Dinner in Bed…..Plus What I learned

When I got home tonight, I decided to check on my organic Sweet 100 Cherry Tomatoes that I am growing.  I was SO EXCITED when I saw a little BABY tomato starting to grow!  Since I am a dork like that I immediately went running into the house to show The Husband this single tomato…so cool!  I am proud I’ve kept them alive so far…Yeah!

And there are a TON of little yellow flowers just waiting to grow more baby tomatoes!

For dinner tonight, I decided to grill up some of the Farmer’s Market veggies we have in the fridge so I can restock this weekend.  Do you all remember that purple bell pepper I bought last weekend?  Check it out on the inside – it’s totally yellow/white – who knew?!

I chopped it up with the summer squash, red onion, green bell pepper and a few carrots.  Then, I seasoned them with 2 cloves minced garlic, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Balsamic Vinegar, Sea Salt and Freshly Ground pepper.

I used my Pampered Chef Grill Basket and cooked them for about 10 minutes, until they are crispy, crunchy and slightly browned/blackened.  While the veggies cooked, I grilled up The Husband his 1 lb steak he was dreaming of ALL day.

I think it’s cool that the Purple Bell Pepper stays purple when cooked unlike the green beans.

For a quick side, I made up Annie’s NEW 5-Grain Elbows & White Cheddar.  I LOVE this new Mac – it might just be my favorite one other than I like Shells better than elbows.  Shells hold the cheese inside

Plus some super sweet white corn.

And a scoop of grilled veggies

With a small piece of grilled steak. I wasn’t planning on having any steak since I wasn’t too hungry but The Husband said I couldn’t carb out at dinner and should have some protein   I grilled the steak his favorite way with a little garlic salt, pepper and A-1.

All together dinner was totally filling, fast and delicious.

The best part – we ate dinner in bed   The Husband told me yesterday he has been missing me with his hours so we had a picnic in bed and watched The Phone Booth until the cable said it would be back in a few minutes….that movie never came back up – what is up with that?  So we moved onto watching CSI  Fun!

QUICK THOUGHTS ON WHAT I LEARNED DOING THE RECIPE CHALLENGE:

* I am completely honored to have made the Top 5 Finalists with my recipe for a site that I have used for years….This will always be a highlight in my life – win, lose or draw.

* I finally signed up for FaceBook! Ok, so I STILL have no clue on how to use it.

* I actually started Tweeting for real…maybe….

* I learned I can seriously become a little OCD wondering – what’s the tally at now?! Who else can I ask to vote? It was a full time job trying to market myself.  LOL 

* Thanks to those who listened to me and encouraged me as the results went up and down.  I think I turned into a little bit of a basket case mid-way through with the highs and lows but you were all there to pick me up and remind me to stay positive.

* I have more friends and supporters than I ever knew.  Words cannot begin describe how I feel or even do it justice.  Whether you know me in life, through my blog or heard about me through a friend, you all went to such lengths to help me get votes….from giving me a shout-out on your blogs/twitter/facebook, hosting giveaways, to telling your friends and families to vote, to borrowing computers of your co-workers and family.   I am totally amazed and FEEL loved by everything you did to help out!

* I WISH I could personally thank each and everyone of you for believing in me and continuing to support me through the process whether I was ahead or behind.  You ALL really ARE amazing!  If there is anything I can ever do to return the favor, please do not hesitate to ask….I’d be glad to pay it forward!

Have a great night everyone ~ I am off to grab a few hours of snuggle time before he has to head into work!  I’ll see you all in the morning….1 day until the weekend is here – Yahoo!  I cannot wait!