Before we take off to Italy (tomorrow night!) I thought I’d post a couple recipe-free things that you might consider eating while I’m gone.

First of all, it’s asparagus time. Get out there and eat as much as you can while it is in season–we had our first bunch about two weeks ago and every year I am shocked by the grassy deliciousness of the really in-season stuff. You eat enough asparagus in random restaurants, etc. year round that it’s easy to forget the power of the real thing. We just tossed it with olive oil, salt and pepper and grilled it alongside some sausages. I could have eaten the whole bunch myself, but I shared with Ben.

Last week I was avoiding buying too many groceries or creating leftovers, since we were about to take off for almost two weeks. We made burgers last weekend and still had a couple soft rolls, so I picked up (*cough*) frozen breaded cod fillets from Trader Joe’s, along with tartar sauce, added sliced tomatoes and a salad and called it dinner.

Scrumptious, diner-by-the-sea dinner.

In other news, I bought a $1 mini-pot with basil seeds from Target, and lo and behold I planted them and they SPROUTED. I’m so proud! Just before we left for NYC they sent forth their first real basily leaves. A kind neighbor is babysitting them and I’ll repot them when I get back.

Also, as long as I’m rambling incoherently, these photos amuse me terribly. Ben usually puts my coffee out for me before I leave for work, and sometimes he’ll leave this tiny wooden sheep (which I bought in London last summer) somewhere silly, for a laugh. I was pretty impressed when I found this last week:

But when I laughed and touched the mug…

Uh-oh! I hope that is not a portent for our drive along the switchbacks in the Tyrolean Alps. (I’ll be the one hunched in the passenger seat with her hands over her eyes.)

Have a good week, and I’ll see you all on the flip side! Comment and let me know what you’re cooking; I’ve left a couple posts to pop up while I’m away.