When I am at a loss for what to make for dinner, taco salad is a go to recipe. It can be as easy or complicated as you choose. After being out of town for a week and eating out each night, homemade dinner was a must. The problem was I was short on time, I’d driven up to Flagstaff to retrieve Connor, rushed home to get the four of us ready to fly out the next morning for an early flight to Chicago. Normally I wouldn’t even bother making dinner on such a night, but Connor hadn’t had a home-cooked dinner for nearly 3 months, so taco salad it was.

This was the first time the kids were together in 3 months too, so they gave me my birthday gift. These darling herb garden markers! Marissa found and ordered them online from Etsy.com.

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I exercised my “God-given” right to brag about my child back on September 30th and told you that Connor was going to have a comic strip in the NAU weekly newspaper… remember that?  Here is a follow-up – above are the first two of his Ticks and Lima Beans strips published. Yeah, Connor!

David had business to attend to in Flagstaff on Monday, so we spent last weekend there, visiting our artist and humorous son. It was such a joy and relief to get out of the warm, honestly – more like hot, weather in Phoenix! We did a little eating, a little sightseeing, and I did a little cleaning of the nasty dorm room – eww!

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Ahh, the cooler weather has finally arrived in the desert. I am desperately craving fall foods in the worst way, especially this wonderful dish that Dave and I first enjoyed nearly 13 years ago, on our first trip to France. What a trip it was…

We arrived in Paris on a crisp mid-October evening and were in awe from the very first second. After spending two days in the “City of Light”, we boarded the EuroRail (high-speed train) headed for Cannes in the south of France. There, we rented a car and drove to our destination for the next week, a cooking school in Julia Child’s former Provençal home, La Pitchoune.

I shall share more of our story throughout the month of October, (my favorite month of the year) but for now, the recipe for Gratin de Courge Provençal.

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A flat iron is steak is one of the most versatile pieces of beef. It takes to a marinade like a duck to water. You can grill it, use it in stir-fry, for fajitas, braise it, pan-fry it, whatever.

The last time I posted a recipe using flat iron steak was December 21st of last year, the day after our Arizona Cardinals won the  NFC West title. I am hoping that posting another recipe today, it will send a little (actually a whole boatload) of luck to our struggling team after their humiliating defeat on Sunday. It was a sorry display and just about impossible to watch!

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Today is my friend, Larry Fitzgerald’s, 27th birthday. Larry and I began cooking together when he was only 22 and I was exactly twice his age (ouch!). He was a star wide receiver even then, beginning only his second season, but now – well, now he’s a superstar. Deservedly so! He’s beyond talented. Larry has an incredible work ethic and is as humble as can be, one of the nicest and most genuine people on the planet. It would be hard for the average person to imagine being as humble as he is after you watch this amazing video from ESPN Sport Science.

Dave, Marissa, and I attended the Second Annual Larry Fitzgerald & Friends Celebrity Servers Night to benefit The Carol Fitzgerald Memorial Foundation and The Larry Fitzgerald First Down Fund, last night at Morton’s. My favorite thing about the photo of us above is how I’m looking at my camera that Marissa is holding, and Larry is looking at the camera that his professional photog is holding. So neither picture turned out well, so typical!

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It’s been a strange week. Dave was out of town on business Friday – Friday. I was in California that first weekend for a wedding (a gorgeous wedding). Then Marissa went down to Tucson for her boyfriend’s birthday (Happy birthday, Alberto!).  And on Thursday, I took Connor up to Flagstaff to begin his sophomore year at NAU (Have a great first day today, Con! Missing you!).

The four of us were never home at the same time, and now we won’t be again until … Thanksgiving, probably (insert sad face here). After all that disruption, what we need is breakfast for dinner. There aren’t too many things that feel cozier than having traditional morning food in the evening.

These sandwiches are delicious with or without the addition of a poached egg. I did four with and four without. Use any cheese you like, but I’m using pepper Jack to go with the jalapeno sausage I purchased at The Pork Shop… so darn good!

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After yesterday’s long “birthday” post, I thought it would be nice to post a quick and easy soup for today. Since it’s still scorching here in the desert, I serve this soup at room temperature rather than hot. The avocado just seems to make it more “cool” and summery. If you haven’t already commented on yesterday’s post, be sure and do so to be in the running for the grand prize for a baker’s dozen of fabulous cookbooks. You can easily make this a vegetarian soup, just use all water instead of chicken broth. The carrot and avocado flavors actually come through better that way.  I’m just not a huge carrot fan, so I prefer the broth to tone that flavor down a little.

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Marissa and I were sharing a little quality mother-daughter shopping time at Scottsdale Fashion Square last week. Lord, how that girl used to roll her eyes and complain when I’d drag her into Williams-Sonoma, in years past. Not anymore, now she wants to go in! Oh, the joys of adult children! It made me want to buy her even more things than I already had.

As always, I made a beeline to the sale section and found this great grill tray. The fab sale price ($19 instead of $50!) and the item description are why I was so excited about it. “This grill tray keeps an even temperature and holds its heat well after you’ve removed it from the grill, making it as useful for serving dishes as it is for cooking them. Conducts even heat for thorough cooking, then keeps food warm at the table. Also useful for serving chilled dishes – just refrigerate or freeze the tray before use. For use on a grill or stovetop, or in the oven. Heatproof to 1,000°F.”

I decided to finally brave the heat outside, crank up the grill, and test it out. So, what grade do I give it? A++

Don’t fret if you don’t have the grill tray, just bake for about 15 minutes in a 350-degree oven, on a large rimmed baking sheet.

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On Saturday, September 4th I will be doing a demonstration at Phoenix Cooks with Tram Mai. The segment will be filmed and shown on Channel 12 Valley Dish that Wednesday.  Tram and I will then cook a stuffed salmon to go along with this healthy side. The salmon recipe will follow tomorrow. In the meantime, if you want to come out to the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa and help support Phoenix Children’s Hospital, you can purchase tickets HERE. I’d love to see you there!

Of course, you’ve heard of and most likely eaten couscous before, but what about Israeli couscous? If not, use this recipe and give it a go. You can find Israeli, or pearl, couscous at Trader Joe’s in an 8-ounce package.

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Today I’d planned to post a recipe using the rest of the poblano peppers, but plans changed. We went to a movie and dinner last night so the poblanos will have to wait a day. Instead, how about a lazy Sunday late morning – early afternoon cocktail by the pool? Sounds so much better to me!

Any orange vodka will work here, the Svedka just seems sexier than, say Smirnoff. There’s Absolut Mandarin, Grey Goose L’Orange,  Orange V, Three Olive Orange, Ketel One Oranje, and many more. So pick your own poison, swim up to the pool bar or relax in the whirlpool by the waterfall, and enjoy.

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