Monday, June 29, 2009

on cool dinners and a few good things...

dinner on a warm night.

There's something about an incredibly warm evening that makes you want to punch the oven in the mouth. (Or, maybe it's just me. Who knows.) In any case, Saturday was one of those evenings. While Jay sat on the couch in front of the fan, sipping on a Corona, I put together these little platters of cool food ("cool" as in temperature - although the food was pretty awesome, too). We enjoyed California rolls, green grapes, chips & yummy salsa.

Such an easy way to impress your husband. Especially when you surprise him with cold beer in the fridge. As a wife, I pretty much was a winner that day.

What are your favorite "cool" dinners for those warm summer nights?

Other happy things:

1. The combination of Scrabble, 90's music and a few glasses of white wine. (For the record, I'm a much better sport after a bit of wine. And also when I'm kind of winning.)

2. Organizing throughout the duplex. I don't believe in Spring cleaning. I believe in everyday cleaning. (It's kind of an issue.) However, I even caught Jay organizing some of his clothes the other day, and nearly fainted with joy.

3. A new blog layout - always a nice change. I'm still working on this one a bit, but I always know when I get it exactly right. Thankfully I'm not a professional designer, because I would take entirely too long on one project. Seriously.

4. Date nights with my husband. Even though we haven't shared days off for the last couple weeks, we've tried our best to get some couple-time in! Happy hour, late movies, watching our favorite TV shows, making breakfast before work, eating too much popcorn in the evenings. It's been good.

5. Tickle fights, even when the temperature is at a bajillion degrees. (I know, we're basically second graders.) Of course, I'm stuck with a man who is apparently not ticklish, so, on my end it's more like a fight-for-my-life kind of a thing. I have a love/hate relationship with tickling. It's fun for a while, then I feel my lungs imploding and start screaming, "DON'T! STOP!" And Jay is all, "What's that? You don't want me to stop? Well, okay..."

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37 wrote me a note:

  1. Your words, thoughts, GENERAL BEING bring joy. I am sitting here in this gross house (dogsitting) rather lonely and you brought a smile to my face. :) Check my blog later, I may be passing on an award to you. :) Because such silliness is fun.
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  2. That last one is hilarious ... I'm still laughing. The thing that's so awesome about you is that you don't just write words on a page ... you put images in my head. You're great at this blog thing!
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  3. Love the new layout!! That dinner looks like perfection, especially followed by a game of Scrabble, my favorite!
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  4. Oh new.blog design, you remind me how much I want one too! :)
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  5. I feel ya on the tickle fights! Except my bf is the size of me, plus half of me, so I am always on the losing side.

    That dinner looks sooo good.
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  6. I thought my husband was the only one who said that when I yell "don't! stop!"
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  7. too cute = you!! and lady don't ever apologize for posting great hair photos...ummm as i am pretty sure that is what my blog revolves around...my hair photos!

    can't say it enough...you are friggen adorable and i heart you and your place...
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  8. I can't lie - last week I have tortilla chips for dinner one night and Kirk and I had cupcakes for dinner another night. Because we be lazy. It was delicious, though.

    Speaking of Kirk, I finally found where he's ticklish and when I tickle him, HE IS ADORABLE. That's probably what Jay thinks about you, too. Although being tickled? NOT adorable.
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  9. you are ah-dorable! and such a great wifey poo :) i'm loving these warm nights too! oh, & your hair? a-mazing! i watched the video! i've been doing it all wrong..pshhh!
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  10. That's so gorgeous, the tickle fights and the other time spent together. I try to instigate tickles here but I have a very large and potentially dangerous ticklish guy on my hands... so he yelps at me if I so much as touch the side of his body.
    As for the cleaning, I like everyday cleaning too. Although when I'm writing (like today and yesterday) the most I can manage is the obligatory kitchen clean. If I saw my hub clean anything, let alone try to organise it,I would seriously call the police,, and get them to take the imposter pretending to be my husband. He is from an Arab family and his mum did the cleaning. The end.
    :p But sometimes I dream of finding his clothes at least up off the ground... to no avail.
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  11. i really enjoyed this post :) your "cool food" looks great. we've been eating a lot of salads lately with fruit & grilled chicken. simple, quick and light. i found a recipe in my boyfriend's new men's health for grilled angel food cake and peaches, and am going to try that for a dessert soon. woo!
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  12. So when do we get to drink wine, listen to 90's music, and play Scrabble together? That sounds like a PERFECT couple's night to me.
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  13. I have to fight for my life in tickle fights too. Whats worse is that I have no idea how they start, but suddenly I'm on the ground convulsing in some kind of 'stooooopitnooooow' wiggle.
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  14. I am quite horrible at Scrabble... which stinks because I can beat my husband at every other game on the planet!!! Hmmm... maybe I should throw some wine into the mix. I think I would be less likely to take the game so utterly serious! :)

    LOVE your "cool" food. My latest addiction is oodles of fresh tomatoes from the garden alongside cottage cheese. Followed, of course, by a mandatory bowl of ice cream... shhhh. That part is a secret.
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  15. #5. :) We still have wrestling matches, too. Though he usually lets me think I'm winning.
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  16. Did you MAKE California rolls? Because if you did I'm hitting the road and will be attempting to charm my way into a tutorial. That all looks amazing! I've been using the BBQ and that's about it for some time now because it's unreasonably warm to use the oven, I'm with you.

