So Long Summer

I can't believe its SEPTEMBER!  Every year the summers seem to slip by quicker and quicker…I guess I'm just having more and more fun!

I wanted to soak up every last bit of the summer this weekend, so Friday after work, I headed to the pool.  It was so nice to sit there, read, and just look out onto the golf course.  

Later that night, I headed over to a friends' house for a wonderful, healthy dinner!  He made a delicious pork tenderloin with veggies.  It was so nice to relax, enjoy the meal with a cocktail and watch the Vols tackle NC State (Ok, I guess relax and football don't really go together well, but you know what I mean).

Even Bax was entertained!  Poor thing was put in this mini golf bag…but at least he got to join his mom for date night!  :)

Saturday I woke up bright and early and got some things done around the house before heading over to the pool with friends.  I got to catch up with Leslie and baby Hadley for lunch up in the club (poor Hadley…it was so humid and warm out, but she was a trooper!), and then headed back down to the pool for some R&R.  It might not have been the brightest day out, but we made up for it with orange crushes and cocktails poolside.  Even the adults were going off the slide!  It was a great last pool day of the year!  I will really miss seeing all the people at the pool over the next couple months!

Sunday I was invited to go to the Grand Prix.  I headed down to meet the group at the hotel and then we had some mimosas and bloody's before heading out on the town.  We made a couple bar stops and eventually got to our seats.  This, unfortunately, was the only picture I have of the races…and it was just the practice round!  They were going so fast, and apparently I am not coordinated enough to take a picture that quickly!

We headed over to Federal Hill (after quite an obstacle of fences and stairs from the Grand Prix set up) and had some apps and beverages.  

Needless to say,  I was ready to come home Monday morning to see my little boy and relax with him!  

I tried out this new Pintrest recipe I found the other day, as I was carb-craving!  It was DE-LISH!!!  Even Bax liked it!  I know, I'm a bad mom...

Garlic Bread Pasta

Ingredients

Pasta (recipe called for linguine, but this is what I had on hand, and it is always whole wheat in this house)

Breadcrumbs (I used Panko)

Olive Oil

Lemon Juice

Parsley

Garlic Powder Salt (I used plain garlic powder)

Directions

Toss pasta in olive oil.  Sprinkle remaining ingredients on top and mix well. 

ENJOY!

Tuesday Treats: Luscious Lemon Delight

Just another delicious Pintrest recipe!  I made this dessert for my dad for Father's Day, as he loves anything lemon (well, except for lemon wedding cake, but that's a story for another day!).  It was the perfect treat for a warm summer day…cool and refreshing!

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/2 cup chopped pecans PLUS

2 tbsp chopped pecans

1 stick butter, softened

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip, thawed

2 (3.4 ounce) packages instant lemon pudding mix

2 2/3 cups milk

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.  Combine flour, 1/2 cup pecans, and butter in medium bowl and mix well.  Press into bottom of 11 X 18 inch pan.  

3.  Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.  

4.  Allow to cool.

5.  Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until fluffy.  Add powdered sugar and beat until mixture is light and fluffy.  Add ONE cup Cool whip and fold in gently.  Spread over cooled crust.

6.  Combine pudding mix and milk in medium bowl.  Mix until thickened.  Spread on top of cream cheese layer.

7.  Top with remaining Cool Whip.  

 8.  Sprinkle with remaining pecans.  

9.  Chill, covered, for one hour.

ENJOY!!!!  

(Hopefully as much as Dad did!)

Shrimp Boil by the Sea

We got down to the beach before the rest of the group and wanted to make a fun dinner for all.  Shrimp Boil was the perfect meal to prepare at the beach, as it was easy, quick, and didn't heat up the entire place. 

Ingredients

1/2 cup Old Bay Seasoning

1 1/2 Tbsp salt

3 quarts water

1 can beer

6 medium red potatoes, quartered

1 1/2 large vidalia onions, cut in wedges

1 1/2 lbs smoked sausage, cut into 2 inch lengths

6 ears frozen corn on cob, thawed

3 pounds large shrimp, in shells

Directions

1.  In an 8 quart stock pot, bring Old Bay, salt, water and beer to a boil.

2.  Add potatoes and onions; cook over high heat for 8 minutes.

3.  Add sausage; continue to cook on high for 5 minutes.

4.  Add corn to pot; continue to boil for 7 minutes.

5.  Add shrimp in shells; cook for 4 minutes.

6.  Drain liquid.  Pour contents of pot into several large bowls and sprinkle with Old Bay.

(or, as we did, dump on the newspaper covered table)

ENJOY!!!

This served 6 of us with plenty of leftovers.

Safe Haven

I was lucky enough to be invited to spend a couple days with a sweet family in Stone Harbor, New Jersey this summer.  I had never been there before and now I can say it has to be one of my favorite spots.  Very family oriented, quaint little town with fun shops, good eats, and pure relaxation mode.  

