IT'S FUN FRIDAY STUFF & NATIONAL TAKE YOUR DOG TO WORK DAY

It's all about food, fun and books in this Friday post. Let's jump on this tasty train to get the weekend started!

SEXY STRAWBERRY & KIWI SALAD
3 Kiwis, peeled and sliced
1 Quart Fresh Strawberries topped and halved
4 Large Basil Leaves, chopped
4 Fresh Mint Leaves, chopped
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
Pinch of Salt
4 Ounces Goat Cheese
4 Tablespoons Balsamic Glaze

Place the kiwis, berries, basil and mint into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze the lime juice over fruit and sprinkle with salt, tossing gently.  Crumble goat cheese over the fruit, and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Drizzle balsamic glaze over the salad just before serving.  Should serve 4.

IRANIAN GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH POMEGRANATE SEEDS
TASTE OF PERSIA - Naomi Duguid
2 Cups Mashed Peeled Grilled Eggplant (from 1 pound eggplants)
1 Tablespoon Fresh Mint
1 1/4 Teaspoons Salt
1/2 Cup Chopped Shallots or sweet onion
2 Cups Pomegranate Seeds (In a container, or use 1 Large Pomegranate)

Place the eggplant in a bowl, add the dried mint, salt and shallots or onion, then stir well to mix.  Add the pomegranate seeds and fold them in.  Let stand for at least 30 minutes so the flavors all come together.

Just before serving, add a little more dried mint and salt, then stir in thoroughly.

PERKY PICNIC PENNE PASTA SALAD
1 Box of Penne Pasta, cooked al dente
1 Orange Bell Pepper, finely chopped
3 Green Onions, Sliced
1/2 Cup Sliced Green Olives with pimientos
1/4 Cup Fresh Dill
2 Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2 Tablespoons Olive Juice
2 Teaspoons Sugar
1 Cup Mayo
1 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper

Drain pasta and rinse with cold water.  Place pasta in a large mixing bowl and add bell pepper, green onions, olives, and dill.  Toss the ingredients then set aside.

In a separate mixing bowl, combine lemon juice, olive juice and sugar.  Whisk until all the sugar is dissolved.  Stir in mayo, salt and pepper. (Add cayenne pepper for more heat)

Pour dressing over pasta and toss until ingredients are evenly coated.  Refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving. Yummy!

IT'S ALL ABOUT THE ROMANCE
Any Day Now - Robyn Carr
You can't go wrong with a hunk who just happens to have an adorable puppy.

Home At Last - Lily Everett
A bar owner gets unexpected help from the woman he broke up when the townspeople try to teach him a lesson that hurts his pocket.

REAL LIFE STUFF
Too Fat, Too Slutty, Too Loud - Anne Helen Petersen
Come on and admit it.  Don't you want to read this book just because the title is so over the top?
Check out essays from Lena Dunham, Caitlyn Jenner and more, that deal with society's take on opinionated women.

PICNIC LOVE
Do you remember how we went on picnics with potato salad, lemonade and sandwiches? Times have really changed because the sky's the limit on what we can do with food choices now.

1.  Choose a movie you've been dying to see, then invite your bestie over.  Won't she be surprised to see a tablecloth on the floor filled with fried chicken, pasta salad, berries a bottle of Prosecco and no bugs?

2.  Do you want to plan a picnic for your family?  Why not choose a theme where all the food is from Greece, France or Spain, along with the decorations to go with it?  This works well in your own backyard, a public park or church grounds.  Everyone will be talking about your event planning expertise for days.

TIPS

According to a recent study, slowly drinking from 1-6 cups of water may help with that horrible headache that's beginning to creep up to ruin your day.

YIKES!
I'm afraid of any bug, so when the news started talking more about tick infestation a few weeks ago, I did some research. Ticks don't only spread Lyme disease.  In fact, different species don't mind sharing various diseases.  To find out which ticks are likely to be in your area, and what they can spread, visit cdc.gov/ticks.

HONEY
Honey has an indefinite shelf life in your cupboard UNLESS it's unprocessed or opened.  Even then, it doesn't actually go bad, but crystallizes.

TMI - lol
Uh...the Amazon Fire Stick, which sells for about $39.99 on Amazon and Target, sure does a heck of alot more than advertised.  A friend told me that he and his nephew looked on YouTube last night, and that Fire Stick now has a ton of porn loaded for FREE. Ok, I'm officially shocked!  If you've been watching this blog, you know I'm obsessed with finding freebies, but I'll take a hard pass on this deal. (lol)

CRAB EXTRAVAGANZA
Despite being born in Maryland, I'm no fan of crabs, but lots of people are, so this time of year is a real treat.  Speaking of MD, if you're headed out for a quick trip, or want to vacation there, these restaurants are a great place to get your crab on.

Waterman's Crab House has steamed crabs that are literally overflowing with garlic butter and LIVE music to entertain you and your friends.

The Red Roost boasts The Red Roost Plus Pot which includes steamed crab, garden salad, steamed shrimp, fried chicken, steamed clams, mussels, corn on the cob, and fries.  A mighty meal that includes all this will set you back close to $90.  

But they have a lot on their menu, just in case you're not that hungry.

If you can get your boss to agree, hang out with your dog at work today, and make sure you are pretty in pink.