine-ripened romas tossed in olive oil, minced garlic and salt. I can’t wait.

Outfit:

Target tee

Target skirt

Black velvet French Sole ballet flats

Vintage Mexican silver choker

Menu Plan:

breakfast: small bowl of whole milk plain yogurt with homemade granola, blueberries, raspberries and about 1/8 slice of cantaloupe, cafe au lait

lunch: romaine salad with avocado and squares of pepper jack cheese with red wine vinegar and olive oil. espresso from my moka pot and small biscotti.

 dinner: spaghetti pie from leftover spaghetti noodles and sauce, corn on the cob, watermelon slices, wine

Today I walked to the library and to buy wine. I picked up Scruples and Scruples Two based on recommendations from my friends over at the French Chic yahoo group and also a book called the Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I am a voracious reader and hope to share more of my love for literature on this blog.

 I am in two bookclubs, one of which meets tonight. We will be discussing a somewhat lighter read called The Boy I Loved Before by Jenny Colgan. It is refreshing after reading “Under the Banner of Heaven” by Jon Krakauer last month, which was fascinating, but a bit “textbookish.”

 In that genre I would much prefer reading the book written by a friend of mine, Claire Booth, who wrote a book called “The False Prophet” about another set of Morman fundamentalists who went off the deep end. The False Prophet is about two charismatic brothers who believe God has directed them to embark on a horrific  killing spree. You cannot make up the repulsive acts they committed.  It is a fascinating look into not only the Morman religion but the minds of a psychotics. You can check out more at www.clairebooth.com.

My other bookclub is reading The Middle Place, which I have not yet started.

Last night I finished “A Thousand Days in Venice,” by Marlena De Blasi.

It was a light, romantic read about a journalist/chef/foodwriter who falls in love with a Venetian in mid-life and uproots her life to move to Italy. 

I enjoyed it, but as a rule only keep books I think I might read again and I’m not yet sure if this one will make the cut. That is one reason I usually check out books from the library.

Also, this morning  I finally planted my seedingly in their terra cotta pots. I can’t wait to watch the little guys grow.

Outfit:

Chocolate brown JCREW tee (have you sensed a theme here? yes, I love jcrew tee-shirts)

Chocolate and turquoise wrap skirt that I made myself

Turquoise jeweled sandals (Target)

Turquoise and brown dangly earrings (Target)

Menu Plan:

breakfast: small bowl whole milk plain yogurt with sliced bananas, raspberries and blueberries, cafe au lait

snack: latte with coconut macaroon*

lunch: leftover cheese quesadilla wrapped around slices of avocado, three strawberries

dinner: Barbecued cheeseburgers with the works, corn on the cob, few tablespoons of maple bacon beans, watermelon for dessert, water

*This morning while the kids were at school we went to this fabulous coffeeshop downtown. We sat at the cafe tables on the sidewalk out front, soaking up the sun and people watching.

This particular cafe has the best lattes in town, in my book, so I had one of those, along with a coconut macaroon. I had told myself I wasn’t getting a treat unless they had almond croissants. They didn’t have any, but at the last minute I ordered the macaroon. No contest. The macaroon is one of the most delicious pastry items I’ve ever had in my life. Forget the almond croissants from now on. The macaroon was tiny, but super satisfying. It was the perfect blend of sticky and chewy on the inside and crunchy on the outside. Yum.

Later, I bought potting soil for my project tomorrow, transplanting my tomato, herb and flower seedlings into pots. I’ve been carting the flat of seedlings inside each night, worried that it would be too cold. I think we’ve finally warmed up enough for a night outside! I can’t wait. I have six tomato plants, three Italian parsleys, one rosemary, a basil (I have two basil plants in my kitchen window garden already) and three pots of deep red geraniums to plant.

My kitchen window garden: