Bahama Mama

This just happened. Literally, I was just standing on this beautiful Bahamian beach just mere hours ago. My luggage still sits in our entryway, sand sure to spill from every crack and crevice when I finally work up the energy to unpack. The end of Summer always stings a little. But returning home from a vacation that I daydreamed my way about over the course of the past several weeks certainly makes it a little more painful as I head off to work this morning.

I hinted at some vacation plans several weeks ago, but sorta kept this one to myself. I think contrary to what my plane ticket said, I wasn't quite sold on the fact that a stay at Atlantis, Paradise Island on Nassau was actually going to happen. But we actually got to cross this one off the bucket list. In all honesty, this trip was  a service gift to The Mister on behalf of his company and this proud wife was just lucky enough to tag along. 

We laid on this nearly secluded stretch of beach for two days. 

There were a few magical evenings, including this private dinner event staged right on the sand in front of the hotel. Every sense was catered to that night and it was definitely a highlight on our trip.

Aside from a trip or two into town to sample some local Bahamian fare (The Fish Fry!), our days were pretty much spent doing absolutely nothing but laying waterside, drink in hand listening to some very good music (which I'm starting to understand might just be how vacations were meant to be spent). 

The resort itself is pretty magical. Complete with slides, two lazy rivers, aquariums and water sports galore, it most certainly caters to families with children. A Vegas style casino, lounges, bathing pools and spa also made it very easy to carve out an adult vacation as well. 

The Bahamian people were lovely. We had a very luxurious stay at the resort, but reflecting back on the last couple of days, I keep coming back to the gracious, smiling, always ready with a joke or recommendation, friendly people we encountered on our stay in their country - both inside and outside the hotel. For me, meeting and talking with the local people is always one of the best parts of the travel experience. We had some taxi rides we'll probably talk about long after our tans have faded and I only wish I could go back and thank the guy who implored us to try the grouper fingers at Twin Brothers down at The Fish Fry - off the charts amazing and something I'd never be able to duplicate in my own kitchen.  

Thinking of taking a trip to the Bahamas? I'd be so happy to share a few tips with you. But I wholeheartedly encourage you to get out and ask for suggestions from the people who live locally. We did on several occasions and not once were we steered wrong. 

So that's it. I'm back from our big Summer vacation and like so many others following the US Labor Day holiday, I'm headed off to work once again. I took a bit of an unexpected blog hiatus over the last couple of weeks, but I'll be back at it with a full posting schedule in the days to come.

Tomorrow... I'm sharing a little brassy DIY that will help zhush up your console table just in time for Fall.  Be sure to check back in for the step by step.

Simple Summer Dinner

The temperature both inside and out last night was hovering somewhere between 79 and 84 degrees. When it comes to preparing dinner on warm summer nights like that, I tend to err on the side of easy.  I shoot for minimal effort over a hot stove and I don't even wanna think of turning on the oven. Last night's dinner was a perfect example of a quick and easy meal that still felt a little indulgent. 

BRUSCHETTA + A WEDGE SALAD

Ok, so I did turn on the oven for all of 10 minutes to make crostini (and trust me, I soon regretted it). But you don't have to. Pop some of your favorite crusty bread into the toaster instead. I like to smash a little avocado onto the bread first before topping with chopped tomatoes, garlic, onion and olive oil. I put a block of fresh Romano cheese onto the table as well, thinking we'd dust it over our bruschetta. Old habits die hard though and we just ended up flaking off a couple of chunks to eat alone.

I paired the self serve bruschetta with a wedge salad- something we always order when dining out, but forget to make at home. I was reminded how much I love them! To keep things lighter, I experimented with a version of homemade blue cheese using fat free greek yogurt. It came out a little tangier than a typical blue, but we ate it guilt free. We washed it down with a dry of rose, a perfect compliment to all of the sharp and tangier flavors used in this no fuss meal.

Fruit Fever

It might just be symptomatic of the season at hand, market stands now overflowing with fresh stone fruits, juicy watermelon and strawberries on the verge of over-ripening. But I feel like the signs of a bonafide fruit fever have been building for some time. Throughout the cool season, we saw recipes using poached and macerated fruits, infused bar syrups and citrus cocktail garnishes; by Spring, we were all juicing it up and filing away recipes that would satisfy a sweet tooth without sacrificing health benefits. Now that summer has unleashed it's heat, I've noticed a trend using fruit in colorful, inventive ways that give new life to tired seasonal recipes. 

