Blog

We went strawberry picking. Not that first time. Again. Because of course everyone needs to pick nearly 20 pounds of ripe and delicious strawberries over the course of a week and a half. Needless to say, I’m scrounging out all … Read More

Lifestyle

Summer Latelies

Summer’s in full swing and we’ve already kicked into some fun little travels. Pittsburgh First up was Pittsburgh to visit Dan’s brother and his family. It had been a while since we’d seen them, and oh, did we have fun. … Read More

Lifestyle

Chipotle Pineapple Veggie Fajitas

I used to think I didn’t like fajitas. Not really sure why? I mean, lots of colorful veggies and tortillas and toppings? Not much to go wrong. I finally had them again a few months ago when we were in … Read More

Lifestyle

Weeknight Vegetarian: Hot Corn & Black Bean Dip

We’re pretty simple when it comes to dips. Fresh salsa, guac, done. But this dip. THIS DIP! It is so good. I made it for Dan’s birthday shindig this year and I had at least 4 different people ask for … Read More

Lifestyle

Weeknight Vegetarian: Toasted Coconut cream Ice Cream

What, you don’t have ice cream for dinner? This was actually Mother’s Day dessert, c/o my husband who knows me all-too-well, but I easily would eat it for dinner. And it’s vegetarian. And, quite possibly, the best ice cream I’ve … Read More

Family

Mama

Growing up, there were probably a lot of things I took for granted about my mom. Moving across the world to a country where she didn’t yet have a firm grasp of the language (and then getting the hang of … Read More

Lifestyle

Weeknight Vegetarian: Brown Rice Bowl with Crispy Baked Tofu, Edamame, and Peanut Sauce

This Week: Grilled cheese & tomato soupPineapple fajita soft tacosFalafelLeftoversHomemade pizza I adore Thai food. I love all the spices and freshness and depth of flavor. I like to say this rice bowl is “Thai-inspired” because I’m sure it’s not … Read More

Lifestyle

Weeknight Vegetarian: Indian White Bean Curry + Chapati

This week: Cinco de Mayo – portobello/black bean enchiladas with creamy green chile sauce, hot corn dip, guac Roasted lemon quinoa Thai peanut noodles with tofu & veggies Roasted pineapple tacos Homemade pizza Brinner: waffles, spinach strata The way some … Read More

Lifestyle

Weeknight Vegetarian: Why I Stopped Using My Kitchenaid (for pizza dough, anyway)

This week: Monday: Red Coconut Curry Noodles Tuesday: Cafe Rio Salads Wednesday: Chana masala with homemade chapati Thursday: Brinner (lemon, goat cheese & leek frittata + potato hash + homemade frozen waffles – I tell you, the best thing to … Read More

Lifestyle

Weeknight Vegetarian: Roasted Lemon Quinoa with Chickpeas & Feta

I used to be super awesome at meal planning. I would do 2 weeks at a time and I pretty much never wasted a single CSA veggie. Risking utter modesty, I rocked. For the last few months, I…haven’t rocked. Without … Read More

Lifestyle

DIY “Accio Milk” Onesie

Remember that little Pinterest Challenge? The one that ended earlier this week when I had THREE pins I hadn’t yet done? Pretty sure 50% is a failing grade however you look at it. (It’s amazing what having the entire … Read More

On Thursday night, we were planning to go camping in the beautiful Shenandoah’s in honor of my birthday on Friday. Dan surprised me with a spot picked out months ago before it filled up right at the top of a mountain overlooking a valley and we had super tasty foil dinners all prepared and the sleeping bags all down from the attic. And then it rained. And rained. And rained some more.We thought about braving it, but let’s be honest, I’m a wuss and had no desire to be wet and miserable, especially with 2 kids in tow. So we threw in the towel and decided to reschedule for not-during-a-tropical-storm.

We were also planning to go to the beach on Saturday. And then it continued to rain.

But Saturday afternoon! Saturday afternoon, you pretty little thing, you. Thanks for making my year. I threw on a favorite outfit and the sun broke through as we left the baptism of a little friend and some sparkly rays sneaked through the clouds. And then burned them right off. After some naps, we took the already-prepped foil dinners right outside to the park behind our place and cooked them up on the grill. And oh, those fajita veggies and cheesy potatoes and corn and crispy burritos, they were tasty. All the more so for the anticipation and utter lack of work.

When we got out, there were a bunch of guys playing basketball and there was this one sweet little son of one of them who made friends with N. As they were making introductions, Dan said, “This is my son and best friend, N.” N then ran right over to K and said, “This is my sister and best friend K.” And just melted my heart right off.

After stuffing our faces, we hopped on our bikes and took a few spins around the neighborhood. It was one of those glowy, hazy evenings that just settles in your soul. The ride picked up a hint of breeze just strong enough to cool the remnants of too-warm sunlight. The kids loved every second of being in the bike trailer and just sang and laughed and squealed and told Dan to keep right on riding. They and Dan kept calling out to me that they loved me and wanted me to know that I’m special and other nice things. That summer scent just hung like dew in the air. You know that smell? The one of wildflowers and still-damp grass and the sun itself.

There were other wonderful birthday things – Dan wayyyyy outdoing himself in the gift department by surprising me with Lasik (YOU.GUYS.). Possibly my new favorite cake (almond. Dan has changed quite a lot from his no-cooking bachelor days) and a Sunday evening gathering with friends. A date-night dinner with the best Thai in the city and dinner with my family, too.

But in spite of, or maybe because of, all the unplanning and replanning and plan cancelling, the best part of all really was that simple, lazy, glowy Saturday evening. That feeling with my little family, that summer night, I just want to cement it in my memory forever. Happy birthday, indeed.