While recuperating from even relatively minor surgery is, by design, ridiculously boring, it’s necessary so that one can do stuff afterward. And because there’s a lot of stuff that I want to do, I’m following doctor’s orders to the “T.” Mostly.

These long hot summer days have spurred my creativity in the kitchen. I’ve been living on fruits and veggies and other summer foods almost exclusively. Because there’s such a (cheap) abundance, I’ve gotten a little creative with some of the foods, and searched for and made up some recipes to enjoy that are Vegas-heat friendly.

On Wednesday, for example, to celebrate the one week anniversary of my knee surgery, I braised a small brisket with caramelized onions, garlic, celery, allspice, carrots, and red wine. For my summer veggie dish, I made an amazing kale salad of fresh kale (of course), chopped white onion, parsley, diced fresh tomatoes, fresh lemon juice, EVOO, fresh pressed garlic, and toasted pine nuts. Thanks to Whole Foods for the recipe inspiration.  As an aside, when I pan toasted the pine nuts, I toasted them just a little too much which added a slight bacon-y flavor! Summer fresh and filling, the salad was the perfect accompaniment to the brisket and pasta dinner. Accompanying this meal was a generous glass of 2003 Parker Family Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon. Perfect for a summer evening.

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Those of you who know me are aware that I lost my roommate and hairy son, my Bernese Mountain Dog, Cooper, last month.  It was a wrenching and traumatic time, and I wasn’t able to speak about him without breaking down until just a few days ago.

In the interim, I somehow managed to take into my home a young, eight-month-old Belgian Malinois puppy named Jake.  Who, by the way, wants to sample wine.  But I digress.

In the two and half weeks that Jake has lived with me, we have had an established routine:  he gets to stay in the air-conditioned house during these hot days in Vegas.  He stays in a pen in the

It's hot out here!

back bedroom, with a small bowl of kibbles, a bowl of ice water, several toys and a bed.  I leave a radio on for noise.  He now knows what’s going on in the world because I’m a news junkie.

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