On to Cincinnati...

After locating all the silly road signs in Illinois we passed quietly into Indiana and from there on to Ohio.  Getting to my brother's home in Cincinnati requires entering Ohio, crossing a bridge in to Kentucky and then somehow ending back up in Ohio.  It's a bit confusing, but we arrived in time to enjoy a bottle of wine underneath his beautiful pergola and were entertained by his precious and precocious 1st grader.  She played pet shop with me (we alternated between owner and customer after each purchase) and then she hosted a television nature show that had us laughing pretty darn hard.

I've always been so grateful that I am blessed with both brothers and sisters.  You develop such different relationships with each, and I was absolutely thrilled when Mother brought him home on Christmas Eve--best Christmas gift ever! As I held him in my arms I promised him I would be the very best sister I could be for him, and I've tried very hard to keep that promise.

If you want to know how your girl will treat you after marriage, just listen to her talking to her little brother.  ~Sam Levenson

After a girl is grown, her little brothers - now her protectors - seem like big brothers.  ~ Terri Guillemets

As we grow older the ten year difference between us grows less and less, and I enjoy his company so much.  We don't get to see as much of each other as we would like because we live several states apart,and let's face it, life gets complicated.  He and my sister-in-law have three active children and I remember those crazy school/lessons/practices/meets/rehearsals/homework days all too well!

I have so much respect for my brother and sister-in-law and they way they strive to be good citizens and give back to the world on top of being great parents.  It was wonderful having time to unwind and catch up on family news and the perfect way to kick off our vacation!  And for heaven's sake why didn't I get a picture of the two of us together?  I always forget to do that!  Does that look like romaine on the grill? Why yes, and it was delicious!  The recipe is below. 

A brother is a friend God gave you--Proverb

GRILLED ROMAINE HEARTS WITH AVOCADO LIME DRESSING

2 romaine hearts, washed, trimmed, and sliced in half
1 clove of garlic, chopped up all small
2 tablespoons olive oil
a pinch of salt and pepper
Avocado Lime Dressing
1 ripe avocado
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped all small
½ teaspoon agave or honey
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/4 cup water
salt to taste

For the dressing, put all the ingredients in a small food processor or blender and combine until creamy. Add the pinch of sea salt and mix it in. If that looks way too thick, add more water until it looks like salad dressing. Pour it all into a small container and refrigerate until the lettuce is ready.

To grill the romaine hearts, heat the grill to a medium-low heat. As long as the grill isn’t crazy hot, you are good. While the grill heats up, mix the garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper in a little cup.  Brush or spoon the oil mixture to the cut side of the lettuce. This isn’t the dressing so go easy.  Place the lettuce face down on the grill for 60 seconds or until there are clear grill marks and the leaves are beginning to wilt. Flip the hearts over and grill the other side for another 60 seconds. You want the leaves to look charred but not limp so pay attention. When they look good, put them on a plate and put some dressing over the hearts. Top with sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and plenty of black pepper.

Enough for 4 people with some extra dressing**
**reader alert--this recipe is from a cooking blog that uses a LOT of inappropriate language--I've tried to clean up the recipe but if I've missed a word or two, please know it's not my language!