…while I’ve been gone. Let me just say that I’m soo glad that I’m not one of those professional bloggers. Every once in a while, after a few weeks, if I haven’t posted anything on the site, I begin to get nervous and fidget a lot. I know that I need to post something, hell, I usually have something planned to post, but in my mind, for each day that passes, the next post has to be that much better. And I wilt, like collard greens in the pot, under the pressure.

I feel the need to be witty, and smart, and charming, or at the very least, relevant, but at this point,  I feel the need to simply publish something, anything, to let everyone know that I am, in fact, NOT DEAD. Additionally, so much has happened since I last posted that I’m not sure what needs to be discussed here, on the wedding blog, or not at all.  And I don’t really have the time that I’d like to devote to figuring all of that out, so instead I’m just going to put it all out there for you, and let you pick and choose what you’d like to concentrate on.

My car died, so I got a new one. It’s shiny, and pretty, and it makes me feel special. The Girl and I attended an engaged couples marriage preparation weekend. We liked it. We also went to a cooking class. We liked it, too. We learned new recipes, had a good time, and ate a good lunch. I want to blog about it someday, when I get more time. We had brunch with friends. The Mother and The Future-Mother-In-Law came into town, and The Girl had her wedding shower, and they all had fun, and I was jealous. Our two year anniversary came and went, and The Girl and I agreed that it did not get the attention that it deserves, and that we need to rectify such a situation when we can.

I believe that’s everything. It is neither witty, nor smart, nor charming, nor even relevant, but I am alive, and off the hook for the time being, and for that I am glad.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Spiral Pasta, Cooked
• 6 oz. Assorted Olives and Red Peppers, Roughly Chopped
• 10 oz. Dry Salami (Try Busseto)
• 4 oz. Gorgonzola, Crumbled
• 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 4 oz. Dried Cranberries
• 4 oz. Pecans, Roughly Chopped
• Kosher Salt, To Taste

Instruction

Cook pasta and set aside to cool. Roughly chop selection of olives, red peppers, and pecans; cut Salami into quartered pieces about one-quarter inch thick. Mix ingredients in a large serving dish. Serves 6-8.

Notes

This is one of the oldest recipes that I remember The Girl and I preparing together. It’s actually something that I put together on the fly, probably after having watched the Food Network right before grocery shopping. There are many, many recipes for Antipasto Salad out there, but I think what makes this special is the sweetness of the cranberries and sweet red peppers as it mixes with the bitterness from the olives and Gorgonzola. Another is the fact that the pasta is almost an afterthought; something to hold the remaining ingredients together. Most of the time we make this recipe even easier to prepare by getting our olives and red peppers together in the deli section of our grocery store, and by using a packaged salad topping called Cherry Cranberry Pecano Salad Pizazz. Most groceries have an olive section in their deli salad bar these days, and the salad topping has been pretty easy for us to find wherever we go, as well.

Additionally, this is the second straight combine and serve recipe, which, if you hadn’t already guessed, is going to be a common occurance.

The Girl: “I’m thinking about switching to a different pill…”

Me: “Maybe I’ll just make the decision for you and switch your pills out with Flinstone’s vitamins.”

The Girl: “Why would you do a thing like that?”

Me: “To promote strong bones and healthy muscles, of course.”

The Girl: “Har, har. And what heppens when I get pregnant?”

Me: “Well I suppose you’d just have to pedal your car to the delivery room with your feet…”

Happy 1st Birthday, Thing 1 and 2. Sorry that we couldn’t be there, but we’ll see you soon. My, what a difference a year makes.

Ingredients

• 1 lb. Watermelon, Cubed
• 1 lb. Cherry Tomatoes, Halved
• Cilantro, Chopped, To Taste
• 4 Tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Kosher Salt, To Taste

Instruction

Simply toss first four ingredients in a large bowl, dust with kosher salt, and serve. Serves 6-8.

Notes

For me, any recipe with cilantro brings about thoughts of summer, and warm weather, and a light, fresh feeling that can only truly be appreciated during a certain time of the year. I think a bunch of cilantro should be an item on the weekly shopping list every week from Easter until Labor Day, and that’s greatly reflected in the meal’s that I make and serve throughout the spring and summer. The Girl doesn’t share my enthusiasm for cilantro, but she does tolerate it in occasional dishes, of which this is one. We first had this combination of flavors at a Spanish tapas restaurant named Jaleo, which is one of our favorite restaurants. The recipe originally involved peeled, steamed tomatoes, and a cilantro paste, and had the tomato and watermelon on wooden skewers, and we loved it. We decided to recreate it at home, and we made this already simple recipe even easier by losing the skewers, using uncooked cherry tomatoes, and a handful of chopped cilantro. The result is a salad that goes with a complex entree such as roasted chicken or pork just as well as it goes with a chicken salad sandwich.