Rain, rain, more rain and...HAIL! Not the best picture but you can kind of get an idea of the pea-sized hail from the other day:

The hole in my closet is slowly but surely getting larger and it doesn't look like the rain is stopping anytime soon! Perhaps they should have fixed it when I told them over a month ago...now it's the size of a softball:


I've tried two recipes lately. The first one was Pasta with Bacon and Cauliflower. It was absolutely delicious! It was nice because there was no heavy sauce. The pecorino cheese creates a creaminess that is just enough. The second recipe I tried was Spinach and Parmesan Dip for our employee potluck at work. It definitely was quick and easy and pretty tasty however Mom's recipe is definitely better! We also had our manager's dinner at Rose Pistola in the city. We had a pre-fixe menu that was served family style. Appetizers were Crispy Squash Chips with Paprika & Garlic and Bruschetta with Stracchino, Pear, Crispy Prosciutto & Truffle Honey. Both were very delicious. For salad we had Roasted Beets, Grilled Treviso, Mandarins & Ricotta Salata, Chopped Salad with Point Reyes Blue Cheese Vinaigrette and Treviso with Persimmon, Candied Pecans, Pomegranate & Honey-Champagne Vinaigrette. The first two were my favorite and the persimmons were delicious in the last salad. For the main course we shared 2 pizzas: Roasted Peppers, Olives & Goat Cheese and Pepperoni, Oregano & Red Onion which were both delicious. We also had Butternut Squash Ravioli with Brown Butter & Sage which was very good too. Hungry yet?! And for dessert, Chocolate Truffle Tart & Eggnog Crème Brûlée and an apple tart with cranberry gelato which I preferred. The owners announced that next year everyone will be eligible for health benefits! Very exciting news. Now I will feel like I have a grown-up job! They also gave us a $100 gift certificate to Nordstrom (which I'm thinking I need to invest in a new rain coat!) and our Executive Baker gave her culinary managers a gift certificate for pedicures and these amazing slipper socks:

I can't wait to see the look on the face of TSA as I walk through airport security in these! Countdown until I get to see my family: EJ=3 days, Mom/Dad/David/Grandma/Grandpa/Hank/Holly/Gibby Goo=5 days!