I'm certainly making use of the summer bounty at my local grocer. These days, I'm roasting strawberries and adding them to my latest batch of ice cream, freezing off fresh rings to make popsicles and even grilling peach halves to enjoy a light dessert with little fuss. I'm pretty sure few twists beat a good old fashioned slice of cold watermelon (sprinkle on a little salt- it will change your life!), but I've discovered that treating the fruit with a little spice, ice or heat first really goes the extra distance to create a deeper, richer flavor than simple cut fruit can offer alone.

Strain it | Grill it | Roast it | Freeze it

Marta Penter + a Guest Post Today on Mimosa Lane

I don't know about you, but I am certainly ready for a great weekend - one of the first officially Summer weekends of the year. After a long, long Spring filled with work around the house and anxious anticipation for the season, I'm more than ready for these first few days lying around by the pool and truth be told, I'm planning to have plenty of company over the next couple of days. Hooray!

Over the past couple of evenings, The Mister and I took to the kitchen to prepare for our house full of guests and all the luxurious downtime. One of the things we love to do is fill the kitchen with ready made snacks - pre-mixed salads, produce already washed and cut and ready for the taking, as well as other pool friendly foods - popsicles, homemade ice cream, pickles and of course house our house chips (I'll have to tell you all about those soon). 

On the poolside grab and go menu this weekend:

Refrigerator pickles

Saturn Peach + Honey Frozen Yogurt

Roasted Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Homemade Beef Jerky

House Chips

 A little prep time during the work week will no doubt make this weekend filled with family, friends and lounging even more delicious! 

Speaking of keeping things easy and at arms reach, I'm happily filling in for Albertina over at Mimosa Lane today sharing some other ideas to keep simple comforts easy and accessible so that you can make the most of the season. Please be sure to hop on over and check it out!

The image above is exactly what I'm aiming for - all sprawled out catching a little sun and catching up with my sisters - I'll have two of the three (and my brother) here, so perhaps this other from Marta Penter's series "Shared Intimacy" is really more the like it:

Can you believe these are oil on canvas? 

Count me as the newest and most enthusiastic fan of Brazilian painter, Marta Penter. I've never seen anything like her photorealistic works, so life-like and full of nostalgia, intimacy and playful emotion captured with the sharpness of detail, until now, I only thought could be achieved through a camera lens. 

I want one of a grand scale for the house and I want one bad.

They represent everything I love about this season. Be sure to check out Marta's other works-- she achieves such greatness through watercolor as well, I kid you not.

Bring The Pretty To Summer Socials

Summertime means many things to me. Certainly one of the first things that comes to my mind are all the pool parties and BBQ soirees that we'll host over the next couple of months. Though I've learned that even simple, unembellished gatherings can be just as much fun, I like to up the ante on get togethers with a little unexpected flair and that for me, usually relates back to food presentation. 

I've never really entertained around party "themes" per se, but I have been scouting disposable serve ware in ice cream colors and neon hues for our upcoming days by the pool. Below are a few of the finds I've earmarked for the Summer socials that are already filling up our calendar.

1. Test Tube Shooters (we had these at our wedding) // 2. Disposable Lunch Trays // 3. Ice Cream Cone Jackets // 4. Ice Cream Cups (personalize with a stamp or monogram) //  5. Vintage Paper Straws // 6. Plastic Hot Dog Wrappers (reusable all summer long!) // 7. Biodegradable Ice Cream Spoons 

Stamped Wooden Ice Cream Spoons (intro)

Wishing For // Summer 2013

I like to keep things pretty simple come summertime and though it is the season of color, it's always funny how I manage to stay true to my two constant hues - black and white.  Here are a few little luxuries that have made my wish list for Summer 2013.

.01 This ASOS Peplum Frill Jumpsuit would be perfectly chic and comfortable for a warm night out. .02 I've been on the hunt for a white bicycle like this Twin City Step Over Derailleur  .03 Not everyone's cup of tea, but these Fiction Gladiator Sandals and I are a match made in summertime heaven .04 Cocktails around the home bar would be even more fun with these personalized coasters .05 The Tala Necklace by Margot & Me would dress up even a simple tank and shorts .06 We've been hunting for two seasons for just the perfect float- sans design or decal and this all white float by Sunsation is just the one we've been after .07 Summer weather calls for light (and friendly!) layers like this sheer Printed Modal T-shirt