I, daughter, am moving to Spain in approximately 3 weeks. While exciting and joyful, there have been many stressors along the way. Visa application, getting rid of stuff, living out of suitcases, saying goodbye to friends and family...you get the picture. All this while living with mom and dad for the last leg of this Stateside journey.
One of the best parts about living with mom and dad is cooking and eating together. We are enjoying our evenings once or twice a week. The other night, I was feeling overwhelmed and consumed by Spain preparations. The night before dad made a request for a salad that I rarely make (because it is a lot of work) and the rest of the family coerced me into making it.
And, I'm glad.
It's the kind of salad that you have to time just perfectly.
The onions and garlic have to be chopped first
They bounce around in the white wine vinegar with salt and pepper for at least a half hour
Meanwhile, you have to hard boil eggs...
...cook bacon...and prepare the brussels sprouts.
of course I can't forget about the mound of french bread cubes...
...just waiting to be bathed in olive oil and crisped in a pan
And finally all my hard work, timing, preparation and patience pays off and I watch the salad come together...
...and VOILA!
And now you see why I am pleased. I feel this small accomplishment and realize that as I watch this salad come together in order, I can continue to trust that I am not alone in my own journey, and that it too will come together.
And hopefully be just as tasty.
Fresh from the garden tomato's. Within a couple days of your move we picked several of the tomato's from our garden. The yellow ones are my favorite. They have a wonderful sweet flavor. All three variety are heirlooms. I am hoping I can find the labels so I can be sure and plant them next year. We made a caprese salad with them one night, cappellini another and sliced on a bagel with melted cheese for breakfast. I have actually eaten a couple just like an apple for a snack. So delicious.
This blog started out as a fun idea a couple of months ago-as a way of staying connected through our cooking, dining and eating experiences when you move to Barcelona. But one thing led to another, I mean who can have a blog about cooking without having shiny new aprons? And who wants to take the easy way out by buying a couple of aprons (me). I am so thankful you wouldn't settle for easy! So in the course of a couple weeks we have two new aprons, a purse and two skirts! It has been fun getting lost in the fabric store looking at patterns and fabric. It is especially fun for me to see that you have caught the bug! I forgot how much I enjoy sewing, the smell of new fabric and getting lost in the project. Thanks for getting me excited again about creating something besides food! 
