"cooking is sexy, eating is no sin"

This sign, firmly planted amongst the vegetables, says "Cooking is sexy, eating is no sin!" I love it. What a perfect way to get people to eat their veggies - tell them it's sexy when they cook artichoke and fennel. Cooking and eating veggies might be sexy and without sin, but what about the oh so delicious Swiss cheese and chocolate? Certainly sexy and certainly sinful!
Artichoke never makes an appearance in my kitchen. It's not that I don't like it, I actually do (I think), it's just that I never think to buy it. Considering my current obsession with Swiss butter and finding anything and everything to put it on, artichoke should be at the top of my grocery list. Artichoke leaves act as ladle for pouring butter into your mouth, which sounds right up my alley. I wonder if artichoke still counts as "sexy" if it's slathered in butter, perhaps it's even sexier? ha!

One of my dearest friends Laura is studying in Paris and decided to hop on the train for a quick visit to Zürich! She arrived yesterday morning and left this afternoon. It was so wonderful to have her here even if it was such a quick trip. Laura and I got engaged within a few months of one another so we have been each others wedding planning buddies. She is now one of my married friends!! Hooray!! Anyway even in the little time that she was here she helped me tremendously with crossing things off my wedding to-do/anxiety producing checklist.

1) pick a first dance song! Zach and I have been thinking about this / avoiding this for the entire time we have been engaged. We don't really have a song that is especially meaningful to us. Sure we have a lot of songs that we both like, but nothing we wanted to dance to. Anyway, Laura swoops in and comes up with 2 amazing options within a few minutes. Now all we need to do is learn how to dance...

2) she helped me gather photos to take to the hairstylist. I have had two hair trials and basically hated both of them. Neither one was what I was looking for. The first fell out within minutes and the second one looked messy. Time for another trial with pictures in hand!

The wedding is in three weeks, literally three weeks from now we will be at the rehearsal dinner down in Florida. It is incredibly close, but I think because I am still in Zürich, it feels ages away. Laura did a good job reminding me that the wedding is basically tomorrow and that it will be wonderful and amazing and I CANNOT WAIT!

Having a visitor in town is always good motivation to get out early and explore. Thank goodness we left the apartment when we did because we happened upon this amazing market in Bürkliplatz, which is only open from 6-11am. We arrived at 10:55 and the vendors were already starting to shut down their stands. After doing a little research it seems like the market is open on Tuesdays and Fridays and is well known for its assortments of goods, from flowers to produce to meat and cheeses.
Speaking of marriage, it doesn't get much better than cheese and bread, except maybe if you add a little fig spread to the brie you've spread on a baguette - delicious!
I didn't buy anything this time because Laura and I already had a bratwurst lunch plan and Zach and I are heading to Lugano this weekend! This is our last weekend together before the wedding. I leave Zürich on Wednesday to head back to the states and won't see Zach until he arrives in Boca Grande on the Wednesday before our wedding. I honestly cannot believe that the wedding is almost here. wow.

Happy Friday and happy weekend!