Back to School, Back to Packing Lunches...

Ah, the new school year.  New clothes, new backpacks, new school supplies.  A return to nights of barely sleeping because I'm lesson planning.

And a return to brown bag (or in my case, a lovely Vera Bradley bag from my parents) lunches.

I tend to see September as another January 1st situation.  I'm getting back into my routine so this is my chance to once again start a healthy eating habit.  Which I at least try to keep up with during the week, before happy hours and dinners out rear their heads on the weekends.

I found this recipe in Everyday Food and was immediately intrigued.  I'm not a huge salad fan, but I do have a big love for arugula.  I switched up some of the ingredients (thanks Trader Joe's!) and a new favorite was born.

A (Shortened) Beach Vacation....

It was a lovely time, until Katia crashed the party.  Luckily, there was no damage to the house and no loss of power (which automatically meant the house on the beach fared better than my apartment, where I was without power for days).

Jake's first time at the shore house.  He got pretty tired after exploring!

But that doesn't mean he wasn't nosy.

A lovely sunset.

We had to leave on the Friday before the hurricane since we live on the barrier island, and returned the following week.  Katia ate a good chunk of the beach, we were packed in like sardines up there!

Now, school has started, as well as grad school, so it is back to the grind.  Once the paycheck starts coming in again, I'll be cooking more, and I'm also taking some knitting classes.  Looking forward to a busy fall!

Vacation...

Beach here I come!

Heading to the Jersey shore for a couple of weeks. The family has had a house there since my mom was a baby, and each summer we get to enjoy it.

Looking forward to reading on the beach, cocktails, and farmer's markets!

Now about that Garden State Parkway traffic...

A Rose is a Rose...

This gorgeous little thing was growing outside my folks' house.  And this is my attempt (amateur at best) to capture it.

Lemony Deliciousness...

So, since I got a new, nicer apartment, I've been doing more entertaining.  One of those included having the family over for Father's Day.

My dad loves lemon.  So I figured I'd hunt down a lemon dessert that would make him happy.  I mean, it was Father's Day after all. 

And I found this. 

Who Knew I Liked Cantaloupe?

I'm picky.  Like obnoxiously so.  I've gotten better over the years, but still.

So I didn't think I liked cantaloupe.  But I was having a dinner party and found this recipe in Everyday Food and figured, no time like the present to try it out.

This appetizer is sweet, salty and refreshing.  Serve it with a loaf of crusty bread and some wine and you have a light summer dinner!

The Beachy Days of Summer...

Bakerella is one of my favorite blogs.  And so when I got my Nook and downloaded her cookbook, I was seriously inspired to try out this cake pop thing.

So fun!  A great opportunity to really get creative.

As it happened, I was heading down to the family beach house for Memorial Day weekend, and really, who better to be the guinea pigs for my experiment in cake pops than the family?

Given that I was heading to the shore, I figured I'd do a beachy type them.  Blue candy coating for water, crushed graham cracker crumbs for sand, covering a vanilla cake mixed with cream cheese frosting.

Delectable, even if they were so not bathing suit friendly.

Cocktail Hour...

I enjoy a good cocktail.  I enjoy wine. 

A lot.

But let's face it, I'm not exactly an expert.  When I go into a liquor store and am confronted with aisles and aisles of wine, I rarely know the difference outside of the price.  I have a few go-tos but in my effort to expand my horizons, I'm trying to step outside the familiar bottle.

I generally like red, but lately I've been in the mood for white, so when I went to the store the other day, that's what I was looking for.  I wanted to try something new, but had no idea where to begin.

And then I saw this.  And thought, hey, if I don't know anything about wine, at least I can go with a pretty label!

I'm sure that's not an approved way to pick a wine but, in this case, it worked.  The wine was dry with a hint of fruitiness.  Very refreshing. 

Perhaps I've found a new calling?  Picking wine by the pretty label!

The Most Important Meal...

There are many things I love about Saturdays.

The lack of an alarm.

The idea of drinking several cups of coffee in my pajamas.

And making and eating a breakfast that isn't consumed while I frantically try to get ready for work.

This is such a breakfast.  And bonus!  It's healthy!

Obviously the Resolution Didn't Stick...

But I am working on that.  School is over (yay), and while teaching summer school starts soon, I will have a bit more free time and I do plan to continue this blog!  I have a few recipes done and ready to post so let's just pretend it's January, shall we?

New Year, New Blog...

And new kitchen!

Okay, so it's already January 29th.  I'm way past New Year's.

But one of the things I really wanted to do was start fresh with a new blog.

Late last year, I moved into a new apartment with a much much much nicer kitchen.

Bigger!  More space!  And open! 

Plus, my lovely Christmas present!

The best thing ever in the whole world.

My hopes?  To share my cooking experiences, my inventions, and other things in life.

Check back soon!