Quick Takes!

I haven't participated in these before, but I've been reading others' for a while, and I have a bunch of random things to say today, so it seems like a perfect time to start!

1.

We're going out of town (again) this weekend.  Not anywhere fancy, just Indiana.  But we get to see a bunch of different friends.  On Saturday, we're going to a wedding.  I really love going to weddings.  Watching people exchange vows and rings takes me right back to my wedding day and really makes me want to squeeze my hubby.  Which I then get to do on the dance floor!  Whee!  And then on Sunday, we're headed a couple towns over to Indianapolis to see Sarah and celebrate my goddaughter's half-birthday!  So exciting.



2.



Last night I made two dinners.  I wanted salad, and the Coppertop Guy doesn't eat salads (yet).  So I baked him a frozen chicken breast, and sauteed some sliced potatoes, and blanched asparagus, and then for me: baby arugula and cherry tomato salad with a warm bacon dressing.  Deeeeeelicious.  And then we polished off the rest of the chocolate pudding pie.  It was awesome.

3.

Update on the garden: The plants have been in their containers less than a week, and we already have progress!  I spotted 7 or 8 tiny jalapeno buds, and blossoms on one tomato plant!  It made me so happy, I squealed.  MY BABIES ARE GROWING!  I am amazed by how little I know, and how much there is to learn about growing even the few that I'm attempting to grow right now.  Like, for instance, what is a good organic fertilizer?  (Answer for now: fish emulsion.  EW.  I'm trying to get over it.)  Another question: how the heck do you stake or cage a tomato plant?  And when do you need to do it?  They are just babies right now, but should I wait until they need stakes to put them in?  Or do I stake them early so that the vines can grow on the stakes?  I actually don't know the answers to any of these questions yet.  Anyone have ideas?

4.

I took a Pilates class on Tuesday night.  I've taken lots of different yoga classes, but never Pilates.  It's very different!  And my abs are still sore!  I also checked out a couple of workout DVDs from the public library: Skinny Bitch Boot Camp and Skinny Bitch Booty Bounce.  Omg.  Don't judge me.

5.

Tonight we're going to Slow Food Chicago's Sweet Summer Solstice Potluck Supper at the Chicago Honey Co-op!  There are so many things to be excited about, I can hardly contain myself.  The Chicago Honey Co-op is "an urban apiary dedicated to beekeeping training and sustainable agriculture."  As a person who someday hopes to call herself a beekeeper, I am really looking forward to seeing it!  A certain man who lives in my apartment is a little more apprehensive.  I was telling him all about it at lunch today.  Here's how the conversation went:

Him, dripping with sarcasm: "Oh, sure, that sounds like a great neighborhood.  I've heard a lot of good things about that area." 

Me: "It's a farm!  There's a farm there!"

Him: "No there's not!  There's an abandoned Sears warehouse filled with bees!  Why are you taking me to a horror movie?!"

*sigh*

Anyway, I'm making a rhubarb cobbler to take with us, and I'm looking forward to seeing some people I know, and to meeting some new friends!  And learning more about the bees!!!!  (I love bees.  Did you know that?)

5.

I'm a little tired of asparagus.  Am I even allowed to say that?  I feel like it was only a couple of weeks ago that I was whining, "When is the asparagus going to be here?"  And now I go to the market, expecting it to be gone, and it's still there, staring at me, like, "Well?  Are you really going to let me sit here?  If you don't eat me this week, you won't have good asparagus until next May.  Are you willing to wait that long?" 

I'm ready to say yes.  I'm asparagus-ed out.  Sorry.

6.

Rhubarb, on the other hand, I could keep eating until it came out of my ears.  AND!  They had cherries at the market yesterday!  WHAT?!  I was amazed.  Normally, you don't get Michigan cherries until the middle to end of July!  Sometimes for the National Cherry Festival in Traverse City (the Cherry Capital of the world, don't cha know), they have to ship in cherries from Washington!  Shhhhhhh.  Anyway, Michigan tart cherry pie is on the menu for next week.

7.

Many thanks to my awesome friend Meg the Grand for suggesting the charmingly retro disposable camera as a solution to my phone-only photo predicament.  You're the best! 

Have a great weekend, everyone!  And head over to Hallie's page for more Quick Takes!