With my wedding anniversary coming up this Friday, there really was only one logical choice for this week’s Thursday Thirteen, The lovely and incredibly talented Mrs. seat of her Pants, a person whom I could not be more proud of or in love with.

Truthfully, thirteen things does not begin to cover everything I could say about my wife, there’s a lot more to her than that.  She is exceptional at being so many different things; a wife, a mother, my best friend, an instructor and mentor for Department of Defense students, an author and editor, and more. She gives 120% of herself to each and every one of these things, sometimes to more than one of them at the same time.  Unfortunately, the nature of the Thursday Thirteen is that I only have room for thirteen things.

And for those of you who aren’t fans of washed out Nagel-esque photos, here’s another shot of the reason I wake up every morning wishing I could just lie there all day.

Please note that these are not in any order whatsoever:

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Yes, I do succumb to sponsored posts.There are those in the blogging world that would condemn me for it, but I challenge any one of those people to tell me that they wouldn’t do the same thing if that post was about dark chocolate. I mean, seriously.  Dark chocolate is the center of the universe, culinarily speaking. There is nothing in the world of food that evokes such strong emotion, such passion, such mystique as dark chocolate, and I’ll pimp it every chance I get.

Enter The Chocolate Path, providers of chocolate gifts, with an emphasis on dark chocolate gifts. Any company that’s mission is top prove to the world that dark chocolate is something worthwhile is something that everyone should enjoy is worth my time in streading the word. This is simply someplace that anyone who loves chocolate has to go and visit!

On the plus side, dark chocolate is known to provide health benefits.  It can lower blood pressure, for one.  It can improve your mood, even in small quantities. Given on a first date, it can turn a bad night into a good one. given to your partner, “just because you wanted to”, is more effective and uplifting than roses.  This stuff is magic!

So head over to The Chocolate Path, get some love in solid form, and enjoy the rest of your day.  It’s worth it, no matter who you are.

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If you want to get the most out of your outdoor spaces, teak furniture should probably be on the list of items to consider. The benefits of teak patio furniture are legendary.  With luxurious elegant looks, resistance to even the most daunting conditions and extremes in humidity, teak outdoor furniture is simply the gold standard when it comes to natural outdoor furniture materials.

If you’re thinking that outdoor furniture styles are still like something out of the 1950’s, think again.  todays outdoor furniture is designed to be an extention of your living space, and in some cases the furniture may be more elegant than the furnishings in your home. I for one would be extremely happy to serve my family and friends in any outdoor space that is furnished with teak.  Why settle for something you’ll have to replace in just a few short years when you can have the beauty and longevity of 100% natural and sustainable teak furnishings?

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There are times when you just want something quick, simple and delicious. If that’s the case, this recipe isn’t going to let you down.  It packs a bit of Mediteranean flair in a slightly Italian-esque package that is just about as satisfying as it gets.  The real plus:  It’s fast, inexpensive and pretty darned good for you in the process!

I came up with this one day after watching Wolfgang Puck on Fine Living Network.  I was joking with my wife about his start in California making gourmet pizzas when I noticed that we still had a package of pizza crusts hanging out.  A quick rummage through the fridge yealded some goat cheese, greek vinnaigrette, spinach, mushrooms and a tiny bit of sour cream left over from some tacos we’d made earlier in the week.  While she went off to the office to do whatever it is that she does in there when I’m not looking, I dove into the kitchen and got my Wolfgang on.  It was time for Californian Pizza!

So, bad Austrian accent and all, I tossed this together.  In all it takes about 20 minutes to prepare, and costs very little to make, which also makes this a perfect candidate for the Frugal Fridays Blog Event. (I’m a day late, but hey, we’re not picky over there yet.)

I don’t have an exact cost on this recipe.  In fact, the components, if purchased just for this dish, are probably more than $10.00.  since only the pizza crusts and the cheese are used completely, the overall figure is undoubtedly less and if I had to make a guess, I’d put this in at about $8.00 in ingredients.

I made three mini-pizzas, but if you’re making this for a family, just go ahead and make it on a full-sized pizza crust.  You’ll be just fine for four people at about two slices each.

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Hi everyone!  I hope that your summer is going very well indeed!

