The Little Wifey!

Todd is on his way home from Miami.  I am have been so excited for him to get home!  So, I took a little inspiration from a post of mine on a newlywed site I guest blog for - you can see it here.  In a nutshell, I took a few notes from my grandmothers' generation, and decided to make our home a place Todd wants to come home to....and his wife someone he looks forward to seeing when he gets there!  Seeing that I am not a traditional housewife, and Todd does not have a traditional office job, this is not something I get to do in the most traditional way on a daily basis.  Todd should be home a little before five, so here is what I have done today in preparation for his arrival home (other than the other mundane things already on my to do list like go to UPS, get gas, etc)........

Took Breck to the groomer - so that he both looks, and smells good!

Not cooperating!

Did every last stitch of laundry - this is still in progress as some stuff is still in the dryer!

Did a quick vacuum of the carpets and rugs - I love how this always instantly freshens the house up!  Oh, and cleaned the bathroom!

Went to Whole Foods in preparation for dinner.  Here's some of the stuff I got that I will be using in tonight's dinner:

See the little champagne grapes in the back?  So cute!! ...all except the price!

Todd has announced that he will be starting a diet as of today (this was a surprise), so I am going to surprise him with a yummy, and low-fat honey mustard grilled chicken dinner with sauteed veggies, and a fruit wedge salad to kick off his diet.  I'm doing grilled pineapple for "dessert".  Here's my inspiration (I'm not sure where I got these recipes from, but I would assume Southern Living):

I put on a little black dress (I am sure it is a complete shock to see me in black! HA!), and decided to wear the apron Todd's mom gave me while we were in Kentucky last month...notice it matches my toes! 

I have not figured out the auto-timer on my new camera, if you can't tell!

Lit some candles, put on some music, touched up my make-up, assembled the chicken and have it marinading in the fridge, and now just to wait for Todd to get home......

Lemony Potato Salad

I was chatting with my Mom this morning about several recipes I wanted to try out of this month's Southern Living magazine.  All of them were great "summery" and light dishes that got me really inspired and ready to get in the kitchen after being out of town for several days!  Todd had already requested burgers for dinner tonight, so I decided to try a spin on potato salad that was in the magazine.  It was a great recipe because it was a lighter version of the original potato salad, and didn't include the "creamy" ingredients Todd can't stand in traditional recipes.  It also includes lemon juice, which is always a winner in Todd's book, and the dish is even a great alternative to roasted potatoes.  It got rave reviews from Todd (which was all that mattered - finally I can make some sort of potato salad!!), and was super easy to make! 

Start with 2 lbs diced red potatos - boil for 15 minutes and allowed to drain and cool for 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, whisk together 1/4 cup of olive oil, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 3/4 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.  Then, add 3 thinly sliced green onions, and 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.  Toss the cooled potatoes with the "dressing" and serve immediately at room temperature, or chilled.