Valentine in August

Supper Club hadn't met in months, due to vacations and just general summer craziness. We finally reunited for a summertime themed dinner party. YUM. Paté, various cheeses, steak tartar, caprese salad, potato salad, quinoa salad, squid and root beer floats were on the menu. It was great! It was really nice to hang out with everyone again and eat awesome food! Not to mention the bonus of Valentine, the lovebird, and a round of 90's Trivial Pursuit. Next month, a field trip...

◊◊◊ The Blackest of Berries ◊◊◊

My friend and coworker, Gina, asked me to go blackberry picking on our day off from work and I was totally stoked! I haven't been berry picking since I was ~5 years old. We went in the morning so it wasn't too hot yet. Just a short drive outside of town. Gina was creative and made blackberry basil jam. I was not creative. I froze mine for smoothies. I don't really know how to make jam or pies or cobbler and such. Should probably learn. I tasted Gina's jam and it was summery sweet goodness. Would love to make this an annual tradition. It was great fun!

5 Days in Chicago

I spent last weekend with my sister, her husband and their little girl, Hadley, in their awesome Chicago suburb, Glenview. There is so much fun stuff to do there. It's pretty amazing! We fit so much into our weekend together. Here's where we went and what we did:

• The Botanic Garden with a butterfly exhibit and miniature train exhibit.
• Wagner Farm where you can watch cows being milked and see how a working farm runs.
• They have a huge, brand new library.
• Went into the city to dinner at Avec and then went to the Michael Jackson Cirque du Soleil!
• Whitney and I went to KingSpa, a Korean inspired spa with over 9 saunas and decorated with probably over a million dollars of amethyst crystals. It is kind of indescribable. If you live in Chicago or Dallas you should definitely check it out. Prepare to be blown away.
• Goofed around at home with Hadley. She's a pistol!

It was a great weekend and it made me wish that we lived closer together. Thanks for having me!!!

Hadley with the souvenir Michael Jackson glove.

 

∞∞∞Summertime, and the Living is Easy∞∞∞

I made a dress!

Homer gave me a bunch of really awesome succulents.

Some kind of crazy bug has taken over my broccoli!

Onions are ready!

Brussels Sprouts are getting there.

No red ones yet.

Soon it's salsa making time.

The deck is coming along.

Local tomatoes. Roasted for pasta with pesto.

Martini on Bastille Day.

Woodie Guthrie birthday bash concert at the Arts Center.

Inside an art installation.

~~~Heat Wave~~~

The heat is on, my friends. We're like crispy fried chickens over here in Kansas. It's been close to or over 100 degrees for weeks now. I'm still watering the garden daily in hopes that everything doesn't just evaporate into nothing. I'm fearful of the water bill. I'm getting quite a bit from the garden -- gorgeous onions, potatoes, basil, and brussels sprouts. So, the dedication to watering is paying off. But some rain sure would be nice...

This is our new, smaller compost bin. We moved it because it was right by the new patio. Now it's on the other side of the house out of sight. 

This is where the compost was. I realized I have dozens of pictures of Chris in this position. Always digging, building, etc. 

Have to throw in a picture of my cutie kitty. Notice the replica of her on the windowsill. My sister gave it to us for Christmas. It even has a short ear and two different colored eyes, just like Bella. 

A new summer cocktail: freshly juiced Crenshaw melon and cucumber, 

lime juice, seltzer water and gin. YUM.