In cse anyone has been wondering.. No, I have not just dissapeared.  I am in the middle of a freelance writing project that I have to have done in a very shor span of time. I can’t discuss the project, since it is a ghostwriting gig, but I can tell you that it’s a subject that I am very passionate about, and one that I take quite seriously.  I also need to get it done so I can do silly little things like pay the bills.

While I’m at it I just don’t have a lot of time to do anything else.  Hopefully I’ll be able to get a post or two out at some point this week, but I’m not making any promises until the light at the end of the tunnel is an awful lot closer than it is right now.

Until then, have a great summer!

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Just a quick reminder that entries for the sixth round of Frugal Fridays Food Blog Fun is upon us. C’Mon!  We want to see you there!  Dive into the kitchen and whip up a frugal treat, then pop over to FrugalFridays.net and tell us where to find it.  The more the merrier!

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Seafood and noodles is something that I just love together. The combination is simple, tasty, filling and has more than enough flavor to satisfy any seafood lover. Add in some lime, a bit of cilantro and a touch of heat and you have what I consider to be one of the best summertime lunch dishes I can think up, especially when the thermometer reads over 100 degrees.

I usually make shrimp when my wife is going to have to stay at the office during lunch, since it’s not her idea of a mid afternoon meal on most occasions.  The plus side is that I can have the shrimp working in the marinade while I’m feeding our son and getting him down for his nap.  That way Dad gets to eat as soon as clean up is completed and we’ve finished the ritual of “I just want a cookie!”.  A little peace, a little Bourdain and a great bowl of flavor makes for a much nicer afternoon.  Don’t you think?
(Note: When mom is home for lunch, we all eat together.)

If you’re not a huge fan of ramen noodles (though I don’t know why you wouldn’t be!), somen or soba noodles work just fine for this as well.  If you’re not fond of cilantro, use parsley, mint or Thai basil.  You won’t break my heart.  Not a fan of chili paste?  A good roasted pepper puree with a bit of garlic added would work just as well.  Have fun with it!

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Shopping.com and Dealtime.co.uk are eCommerce search engines. The first is a U.S. targeted site and the second is targeted at the British market. An eCommerce search engine will search for the stuff you need at various merchants and get you the best prices available for those products. The advantage of having one based as a U.K. company is that my good friends in England don’t have to convert prices from U.S. Dollars to Pounds Sterling before making their purchases.  Convenient!

Say you’re a food blogger looking for a new digital camera.  If you’re in the U.S., you go to shopping.com and do a quick search for “Cheap Digital Cameras“.  You’ll get a list sorted by best match, all in U.S. Dollars.  Too easy, Dude!

If you’re in the U.K. just do the same search for “Cheap Digital Cameras” at dealtime.co.uk and viola! The same list, with a focus on where you can get the stuff for less in your market! Brilliant!

These may be names you know and they may not.  either way, it’s a great way to get the stuff you want at aprice you can afford, and aggregate serches are just cool!

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Tomatoes pack a huge amount of flavor into a very small package. so much so that there is not much need to “guild the lilly”, to turn a phrase.  I made this dish as a side for the tomato glazed chicken we had the other night, but then had to make it again yesterday as a light lunch for myself.

The flavors are more than enough to stand up to being the main course in a light, healthy summertime meal, but if you’re in the mood for something a bit more substantial, just add a few greens and a basil vinaigrette for a wonderful baked tomato salad.  How about using these little gems on your next burger?

I used a mix of Colby and Monterey Jack because that’s what I happened to have lying about at the time, but there’s no reason that this has to be made with those cheeses. If you don’t like Colby and Jack on your tomato, use what you like, this is the perfect vehicle for experimentation! Use some goat cheese and thyme instead for a bit more of a Greek flavor.  Try some pecorino or asiago.  How about a little muenster with a bit of fresh oregano or sage?  The choices are yours.  Please use this recipe as a guideline and create something wonderful with it!

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I haven’t been so excited about a piece of bloggosphere news in a while!  It is with great pleasure that I announce to all of my fine foodie friends that Tastespotting is back!

Looks like there are new owners and a new set of Terms and Conditions for use, but who really cares if it’s run by NotCot or not.. (sorry, rhyme not intended.) It has a new look, but my login works, so it would appear that all of the information is still there.  Gawds what a lovely thing!

It’s back!

If you don’t know tastespotting, Go SEE it!  It has to be the single most inspirational site for foodies out there.  If you were lamenting it’s demise, grab a pint with me!

I’m giddy and must look at recipes now….

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