It's a good thing

Hello everyone, it's been awhile. I went into blogging overload in Europe and took quite the long break when I got back. Plus, after visiting all that exciting stuff, settling back into normal life just didn't seem interesting enough to talk about.

So tonight, as I was sitting at home doing absolutely nothing, I thought, "hey, how about a short little post to talk about... ah crap, I still have no idea."

Oh wait, I know, I'll talk about my foray into domestication. Cooking and baking to be exact. Yep, you heard right, I'm actually using the kitchen for what it was designed for, instead of just umm... designing it. This is something that I have shunned, ran from, and maybe actually hissed and spit at in the past. Well, no more!

In the past month I have used my stove more than I had in the previous nine years. This is hardly an exaggeration. I have made some fine pasta (with a little help from amazing herbs, oil and fresh pasta straight from Italy), great little asparagus and prosciutto appetizers (after going gaga over them at a friends party), and baked the most delicious granola bars (from a coworker who was generous to share her recipe). It's so nice when people share their recipes with you.

My friend Jen has even joined me and Chuck for a homemade meal. In the past, if visitors came for dinner I headed straight to the nearest take out menu.

Many have pointed to Chuck for kickstarting this latest adventure, and he certainly is a huge factor, but I also think my trip gave me a bit of a nudge too. Going to countries that created such simple, yet tasty stuff, was a bit inspiring.

I cannot believe I am saying this, but I'm actually enjoying it. Hopefully it lasts.

On another note, this week I downloaded the new "Martha Stewart Living" iPad app. It's absolutely stunning. It actually costs less than buying the print magazine and it has so many more features (podcasts, videos, panoramic photos). If you have an iPad, I highly recommend downloading it.