Dinner with No Reservation

Recently, old pictures of friends in New York have been like a treat in postcard form.

At that time my friend had just gotten back from Shanghai and she brought back so many surprises! It was also the first sleepover I’d had in what felt like ages.

A "Milk Collection"--yummy!

Since I’ve been back in Florida I’ve been contemplating many things, and a few of those things are the idea of aspirations, one-way track living, and what matters. Some have aspirations to start a family, or meet that someone special. Some want to see policies change, and some are career driven. There are some who just want to be a better person, or as I like to say… a more realized self. Because my idea of “better” may be different from yours, so where’s the good and bad in that? No where.

Anyway, I’m at a point in my life where most of my friends are getting engaged, married, starting their careers, or even going back to school. Then there are those that are pursuing more unconventional aspirations by going to artist residencies, going on long journeys in different hemispheres, or being entrepreneurs and starting from scratch. But that’s what other people are doing. What am I doing? It’s not until I tell people about my life and someone gets confused about the timeline and events, that I realize that my life and family may seem unconventional. But we never think about it like that because in reality we’re not. Just in a person’s perception. Life does not exist in boxes, nor in a telescope. It’s funny how we are existing on one planet and everything from the atmosphere to the reason why your hair is falling out are related to something, which are related to something else. Then there’s the greater universe, and somehow that thought makes me think of how insignificant some things really are. Those things that disappear from our minds, and who knows… maybe they exist in a way that stars are a vision of the past. But why do things matter? Aside from survival being an instinct, I think things matter because it helps us feel like we live for something. A reason. Somethings matter so much that we’d die for it. I once asked myself that I know that I would die for someone, but would I walk 5,000 miles for them? I’d probably walk 5,000 miles just to walk. You know when you don’t have a reason for doing something, but there’s something inexplicable within you that is compelled? The kinds of things that have no answer when someone asks you, “why?” That’s been most of my guiding inspiration throughout life, and maybe it can be hard to understand. So that’s what I’m doing.

But here’s something a little less wordy, and easy on the eyes.

My dad definitely knows I like to try new things, and he does too.

I hadn't heard of wild red rice until that point.

I love the idea of wild rice invading rice fields.

Yes, there's a little patty hiding under the slices of coastal cheddar.

Sometimes I look through recipes based on what I already have. Most of the time I don’t want to have to go out and buy an ingredient (unless it’s a fruit or vegetable… then I don’t care). I wanted a recipe that would get me to use hemp seeds in a new way, so when I found this one for Hemp Burgers–I marked it. I didn’t realize the recipe called for herb seasoned stuffing until I was ready to make it. These were my options a) buy seasoned stuffing–which I would rarely use b) make stuffing from the loaf of bread I didn’t have or c) improvise and use rice! The only reason the stuffing was in the recipe in the first place was to act as binder, so I figured if I just ran the rice through the food processor it would work. And it did!

Don't be shy little burger.

I wanted to make the loaf version of 'Cinnamon Fantails' for a dinner party I hosted awhile ago...

Alas, I wasn’t able to because I was running late with everything that day, but I decided to make it the next day. “I’m sorry, you arrived late and the guests are all gone!” This turned out to look like an edible version of the Grand Canyon. I realized later on why. I was suppose to bake it exposing the layers right side up, but who cares?

So what’s this you heard about a dinner party the night prior? Continue reading

The Meaningful Ones

Thinking about the warm weather, and coming back to cold weather has been on my mind lately. I try not to let the weather bring me down, but sometimes it’s hard! Something I thought about the other day is that weather is humbling for me. Weather and mother nature are greater than our expectations of it. Wind can make fun of me when it pushes me forward or gets me eating my own hair. The breeze welcomes me to relax into it. When it rains sometimes I imagine that clouds are just giant sprinklers and I can run through them. Whatever it may be like outside, it’s bigger than me and I’m okay with that.

I loved being able to have the windows open in the morning and breathing in fresh air.

Stepping outside and feeling warmth on my skin.

Brötchen for breakfast.

My parents frequent the several German bakeries in their area and always bring home things that are nostalgic for me.

Hopefully soon I’ll be back over in Germany walking to the bakery and bringing home some freshly baked rolls!
Over the break I also tried some local bee pollen.

This had such a curious taste, and I can’t really explain it but I’m not complaining.

I had to buy another bar because little Matilda ate the entire bar one night!

