you say "tomato".

today is soltice, meaning that it's the 1st full day of summer, and more importantly, the longest day of the year. and if that doesn't fill you with joy, what can? despite being pretty busy these days, i am, obviously, still in full-on summer mode.

i was half-serious in my previous SATC-themed entry when i said it was time for a new handbag. kate spade is my new best friend. the thing is... shall we just say that more money is going out than coming in right now? (oh the joys of being a student again)! but, i'm convinced the right cute, affordable summer bag is somewhere out there for me. that, and true to my inner-Charlotte, i'm convinced that Mr. Right also exists, wherever he is.

i just came home from this morning's farmers market with a perfect round, red slicing tomato. and i am elated! do you know how totally bummed out i've been about the scarcity of large slicing tomatoes 'round these parts lately? (thanks to the salmonella scare). i mean, how the hell?! i'm laughing out loud just thinking about how, once, long ago, i flippantly and cockily thought, "oh, i guess vegetarians don't have to worry about stuff like salmonella or e-coli". naturally, i associated it with improperly cooked or bad batches of meat. ha! the past couple of weeks have brought a crazy and sudden craving for a BLT--if for no other reason than that it's been off-limits. now, with my local tomato in hand, i'm about to go fix myself a simple tomato sandwich. that, people, is just about the most perfect summer sandwich, esp. when paired with my homemade blueberry iced tea with a lemon squeezed in.

hey-have you ever had Nepalese food? if not, i highly recommend it. garlic naan? i�m totally there! last summer, Architect Boy took me to a new-ish restaurant downtown called Himalayan Fusion for lunch, and i finally went there again last night with cindy. it was as good as i remembered it last time. if you like Indian cuisine, you�re likely to enjoy Nepalese food. it�s essentially like Indian (e.g., curries and basmati), but with some Chinese & Tibetan influences, like these dumplings called "momos". as with Indian cuisine, Nepalese food has a lot of options to please vegetarians and carnivores alike. i think what it boils down to is the spices�so complex and subtle and flavorful all at once.