Lentil Breakdown Turns One!

I can’t believe my little Lentil is a year old already.

Seems like only yesterday I brought her home from the bulk foods section, kicking and screaming. This photo was from that very first day. She's calmed down a bit, but still keeps me up nights needing constant feeding and changing. Some days I'm even sorry I had her. But when she looks at me with those big brown eyes, somehow it all seems worthwhile.

I've written anecdotes, recipes, travel bites, odes, articles and taken many a shot with my little Canon point and shoot. And while I’m no Miles Davis when it comes to tooting my horn (although I often feel Kind of Blue), I’ve decided to share a few milestones with you. So consider this my virtual wallet of fold-out snapshots that you don’t really want to see. With obligatory clicking.

Lentil Breakdown’s Year in Review, in order of appearance:

I went to Turkey and Conquered the Eat-oh-man Empire.

I lost the best mother I ever had and found The Last Butterscotch.

My Seductive Leek and Mushroom Tart had my dinner guests moaning.

I posed the question, What Lettuce Type are You?

I went to New York and

had a discussion with myself in Ms. Frugal vs. Ms. Foodie.

I made fabulous new foodie friends at Camp Blogaway.

I met Mario Batali in Los Angeles and wrote a Memo to Mario Batali.

I weighed in on Al & Tipper Gore’s marriage via Ben & Jerry’s ice cream flavors in Six Freezing Degrees of Al & Tipper’s Separation.

I created Chelsea Clinton’s wedding menu.

I lost my old friend Howard and went Chillin’ with the Chiles in Santa Fe.

I also shared travel photos of street vendors and markets in Poland, Turkey, Mexico, France, England, New York and Hungary and

waxed poetic about an olive branch, a monk and a virgin.

But I've still got so many leguminous ideas up my sleeve, I could fill an Indian market. So thanks for reading, and I hope you'll be here for my next Lentil Breakdown.