Elephant in the Room

Okay. Let's be straight! I'm sure that this blog might be reminding you of a certain bestselling novel/hit movie (Ahem! Julia & Julia), but let's be clear - that is not my intention. Yes-sir-ee! This blog is different. 


Why? Well, because I'm not trying land a publishing contract or movie deal. Moreover, I'm not going to torture myself to complete my MS Living.  From the beginning, I've thought about laying down some ground rules. Such as: If I won't dare to eat a recipe, I'm not going to make it. If a project is too time consuming or expensive, (such as re-tiling my bathroom) I'm going to skip it.  If costs or life demands get out of control, I'm going to cut back. Finally, this blog is not all about MS. Rather, my true focus is on finding ways to be creative and handy on a daily basis and to showcase some of my own projects so they can be shared with all! You can't beat that.


With all that being said, I had the chance to take on another MS dinner last night with successful results. With the help of my handy, dandy assistant (also known as - my fiance), we whipped together dinner in about an hour. Here is what we enjoyed (and boy, did we enjoy!):

Mozzarella, Pesto, Arugula and Parmesan Bruschetta

Rating: 8

Tweaks: Omitted the arugula because we forgot to purchase it!

Grilled Atlantic Char with Mint-Chive Butter

Rating: 9

Comments: A refreshing way to serve fish. Great for summer parties.

Tweaks: Char is fish that is somewhat of a cross between a salmon and a trout. We could not find char at the grocery store. Instead, we used salmon and the recipe turned out perfectly.

Grilled Peppers & Chilies

Rating: 7

Comments: Peppers used - Hungarian, Anaheim, Poblano, Italian Roaster

Roasted Baby Potatoes

Rating: 9

Comments: Non-MS recipe. Assistant's specialty!

Kriek Lambic Beer

Rating: 8

Comments: Cherry flavored version of the classic Framboise (Raspberry) Lambic Beer. Wonderful!

Ithaca Apricot Ale Beer

Rating: 7

Comments: Mild apricot flavor. Great summer beer. 

Notes: We were so excited when we finally got a Wegman's grocery store near Philadelphia! Aside from the amazing food selection, Wegman's also carries beer! For many people, it may not be a "big deal" to have beer in a grocery store but this is not common in Pennsylvania and we have only seen this phenomenon recently. Up until now, we were forced to buy an entire case of beer at a "beer distributor," instead of being able to try new brews in six-packs. I can hardly contain my excitement. Thank you PA Liquor Control Board!