Fresh Bruschetta Recipe and My Day

I have an awesome appetizer/snack recipe for you today that I hadn't had in forever but this blog post by my friend Elisabeth reminded me of how simple and delicious it is. (She also did a variation with mint leaves, which is cool).

First though, someone commented on a post recently saying they feel like I don't let my real self shine through enough in my blog posts. What they really meant was that I don't always share the negative things in my life. Mostly, that's because I try to focus on the positive in my life. I don't like talking about my failures and mistakes (who does?). But they seemed to feel that I can be difficult to relate to when I only share the positive. So today was a perfect day to fix that.

I wouldn't call my day sucky, but some sucky things definitely happened today.

For example,

I woke up to my little girl coughing. It sounds like she has her first cough. I hope it isn't bad and she was smiling through it, but it's so sad to hear her little throat clogged up. I gave her her vitamin liquid and a tiny, tiny dose of grape baby medicine in case it helped her at all. I don't know what else I can do for her really, so hopefully it'll disappear quick.

I was not very nice to Dalin last night. I admit it because he knows it and I know it. I didn't talk to him all last night because I was being selfish. He didn't do anything wrong. I was mad at him for something that he didn't do and something that probably, being a guy, he didn't even think about doing. I told him I'm sorry before he went to work and in a minute I need to text him and tell him I appreciate him taking the trash out and picking up his things while I was at the grocery store. I also appreciate him helping me carry the laundry and groceries in before leaving for work.

Yesterday, I went to take a final for an Independent Study course at 4pm. I thought two hours would be plenty of time. By the time they got my test ready (and after sending me out to move my car closer, which was super obnoxious because I didn't really care where I was parked) it was 4:30pm. I started the stupid exam and got cut off at 6pm. They close then. I was so stressed about it. It was seriously the worst couple of essays I've ever written. And it was my FINAL. Ugh, I'm so glad it's over with though. I just hope I didn't fail.

At the grocery store today, Tenley spilled an entire container of blueberries in the checkout line. It was my own dumb fault for setting them right next to her in the stroller seat, but my first instinct was to blame her, which is stupid and makes no sense because she's five months old. Two other people helped me pick them all up and then I ended up buying them anyway because I figured I could wash them really well and, I don't know, I would have felt guilty wasting Macey's blueberries...

When I pulled our laundry out of the dryer I noticed that Dalin (again!!!!!) had left his chapstick in his pocket. I grabbed it from the bottom of the dryer and opened it to see how much was missing or what it looked like (I don't really know why I felt I had to open it) and hot waxy liquified chapstick flew everywhere, including on my hand (where it instantly solidified) and on some of the clothes I'd just finished washing. I was pretty ticked and threw the stupid chapstick at the laundry room wall (in the general direction of the trashcan) then proceeded to carry our big Ikea bag of laundry out in the snow to our car.

Tenley has thrown up all over me every single time I've fed her today. That is not normal at all. And it's gross. And smelly. And it makes me worry she's sick. We've gone through three burp rags which is a bummer since I just did laundry.

So, it's been a messy day so far. I'm not sure if these are the real-life details that people want to hear about my life but I'm trying to take your advice. My life is still good in spite of all the things that have happened in the last 24 hours. And hopefully, after I finish this post, it will get even better.
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Now--all that aside--here is the recipe for fresh bruschetta (which is basically just Italian-style bread with olive oil and other deliciousness on it to make a fancy appetizer or snack).

Ingredients: 

fresh baguette or crostinis (sliced in about 1/2" to 1" pieces)
tomatoes--heirloom are my favorites (diced the best you can--I'm a bad dicer)
fresh basil leaves (can be chopped if you'd like)
Queso Fresco or goat cheese or some other similar substitution (sliced or crumbled)
lemon (or lemon juice)
olive oil
garlic salt
pepper

I poured olive oil over my baguette slices on a baking pan, then put them in the oven at 325 degrees for 7 minutes. Then, I flipped them over on the pan and put them in the oven for another 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, I sprinkled garlic salt lightly over my diced/chopped tomatoes. Once the bread was ready, I put sliced of Queso Fresco on the bread, put two basil leaves down per slice, then put a dollop of diced tomatoes on top. Last, I squeezed fresh lemon juice over it and peppered it.

Voila! The easiest, most delicious appetizer imaginable. I made them for myself because I've been craving them. And apparently it's so easy you can do it while holding a baby (though I wouldn't chop the bread and tomatoes with one in your hands).

Please let me know if you try this! It's seriously so good. I could hardly stop myself from consuming them all (but I did, don't worry...). Also, tell me if you think I need to share more real life experiences on here. I hope people who know me don't truly think I'm fake because I'm pretty sure I'm one of the most down-to-earth people I know...but maybe it gets tiresome hearing me be positive about everything all the time. Oh well. As I've learned many times already in my mere twenty-two years of living, you can't please everyone. Thankfully, I have a forgiving husband and daughter that look past my many flaws.

But seriously, comment.