By some miracle she did not get sick at all! That whole bar is twice the amount that is toxic for her, and I don’t know how she managed to eat something that is almost as long as her. She’s a supa freak! [Supa freak, supa freakayyy! Ow!]

Chilled oatmeal, incognito chopped dates, diced apple, Greek yogurt, honey, bee pollen, and…
Toasted hemp seeds with sea salt-yum.
We went to a place where you could browse through a long list of beers.

I am all about options, and I chose a pear cider. This was so yummy, and tasted like an “older kid’s” version of pear juice in a box.

Followed by the one blurry picture before my camera died.
Threw together a random lunch

Raw red Russian kale with dressing, leftover yellow split pea soup, and…

During the week I made a batch of refried beans and coconut-sesame seed rice.

The coconut-sesame seed rice recipe is from my “Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners” book, and I’ll give you a brief description so maybe you can give it a try! Cook some basmati rice with ghee and salt. Then when the rice is done cooking, heat up some ghee in a small pan and fry equal amounts of shredded coconut and sesame seeds till they’re lightly browned. Mix in with the cooked rice, salt to taste, and garnish with cilantro. I’ve posted about this recipe before. It’s so simple and incredibly flavorful!

Guess who joined us halfway through the week!

Emily was staying a few hours away from us for a few days, and then she decided she was ready for girl time!

Ohh the beach, how I love you!
One of the days after soaking in some sun I wanted to share, in my humble opinion, one of the best ice creams.
Mmm vanilla island coconut ice cream

This is going to sound corny, but this really is coconut bliss.

And they all agreed!

Apparently Coconut Bliss has come out with four new flavors, and one of them is on my radar–ginger cookie caramel!

During my break I wanted to take on a culinary challenge.

I had bookmarked Marni’s White, Red, and Green Italian Braid recipe awhile ago, and I thought this was a good time to finally make it!

Mix it well!
My fillings of choice: homemade pesto, tomato sauce, (all marinated) roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, artichokes, mozzarella, and goat cheese.
No parchment paper made this step a bit tricky.
But the challenge was completed!
Delicious! You could make this bread on a free night and have slices throughout the week when you’re on-the-go.
We also spent some time strolling along and people watching.
Found charming streets
A hideaway perhaps?
A special dinner was in order–to celebrate my mother’s recent promotion.

She’s such an intelligent woman and is so dedicated to what she does! Hearing her stories from work and her benevolent attitude towards the people that work for her makes me proud.

My mom had fun taking pictures of us girls goofing off, and I’m pretty sure she was being silly behind the camera too.
Coconut curry bursting with tofu, pineapples, and vegetables.

I hadn’t gone out for Thai food in such a long time! I requested that they also add some grated ginger, and much to my delight I saw AND tasted that they actually did. I’m never afraid to make special requests. If you’re polite about it then why not? I was left feeling satisfied and with yummy leftovers.

There was a special dinner the next night as well.

I steamed a bundle of asparagus and sprinkled on sea salt, drizzling of lemon juice, and a pat of butter. For the mushrooms I sautéed onions and garlic, then I turned down the heat and threw in the mushrooms with some salt and herbes de provence. Once the mushrooms softened I turned the heat down to low and mixed in a splash of balsamic, a few spoonfuls of goat cheese and Greek yogurt, and some cracked peppercorns. Let it simmer for a bit so the flavors blend together. Now the mashed potatoes were just a basic recipe but there was a special ingredient: black truffle salt. I served that with a pat of butter as well.

Filled with lots of love…
For my friends and family!
We were sad to leave and so was Lone Duck.
But I hope they come down with me again soon!
I love my friends with all my heart.

Spending the week with them in paradise was wonderful. I live with Emily right now, and we just have such a great understanding and appreciation for each other. I always feel funny just calling her my roommate because she is so much more than that to me. She is someone that I can stand in flamingo stance with while talking about our thoughts on life and the world around us. Sway is also one of the coolest ladies that I’ve ever met. She lives further up north so I don’t get to see her that often, but it’s always really nice when we do. We’ll have the same thoughts or do the same things as each other and it can be really freaky sometimes, but I love it! Actually, there was a week where I was eating lots of roasted beets and grilled goat cheese sandwiches, and when I told her that she told me that she had been making them too! It’s so awesome to be so connected with someone. These ladies are so easy to be around, and I can’t think of a time where we felt like making a fuss towards each other. I bet that the people they encounter in their lives can’t help but feel touched and graced by their presence. Both of them are so special and  thinking about them and that they are in my life brings me peace.

