Man that Bruschetta was Good.

There's a thing with tomatoes.  I know that isn't a complete sentence but I really wanted it to stand out like a sore thumb.  I used to HATE tomatoes.  I thought it was a vile weed growing from the depths of the earths crust....okay not that bad.  The thing is, I have always loved tomato products i.e. ketchup, tomato sauce (includes all spaghetti and pizza products), even tomato juice, and cooked tomatoes.  However, if one seed of a fresh tomato was found in my salad--ruined.  I came to a point in my life when I decided "I am going to try liking fresh tomatoes."  This was a serious turn point in my life....I even wrote it in my journal.  My dad grows tomatoes every year in his garden and he is always eating them like apples.  I think they look so good but alas I am fooled every time.  I want to like tomatoes.  So I began to eat tomatoes on cheese burgers and I really had to convince my mind that I liked this.  On one of the first tries of this feat after taking a bite of burger, one of the tomato skins was too thick and I proceeded to pull the rest of the tomato off.  I kept it dangling from my mouth and started running in place while waving my arms in a "I'm about to puke" dance before spitting the dang thing out. Set back.  It took me a while before trying again but you know what they say--the ones who truly fail never try. (I might have just made that up)  I got back on the wagon (what does that even mean) and I began to try tomatoes on burgers again.  It took me a little bit of time and convincing my mind that I was more powerful than this tomato, but I began to like tomatoes on cheese burgers.  For real!

Can you start to see the progression?  Cheese burgers turn to regular burgers, regular burgers turn to chicken burgers, chicken burgers (everything sounds better with burger after it) turn to chicken burger wraps and so on and so on.  My taste buds were beginning to change and I was on my way to enjoying tomatoes.  One unseasonably warm St. Patrick's Day in Boise, I went with my dearest friend Holly to Bittercreek--one of the best restaurants in B-Town.  She proceeded to order Bruschetta and since she knows way more about fashion, food, and happenings than me, I just went with it.  I was suprised to say the least when I found out that Bruschetta was a plate full of bread with tomatoes covering them.  Now these tomatoes weren't just lightly place upon the bread...no, no they were suffocating it.  The true test was about to begin.  My palms began to sweat as I watched Holly basically make out with this appetizer and told me how ridiculously delicious it was.  I went to my happy place in my mind and told myself that a)I could do anything b) they weren't tomatoes, but they were burgers and c) I trust Holly.

So I grasped one of those crusty breads with little burgers on top and shoved it in my mouth.  To my utmost surprise, I actually liked it.  I took the fork from my hand that I was ready to shove into Holly's leg if I projectile vomited in the restaurant (it was going to be her fault and she needed to pay) and I proceeded to eat two more.  Now  I tell this story to show how far I have come.  

This is Natalie and Dave Todd or as I like to call them "the Todds."  They are some of the BEST people around and we have heaps of fun together.  Natalie was the first person here in the AZ to reach out and befriend me.  I had pretty much forgotten how to make friends so I appreciate you doing all of the work Natalie! You're the best. We decided to go to Oregano's for dinner since I had never been there yet and I heard great things.  We proceeded to order the whole menu since there were so many things we wanted to try and I eat like a man.  One of those blessed things Natalie insisted we order was the pesto Bruschetta.  Mind you, I have come a long way since the burger disaster but my mind for a split second said 'tomatoes ew, tomatoes ew' so I punched myself in the head to shut it up.  I played it off like a bug flew in my hair so the Todds didn't think I was mental.  So the food started to arrive and I took one look at that Bruschetta and said to myself "this is what Italy must be like."  And then I ate it.  HOLY CRAP!!!!  That was one of the best dang things I have ever had in my life.  I have come a long way when I can say that the tomato is not my enemy anymore but my ally instead.

Natalie is one of the most sincere people around AND she has good taste in music.  She is also in young women's with me so we get to see a lot of each other.  Dave and Natalie are such a good match!  I never know how serious to take Dave because he is alway kidding which is great!

And here is the other part of the pair.....you can see who would be more socially accepted can't you.  I am so glad that we have such good friends who are willing to eat way to much food and talk about the WEIRDEST subjects (the girl that lost her feet on the amusement park in Kentucky) for hours on end!  All in all, it was a great night.

Suzy Garrett in the house??