STRAWBERRY+LEEK QUESADILLAS.

One of my very best girlfriends from college has a personal blog where she includes little ramblings of her life, a picture every now and then or a sweet thought. Kristine is my kindred spirit as far as communication goes. Both of us mildly moody, vulnerable talkers, easy tears - she's the best kind of friend to have when you need to process life with someone. She posted a rhetorical question asking "what will be the tone of your life?". A melody, as she calls it, made up of words, conversations and attitudes. I tried to think of mine, and came up with a list of a few things I wanted it to be, but couldn't settle on one word that would qualify as my aspired tone. You don't often think of yourself in the form of complimentary adjectives, but this question isn't about patting yourself on the back, as it is setting a thesis for the rest of your story.

Are you ready for my utterly general response? Loveliness. To be enjoyable, delightful, gracious, to inspire and be full of love. I'm excited by sending notes, nurturing, doing favors, feeding people, listening, and want to do more of it. Love. Maybe it's too big or too vague of a word to throw out as one's tone, but it makes sense to me right now.

As we stayed up late last night talking about this, I asked Hugh what he thought my tone would be, and he named it... and when I explained how I thought his tone was 'intention', complimenting the purpose with which he does things, he said I was close, "I want my tone to be, BE AWESOME. It's the same as intention, but in Hugh language." Can't say I'm surprised. Always dependable to lighten the mood.

May that encourage you to give this some thought. It doesn't have to be a heavy question, you can just want to be awesome, but it's important to boil the big things down every now and then. It may be an endless endeavor, but a little perspective is always welcome.

This is hardly a recipe, but I wanted to give some ballpark measurements and hints for those who want them. Pick up the most fragrant basket of strawberries, deep red right up to the stem. Then add sauteed leeks with their subtle onion flavor, all held together by the creamy tartness from the goat cheese. It's a ten minute snack of pure LOVELINESS.

STRAWBERRY + LEEK QUESADILLAS

Makes 1

1 Leek

2 tsp. Coconut Oil/Olive Oil

2 Brown Rice Tortillas

1/3 Cup Soft Goats Cheese

1/3 Cup Grated Mozzarella

Thinly Sliced Strawberries

Fresh Ground Pepper

Cilantro

1. Remove the tough, dark green top of the leek, to use only the white and light green parts. Slice the leek in half length wise and clean out any dirt. Slice thin.

2. Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a large pan and saute the leeks with a pinch of salt for about 10 minutes until softened and just browning in parts. Transfer to a bowl.

3. Over medium high heat, warm the remaining tsp. of oil and lay down one of the tortillas. Use your discretion as far as filling amounts. All across the tortilla, sprinkle half of both cheeses, desired amount of the sauteed leeks, strawberries, a sprinkle of pepper and the rest of the cheese. Cover with the other tortilla and cook about 2 minutes until the bottom is browned, flip the quesadilla and cook 2-3 minutes on the other side. Slice and sprinkle some cilantro if you'd like.

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ORZO + BROCCOLI PESTO SALAD

I have been a long time admirer of Heidi, creator of the eversopopular 101cookbooks. I started off my food blog interest, knowing of only two sites, Heidi's being one of them. Her taste in food is similar to mine, so I read (and still read) every post with full attention. I like to cook with whole grains and lots of produce; keeping food fresh and natural, while not compromising flavor. She has been a pioneer of that style in the food blog world, reminding readers that food that is good for you, does not end at steamed vegetables and a dry protein. Heidi is creative, kind, and relatable in the way she presents her recipes. She emphasizes on her site and in her new book Super Natural Every Day, that recipes are there to offer ideas and get you started, but always open for change. The book is full of helpful tips, great recipes, and room for you to make them your own. It is not short of beautiful images and her humble personality is woven through every page.

This recipe caught my eye as I was thinking of something to bring on a picnic with my sister in law and sweet little niece. It travels well and is packed with flavor. I only made a few changes, to avoid yet another trip to the store. I swapped in walnuts for the suggested pine nuts, added chopped cilantro, and tossed in some adzuki beans for a little extra protein. I am going to write Heidi's recipe as given in the book, and you can make your adjustments as you desire.