I think we all have those special people in ours lives that seem to complete us.

Pass It On

Thank you for all the well wishes everyone! Taking it easy this weekend was a good idea, so I can feel and look well-rested for RVA Fashion Week’s casting today. They’ll be figuring out which models will work for each show. I’ve also got a photo shoot to go to later this day for my fashion photography class. Anyway, the other day I noticed that I haven’t posted any breakfasts lately, but that’s not to say that I haven’t been eating it. Afterall, it is my favorite meal of the day! Since I have class in the mornings Monday through Thursday, I usually just make OIAJ or something else convenient (i.e. bagels!) the night before and bring that to class with me.

However, it is nice that I get a few days in the week where I don’t have to have breakfast on the go.

Oatmeal topped with banana slices, my favorite pumpkin butter, and toasted & salted hemp seeds. Toasted hemp seeds can go with anything! I’ve been trying to use up my jars of fruit butters and jams by using them as a sweetener for my oatmeal.

Caramelized anything is fine by me!

I thought of Erica this particular morning, and was inspired to top my usual bowl of oatmeal with something special. Rather than simply slicing some apples and leaving it at that, I caramelized them. First I heated some coconut oil on a pan and then sautéed the apple slices, dates, and cinnamon sticks. After cooking them for a bit I added a splash of apple juice.

This bit of deliciousness was topped with pistachios and honey to boot!

Now on to lunch, dinner, and some lovely side dishes.

Honey Glazed Carrots

This was a recipe from “The Flexitarian Cookbook” that I finally got around to making. Rather than cooking them in regular butter though, I used ghee. This changed the flavor a bit, and in combination with the honey… I just wanted more.

Parmesan-roasted Parsnips

I haven’t made a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks in awhile! Maybe some of you can guess which book it is, but for those of you who can’t it’s Simon Rimmer’s “The Accidental Vegetarian“. I wanted to marry him because the recipes in this book are so good. He still hasn’t proposed to me, and I’m not the kind of girl who sits around waiting. But that won’t stop me from cooking up his incredible recipes!

Addictive!
Almost a mish-mosh, but not quite.

I had lots of scallions leftover and the first thing that came to mind was Thai food. Then I started thinking of recipes involving noodles since I have a lot to use up. I ended up making a spicy Thai peanut sauce to go with some random veggies I had on hand, fried tofu, and a combination of rice and soba noodles. I’d bring this with me to class, and by now whenever I pull out my meals my mates ask me what I brought this time. They also remark on how everything I bring smells so good. Well, I can assure you that not only do my meals smell good, but they taste good too.

Soup for the season

This past week I made a batch of Angharad’s curried squash and carrot soup. This sounded like one of those soups I see in stores that I don’t buy because I’d rather make them on my own. I usually don’t end up making them, and I’m just left with a reminder whenever I stumble upon one of those convenient soups. This kind of soup was new to me though. I had never made a soup with summer squash, and I was wondering how well the flavors would hold up. The curry added just enough spice, but didn’t stand alone. I find that curry picks up other flavors, and goes well with so many things. Take tabasco sauce (not a big fan), for instance, it just cuts right through everything–so acidic!

A cup of Colombian hot chocolate aka the best hot chocolate.

Why is this the best? Well, first off it’s made using a chocolate tablet vs. cocoa powder. That automatically makes it tastier. I’m going to tell you how my grandma makes it. First she pours milk (almond for me, please) into a chocolatera (and aluminum pitcher), and brings it to a boil on the stove. She’ll let me skim off the yummy layer that forms on top, which is called nata in Spanish. There is a cake that is tediously made entirely of those delicious layers called postre de natas. After the milk is boiling she puts in the tablet of Colombian chocolate and takes a molinillo (a wooden whisker) to froth the melted chocolate. Then it’s lovingly poured into a cup for whomever is dear to you, that includes yourself! In Colombia it’s typical to let a chunk of queso blanco melt in the cup of rich, frothy hot chocolate.

I think you should try it.
The other day I brought in a non-conventional battery to my class.

