Oh Hello

Well I suppose it is time I bite the bullet and write a little something. I have so much that I want to write about, but when I get so behind like this I start to get anxiety and then I don't know where to start and then I just procrastinate until it has been way too long and then I write a post that starts like this and when I have only been writing a blog for like 9 months, doing this so often is just well - me I guess. So I should probably stop apologizing for it since this blog's purpose is much more for personal reasons than anything else. So, hello again blog. Sometimes I wish you wrote yourself.

Why too busy to write? Well first I was gone on my two week vacation to Europe. I left for vacation two days after closing on my house and I moved in to the house two days after I got back. So that took some orchestrating. I have lots of pictures and some videos from our trip which I hope to post about in the future in a few pieces.

And I am a homeowner! The house is LOVELY! It is an oldie, built in 1918, but this house has been loved. The best surprise upon moving in was to discover that we have the best neighbors. This street is a gem. CC and I have now named the house. A little background: the house is set back from the street, but there is no grass in the front yard, it is completely covered in plants and flowers. The backyard is completely covered in ivy, but we want to convert this to a lawn and more usable space. Also, CC really likes going to garage sales and flea markets. I usually give him a hard time about it, but one of his finds is an old iron sign with a landscape setting that says "Wildwood". And that is the perfect name for this house, so now when I refer to Wildwood, you will know I mean home.

I love living here and I really feel at home, but I don't feel settled yet. There are a lot of projects between me and my nesting instincts before I will feel truly settled. The backyard being one for the spring, painting all the rooms (painting being the easy part and picking out colors proving to be the tough part) and the biggest project of all - the kitchen. CC and I began demolishing the existing one and are moving forward with a full-on renovation. I know I will love the final product and it will be more than worth it, but in the mean time, all my kitchen gadgets remain in boxes and we have been left grilling an eating salads. Did I mention I have a grill now?? L.O.V.E.

We got 6 ears of sweet corn from the CSA this week (remember when I used to write about that? well its still going) and this salad was awesome! We ate half like a side salad and the other half as a salsa-ish dip. It was fantastic either way!

Corn and Black Bean Salad with Basil-Lime Vinaigrette
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis, 2008

Salad:
2 ears fresh corn or 1 cup frozen corn, thawed
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 mango, peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces

Vinaigrette:
2 limes, zested and juiced
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
For the salad: Preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Peel back the corn husks. Remove the silks and replace the husks. Soak the corn in cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and place on the grill for 10 to 15 minutes. Cool completely and remove the husks. Using a sharp knife, remove the corn kernels. In a medium bowl, mix together the grilled corn, black beans, garbanzo beans, bell pepper, and mango.

For the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine the lime zest, lime juice, balsamic vinegar, basil, and cumin. Slowly add the oil, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Pour the vinaigrette over the salad and toss well. Refrigerate for 1 hour, and toss again, before serving.