Time. And Time to Bake Salmon!

Time.  Time.  Where is the time?  It slips through my fingers like water, flowing away into the distance.  My days are full, overflowing with fun activities like taking Teo swimming and going to the library and seeing friends.  And the not so fun, too, like comforting an inconsolable teething baby and cleaning the bathroom grout.  Who knew that tile grout could become so disgusting?

Among all of this I'm trying to work.  I'm writing in minutes snatched during naps and at bedtime, furiously typing and editing and tweeting and blogging.  Sometimes the planets align and I work everyday, meeting deadlines and keeping up a constant flow of social media banter.  Other weeks I get the stomach flu and Teo starts teething, then everyone in the house gets a cold and it takes all my mental energy to see us through.  The last couple of weeks have been rough.

With all the awesome parenting, I have work projects lined up into the distance, but the one that's taking most of my focus is Before Baby.  Where is it, you may ask?  It was supposed to be out September 30th, but it's no where to be found.  Well, like many big projects before it, Before Baby is held up in production.  It's so close, and we are so excited to share it with you.  I anticipate it being out in the next couple of weeks, but there are a couple of niggling issues that seem to be hydra-like: solve one problem and two more appear!  But we are soldiering on, and will have it to you before long.

With all of these demands, my cooking has become much simpler, more streamlined, less fussy.  I look for ways to get protein and veggies all in one fell swoop with minimal cleanup, and lately I've turned to roasting for quick and easy meals.  We've been drowning in rain here in Seattle.  I know, it's Seattle so I should expect rain, right?  This is the rain that comes down in sheets, overwhelming drains and flooding basements.  Typical rain here is a drizzle.  If you're a native, you go out in a windbreaker, barely remembering to put your hood up, whereas the downpours we've been having require umbrellas and goulashes and fortitude.  I've lived in Seattle for 16 years and I don't own a pair of rain boots.  And so, I turn on the oven and throw salmon and veggies on parchment paper.


Baked Salmon and Summer Squash

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Chop 1-2 summer squash into 1 inch dice and toss on the baking sheet with a splash of olive oil and salt.  Push the summer squash to the side and lay your 1-pound salmon fillet in the middle.  Brush with olive oil and salt and bake for about 20 minutes, until the salmon is cooked through.  Serve as is, or over salad or quinoa with a dressing of your choosing.