Five Things

Vacations are always wonderful, but going back to work afterwards is a headache when you're playing catchup for a few days.  It's John's birthday week and we will be celebrating until Sunday when we go out to a surprise dinner.  I figured this was a great week to list my ultimate favorite, John, as one of this week's Five Things.

Yes, Girl Scout cookies, again.  I have a feeling I'm not the only one lusting after Girl Scout cookies this year. I go through these boxes by myself in about three days.  It's just so dangerous that the adorable Girl Scouts always lurk outside my favorite haunt - farmers markets.  This week I opted for Samoas and now I can't decide if I like those more than Tagalongs!  Maybe next week I'll get both to compare.

I grew up eating pretzels.  Preferably of the Snyder's variety.  I would sit down on the floor (undoubtedly in some contorted position my parents couldn't imagine was comfortable to me) with a bag of Snyder's and a huge glass of 1/2% milk (yeah, you read that right) and chow down.  Nowadays I don't really have milk in my house, so I stick with the pretzels solo.  Apparently they carry Snyder's at Whole Foods now.  Dangerous.

My newest cookbook arrived just in time for us to go on vacation.  Be on the lookout for lots of casseroles on the blog in the near future.  This cookbook seems wonderful so far - I've made two recipes and both are winners.  Hopefully I'll be able to change your mind about casseroles like this book has done for me.  I sprained my ankle slightly earlier this week so one morning instead of working out I made a casserole, put it in my fridge, and that night dinner was "made" by slipping it in the oven.  That's something I could get used to!

Casseroles are also a blessing for leftovers.  I'm not a leftovers kind of gal (as my mom can attest), but casseroles and soups are two things that almost always taste better the next day.  Right now we have one waiting in our fridge to be reheated for dinner tomorrow night.  It's spending the evening chatting with the lonely beers in our fridge that haven't been touched since the last time we had beer drinkers around.

And just because I love you guys, here's a bonus picture of our shaggy beast.