Weekend Projects and Global Kitchen - Italy

Whew! What a weekend! Beautiful weather, house projects and gardens!

Continuing on with my Global Kitchen Challenge, I present to you (drum roll please)

Italy - Grilled Asparagus Panzanella
recipe from Bobby Flay - Grill It!

Simply AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!

What you need

• 6 - 1 inch slices of day old country style bread
• 1/4 Cup Red Wine Vinegar
• 2 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
• Salt & Pepper
• 1/2 Cup olive oil*
• 1 bunch grilled asparagus cut into 1 inch pieces**
  
• 8 red cherry tomatoes - quartered
• 8 yellow cherry tomatoes - quartered
• 1/2 Cup Kalmata olives pitted and chopped
• 2 TBSP capers - drained
• 8 Basil leaves cut into ribbons

Directions
1. Heat grill to high
2. Grill bread on both sides until slightly charred. Remove from grill and cut into 1 inch cubes.
3. Whist together vinegar, garlic, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, and oil. Mix in asparagus, tomatoes, olives, capers, and basil. Let sit 30 minutes.
4. Toss in bread just before serving so that it soaks up dressing but is not too soggy.

*I tried this a second time using only 1/4 cup oil and everything was A - OK!
** note** recipe is using asparagus that has already been grilled

Our veggie patch is finally planted! We have

• Onions
• Summer Squash (in moderation of course!)
• Carrots - regular and Kaleidoscope Mix
• Spinach
• Italian Salad Blend Lettuce
• Potatoes
• Black Beauty Eggplant
• Serrano del Sol chili peppers
• Siberian Tomato
• Black Brandywine Tomato
• Ziegler's Fleisch Tomato
  

And in veggie patch part II which is a garden I can't decide if I want veggies or flowers - so I do both.

• Peas
• Cucumbers
• Oriental Eggplant
• Peacevine Tomato

Hoover's job is to keep rabbits away. So far so good.

The big naked wall got some lovin! It took me FOREVER to put something in this space. I am glad I waited because I think this is exactly what I was looking for.

My dad sent me a painting that he did and I just picked up the mats on Friday!
It is huge and dramatic and I love it!

Added little shelf things to a wall for nicknacks. These shelves are completely irritating to put up.

Found a home for my fern that I got from the Boss.



Even Phineas got to enjoy some sunshine!

Global Kitchen Challenge - Chile & Argentina

This weekend we "traveled" to Chile and Argentina for Pork Charrusco with Roasted Red Pepper Chimicurri Sauce and Dobladitas.

Argentinian Easter Dinner as displayed above - Pork Charrusco with Chimichurri sauce, armadillo potatoes, and grilled garlic bread. Simply delicious!

Pork on the gill always smells awesome especially when there are mondo flames involved!

Chimichurri Sauce - Spicy and Delicious! It is probably good on just about everything.

Chile - Dobladitas

Saturday morning breakfast in bed surprise for Naveen.

Bedroom Before and After

Master Bedroom - Before

The closet and bathroom below are ALL Naveen's...lucky guy!

We went from walls with flat/semi gloss sponge painted walls to Taupe and Coconut Shell.

Phineas was happy to be snuggled in cushy blankets after being banned from the room all night. Everyone was happy to be back in the bedroom. Hoover was also banned due to his tendency to smush his butt on every wall that we have painted.

Action shot!

After painting he went back to work. Looks fun right?

New plants Naveen bought me after I acquired the "fever" when we went to price dirt at Mulhalls.