Day Two: Grilled pork chops and Mediterranean couscous salad.

I didn’t have a great day. It was rushed and I wasted an hour and a half (that I didn’t have to waste) on a largely fruitless errand. I really just wanted someone to deliver dinner straight to our table, but I’d already taken the pork chops out of the freezer and they were begging for the grill. They got a quick marinade in plain yogurt, oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, pepper and garlic then K put them on our brand new grill … which then ran out of propane just moments later. Blerg. Incidentally, this is why the photo above is not prettier — just focus on the giant (and needed) glass of wine and the bright, fresh tomatoes.

Into the toaster oven they went while we made a quick couscous salad — simple vinaigrette, greens, feta cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes for K (none for  me, thanks, I don’t like raw tomatoes) and Kalamata olives for me (none for K, thanks, he doesn’t like olives). And a generous glass of Taburno Falanghina white wine. We sat on the deck and ate — the peaceful atmosphere pierced by our dogs barking at anyone walking/biking by and the occasional outburst of cheering from the nearby baseball fields. Sun-soaked and slowly, I went from “Code Dark Orange” (aka “hangry”) to just plain old grouchy, but nicely filled up with a quick and tasty dinner.

But that was yesterday and today is a party day! So, what are *you* grilling this weekend?