ORZO + BROCCOLI PESTO SALAD // Serves 6

Super Natural Every Day by Heidi Swanson

1 Cup Whole Grain Orzo

5 Cups Raw Broccoli, cut into small florets

2 Cloves of Garlic

2/3 Cup Pinenuts, toasted

1/3 Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Juice of one Lemon

1/4 Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Creme Fraiche

Grated Zest of one Lemon

1 Large Avocado, sliced

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt generously. Add the orzo and cook according to package instructions. Drain, rinse with cold water, and drain again.

2. In the meantime, cook the broccoli. Bring about a cup of water to a boil in a large pot with a pinch of salt. Stir in the broccoli, put the lid on and cook for one to two minutes, just long enough to take the edge off. Quickly drain the broccoli, and run under cold water to stop the cooking. Drain well.

3. To make the pesto, combine 2 cups of the cooked broccoli, the garlic, most of the nuts, parmesan, 1/4 tsp salt, 2 Tbsp. of the lemon juice and pulse in a food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil and creme fraiche and pulse until smooth.

4. Toss the orzo, remaining cooked broccoli florets, about 2/3 of the pesto and the lemon zest. Taste it and add what you like - more lemon, salt, the rest of the pesto. Fold in the avocado and top with the remaining nuts and a bit of extra parmesan if you prefer.

SUNNY EGGS + MUSTARD-CREAMED CHARD

I still have not really come to terms with the major increase in my grocery bill since I am now feeding a grown man. What I passed off as dinner while living on my own, doesn't cut it anymore. Budget friendly it was, filling for a hungry man it is not. This is not a complaint; I am having so much fun experimenting and having dinner conversation about what could be different: why do you always sneak kale into everything? quinoa does not count as a starch (I disagree), more salt, a little burnt... it's fun, and I'm learning.

Lately, breakfast has been 'our thing'. Hugh makes great coffee and I make something quick for breakfast. Note that his coffee process takes about 15-20 minutes start to finish, so I have time to do more than pour a bowl of cereal. Enough time to make this breakfast panini again, or yum these are my favorite. At some point society told us that in the mornings you get up and go and you kick your feet up at the end of the day. I think taking that little luxury in the morning, is worth working later into the evening. Breakfast lovers, you feel me?

I saw this recipe in the recent Bon Appetite and changed it up just a tad to use the chard I had in the fridge. Contrary to the title, it is not overly mustardy by any means. You could save time by just having toast as opposed to the breadcrumbs, but they are what give the dish character - tiny bits of crunch in each bite. And let us not forget the option of breakfast for dinner, because anything with breadcrumbs certainly can pass for either.

SUNNY EGGS + MUSTARD CREAMED CHARD // Serves 2

Adapted from Bon Appetite

The magazine wrote the recipe with one egg, but I need two to constitute a meal. I realize we already have slightly creamy greens here, but a few grates of fresh parmesan would be a welcomed addition.

1/2 Cup Breadcrumbs (made from day old bread, crusts removed)

5 tsp. Dijon Mustard, divided

2 tsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil, plus 1 Tbsp.

1/2 tsp. Mustard Seeds

1 Bunch Swiss Chard

1/4 Cup Half and Half

2 Tbsp. Chopped, Fresh Green Herbs (parsely, thyme, oregano, basil...)

4 Eggs

Sea Salt

Fresh Ground Pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400'. Bring the eggs out of the fridge. Toss the crumbs with 2 tsp. dijon, 2 tsp. olive oil, mustard seeds and a pinch of salt to coat. Scatter on a rimmed baking sheet, and toast for 6-8 minutes until edges are golden.

2. Remove the stem from the chard and give it a rough chop. Over medium high heat, add enough water to cover the bottom of a skillet. Toss the chard just to wilt it, about 2 minutes. Scrape it into a mesh sieve and press out the moisture.

3. Wipe out the skillet, add the remaining 3 tsp. of mustard, half and half, 1 Tbsp. of the green herbs and the drained chard. Stir everything together, cook about 3 minutes. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Remove from heat.

4. Heat remaining Tbsp. of oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Crack eggs in the skillet, with plenty of space between and cook until desired doneness. You may need to do this in two batches if making 2 eggs per person.

5. Divide the chard between two plates and top it with two eggs, breadcrumbs and herbs for garnish.