I Dig This...

It has been a full three months since I posted about all the random odds and ends that bring a ray of sunshine to my day.

Needless to say, my list has grown to great lengths. Feel free to get a drink. A little snack. Make yourself comfortable.

Current goodness includes:

*Tomato salad.

It is such a simple mix of tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh basil, and either feta or goat cheese. Drizzle it with a bit of balsamic and you have a meal of deliciousness.

*Vinaigrettes.

Since we are on the topic of salad-type foods, I'll add these to the list.

Quick and simple. Minimal ingredients.

The possibilities are endless.

*A summer tan.

Probably the thing I dig most right now.

*Light colored nail polish.

It looks great against tanned, summer skin.

But the best part? It doesn't show chips. This is important when wearing flip-flops everyday.

*Pomplamoose.

One of those bands that has gained a following through the magic of You Tube.

Check-out this Michael Jackson classic.

They have covers of Beyoncé, Lady Gaga, and many more. I love how campy and raw their videos are.

And I want her hair. So cool.

*Selective Tweets.

I mentioned here that I preferred Facebook to Twitter.

This gives me the best of both worlds. It tweets and updates your status at the same time.

Perfect.

*Toy Story 3.

The movie is really good, as I'm sure you've heard. It was worth the high ticket price.

But what I'm really loving is how The Offspring are playing together. They have pooled their money and bought a few of the Toy Story action figures. They combine these with their other toys and will play a la "Andy" for hours.

Play together...without fussing.

Thank you, Disney.

Proof of the Toy Story magic can be seen here...

*The Boy.

This year he spent his own money to get The Girl a birthday gift. There was no prompting involved. It was all his idea.

He knew how much she loved Cowgirl Jessie in the movie and bought her a Jessie doll.

It took over half the money he had been saving, but he did it with a smile.

Love that boy.

*The National.

They are one of my all-time favorite bands. Ever.

Their newest album was released in May. It has been in heavy rotation.

But this is still my favorite...




*These tank tops from Target.

I think they are perfect. They aren't too tight. The straps aren't too skinny. They are the perfect length.

I have six of them. Each a different color.

However, I don't have a link. Target is not cooperating on this one. They are a Mossimo brand tank and cost less than $10. Look for the little buttons at the neckline.

Tank top perfection, I say.

*Man vs. Food.

I don't watch a lot of television. But this show has put a strange spell on me.

I'm both disgusted and enamored.

Most of the foods featured are ones I would never eat, much less eat in mass quantities.

Yet, there is a part of me that gets hungry and starts having the oddest cravings: ginormous hamburgers, hotter than Hell wings, bigger than my head pancakes, six large milkshakes in one sitting.

Mmmmm! Sounds good! Sign me up!

Not really.

*This set on flickr.

Really. How freakin' cool is that?

*Grilled asparagus.

We are keeping the avocado and asparagus farmers in business this season.

*Chard.

We are helping the chard farmers as well.

It's my new favorite green. It has a texture that's more substantial, kind of like kale. But the flavor is milder, more like spinach.

It can be mixed in with just about any pasta dish or sauteéd with some garlic and onion and served alongside...anything.

When I dig up the backyard and start my Houston farm, this is on the "must plant" list.

*This Mark Bittman app on the iPhone.

The cooking apps available leave a lot to be desired, in my opinion. I have the Whole Foods app and the Martha Stewart app, but beyond that...meh.

I hesitated because it costs a whopping $4.99 to download, and I am a total cheapskate when it comes to iPhone apps. But I took the plunge and am so glad I did.

If you are a fan of Mark Bittman's cookbooks, then download without fear.

*Hats.

The Mr. says I have a "hat head". He swears that I can wear any hat and make it look good.

I don't know about that, but I do like hats. I just never wear them. I don't know why.

These hats are hot.

And reasonably priced. That way if one were to just sit in my closet I wouldn't feel too guilty.

*Green salsa.

Usually I'm not a big fan of green salsa. The tomatillos are too over-powering.

Well, we found a green salsa that's locally made. What makes it so darn good? Avocado and cucumber are mixed with the tomatillos.

Holy Moses. Nom. Nom. Nom.

It is especially good on top of something we call Taco Mash.

I'm not going to post a picture. It isn't photogenic. At all.

But it's so very wonderfully good.

Taco Mash: taco meat mixed with black beans, topped with pico de gallo, sour cream, and green salsa or guacamole and a smidgen of Habanero cheese.

I'll repeat myself: Holy Moses. Nom. Nom. Nom.

*Blind Pilot.

I'm a little nuts for this band right now. I listened to their album for five hours straight the other day. I tried to put on something else...but couldn't.

I find it to be one of those rare finds that I can listen to in its entirety.

I'd go on about how smitten I am...but I'm trying to play it cool.

I won't mention how I'm a Facebook fan, following them on Twitter, stalked them on Daytrotter, and googled them to hell. Nope. Not mentioning any of that.

If you go to the above link you can listen to a few of their tunes. One Red Thread blows me away.

*Driving a stick.

We have had an automatic for a few years. It has been lame.

The Mr. got fed up with being lame. I'm so glad.

I was afraid I wouldn't remember how to drive a manual. I shouldn't have.

Lordy, it's fun.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And there you have it.

A laundry list of delights to keep me smiling until the next installment.

What simple pleasures are bringing a smile to your face?