the first day of everything

Yesterday was not only the first day of spring, but also the anniversary of two years with my guy.

Talk about a day to celebrate, right?

Two years ago he and I were out with friends when our adventure together began. Last year we spent the evening fiesta-ing at the place we first met. And this year? This year we made this:

And it was delicious. Pasta with Caramelized Cabbage, Anchovies, and Bread Crumbs. I found this little gem one morning while I was paging through the New York Times in the office kitchen, and it was so so so good that I'm confident it will become a staple. Who knew cabbage was so versatile?

For the time being, I am surrounded by fresh flowers in my apartment. I am simultaneously admiring them and calculating how much it would cost to be this surrounded everyday.

(Not in the budget. Bummer!)

 

  

This Friday, as part two of our anniversary celebration (two years deserves two celebrations right?? I can see this logic getting out of hand), we are heading to a relatively new-to-the-area (and completely new to us!) tapas restaurant. Our date night in Miami was at an incredible tapas place called Tapas y Tintos...the food and ambiance were just magical. Fingers crossed that we will be discovering an equally magical and delicious tapas restaurant much much closer!

absence makes the heart grow fonder

Remember when I said I would be back later in the week to post a recipe?

Oops.

Forgive me?

To make amends, I will catch you up on my life of recent weeks. And then I will try, with little baby steps, to make this blog less of a desert and more of a lush rainforest.

I ventured to Miami in the middle of February to spend some sunny time with some great friends, and to celebrate a wedding.

 

 I cooked some things, and tried to take pictures of them.

I kept running, and kept enjoying it, and then bam! my shins started to hurt, and now I look like this most evenings:
 

So now, I work, and I stretch and try to heal my troublesome shins (while filling my late afternoons with other feisty things like yoga and Jillian Michaels), and I read (currently The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest), and I cook. For my love, for my family, and for my friends.

The weather is getting warmer, and I can feel the world starting to come out of hibernation (myself included). More fun to come.