We rented beach cruisers for a day or two and biked around town and I was in heaven.  I've been saying I have wanted a beach cruiser for a while now at my parents' place at the beach, but it's pretty crowded there, and I always get nervous biking with the traffic.  And of course, I would prefer my bike to have a nice wooden Nantucket basket for Baxter to ride with me ;)  So, I was delighted to ride bikes as much as possible and was super bummed to return them the last day.

We biked up to the beach, around town, to lunch, and to the beachside bars to meet friends after soaking up rays on the beach.

It was so nice to also get to visit Avalon right down the street and have a wonderful dinner at the Sea Grill.  I had the most delicious salmon topped with bruschetta!  Mmmmm!  After dinner, we headed to The Whitebrier for a drink and then to Princeton Bar & Grill to meet friends for a another cocktail and good company.

I loved biking around in the morning admiring the beautiful homes and gorgeous landscaping.  This is Steve Biscotti's home in Stone Harbor.  I don't know if I would have ever thought to have that color wood siding on my own, but I am absolutely in love with it now!

We had another wonderful dinner at the cutest little Italian place across the street.  Everything tasted as if we had actually been in Italy (not that I've been there, but what I would imagine!). 

Our mornings were spent with coffee on the deck with a beautiful view of the bay.

And the sunsets in the evening were even more breathtakingly beautiful.

I could not have asked for a better vacation with perfect weather, great company, and lots of laughs!

Hope you all are enjoying your summer as much as I am here!

Looking for Lauren?

WOW, times flies in the summer!  

Recently, my laptop has been getting worked on and, being a little tech-challenged, I could not figure out how to blog from my phone.  However, I'm not sure I would have had much time to blog as we have been super busy around here!

But my laptop is back and life (I think) will be a little bit more calm in the next couple weeks.

In June, my cousin, Katie got married.  My sister and I did not mean to dress alike, but it made for a couple fun pics!

 Just look at the beautiful bride, her handsome hubby, and gorgeous boutique!

 This centerpiece at the cocktail hour was by far my favorite arrangement I had ever seen!  The picture does not even do it justice, it was amazing!

Lindsey and I loved it so much, we wanted to get a picture by it!

 And here was one of the many beautiful arrangements on the tables. Breathtakingly beautiful!

 It's been HOT-HOT-HOT around here, topping at 106 degrees!

Bax has been enjoying many Frosty Paws on the deck this summer.

And I have been keeping cool at the pool with these cuties!  They are getting some personalities now and I can't believe it's possible, but I love them more and more each time I see them!

We have attended a couple fundraisers at Hillendale Country Club and on the water at Nick's Fish House.

 Bax and I were able to spend time with a couple great Dad's on Father's Day this year!  My dad got his new bike a little early for his birthday, and we decided to try it out on his day!

 I think Mom and Bax were jealous of his new bike...

I joined a local country club and have been able to take full advantage of some adult beverages while soaking up the sun and relaxing poolside!

 In between all the fun, I have also been working hard.  I recently been traveling a couple times to Philly for work...

 but always come home to fun times!

 We headed to Ocean City, Maryland for a "couples" weekend away...

and cooked up a little Shrimp Boil for dinner….

 Enjoyed some "Beergaritas" at Dead Freddies at the beach...

 with great friends….

 And of course, what beach trip would be complete without a visit to Seacrets?!

 …and some 4th of July cocktails at Macky's?!

 I did head home for a quick day of work, but turned right around and headed to Stone Harbor, New Jersey to celebrate the Forth of July with amazing fireworks on the beach!

 We are finally home and ready to relax and catch up with you all!

Hope you all had as wonderful of a Forth of July as we did (and hopefully not as HOT!)!

Tuesday Treats: Strawberry Lemon Yogurt Cake

After a couple weeks of chocolatey recipes I needed a break (I know, I never would have thought I would say that!)  Loving the summer weather, I wanted to bake something a little more refreshing and found just the cake on Pintrest!  

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

2 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 Tbsp lemon juice, divided

Zest of one lemon

2 1/2 cup flour, divided

(I used 2 1/4 only)

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

8 ounces plain, Greek yogurt

(I used 7 oz Fage plain Greek yogurt)

12 ounces of strawberries, diced

(I probably used more than that)

1 cup powdered sugar

Directions

1.  Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease bundt pan with baking spray and set aside.

2.  In medium bowl, whisk together 2 1/4 cup flour, baking soda, and salt.  Mix in lemon zest and set aside. 

 3.  In mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add each egg, one at a time and beat well.  

4.  Stir in one tablespoon lemon juice. 

5.  Alternate mixing in flour mixture with yogurt, mixing until just blended.

6.  (Combine strawberries with remaining 1/4 cup flour- I skipped this part).

7.  Gently mix berries into batter.

8.  Pour batter into prepared Bundt cake pan. 

 9.  bake for about 60 minutes, or until golden brown and toothpick comes out clean.

10.  Allow to cool in pan for 20 minutes.

 11.  Turn out cake and let cool completely.  

 12.  Once cool, combine remaining lemon juice (I actually used just from an entire lemon) and powdered sugar (I put a couple more spoonfuls of powdered sugar in bowl also). 

13.  Drizzle over top of cake.

ENJOY!!!