a picnic good enough to eat

Have you ever notices that for some reason, eating is so much better out of doors.
And that you're much happier on a picnic than rushing to eat lunch?
I got a kick out of what is defined as a picnic:

picnic: pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors (al fresco or en plein air) , ideally taking place in a beautifu landscape

Here's what we took in our (not so basket-y) picnic basket...

Corn and Black Bean Salad

1 can of black beans (rinsed and drained)
2 ears of corn
3 springs of green onion
1 red bell pepper
1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
1 jalapeno
salt
cumin
balsamic vinegar (although we used EVOO)
garlic powder














Combine all above ingredients by:
Cutting corn off of ears (I just microwaved it for one minute and it was soft & sweet enough)
Chop green onions finely
Chop bell pepper
Chop jalapeno finely
Chop cilantro finely
Drizzle b. vinegar or EVOO (really, which ever you have)
Add seasoning to taste.

This is one of the things that get's better day after day. So leftovers are real good.



BLT (the Turkey Bacon/Spinach/Tomato kind)

1 loaf of rustic-type bread (the .99 cent Whole Foods kind is my favorite)
1 small tomato (for 2 sandwiches)
6 slices of turkey bacon
1 cup of spinach
Parmesan cheese

note: when you buy a loaf from Whole Foods, have them slice it for you!

1. Cook turkey bacon in a skillet, microwave, whatever method you like!
2. Toast bread in skillet by drizzling EVOO in pan. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over the bread.
3. Layer slices of bacon, sliced tomato, and spinach on top of bread. Drizzle with a little EVOO if you like.
4. Take it outside, and enjoy!

dinner party.

Ally, here.

Well, I've just hit a milestone. I celebrated my 21st birthday on Thursday, and as I am now a full-fledged adult, I've decided to become a bit more sophisticated. I celebrated my birthday with a dress-up dinner party in the backyard. I prepared the main course, asparagus and mozzarella stuffed chicken, while the guests brought side dishes and desserts. I'm telling you, there's nothing better than enjoying a great meal with great friends. And doing so in the great outdoors (well, as great as the outdoors can get in the middle of the city) makes it even better.
Here's the recipe for the chicken. You're going to love it.

Ingredients:
chicken breast (one for each person)
asparagus
mozzarella cheese
butter
black pepper
garlic (powder or the real deal)
basil
EVOO

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
   
2. Beat the chicken breast until it is thin enough to easily fold/roll. (I'm limited on tools, so I used the back of an ice cream scoop.)
3. Put a dab of butter in the middle of the chicken breast.
4. Lay whole asparagus (I did 4 or 5 pieces) in the middle of the chicken breast.
5. Sprinkle with pepper.
6. Sprinkle with mozzarella (in my opinion, the more cheese the better).
7. Roll the chicken breast until the asparagus and cheese are nicely contained.
   
8. Sprinkle the top with basil and garlic, followed by a drizzle of EVOO.
9. Bake for 20-30 minutes.

This is a great dish for a large group. It only takes a few minutes to prepare, and it's not too expensive to make. Hope you enjoy!