Mid-Morning Dance Party

Realizing that when September comes along, we'll all be busy with school and work again, I've decided to take an untethered approach to summer's end.  With no real routine in place, we find ourselves enjoying JUST being home.  There are, of course, the occasional outings to Lake Anza for a swim, spontaneous gatherings with friends and our legendary mid-morning dance parties.   Given the time and the opportunity to find something to do on their own, our kids have been pulling out their board games, matchbox cars, old books and  even building blocks.  There's often a request for screen time but we've been comprising on when and just how much.  My relaxed attitude toward it seems to have lessened its focus.

Within the next few weeks we'll be receiving lots of guests and even hosting a wedding party!  Things will pick up around here and we'll have plenty of dance partners to go around.  I guess we'll have to take the dancing outdoors when our dining room table arrives...

How are you spending the remainder of  this summer?  

Off The Counter: A Summer Salad

I have this reputation as "the salad queen" that I haven't been living up to lately.  My obsession with kale (which I only like sautéed) may just be the reason.  While visiting family and friends back East, I was reminded of my once salad greatness.  When the first few people we visited asked if we were going to have one of "Debra's salads", I realized I needed to begin preparing them again.

Here's one that combines all my favorite summertime ingredients:  figs, tomatoes, peaches and fresh mozzarella.  Drizzled with honey and chives the salad takes on the fresh, sweet flavor of the season.  Ingredients and instructions below.

Ingredients:

Figs, peaches, tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, honey, chives, olive oil,  rice vinegar and sea salt.

Instructions:  

This salad holds its pretty appearance best if prepared in individual bowls.

Cut the figs, peaches and tomatoes into generous slices.  Lightly salt the tomatoes prior to adding them to the rest of the fruit in the bowls.  Using your hands tear chunks of mozzarella into each bowl.  Drizzle all the ingredients with honey and lightly dress with olive oil and rice vinegar.  Top it off with chopped chives.

Enjoy!

Do YOU have a favorite salad?  If so, do share.

Many, many thanks to LB for her Cambridge hives honey!

'Til Monday: A Summer Memory

Looking through our photographs, I  came across a bunch from one of our favorite summer adventures :  movies at a drive in. While visiting my parents in NJ, we took our children to the same drive -in theater I grew up attending.  A few things about it changed,  but the overall experience remained the same.  It was just as exciting as I remembered it.  The kids we're overjoyed by the entire thing:  sitting on the hood of the car, munching on popcorn, watching the sun set and the screen light up.  We had an amazing summer.  Here's to a new season filled with adventures, lots of friends and family gatherings.  Happy Autumn, everyone!

Do have a favorite summer memory?

Endless Summer

This summer seems endless and I mean it in a very good way.  Since we've returned from an extended visit to the East Coast, the West Coast is now our playground.  County fairs, regional hikes, outdoor movies, and tours to the wine country (with some yoga thrown in for balance) have been keeping us quite busy.  We're also grateful to host many visiting friends and family, more on that later.

Here's to few more BBQ's before the summer is over!

You can follow more of our adventures here, on Instagram.

Moving Mode: A Familiar Summer

Since leaving Cambridge,  the children and I have been battling the heat of summer in New Jersey by taking evening walks, skipping stones and swimming in the lake I enjoyed as a child.   I'm amazed by our little people.  They're curious about my childhood past and excited for their California future,  all while enjoying the present to the fullest.  Take a look at some shots taken during one of our lake adventures:

Here's to many memorable summers for everyone!