This was a for a mini-project for my time-based sculpture class to help us think outside of the box. Food can be fuel, and I remembered reading a recipe in Brendan Brazier’s “Thrive:…” that offered fast energy. I didn’t bother explaining the science behind the dates and coconut oil to my class. Instead I just let them enjoy, which they did! Speaking of energy I have a little challenge for you…

 

“The heart has reasons that reason cannot know."

I had planned for this post to be another one I’d been working on, but I wanted to get this off my chest and I think Blaise Pacal’s words put it quite nicely. The other day Gillian, Kailey, a few others ladies, and I were discussing the topic of justification. Specifically, the justification of food. It’s funny because this is mostly a food blog, but I don’t label myself as anything more detailed than that. I know that I get tagged a healthy living blog, which there’s nothing wrong with, but I personally don’t see myself as that. I’m just a young woman who likes to share some things that perhaps others can enjoy. I also love to cook things out of scratch, so that means I simply use food that comes from this good earth.

Frankly, I don’t like how the word “healthy” gets used sometimes. Moreover, I don’t like dubbing things as “junk”. If someone wants to “healthify” recipes go ahead, but for some reason it bothers me when people say that. It keeps that mentality of x vs. y going–because this bread is made with apple sauce instead of oil, and a cookie made with butter can get a bad rap. Take out the oil, and that may make a person feel less anxiety. There’s nothing wrong with apple sauce for moisture or for taste, but if it’s done to avoid feelings of guilt I think one should think twice then. Let’s do ourselves a favor and catch ourselves when we start comparing. Instead, let each thing simply be what it is. In the end, what do these ideas really amount to? A cookie may be pivotal because of how delicious it tastes, but as far as the end all be all of someone’s diet… it doesn’t even come close. Granted, perhaps if no one sought out an alternative option for people who can’t digest things or choose a certain lifestyle some of my favorite things probably wouldn’t exist; like almond milk, coconut milk ice cream, some gluten-free granolas, and agave. Now, I know I am speaking in very general terms here but it’s for the sake of not writing a novel. I realize there are some who have diabetes or other dietary circumstances, but I think you know what I mean. I’m discussing the mentality.

I think what has a lot to do with the issue of making food more than what it really is, is the power of words. Sure actions can speak louder than them, but words also have the power to reinforce ideas. I mean that’s why I’m taking the time to write this. Don’t we all start to believe what we tell ourselves? These ideas of right and wrong, what makes us happy, or how things “should be”. How often do you hear people saying something is better because it has less calories, less fat, or less carbs? Sometimes we get bombarded with so much information that we forget to just live. Fortunately, we have the power and choice to step aside from the noise and not let it take over. I like to call this taking responsibility for ourselves.

On my blog when I was focusing on foods that were more beneficial for my liver, I was a little weary of writing about it. The information I was finding during my research was all very interesting, but I was afraid that some would focus on that too much. I know that I didn’t take it too seriously, but I didn’t want it to become what my blog was about. Acknowledging the wonderful benefits that some foods have is such a gift, but it is not my focus. I eat what I think tastes wonderful! I eat things that I would want to share with others if they were sitting right next to me, or pass along a recipe that could bring a person back to another place or time. That’s what I love about food. I don’t feel the need to justify what I’m eating because of its nutritional value or lack thereof. I eat what I like. I like ketchup with mayonnaise, and I like cured manchego. In fact, there’s nothing in this world that can replace the complex flavors of cheese. I like white chocolate, milk chocolate, and dark chocolate. I also like coconut oil mixed in almost everything, and sweet potatoes are just so good. I think olives are gross, nor have I ever really liked fish. I like sandwich bread, artisan bread, and sprouted bread. I think high fructose corn syrup is pointless as an ingredient, but has become an ethical issue and really just exists to give some people a paycheck and save some money. But hey, that’s just me. You are you, and that’s also cool!

Do you ever unnecessarily find yourself justifying why you do the things you do?

On that note, let us enjoy some tasty food, shall we?

Chocolate was on my grocery list last week.

Any Chocolove bar I’ve tried has been a special treat. Not to mention, they come with a love poem inside. So you can love the chocolate your eating, and feel loved too!

Remember this place? Ah yes, it's only natural that I went to the chocolate shop.

(Oh how I wish the weather would be warm enough to go out with bare legs!)

I'm actually containing my reaction to how surprisingly tasty this bar was.

