Did you know that I'm on the last day of a 5-day weekend? I didn't have classes on Monday since it was Labor Day, and then my school was also closed today. We'll get Wednesday through Friday off for Thanksgiving Break in November, so they wanted to make a complete week of holidays. Sweet. 

Anyway, I swear that I said something two weeks ago about making last week a Salad Week. I'd eat a salad every night, and I'd post the recipe the next day. Unfortunately, that idea seemed boring to me when it was time to execute the plan. Not all is lost, however. I made an awesome salad one night last week from leftover salmon. 

I made a point to bring out lots of colors in my dinner. On a bed of baby spinach (green), I shredded up a piece of cold salmon (pink) and mixed in cherry tomatoes from our garden (red). I sprayed on ranch Wish-Bone Salad Spritzer (white-ish), mixed it well and topped it all off with tri-color tortilla strips (red, yellow, blue/black). After a few satisfying bites, I realized that my salad would be even better with feta cheese crumbles (white). It was a lovely salad to look at AND eat. 

More photos that made the cut from the week:

I picked my grandma up after class on Thursday, and we went to lunch. I can't believe how tall I look there. Does it make a difference that I had massive wedges on my feet?

We went to Eggshell Cafe for lunch, which is a popular lunching spot for us. It takes about four minutes to get there from where she lives, and we never have to wait for a table. They also have a massive menu. They're only open for breakfast and lunch. I always get breakfast food there, but there are plenty of other options such as salads and sandwiches. 

I got a Mexican omelette with a side of fruit (you can also get hash browns).
  From the menu: Diced tomatoes, onions, sliced jalapenos, fresh cilantro and chorizo served with Monterry Jack cheese.
I usually like everything that I get from there, but I was less than impressed with the fact that the salsa came in a to-go container and tasted like it was still thawing from the freezer. The strawberries also tasted like were soaked in syrup and frozen. So much for freshness, eh? At least the omelette tasted good. 

On Friday, my dad deviated from his Friday pizza plan and asked my mom and  myself to assemble the pizzas (he always does it himself). It was an honor, but we also felt the pressure! He makes the best pizzas on Friday nights, and we wanted to meet his expectations. 

He had everything ready for us to go. He grilled the pizza crust, for a start. 

He also prepared all sorts of toppings for us. 

My pizza:

My mom's pizza:

Our pizzas tasted good, but not as good as my dad makes them. My mom wanted to pile as many things as she could on her pizza, and I apparently did not add enough onion. Oh well. 

Besides reading and studying and exercise, I actually didn't get up to much over the weekend. So many of my friends live in the city, so I have to go over there if I want to see them. Unfortunately, I was feeling like a major homebody for a few days. I enjoyed the solitude of my home and the company of my dogs and not having to put makeup on my face and spend lots of money or drive 45 minutes or nurse a hangover the next morning. I was just happy to be home. I spent the majority of Sunday with my friend Kate in the suburbs, and that was pretty much it. Sometimes, I just need that time to spend with myself. I wouldn't like it if I did it all the time, but it was okay for this weekend. 

I also went on a 20-mile bike ride along the Des Plaines River yesterday. I got very fatigued at one point, but that went away as soon as some girl sped ahead of me. I have a very competitive edge sometimes, and I just couldn't handle being passed by a girl who looked like she was my age. Thanks to her, I had a very good workout. 

Today, I'm enjoying my day off by studying for my first exam for tomorrow (FUN) and making gnocchi!

I found this stuff last week, and I just had to buy it. I've never had sweet potato OR whole wheat gnocchi! It tasted great. It was heartier than your average potato gnocchi, and I just loved it. I mixed in some vodka sauce and parmesan cheese. 

I know that I told you a few times that I was reading a 7-part book series by Stephen King, and I'd tell you about it when I finished. After reading the series for over a year (I started the first book in June 2010), I finally closed the last book for good on the plane ride home from San Francisco. This is the first series, or any book, for that matter, that I ever read by Stephen King. If you don't know this already, this guy has quite the imagination.

The first book in this series, called "The Gunslinger", introduces a character named Roland, the last gunslinger, who seems like a man straight out of a country western story. Stranded in the middle of an unnamed desert, Roland tries to hunt down a figure he calls the Man in Black. While the time and place of the story are difficult to grasp at the beginning, Roland stumbles upon artifacts from our world and songs such as "Hey Jude" which suggest that perhaps this world is our world- after it moves on. This story is about Roland and other unforgettable characters as they try to get to the Dark Tower. 

 I had a very difficult time getting through "The Gunslinger" until I got to the very end of the book. Once I started the second book, "The Drawing of the Three", I was hooked. I originally started reading the series because I heard that Stephen King got his inspiration from J.R.R. Tolkien's" The Lord of the Rings" (I am a big fantasy person), and I definitely got my fantasy kick out of it. There is undeniably science fiction in there as well. 

If you have the itch to commit yourself to these seven novels, then I have to give you two warnings. First, you may hate the first book. Don't give up on it yet. Wait until the very end of the book, and you will get the kick to keep reading. Second, as you may expect from Stephen King, he doesn't spare us from violence. If you can handle details of guts exploding, then you may be able to make it through all seven. Believe me when I say that I would not recommend these books to just anybody!

 On the bright side, it's a well-written book with excellent character development. King tells the story from many perspectives, so you are not stuck with just one. There is also a lot of the modern world mixed into the tale (a lot of New York City), so there is a hint of familiarity in there for us. I loved the series, and I have no regrets of reading it. It's also one of those stories that lingers around in your head way after you finish it. For me, those are the best. 

Stephen King worked on "The Dark Tower" for years (almost twenty years between the first and last book), and he calls this his masterpiece. If  you read stories such as "Jerusalem's Lot" or "The Stand", you may recognize some of the villains from there.   

If you read the series by chance, let me know! I don't know anybody who has read it, and it's always nice to discuss it with somebody.