I took a little hiatus from blogging to enjoy a European adventure. While there was ample food to blog about, I decided to unplug and enjoy the moment. I savored every wurst in Austria and I relished every bite of pasta in Italy. I lived in the moment and spent quality time with family and food.

Back in reality, it’s hard enough to get back to work and back to routine. Getting back to blogging, a hobby, is even harder. There were many moments while cooking that I thought to myself, “Hey, you should blog about this.” But, alas, laziness won and I didn’t follow through.

Maybe weeks of unplugging have made me soft? Maybe putting down the cameraphone and turning off the laptop have made me appreciate the times it takes to prepare, eat, and remember food even more? By the way, Italians “win” at food appreciation…a quick lunch is an hour and a half. Don’t rush a meal in Italy. It’s impossible.

So, here I am. Back from the land of good, slow food. I weigh about 10 pounds more, but I am 10 times happier. And that’s worth every penne!