Its ALMOST Like a Mini Vacation

Ahhhhh....peace, quiet and some alone time. I can't remember the last time I was totally alone - besides driving to and from work. Last night once Punkin was in bed I had the couch, the remote and the laptop all to myself. It was like being on vacation - almost. It would have been a tiny bit better if I had a frozen beverage in my hand and could hear the ocean. But Ill take it - it was a nice change of pace.

Yesterday my wonderful hubby left for a 3 day conference, which means I'm holding down the fort while he's gone.  Don't get me wrong I miss him more than anything, but amazingly I dont miss the dishes, laundry or having to vacuum every 5 minutes.

So, with Dada out of town Punkin Head and I decided that it would be a great night to experiment with polenta. If we messed up the recipe - no worries! PB&J would be a fine replacement. 

Polenta has always scared me and I dont know why. I think its the texture - polenta in a tube (and polenta in general) grossed me out for the longest time, until I made lasagna with it once. It came out ok, I ate it then I never made it again as it just wasn't flavorful enough. I decided it needed another chance, and since Punkin Head is in a finger foods stage I figured I would try making "crispy parmesan polenta". The recipe is posted on the "Recipes" page. I have to say, it didnt come out bad! Punkin ate hers in stick form, like a french fry, dipped in plain greek yogurt (her main food staple) and I had mine in slices topped with pesto, a little left over basil, tomatoes and olive oil. It made a great and super easy dinner. I think I will experiment a little more with the flavor of the coating I used, and maybe try grilling it next time. 

The other "real" recipes I wanted to make and post on here this week I havent had the chance to dig out, so they will have to wait.

With the rest of my freedom last night I did a little shopping online and browsed around to find ideas for the kitchen and the office - for when we get around to finishing them. Right now the kitchen is still just a pure white plaster shell of a room. The project that was suppose to take 2 to 3 weeks is now on its third month, sitting at a stand still due to lack of time. So the best I can do is browse pictures and day dream. I did however figure out what I want to do with my office, and that project I can start ASAP. A few great subway-type prints caught my eye on Amazon, but they were too expensive to purchase (at $200 each!). One that I did like from Amazon, that is with-in budget is this one . Something about it calls to me, yet I didn't order it. I think I want to make a trip to HomeGoods before I actually purchase anything. The walls in there are a deep red right now, and arent changing until we demolish the room later on down the road, so I am trying to be simple with the decor and pick things neutral enough that I can re-use.  My mind is whirling with ideas and keeps leaning toward a retro black and white office theme - words, letters, typewriter type items. Easy to see in my head, not so easy to put in words. Hopefully what I'm seeing in my mind looks just as good in person, although I think ANYTHING will look better than the nothingness that is in there now.

Well, seeing as though I only have another 24 hours before life returns to "normal" I suppose I should go be lazy and relax on the couch...