Dreaming of Germany

Because reminisching about Europe makes us so happy, we've decided to hang prints of some of our favorite photos around the house. Of course we have the obligatory Eifel Tower and Gondolier shots, but we like the unexpected scenes the very best. There is something about a 1700 century home hazily-reflected in the Danube or a rusting bike forgotten against a plaster peeling wall that make us long to go back . . .

I am

dreaming of Ulm

and Venice,
and Florence, and Greece,
and Paris.

Homemade Croutons

Many expert cooks believe that cooking begins at the store. It is there that the freshest and finest ingredient are hand-selected to perfectly match the desired recipe. In the kitchen each step of the recipe is followed with exactness, resulting in a prefect, predicable product. I am not that type of cook.

To me recipes are simply guidelines; a jumping off point if you will. To me the real fun happens when you look in the cupboard and create something out of nothing.

Here is an example:

· Take some bread (anything will do, some of my favorites croutons were made of leftover hamburger buns)
· Cut the bread into cubes and place in a plastic bag
· Add vinegar, oil (balsamic vinegar and olive oil are my favorites)
· Add seasonings (I always keep an Italian dressing package handy, but you can be creative.)
· Shake together in the bag
· Sauté in a hot skillet, cook until golden (think of grill cheese sandwiches)

A Blog of My Very Own

So, I'm branching out. I now have a blog all of my own. Although I'm not sure what it will evolve into, right now I foresee it as blog to showcase our hobbies. I've been thinking we really need a place to show off some of the amazing pictures Josh has taken, and I'd like to start keeping track of my cooking adventures. Since I'm not so great at using recipes this is a good way to keep a history of the different things I come up with.

Stay tuned . . .