Well, hello! I know it’s been a while but you see, I’ve been working toward a big promotion at work. I’ll spare you the details because they’re boring and nerdy but this month was the end of it all. I got promoted! And immediately got out of town!

Jon and I packed up and headed to the Outer Banks. I couldn’t wait to get to the beach house and hear the ocean. It’s about 5 hours from our house. We had a nice trip down. So much to talk about. My favorite conversation went something like this…about 4 hours into the trip.

You have the key card for the gate entrance, right?
Yes, Jon. Duh.
And the keys to the house?
Oh my God.
You’re kidding.
No. No, I’m not. I don’t have the keys…happy vacation?!

So we could get into the gated community, but not the house. We debated back tracking and staying at a friend’s house, we called hotels, we searched for a hidden spare key but no luck. Did I mention it was midnight? So, we parked it in the driveway and said a prayer the neighbors wouldn’t call the cops. We totally slept in the car. Me in the backseat. Jon in the trunk. Welcome to Hotel Honda, where memories are made.

ALL of our stuff in the front so we could make our “beds.”

  Yeah, that’s me with my beach towel blanket and golf shirt stack pillow.

 That’s Jon looking quite cozy.

It was truly hilarious. Jon snored while I laughed, wondering how he could actually be asleep. I also wondered if we were going to suffocate. I googled how to safely sleep in your car. I did. Seriously. I’m ridiculous. I know. The site I found assured me we’d be fine but suggested a tarp to avoid onlookers. But I sort of wanted someone to see us. Someone with a spare bed.

Needless to say, we didn’t get much sleep. But the next morning actually came quickly and we were able to get in. Vacation began.

I unplugged and recharged. I didn’t blog. I wasn’t on Facebook or Twitter much at all. Instead I listened to the waves, made a permanent body indentation in a pool raft, had wine with friends, ate crab legs, and of course, spent a fair amount of time in the kitchen.

I made hummus and bean salad. I made beer soaked fries, cookie dough balls and these salami crisps. Fancy, right?

I thought so, but my friends and husband decided to call me out.
Salami crisps?
They’re meat chips.
“Meat chips” is the worst name ever. I think that sounds disgusting but call them whatever you’d like. I saw you crumbling “meat chips” on your eggs for breakfast and your salad for lunch. What’s that on your sandwich? A “meat chip?” I thought so. I see you going back for more crispy salami chip-shaped meat. You better save me some….or you’re sleeping in the car tonight.

Salami Crisps with Tarragon Dipping Sauce (adapted from Real Simple Magazine)

Ingredients:
1lb Genoa Salami, as thinly sliced as you can get without it falling apart
1/4 cup sour cream (I used light sour cream)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange slices of salami in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet (or broiling pan). Bake until crisp. About 10-15 minutes depending on the thickness of meat.
2. In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, mustard and tarragon. Mix. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with the crisps for dipping.

Notes:

1. I tried these first by slicing a log of hard salami. I couldn’t slice it thin enough and so they never got crispy. I tried again with Applegate Farms Genoa Salami from the deli and it worked perfectly. I imagine most thinly sliced meat would work.
2. The kitchen got a bit smoky, so be sure to turn on the fan.
3. They are REALLY light and delicate. So light I didn’t even notice I had salami shoe until much later. Embarrassing.

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