Strawberry Lover

Another week of travel has come to an end, this time from the bright lights of Las Vegas. I got home just in time for a special occasion...Matt's birthday! Once Riker was ready for bed, we had a babysitter come over for the evening so we could enjoy a birthday date night just the two of us. It was quite a change from the big bash we had last year, but we both needed a quiet evening. Matt was actually in the Bahamas last weekend for a bachelor party (I didn't mention it while he was away for safety reasons), and I left for Vegas before he got home, so a date night was just what we needed. We went to Fuji for some wine and sushi.

And this time we got to sit in one of the traditional kneeling tables since I remembered to call ahead for a reservation. I know it's silly, but there's something about sitting at that little table with my shoes off and my legs curled up on a cushion while I eat my sushi. Makes me feel a lil bit more special.

We ordered three specialty rolls to split, which were good as usual, but I actually liked our apps best. Seaweed salad is always a must, and Fuji's version has so much sesame flavor, I love it.

Matt spotted "tuna dumplings" on the apps menu, and we were intrigued and had to try them. Seriously, my new favorite thing ever. We each had one pouch of fresh Ahi tuna wrapped around a big mound of creamy avocado, and served with wasabi and miso sauces.

They look a little funky, but oh my word, SO good.

After dinner we went to see The Great Gatsby, which I couldn't wait for. I've always loved Gatsby - both the book and the original Robert Redford movie - and I'm a sucker for Leonardo DiCaprio. My good friend Julie works in the movie industry and was a promoter for Gatsby, so a few weeks ago she sent me some swag and free tix, woop! Such a great evening and perfect way to end a tiring week.

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This morning I let Matt sleep in late while I got up early with Riker. Yogurt bowls were on the morning menu, along with a cup of steaming hot coffee. It was coooold this am.

I put the usual half a banana, drizzle of honey and chopped pecans on top of my Chobani this morning, but for a twist I tossed on a few of Riker's dehydrated banana chips and a sprinkle of cinnamon and nutmeg. The banana chips were a great addition, they gave the bowl a nice crunch.

A much-needed lazy morning at home was preceded by our annual trip to the garden center. It's that time of year again!

We came away with two pallets filled with veggies, herbs, flowers and strawberry plants for our garden. I can't wait to get all these babies planted and growing. It's safe to say the strawberry plants will be Riker's favorite. He stole the only two red ones and gobbled them up before we even left, and kept saying "more, more" the rest of the time we were shopping.

That track suit is out of control. I can't stand how cute that kid is.

Dinner came together pretty quickly thanks to some prep work Matt took care of earlier in the day. He roasted off a bunch of beets that'd been sitting in our fridge for a while, so I took advantage of the freshly cooked veg to make a warm, earthy salad.

In the bowl:
- Mesclun greens
- Belgian endive (on its last legs and I barely saved it)
- Steamed green beans
- Roasted beets
- Cucumbers
- Goat cheese crumbles
- Toasted pecans

I dressed the salad simply with blueberry balsamic vinegar, then topped the bowls with blueberry pan-seared salmon. To cook the salmon, I heated coconut oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and placed the filets in skin side down. While they were cooking, I basted the tops with a simple mixture of homemade blueberry jam and red wine vinegar; then I flipped them and cooked them on the other side for about 8 more minutes. I sprinkled them with citrus fleur de sel just before serving.

The salads were fantastic. We ate them with a glass of red wine at the bar after Riker went to bed.

I just finished cleaning up and Matt's out back building a fire, so I'm signing off to go spend this chilly evening wrapped up with a blanket outdoors. Hope you're enjoying your Memorial Day Weekend so far!