I love crystallized ginger, but I wasn’t sure how this would taste. Adventures always involve some sort of risk though! The ginger wasn’t overpowering the dark chocolate, and they complemented each other wonderfully–you get bits of sweet and spicy ginger while the dark chocolate melts in your mouth.

I wanted to do something a little different for breakfast.

One baby step in making my 15 lb. bag of basmati rice a little lighter–”Project Clean Out” is still in progress!

Hot Rice Cereal with Dried Mango and Toasted Coconut

In addition to the recipe, I chopped up some medjool dates, stirred in some coconut oil, and also toasted some hemp seeds with sea salt. I love the nutty and roasted flavor that hemp seeds get when you toast them. It kind of reminds me of popcorn actually. Anyway, I had an inkling that it would be a tasty addition to this sweet recipe, and indeed it was.

Speaking of popcorn... I was greeted by this man at the door.

On the way back from my last trip to Florida I tried these new-to-me chips called “Popcorners“. They were one of the options for snacks on my JetBlue flight, and I was curious about them. I ended up liking them so much that I asked if I could have another bag! Sadly, I had never seen these chips in stores, but I wanted to try more. The people over at Popcorners kindly sent me this funny box filled with all of their flavors! The texture of popped food is so satisfying to me.

I think it's the crunch!

He decided to surprise my roommate.

A couple times actually.

Have you tried these before? Or even heard of them?

After trying all of the flavors, I’ve come up with a list that goes from my favorite to least favorite (but that doesn’t mean I didn’t like it!): Kettle, White Cheddar, Butter, Cheesy Jalapeno, and Sea Salt. Now I just want to munch on them! You can find out more about them on their Facebook or Twitter sites as well. Also, their website has creative ways to use their chips in all sorts of recipes!

The other weekend I picked up a bag of Bare Fruit dried d'anjou pears at the store.

I was curious as to what they’d be like. They’re great for snacking on, but I wanted to try them with something else.

Topped with sliced almonds and leftover streusel.

Making oatmeal a bit more deliciously complicated.

I had some rice noodles just sitting in my pantry.

While searching on the CHOW website I came across this recipe which used rice noodles. I think next up I want to make Pad Thai.

Tofu and Broccolini Pad See Ew

I omitted the eggs since I’m not a fan of them. Anyway, I have enough for leftovers to have throughout the week!

In other news, I recently went to a casting call for a commercial for Richmond Fashion Week with one of my favorite persons, David!

[gigya width="440" height="420" src="http://v7.tinypic.com/player.swf?file=2kofo1&s=7" quality="high" flashvars="gig_lt=1296412375972&gig_pt=1296413371035&gig_g=1&gig_n=wordpress" wmode="tranparent" ]

I ended up not being chosen to be a part of the commercial, but that’s alright. Just giving things a shot is enough for me sometimes.

Anyway, I’d like to know your thoughts about the beginning of this post.

Sometimes Things Can Look Like More Than What They Are…

And there can be beauty in that. In a way that’s what makes the seemingly simple and little things stand out. Recently, I’ve been noticing that the food I’ve been putting together has some sort of rustic or “very much like the land” look to it.

Pumpkin pie spice roasted chickpeas, Greek yogurt, banana, dried dates and pineapple.
Dates, hazelnut butter, banana, dates, pumpkin pie space, and raw cacao nibs
A mountainous landscape or just a new combination for my secret oat-bar/muffin recipe: dried apples, dates, dried cranberries, walnuts, cashews, chocolate chips, and a blend of tea masala and pumpkin pie spices.
Notice anything by now?

I don’t know if you noticed it, but I realized that lots of my foods have been resembling landscapes. Perhaps it’s been coming from the time I’ve been spending outside recently. Observing the seasons in their transition phases is always something interesting, and beautiful to witness. And now that my time with technology isn’t as readily-available (laptop situation still up in the air, but thank you to a dear friend of mine for letting me borrow his!), more time has magically appeared for me to enjoy these things.

The other day in my sculpture class, my professor took us on a field-trip (haven’t been on one of those in awhile) to a foundry and an art collectors’ private collection.

