Homegrown Tomatoes

Today, I got back from Portland and found this little fella all ripe and ready to be plucked.


Of course, I did just that. Chopped and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper, this brandywine tomato made the perfect succulent summer snack. I can't wait for more tomatoes to ripen!


In addition to my main prize, I harvested three ripe figs.


Fred approved.

Eggs

Here's a random breakfast I made many weeks ago but forgot to post. It's just eggs with homemade salsa and avocados. Inspired by our trip to Austin.

Restaurant Review: Kensington Grill

Last weekend, Badge and I went to Kensington Grill. It's been on my list of restaurants to try for quite some time now, but two things have prevented us from going: 1) Kensington is far 2) we are lazy.

On that particular day, we were feeling energetic and adventurous. And hungry. Very hungry. Unable to wait until a respectable dinner hour, we got there at 5pm just in time for opening.

First up, a sampling of bruschetta: mango salsa and brie, spicy baba ganoush with tomato compote, and smoked salmon with cucumber salad. Wow. This was delicious. My favorite was the spicy baba ganoush because it was warm, dense, and so flavorful. The smoked salmon was a close second though it couldn't have been more different. Chilled, light, and refreshing. Yum. The mango salsa and brie was my least favorite. The two just didn't make a great combination, both from a texture and flavor standpoint. Still quite edible, just didn't dazzle my taste buds.

Next up, a delicious fig salad. Pretty simple, can't go wrong when figs meet cheese.

Then, a small plate of mac n shrooms. It had all the ooey gooey goodness of mac n cheese plus the earthy flavor of mushrooms and crunchy layer of panko. I could have eaten this as a meal unto itself. We actually considered ordering another but thought we should try more things.

Next in line was the shrimp waffle. This intriguing menu item did not disappoint. Topped with marinated onions and peppers and some sort of mystery sauce, it made for a unique and satisfying dish. At some point while eating this, I did have a fleeting desire for waffles soaked in syrup and berries but the desire wasn't so strong that I had to race out of the restaurant for the nearest IHOP.

And finally we had ravioli with black bean sauce. In retrospect I can't remember what was actually in the ravioli. I do remember it was tasty though maybe not compelling enough for me to order it again.

Paired with wine and ending with a decadent snicker brownie plus ice cream dessert, the meal was quite good. We were thoroughly pleased with Kensington Grill and will be back soon.

Bunny Eats on Yelp

I've started to actively write reviews on Yelp. It's quite fun and helps me keep track of my favorite eats.

Check it out. http://bunnyeats.yelp.com

I suck

I know, posts have been scarce.

Between my work and Badge's, life has been busy. Too much work and not enough play. BUT, never fear. Travel is on the horizon, which means there will be plenty to blog about.

Next week, I'll be in the UK again for work. My dept had a reorg, so my new boss is there which should be interesting. Another result of the reorg is that Busy Mama will be joining my new team. Whoo hoo! Exciting stuff. Then the week of Labor day, I'm going to Portland to help Monkey move into her new digs. We'll be exploring the city (aka eating our way through the city) and furniture shopping. Badge will be joining us the following weekend and then we'll fly back together. Can't wait.

Lastly, we've scheduled a trip to NY at the end of Oct. Ah the city, how I've missed you.

Garden Update

Alright, Saturdays = garden update.

The little champagne grapes are ripening. I need to keep watch over them so they don't get overrun with ants like one of the bunches from last year.


The brandywine tomato is fattening up nicely. The stem looked flimsy so I propped it up using some fishing wire.


To my surprise, another tomato emerged last week.


And when I went out to check this morning, I found three more tiny buds! That's 5 in total so far. Hallelujah.


The rest of the garden is looking good (except the zucchini and cucumbers all died off for some reason...bad soil?) The stargazer lilies are in bloom which are quite lovely. Here's a closeup using my new 60mm macro lens.


Several months ago my coworker gave me a small pot of mini roses. She had them as centerpieces and then giveaways at her wedding. For a while I watered it without realizing there was an inner bowl without an holes for drainage. Subsequently, the poor plant was drowning. Since then I've been nursing it back to health and I'm happy to report it's pleased again. See first bloom below.


And of course I end with the gratuitous cat picture.

Recording

Over the past few months, Badge has been recording with his band. He's got 10 awesome songs that are almost ready to debut. Can't wait for everyone to hear the finished product.

Here are some shots I took when I dropped by the studio one Saturday.