We had some nice weather this week, with just a bit of rain to remind us that it is still spring, not summer. Walking is our major form of exercise and we are blessed to be in a place with so many options. Just a few blocks away is the Willamette River Walk, our favorite. And it also a good place to sit on a bench and read as this man was doing.

Last Friday I made another eggplant dish. It is funny looking back, since I remember the days when I would say, only slightly joking, that God made a mistake when he invented eggplants and beets. Since we have discovered ways to prepare both that are amazing, I have been allowed to eat those words – I am sure God is smiling knowingly.

This preparation layers eggplant, tomato, and gruyere with olive oil, herbs, and garlic on a parchment lined baking sheet. The eggplant slices are lightly grilled before layering. Then it is baked at 450F for 15 minutes, then let sit for 10minutes.

Saturday we went with Alexis and Joe to see “Project Hail Mary.” Easily one of the best movies we have seen in a long time, I know a re-watch is in our future. Maybe next March I will actually know one of the movies nominated for an Oscar.

Sunday, Tricia did her magic with risotto, I have praised it often but it is well worth the accolades. This was with bay scallops and asparagus. We only buy asparagus when it is in season locally so we use it often for a few weeks, then wait expectantly for next spring.

Two weeks ago I posted about a new place near us, Hearth & Vine, where we went for Happy Hour. On Wednesday of this week we went back but for lunch. Tricia was doing a bit of shopping, and I got there a bit early, so there was time for a quick sketch.

I like sketching with 5mm graphite, then 08 Micron, with a light blue marker for highlights or shadows. The whole set up fits in a pocket so it is great for travelsketching when you are limited on space or tome.

I love pizza, we make it often, and I really love wood-fired pizza, Heather & Vine have such an oven. I must also admit I really like pepperoni pizza, however I rarely get it for lots of “healthy” reasons (why does all the really good stuff have to be so baaad???). But Wednesday I took Oscar Wilde’s advice: “The only way to get rid of temptation is to yeild to it.” And in words from the 1972 Alka-Seltzer commercial, “I can’t believe I ate the whole thing.”

It was so good, and I do love pepperoni, yet I will not have another for a bit. My wise wife, with a degree in nutrition, passes on the advice she learned from one of her professors, that it is ok to indulge, and when you do, really go for it, just don’t do it all the time.

Yesterday, for lunch, Tricia made pasta, with lots of veggies. It is so good, thankfully a lot better for me than pizza. Hmm… I doubt she would want me to slip in some pepperoni????

It is another sunny day, after posting our blogs a trip to Trader Joe’s is in order. We do think a lot about food and eating, but it is a pretty good hobby I think.

So I leave you with this quote, I can’t remember where I found it so cannot give proper credit, yet we certainly agree with the thought. For me food, travel, and sketching are le meilleur.

I hope your week is full of peace and simple good food, seasoned with smiles and caring people, with a lot of grace and peace thrown in for good measure.