Dinner At Masona Grill, West Roxbury, Mass.

Masona Grill is another restaurant not too far from where we live in West Roxbury. Our friends recommended that we check it out, so the four of us got together for dinner there one night. The website describes the food as New American with a South American influence (the chef is from Peru). I was excited to see what this type of food was all about.

Firehouse Subs: The Subs, The Foundation, And A Giveaway

If I didn't know any better, I would just walk by Firehouse Subs thinking it's just another fast-food sandwich shop. But after having dinner with co-founder Robin Sorensen, I do know better. Firehouse Subs is a sandwich shop with values, community interest, and high-quality subs. Robin and his brother opened the first shop in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1994, and there are now more than 600 locations. During the dinner Robin shared Firehouse Subs' mission with us.

Flour, Too Launch Party

Last night I had the pleasure of attending the Flour, Too launch party at Flour Back Bay (aka Flour 4). Most of you know that Flour is near and dear to my heart -- I spent a little over a year working at the bakery. Throughout that time I worked at Flour 1, 2, and 3; learned a ton; and met amazing people, including Joanne Chang. I have so many wonderful memories of my time at the bakery.

The launch party was a great reminder of all of them, as well as an opportunity for me to catch up with old coworkers and get my hands on the newest Flour cookbook -- Flour, Too: Indispensable Recipes for the Cafe's Most Loved Sweets & Savories.

Fregola With Spring Vegetables

I always say that one of the best parts of blogging is the friends and connections I make. And it's so true. Ilaria, who blogs over at Ilaria's Perfect Recipes, first found my blog when I was recapping our honeymoon in Italy. When I mentioned an amazing chilled coffee drink I'd had in Modena that I wanted to re-create at home, she shared a recipe with me (I still need to try it this summer). After that we were regularly commenting on each other's blogs and exchanging emails as well.

I told her that I had returned home from Italy with a bag of fregola, and though I'd made it before, I wanted to know some of the traditional ways it's prepared or things it's paired with.

MorningStar Farms Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers And A Giveaway

Have you ever had any MorningStar Farms products? I used to eat the veggie bites for breakfast all the time. They were easy to make and kept me feeling full for hours. And I've also tried the veggie crumbles. Recently, I was invited to sample the new Mediterranean Chickpea Burger and was sent a gift card (to purchase the burgers), a Greek-inspired grilling apron, a chickpea cookbook, and a chickpea tote bag. I went in search of these new veggie burgers and found them in the freezer section at Hannaford. (They come in packages of four.)