If your sisters jumped off a cliff . . .

What on earth am I doing starting a blog?? I have a wedding to plan, I’m going to begin student teaching in less than a month, and I have a goofy, fluffy dog to groom daily!

Nevertheless, everyone else is doing it (that is to say, my sisters . . .), so I figured I ought to start a blog too.

So what am I going to blog about?

Life, I guess . . . just like every other blogger, even if my life is exponentially less interesting. Stay tuned for my thoughts on cooking, book reviews, wedding planning freak-out moments, dog love, student teaching stress, and hopefully some cool pictures too.

I had the idea to blog the other night when I created a really yummy dinner (and dessert) with all kinds of fresh fruits and vegetables. Unfortunately I didn’t take pictures of the meal. (It occurred to me, but dinner smelled delicious and I didn’t want to take the time to find a camera with a working battery.) Next time I will, I promise!

Dinner wasn’t anything special, but it hit the spot in the middle of summer. I started out with a salad with fresh basil, tomatos from a local farm stand, and fresh mozzerella, drizzled with balsamic vinegar. The main dish was a frittata that I modified from Betty Crocker. (Betty Crocker's Cookbook: Everything You Need to Know to Cook Today. Wiley Publishing Inc., 9th ed. 2000, p. 207) Mine had new potatoes and onion from the farmer’s market, three cloves of fresh garlic, mushrooms, more farm stand tomatoes, a cup of spinach from the farmer’s market, eggs, marjoram, pepper, and Swiss cheese. Michael and I love this dish, but this time I actually measured the ingredients, and it turned out much better. The first time I made the frittata I was just trying to get rid of some spinach, and I ended up using too many potatoes, too much spinach, too much tomato, and too many mushrooms (which aren't even in the recipe). The result was that the eggs, when poured over the top, failed to cook all the way, and I had to flip the whole thing over and cook it upside down for a few minutes. More is not always better!

Betty Crocker's Fresh Spinach and New Potato Frittata:

6 eggs (I used 5)

2 Tbsp milk

1/4 tsp dried marjoram leaves

1/4 tsp salt (I omitted this salt and added pepper instead)

2 Tbsp butter (it works just fine with cooking spray)

6 or 7 small red potatoes, thinly sliced (2 cups) (baking potatoes also work)

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup firmly packed bite-sized pieces spinach

1/4 cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained and sliced (I substitute a real tomato or two)

3 medium green onions, cut into 1/4 inch pieces (I use a white or yellow onion)

1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese (2 oz)

(I add about a cup and a half of mushrooms and 3 cloves of garlic too)

1. Beat eggs, milk, marjoram and 1/4 tsp salt; set aside (I used 5 eggs and omitted the salt).

2. Melt butter in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add potatoes to skillet; sprinkle with 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and cook 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender. (I cook the potatoes, onion, mushrooms, and garlic together).

3. Stir in spinach, tomatoes and onions. Cook, stirring occasionally, just until spinach is wilted; reduce heat to low. (I've already added the onions by this point.)

4. Carefully pour egg mixture over potato mixture. Cover and cook 6 to 8 minutes or just until top is set. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook about 1 minute or until cheese is melted.

Yum! This dish works for breakfast, lunch, or dinner!

For dessert I made a mixed berry pie. Michael requested a pie on Saturday night, and rather than stopping at Perkins and buying one, I offered to bake it myself. I used two cups of strawberries, one cup of sweet cherries, one cup of blueberries, and half a cup of blackberries. Betty Crocker’s fruit pie recipies usually call for six cups of fruit, but this was a good amount for my 9 inch pie dish. I added ½ cup of flour, and about three or four tablespoons of sugar. I spread about two tablespoons of chopped butter on top of the fruit. I can’t make pie crust (especially because I do not own a rolling pin) so I had to rely on Pillsbury for my crusts. I have a rolling pin on my wedding registry, so I may have a chance to improve my crust-making skills in the future. (Michael will gladly be my pie crust guinea pig!)