Summer To-Do List

I made a spontaneous summer goal list a while back, but now after reading Claire's summer bucket list, I'm thought my original list looked a little pithy. I think I've forgotten the simple fact that are there are in fact 3 whole months in a summer, so it's high time I beef up my list..

1. try paddleboarding

2. have my grandma teach me how to make lemon meringue pie

3. hike Wallace Falls

4. have backyard BBQ's

5. use 1 or more of my groupon / living social deals

6. take a ferry ride

7. paint our spare bedroom/office

8. spend a sunny day at Alki Beach

9. learn how to make jam with my mom

10. eat at Blackboard Bistro

11. organize our basement

12. go wine tasting

13. have plenty of fro-yo nights with the girls at Menchies

14. take care of wedding bills/expenses

15. use our new jalapeno popper grill rack

16. do yoga once a week

17. go through my closet and purge/giveaway/sell

18. take more pictures

19. make homemade popsicles

image/katespade tumblr

Dinner Last Night: Eggplant and Summer Squash

My inspiration for my dinner last night came courtesy of an elementary/high school friend's blog, The Sustainable Palate. Kate's blog focuses on cooking with local, seasonal ingredients, and I've bookmarked pretty much every recipe in hopes that I'll eventually try them all myself. Go see for yourself!

I followed this recipe for eggplant and summer squash verbatim and it turned out deliciously! The recipe calls to serve the spicy, hearty curry over rice, but when I peeked in my pantry, I had a paltry bit of rice remaining, so instead I served over cous cous, which was just as satisfying.

image/thesustainablepalate

3 Years

3 years ago today we met. It was June 27, 2008.

It was a Friday night, Bri's birthday party, at a dive bar of all places.

I was there with my girlfriends, you with your guy friends.

An introduction was made. We talked all night...

About life and music and friends and family and everything else.

Phone numbers were exchanged. A few calls and texts ensued.

A week later, we went on our first official date to the Mariners Game.

And shared our first kiss just outside the stadium.

The rest is history.

And now 3 years later, we are engaged, and soon we'll be married!

Happy 3 years babe. I'm so happy I met you.

My world has grown infinitely happier with you in my life.

I can't wait to marry you,

And spend the rest of our lives together.

image/p.heartache

Weekend Baking: Blueberry Lemon Tea Cakes

Since I've discovered my artful talent of concocting decent recipes from what little ingredients I have on hand, I decided to try this magic yet again, this time in the form of a dessert.

The last page of Martha Stewart's latest Living called out to me, Blueberry Lemon tea cakes. Since I recently received a lovely little Le Creuset baker in springy "fennel" green from my friend Anna as a bridal shower gift, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to put it into action.

This recipe is definitely a winner, just the right amount of tart + sweet, with a pitch perfect sugary lemony glaze on top. Plus, it's adaptable, I was a little short on frozen blueberries, so I threw in some frozen raspberries for good measure, which I can oh-so-humbly say, only enhanced the flavor.

image/marthastewart

Food Memories

Do you ever make foods to recall a memory? I've only eaten fried zucchini blossoms once before. It was in 2009, and I was dining at restaurant in Piazza Santa Maria in the Trastevere neighborhood of Rome with my family.

I remember these were written on a chalkboard menu, and we ordered them on a whim, my sister scoffing at my insistence on ordering yet another fried food. I remember eating them while drinking wine and laughing while we sat underneath a painted mural of Christ with his hands together in prayer on the restaurant wall. We later took a picture of my mom mimicking this pose that same night.

Lately I've spied these bright, colorful zucchini blossoms popping up at my local farmer's market. So now I want to try my hand and make these myself, if only to remember that summer two years ago; the lively Italian streets, the amazing flavorful cuisine, the pure unadulterated magic of Rome.

What's a favorite food memory of yours?

Currently...

Having a low key Saturday.

Listening to my new favorite song...

Watching...

Online shopping here...

Getting excited for an overnight trip here tomorrow...

image/maryruffle

Dinner Last Night: Pea Pesto Linguine

In an effort to avoid going to the grocery store once again this week, I scrounged around my fridge and pantry in an attempt to create dinner from the ingredients I had on hand.

Thankfully, this pea pesto linguine was pretty easy to concoct with my food inventory. All you need is dried pasta, frozen peas, garlic, olive oil, parmesan cheese, and pine nuts. Next, just blend and serve over pasta and voila - dinner! Pretty easy! And it was a nice twist on pesto.

image/smittenkitchen