    Adore the new layout, I think if you use more colour pictures instead of the b&W it will look outstanding and really make your posts pop. Nice work!
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  17. I have made meals out of chips and guacamole (my stomach hates me later but so be it!)

    Oh, and I HATE being tickled, but so does my boyfriend. We can only do that for about a minute before one of us threatens death on the other.
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  18. I also say "Don't! Stop!" and then Irish says the same thing Jay does. Kind of funny =)

    The cool platters of food look delicous. I could go for one right now (and I share your sentiment regarding oven/mouth punching)
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  19. I'm loving the pink accents to your blog layout. NOW it looks really pretty. :] I love it.

    & I'm the kind of girl that still tries to cook with the oven when it's 80 degrees outside. I always think, "Okay, maybe it won't be that bad this time." WRONG. It was so bloody hot last night -- I was baking a potato & asparagus -- & I wanted to kill myself before my dinner was even ready. I should follow your advice & have a "cool" dinner. Perhaps tonight...

    Oh, & don't even get me started on the tickling thing. Jonathan runs about 100 degrees (F) in body temperature CONSTANTLY, so tickle wars & even spooning is tortuous. To keep him from even THINKING about tickling me, I usually make a reference towards the "family jewels" & that keeps him away for most of the night. But don't follow my lead; I'm kind of violent. ;]
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  20. I love, love "cool" summertime food. Especially all the dishes my mom makes in the summer. Seven-layer bean dip was a common meal during the summers. As was a spicy jalapeno peach salad with candied walnuts. YUM.
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  21. We have tickle fights too. It's one of my faves :)
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  22. Aw....this post makes me want to be a wife and prepare "cool" food. :)
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  23. i love this post. i'm totally jealous of you and your stories. i can't wait to be married. one more freakin' year! i wish it'd hurry up already... LOL! ;-) too cute!
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  24. this post just makes me so happy. you and jay are just so cute! and love the summer food idea. i definitely baked bread on friday night, why i don't know. but i refuse to use our oven if i don't have to, it's too freakin hot!
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  25. I love that pictures, all of my favorite things on one plate, delish!
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  26. Oddly enough, I've NEVER thought of having a cool dinner like that. You pulled it off brilliantly! :)

    And I love the new blog design! Just like the title of your page it is Simply, Adorable!
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  27. Ha, I'm a much better sport with a glass of wine too. I'm horrible at Scrabble, and losing is never so bad when your a little bit punch-drunk-happy :)
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  28. Guys organize their clothe without you asking? Are you SURE you weren't dreaming? :)
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  29. Love the new layout! BTW, I gave you an award! I hope you'll come check it out.
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  30. I would murder someone* for some warm weather right now. <- My way of saying, "I am jealous of your warm weather."

    *Preferably Kanye West.^

    ^I jest. Violence is wrong.
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  31. I've been wanting to make a nice cool pasta salad dinner. Perhaps I'll have to go look up some delicious recipes!
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  32. My husband does that too! The "DON'T! STOP!", "Oh ok, I'll carry on." thing...
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  33. So cute. I cannot believe you two still have tickle fights!! My fave cold dinner for those hot nights is sushi, definitely!
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  34. Oh I love the teal!!

    My favorite summer dinners are nice chilled pasta salad with oil/vinegar dressing, olives, and little tomatoes. Unfortunately I never plan ahead enough to make it. Hmm maybe I will this weekend..

    And I love our tickle fights because I can go crazy tickling Cale without getting a knee in the jaw (seriously his laugh is THE BEST when he's getting tickled), but Cale is nice about it and only pretend-tickles me back. I think he's learned over the years that I'm a violent tickle victim.
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  35. My mouth is watering at your meal. No wonder he was a happy man! I love california rolls. And I mean LOVE. Ha ha, too cute about the tickle fight. My boy tickles me too and he is not ticklish. Drives me nuts, but in a good way. ;)
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  36. p.s. If I tried to feed that to my guy, he's eat it in seconds and ask where the main course is, while I myself would be perfectly contented! I am excited you have a husband that can call that a meal, which it certainly is a delish one!
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  37. I love the new layout! What font do you use for the banner?
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