For the Love of Anchovies and Flowers

Oy. I have been thinking about changing the blog layout...and after 4 hours of clicking, copy-and-pasting, and tearing my hair out, I think I give up. Too...many...choices....

I didn't end up having to babysit this AM, so I went back to bed and made AM turn into PM! Does anyone else get a lot of crap from other people about sleeping late? Somedays it seems like everyone's favorite joke is how late Gillian sleeps and I gotta say, it gets old. I am perfectly aware it is because I stay up late, but that is simply because I am most productive from about midnight on. Always have been, too. I think it's something about the total quiet and solitude that just frees up a certain part of my brain and lets me think more clearly.

I'm so excited to hear from those of you thinking of/going to Italy to study abroad!!!! Italy is just a magical, wonderful place. DisneyWorld ain't got nothin on Tuscany. If any of you have any questions or concerns about it - or just want some sweet restaurant tips - please email me! It literally makes me giddy when people tell me they are going to Italy now. I'm ready to go back, like, right now.

Recently, I have been trying every fun flavor of Stonyfield Farms yogurt I can get my hands on. It may or may not be a coincidence that this week they were 2 for $1 at Whole Foods. So, on with yogurt week!

This morning included:

The likes: Very creamy, not fruit-on-the-bottom. For lemon yogurt fans, you can't go wrong with this. And it tasted sooo good this hot & humid morning!

The not-so-much: Kind of had a weird aftertaste after I finished it. Can't really relate it to anything, maybe I was just thirsty. Other than that - YUM!

Next up:

Maple Vanilla!!! 

The likes: Very creamy, and the flavors were definitely there. Would be ca-razy good on pancakes!

The not-so-much: Had an odd tang that didn't so much appeal to me. Also, this is a limited edition "seasonal" flavor - what is summery about maple-vanilla? Hell if I know. My real problem with that is it means it will go away - this should clearly be kept on year-round!

And finally, my addiction continues:

Yes, another Pomegranate Berry.

The likes: No fruit on the bottom, yet the flavor was not fake at all. Probably because none of the ingredients are...imagine that!

The not-so-much: The berry flavor is, well, just that - vaguely berry-like. I wish it was blueberry pomegranate; that is one of the most genius fruit combos ever. That's pretty much my only problem :)

Breakfast this morning also included this beauty:

Blushing!

And this guy (too hot for toast or oats and I was too lazy to whip out the blender):

Odwalla's Superfood bar

Yes, it is green! It contains spirulina, a blue-green algae with a whole bunch of good whole food benefits. It has a very...interesting flavor. I go through the same cycle every time I eat it: I hate it, then like it, then end very confused. It has this weird stick-in-the-back-of-your-mouth thing that I find it hard to get over, but the flavor is very complex and earthy kind of like green tea, which I like. [Hence the confusion.] This bar was nothing if not complex. Every bite was a different flavor - from dates, to banana, to raisins. And that is what the bar claimed its flavor profile was, so I guess mission accomplished? It also had little bits of little rice crispies that added a nice crunch for texture variety. Would I buy it again? Honestly, I have no idea. It's the type of thing I would never buy, but could get a random craving for and nothing else would do. Ya know?

I dragged my brother out to walk the dog with me - mostly because I wanted to take pictures, and as I discovered last time, that's not so easy to do when you are on the other side of a leash from a very eager, excited dog.

For once, I was off pick-up patrol!

Tell me these are not the coolest flowers ever?!!! The colors are like crayons!

Flowers = the non-edible fruits of summer.

We came back just in time for dinner - Friday=Pizza night! I was pretty excited for this:

Broccoli + Anchovies. Italy changes a girl. At the very least her tastebuds! The broc worked really well with the anchovies, too - earthy matched with salty, and the mozzarella added just the right sweetness. Oh anchovies, where have you been all my life?

Dessert was one of Bertucci's (Italian/pizza classy chain in New England - their pizza is exactly what I had in Italy. Che buono!) rolls. They are famous for their complementary dinner rolls, and once you taste one, you know why.

Doughy and delicious. I eat them plain - they don't need anything.

Dessert also included this:

A Raspberry "Sherbetter" Bar!

It's a little too "milky" tasting for me, but the texture and creamy flavor is enough to overcome that little detail. I'm way more of a sorbet fan than sherbet (the milk thing again), but this is really quite tasty! I will enjoy the rest of the box, but not really sure I'd buy it again unless I was craving it in particular.

This is a pretty exciting weekend for me...but you'll just have to wait to see why! Here's a hint: I've been brainstorming new names....

~Namaste~