I just got back from a wonderful few days in NYC.  I was one of 5000 bloggers at the #BlogHer12 Conference.  It was humbling, inspiring, exhausting, fun, a learning experience but the best part was that I’ve come away with new friends, contacts and a realization that I have a lot of work to get my blog looking the way I really want it to. 

I didn’t leave my husband with any pre-cooked meals, frozen ready-to-cook meals or instructions.  He’s a chef and I figured the meals were the least of the problem. I did forget to tell him to water the hanging petunias on our front porch but I think they’ll recover.  I was not shocked upon my return that the laundry was undone or the kitchen floor disgusting… hey, I barely ever get the laundry folded and away and I’m not a constant-enough mopper (though I do sweep daily).  It was nice to feel appreciated; my husband said he realized why I hardly ever get the laundry completed.  Though, really is it ever really finished?

So, before I left I did make what I thought was an awesome meal on a sticky humid evening. I’d bought a gorgeous looking cod filet (over 1 pound) and knew that I wanted to grill dinner on the hot and humid night.  Who wants to cook in a hot kitchen in the dog days of summer?  So this is how I grilled it:

Summer “Grilled” Cod

1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ground coriander 
juice of one lime
palmful chopped cilantro
handful quartered cherry tomatoes
1 chopped scallion
1 chopped garlic scape (the center stalk of fresh garlic— good pic here) 
salt and pepper 

I took the filet of Cod and wrapped it in tin foil.  Before closing it up I sprinkled the spices on it, added all other ingredients on top then placed on grill for about 10 minutes. While it was cooking I also grilled some zucchini, squash and eggplant.  I did cook the snap peas inside, but they only take 3 minutes in a small pan of boiling water.  I used my frozen TJ’s Org Brown Rice— 3 minutes in the microwave.  I could have set my rice cooker before we left the house that morning but I didn’t know what I was going to see in the market.  And since I knew not all my kids would eat the grilled vegetables, I made a plain green salad with avocado.  Overall, a delicious and awesomely nutritious dinner. 

Even Rosie thinks it’s hot tonight. 

All three of my kids, weren’t as in love with the fish as I was, but still ate most of it.  It was my middle son who ate the most. He also ate the zucchini but refused the eggplant.  My youngest loves snap peas and salad, so success all round.