Did you used to be a big bread eater? I have noticed my desire for bread has gone up, while my desire for pasta has gone down. Also, I want more fruit when before I couldn't be bothered with fruit. It's the processed foods, or restaurant foods that don't appeal to me the most. I looked up the calorie count today for the restaurant I went to last night and their salad has 120 calories. For a little tiny salad made of iceberg lettuce and not much more. Covered in fat free dressing. And the meal that I could have/would have eaten? 1040 calories. Combine that with the dessert at 180 calories and the wine I would have drunk ordinarily at 120 or so and my total calorie count for one meal would have been way over my daily allowance!!! Is it perhaps the richness of the food that's turning my stomach?

Natal, they're *amazing*! I read on one of the roasted tomato recipe sites that someone just kept mopping up the balsamic vinegar caramel -- I've been doing that too -- I take a bit of greek bread or naan about the size of one of those litstle morsels of deliciosity, pick up the morsel with it, and swipe it across the caramelized vinegar on my way off the baking tray (thanks for the parchment paper tip, golddust!). Oh my GOODNESS. They're so incredibly delicious. Thank you, thank you, thank you to you and golddust! (DH loves them too--DD prefers them raw with the olive oil and a touch of balsamic, but not as much as we like) I'll do the next batch (this weekend LOL) @325. Less time to wait :) boop, green smoothies? I have a friend who eats nothing but raw, and she has a monster of a green smoothie every morning. I'd love to see your recipe to compare it with hers (maybe I can ask her if I could post it here, if you're interested?) And I just have trouble with dried pineapple, but that's just me. I've never taken to it as I have to regular pineapple. Now *watermelon*? Watermelon and balsamic? Watermelon cubes in salad with slivered roasted almonds and greens, etc.? I can't get enough of it! I'm like a watermelon junkie this summer, although the roasted tomatoes are #2 with a bullet...

Yes, I always taste......no matter what you are using the taste is never the same, especially canned items. Even my home canned items......I always follow the recipe the first time and then if I want to experiment I will but the first time is exactly by the book........ I am always amazed at the people who look for or even ask for a recipe and you give it to them and they say , I made it exactly like the recipe except I used old bay instead of paprika, or flour instead of cornmeal or milk instead of water......I mean if you are going to make up your own recipe why ask me to go to the trouble of giving you my tried and true........

Sounds like you are already on your way to success! With the addition of a few ingredients and techniques you can totally take this dish to the next level. After searing your chicken breast, throw a couple of cloves of chopped garlic along with a pinch of chili flake into the pan. Lightly sauté the garlic and chili flake until aromatic. Add about a 1/4 cup of white wine to the pan and reduce by about 1/2. Return the the chicken to the pan with the olives and add to the oven. After you finished cooking the chicken with the tomatoes, finish with a little bit of lemon zest and freshly chopped parsley for added freshness. This should result in an ultra flavorful dish that will keep you coming back for more. - Chef Owen, Hestan Cue