The Crazy Dog Days Of (Not-Yet) Summer.

First off -- I apologize.
I just got married on the 7th of June, and in the craziness and planning that was leading up to the Big Day... I lost track of this journal for six months.
... I feel so incredibly guilty, neglecting this space like that.

Still, I have reasons: I haven't been able to keep up with more than one online journal. I haven't been enjoying the whole cooking thing as much as I feel I should. There hasn't been a camera I can take good food pictures with -- and so on.

If I'm honest, I'll admit they're excuses.
I've been neglecting my cooking in the face of the easy out because of stress -- and worse yet, I've neglected something I love.  Guess I'm going to have to promise myself to be more proactive.

First off: My kitchen garden is still going strong. I've had to replace the basil and thyme, but the rest of the herbs are doing all right: The sage never came up, breaking my heart -- and since I'm in a gardening state of mind these days, I think I may have to run over to the local Farmer's Market tomorrow morning and pick up a sage seedling, as well as perhaps some arugula. (I've taken to reading Serious Eats in my unannounced hiatus.)

I have a pot of strawberry plants in the front yard, as well as two rosemary plants, and four tomato plants (not including the half dozen or so of tomato seedlings that I was able to coax out of the soil), plus four pepper plants -- one green bell, two purple bells that are just starting out, and a jalepeno that I'm telling myself I'll never use, but keep regardless.

The first heat wave of not-yet-summer seems to be upon us, so naturally, I've hit a furious period where I must bake. Comfort? What's that compared to roast chicken basted with coco-nib and pepper-infused olive oil or homemade cakes with tea flavorings? That's crazy talk right there.  -- Yeah, the husband thinks I'm nuts, though I've promised him I know where to find an inexpensive box fan that will fit perfectly into the kitchen window.

If it weren't for my birthday (which is coming up with alarming swiftness), I think I'd just call summer a total loss and rally for a season-long trip to Australia to avoid it -- but at the moment, I have to grant that this weather's giving me the perfect excuse to whip up a chilling pitcher of sangria.