Julie & Julia

Inspired by the book I'm currently reading, Julie & Julia, and the new julienne peeler I received for spending too much at the last Pampered Chef party I attended, and by the beautiful, fat cucumber growing in our backyard I decided to google Julia Child's baked cucumber recipe and try it out tonight.

Last week, our one and only (so far, anyway) large green pepper was asking to be plucked. So, that night I ventured into the backyard and came up with lettuce, green onions, and the pepper. The salad was fresh and yummy and the chicken seasoned with the pepper - wow!
This has been the best part of our own vegetable garden - the grocery store in our backyard and the taste/texture that I never knew existed in vegetables. Definitely not the best part? Weeding. I spent most of Saturday weeding and remembered why I hate it. I do, however, enjoy adding up in my head how much money I've saved just in basil alone. And I have a new appreciation just for the large amount of green peas in the frozen bag I usually buy from Costco. The peas we've grown can be eaten pod and all, but when I take the time to remove them from the pod and then melt a dab of butter with them and nothing else... heaven.