I was transported to another era and sometimes what looked like a destroyed city.
Things that look like they’ve just taken in a lot…

Afterwards, we went to the private collection of a very dynamic husband and wife. It was such a refreshing and reminding visit to see people enjoying art on their own time. There are people who support and find beauty in what artists make. Oftentimes, some get caught up in the “joke” of being an artist, and don’t see that it can be a reality. This is sort of random, but as an artist I believe; I have faith that a person can make it. Of course, I also understand that a person can very many different routes. Some sculptors sometimes make those molds you see at dentist’s office. Who knows! Anyway, the thing going on in my life have really gotten me to reflect on the idea of beauty, and what it can bring out in us. I recently went over Confucianism. One of the points brought up was that the human spirit can feel uplifted if surrounded by beautiful things. This can nature, the arts, whatever you may find beautiful. Off the top of my head I find this in nature, fashion, food, art, parallels in our universe, and people. What do you find beauty in?

There's some to be found in the smile that leaves a dinner party with a sweet reminder.

 

Or in the beautiful friend that greets you with a thoughtful bouquet of flowers!

 

Finding beauty in nature that led me to finding a beauty in food.

Toasted hemp seeds with sea salt, pumpkin pie spice, and shredded coconut

And the nice thing is that you don’t have to look too far.

 

Summer Delights

Why hello there! First off, I’d like to announce the winner of the Kroeger Herb giveaway. Drum roll please… and the winner is Lauren! How exciting! You’ll be contacted ASAP to get your prize to you. Thank you so much to everyone for participating, and especially for sharing the little tidbits you all learned from their site. They were very interesting indeed.

This particular morning called for a special breakfast... for no particular reason, of course.

Usual bowl of oats topped with ground flax, frozen banana slices, a grilled peach, Greek yogurt, and I quickly made a syrup by combining honey with some pomegranate concentrate.

I just wish my breakfasts could last longer.

I was able to put my finger on it... toasted hemp seeds with sea salt taste like popcorn!

I finally got my own copy of "Ayurvedic Cooking for Westerners", so of course I tried out another recipe.

The recipe was split mung bean soup, and I served it with rice and some flax oil. It’s important to make sure the balance of cilantro and cumin tastes right! At first I had too little cumin. This soup was actually refreshing, and I would recommend it even during the hot months because it felt very cooling. This was my first time cooking with mung beans, and I wasn’t sure what to expect. I just knew that this was calming for my dosha, and that it sounded interesting. I already had the mung beans on hand since I read that they were pacifying for pittas and vatas (my combination of doshas). I know I’ve mentioned what doshas are on here before, but it doesn’t hurt to mention it again. “It’s an essential biological energy or structure in Ayurvedic anatomy. There are three primary doshas, Vata, Pitta, and Kapha, which sustain all life. They move cyclically on a daily basis, and act as transporters and communicators between the essential tissues, and the bodily wastes. Their balance is a key to health. They also determine our physical constitution at birth.” Very interesting, indeed!

Remember the tin brioche mold?

Well the mystery recipe I had in mind was Ani Phyo’s fig tartlets with almond frangipane kream. I finally got around to making these–and although the crust decided to crumble–I was able to enjoy them for their flavor! I loved the light sweet and saltiness of the crust, the citrusy, crunchy, and sweet fig filling… topped off with the fluffy kream–delicious!

Actually, this was still beautiful to look at.

My new roommate's family visited, and they gave me some vegetables straight from their garden!

Aren’t they sweet? Things with my new roommate are going really well! We’re both very excited to get the apartment straightened up, and it’s nice to see things coming together.

I was also able to replenish my cherry tomato supply at the farmer's market.

No person’s nose could miss their delicious smell. These are seriously bursting with flavor!

I also had a special friend meet up with me at the market... who could it be?

None other than the gorgeous, Rebekah!

Rebekah has an amazing blog filled with such insightful posts. I think communication and provoking thought are important parts of our lives, and she definitely addresses both aspects! When she first walked up to me, I turned around and my breath was taken away; yes, Rebekah is that beautiful! She also has an air about her that just makes her even lovelier.

After talking our heads off for a few hours, I left feeling uplifted; my admiration for her grew as well. She is such a strong young woman, and I can just tell that she is going to achieve her dreams!

Cheers to a friendship that will continue to grow!

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend. It seemed like a lot of people have been enjoying the remnants of summer. I’ve been listening to the cicadas, eating tons of peaches, sleeping with the window open, biking around the city, and admiring the colors of the sunsets when I walk Matilda. I’ve just been trying to be outside as much as possible before it starts to get chilly! How have you been enjoying the wonders that summer offers?