More herbs

Spicy oregano, spinach, chives, dill and tarragon, from my friend Jaclyn.  On Thursday she gave me fresh picked mulberries, swiss chard and other goodies that we're enjoying.  Also, we've moved!  More on that later.

Public transport

This post summarizes so well the reasons why I heart (and miss) public transportation.

P.S. We're still looking...

Advice

We've been apartment searching for awhile now, and it's coming down to the wire as we need to move out by 6/29.  It's been challenging to settle on a place because W and I have different "likes" when it comes to our home.  Right now we are in the suburbs, about 30 minutes from downtown, and for me it has been difficult to be here after living in Chicago.  I would like to be closer to the center of the city.  I like the quiet here but I don't like the driving and the inability to walk anywhere.  W is more of a burb guy, but he's willing to indulge me because I've complained about it so much.  So here are our options. Tell me what you think:

"Burbs Option": 2 bed, 2 bath, 1 car attached garage, all carpet
Driving Miles: 16 to W's work, 16 to my school, 11 to my work, 5 to church

"City Option": 1 bedroom, 1 bath, hardwood floors, 1 car underground parking
Miles: 1.1 to W's work, 1.4 to school, 11 to my work, 16 to church
Cost is $192 more per month than the burb option, 83 less square feet
It's a 10 minutes walk to coffee shops and a main road where there are restaurants and shops, monthly art walks, etc...

You can see why I like the city option.  But $192 extra seems like a lot.  We would save some on gas with the city option, but right now we carpool so I only drive separately to school once a week.  What do you think?

Peonies

I visited my aunt today and discovered that she has two peony bushes.  I cut some and brought them home with me.  Aren't they lovely?  I think I see why peonies are so popular...they're gorgeous.

Long weekend

Summer has arrived in Columbus, along with festival season.  We ate lunch at the Asian Festival today (chicken adobo - not pictured, chicken on a stick, pad thai, quarter watermelon and patbingsu).  Then we headed over to North Market and got a quart of these strawberries, which were picked at the farm yesterday.  Hope you are enjoying Memorial day weekend.

More pizza

We've broken 2 pizza stones and have a new one now that we have yet to try.  Luckily BB&B has a great return policy.  Above: veggies & prosciutto topped with arugula.  Below: dandelion leaves from our backyard, and fresh roasted beets.

During my mom's visit I learned that dandelion leaves are really good for you, and they grow all over our backyard.  We picked a bunch for my aunt, and when they grew back we tried some ourselves.  This was also my first time roasting beets.  My mom cooked a Korean soup with the greens when she was here, and then I roasted these.  I love beets, and fresh ones are even better!  I can't believe I only discovered beets a year ago.

Fresh herbs

My friend Jaclyn brought us these herbs (chives & dill) the other day, freshly cut from her garden.  Last night I put them in a salad.  I had never had chive flowers before - they are delicious.  They taste like onions in flower form.  I loved the texture.  Everything was so fresh...I can't wait to start my own garden one day.