Tampa is still riding the most gorgeous weather wave. When I got in from work yesterday I headed out on a run with my iPod fully charged. The thought of running until I ran out of steam crossed my mind more than a few times. Last weekend I bought a juicer and it was the best purchase decision this month. My mind is clearer and I feel more energetic. The juicer is easy to clean and easy to use and I don't know why I waited to buy one until now.
Today has been cloudy and cooler than usual. It made me want to cook something comforting and settle in with a book and movies for the day. Soups come together in a snap with around 7 ingredients or less. My recipe was altered from this but I used kale instead of cabbage. The result was delicious and filling with ingredients containing protein, grain, and several veggies. Instead of cabbage I used kale and I really liked the taste. A little secret about me is that I'd never eaten kale before February. It was then I discovered I liked it and I've slowly added it to more dishes over time. I try to experiment with new flavors and broaden my culinary skills. This was a pleasant surprise.
Last week marked 3 years of blogging since my first post in Philadelphia. Schmap liked my pictures so much they used some of my photos for maps of historic places.
Since I'm on a roll with home improvements I thought the tile project should be tackled over the past weekend. Then, I'd be set with no chores for a while and get my weekends back. Winter in Florida is ripe for home improvement projects and I had a one more to finish. Two grout lines had cracks in them and the tiles felt loose. In order to repair the grout I used a screw driver to remove the damaged grout and the tiles easily came up. Lowe's had a small container of tile adhesive I placed on each one using a trowel to cover every inch. Then I placed the tile back down and carefully lined it up using my eyeballs. No spacers necessary for this small project.
What a mess of rain we are in for tonight. A squall line with 90 mph winds is moving in and I'm keeping a watchful eye on the roof. So far so good.
Summer means it's time for smoothies and other frozen drinks. This morning I made this blueberry smoothie for breakfast. The abundance of fresh fruits everywhere is a one of the highlights of this season. I used 2 cups of fresh blueberries with a half container of yogurt. Add 1 cup of ice and a 2 t of powdered sugar.
Gazpacho soup originated in southern Spain's, Andalucia region. Although there are many regional and modern versions it's traditionally made with the following; ripe tomatoes, bell peppers, cucumbers, garlic, bread, olive oil, and vinegar.
On my home home I stopped at the fish market. As I approached the counter the owner brought my attention to these bad boys. He must have remembered my love of crustaceans and he was curious if I'd arrive before they closed. Sometimes my days are long and this was one of them. "Seeing those," I said, "I hope you can recommend a bottle of wine as well."
Hi, I hope you are having a wonderful weekend so far. Today, I went fishing early in the morning and got skunked even though I had a large snook on my line for 5 minutes. I never keep them even when the season is open. I don't have the heart. My heart jumped when it hooked and peeled off line almost taking me with it.
Last night I did my best attempt at recreating the scents and sounds of dining on the French Riviera in Nice, France.
