Merry Christmas in July! Tonight Mike and I will be having a little holiday feast minus all the gifts, cold temperatures, and relatives. Stuffing, sweet potatoes, and pumpkin-flavored treats are a must! I'll be sure to share some photos from that soon! In the meantime, here's what this past week has looked and tasted like for me!
We enjoyed a delicious dinner al fresco before the heat wave came through and forced us inside! Purple been (which lost all their color and turned green during the cooking process) with a sweet onion and tomato chutney, garlicy summer squash, and simple herbed roasted chicken.
A generous vendor at the farmer's market gave my mother and I a break when all these delicious plums, apricots, and peaches came to $4.60... and we only had $4.00 between us. The doughnut peaches and apricots were my favorites!
In an effort to eat a bit healthier and cut down on sweets entirely devoid of nutrients, I made these individual fruit tarts. Just a touch of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon with oats and Truvia was all I needed to turn these frozen strawberries and blueberries into a scrumptious and satisfying dessert.
Over the weekend I traveled up the Jersey Shore to visit my college friends Marc and Susan. Marc works at Monmouth University for the summer and lives right on the beach, so we took full advantage of his prime seaside location. We spent the vast majority of our time gorging ourselves on delicious treats of all kinds, walking the boardwalk, relaxing oceanside, and driving to look at the unbelievably gorgeous and huge mansions of Deal, NJ.
Marc also took us to campus where we visited Woodrow Wilson's old summer home, now Wilson Hall. Unfortunately I left my camera in the car for this stop, but the place was absolutely gorgeous. Most of the original features have been left intact, including the most stunning bathrooms I've ever used, the creepiest elevators I've ever used, and beautifully ornate detailing all around. If you've ever seen the 1980's film version of Annie, just imagine the mansion from the film - Wilson Hall was actually used as the set for the movie!
Though I was dreading the 3 hour drive (during Friday rush hour, mind you), it ended being worth every minute to spend time with two of my best friends, to fully relax and get just a day and half of vacation, and to eat deliciously for cheap. Visits like these make me miss my college days and wish I could see these people more often!
And finally, this week Mike and I watched Cedar Rapids, a surprisingly delightful and hilarious little ditty of a movie! Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, and Anne Heche star in this one about a sheltered and safe insurance salesman who goes to an insurance convention in the hopes of securing for his company the coveted Two Diamond award for another year. He runs into wacky, wild, and strange characters, however, that sidetrack his attempts. Hilarity ensues but there's still a little bit of heart to it all. Do yourself a favor and check this one out at your nearest RedBox!
sounds like the perfect weekend! I have to ask? did you see the jersey shore people while you were there? lol have a great monday!
ReplyDeleteNo sightings of any of the Jersey Shore cast though Marc has apparently gone to some of the bars that they frequent... Thanks for stopping by!
ReplyDeleteAll the food looks so amazing!!
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