Feel Good Friday 87
As I sit to start writing this post late morning, the sun is already baking the ground, cicadas shrill outside my window and the dogs are laying at my feet, just as happy as I am to be inside with the modern convenience of air conditioning. And although it’s blazing hot – my least favorite weather – I am noticing how quickly it’s all passing and I am reminded of lyrics to a favorite Simon & Garfunkel song: July, she will fly and give no warning to her flight. That feels about right at the moment with August quickly approaching. I am OK with summer whizzing by me, to be honest, but once September hits, I’d like to slow down time for a couple of months and really savor the season of fall. Anyone else already looking forward to pumpkins and Halloween and apple orchards and horror movies? I’ll try not to rush this last month of summer vacation by for my kids’ sake. 😉 Anyhow, today I’ve got some fun life moments, a few fabulous recipes and anything else that made me smile. Or laugh inappropriately as I’ve been known to do.
Sunflower Fields Forever
A couple of weeks ago, I saw that Dewberry Farms would be opening for their sunflower season soon and I mentioned to Chris that I’d really like to go. (Locals, this is a fun farm to visit at sunflower time as well as tulip time!) We decided to make it a family outing last Saturday night. In my mind, I was going to have beautiful photos of my kiddos but the older two wore athletic gear and Emmy refused to let me take her photo and Wilder wouldn’t sit still long enough and just wanted to run through the fields. So that vision didn’t exactly come to fruition, but we had a great time exploring and picking flowers to take home. And Chris humored me, so there’s that.
The child that threw a fit about going – because what teenage boy wants to go pick sunflowers in a field with his family – actually had a blast! OK, slight exaggeration, but he had a good time. He was a huge help with keeping his little brother entertained.
And like his father, he humored me for a photo. I only have a couple years left with this kid at home and I want to make sure we enjoy it and take lots of pictures together. He’s my birthday twin, my workout partner and the one who first gave me the title of mama.
Tomato Season is the Reason
I’ve got two tomato recipes for you because a) tomatoes are plentiful at the moment and b) they’re my favorite!!!! I can eat cherry tomatoes by the handful. Luckily, I married a man who loves them almost as much as I do. Pair it with basil and forgetaboutit. Actually, both of these recipes involve basil.
Gluten free tomato pesto galette: I came across this one through a Well + Good newsletter and it looked interesting. My mom was visiting for the night last Friday and thought it looked yummy as well so I decided to give it a whirl. I will say, all in all, the flavor was fantastic, but we felt it could use a little more garlic and I think I will try to substitute some of the GF all-purpose flour with almond flour next time because the crust was a little dry. It needs some tweaking, but still worth making again and just altering it a bit.
Tomato basil salmon: This dish was so incredibly easy to make and SO tasty. I used an heirloom tomato and vegan parmesan on top(which is why it doesn’t look very melty) with regular parmesan underneath the tomatoes. We both loved this one! I served it with a side salad and lemon-garlic green beans from our favorite farmers market.
A vegan bowl with kick
Chris was away one evening, so I tried this harissa-roasted sweet potato power bowl and it was delicious! I did have to make some substitutions simply because I didn’t have a couple of ingredients on hand, like, say harissa. I used a sriracha sauce instead. And I had to substitute the kale with spinach because I had forgotten to buy it at the farmers market and my grocery store was out. Even with those alterations, it was savory, spicy, healthy and satisfying! The parsley tahini dressing is a nice touch. I will definitely make it again.
A New-To-Me Ethical and Sustainable Shop
Sometimes I feel like no one understands me like Facebook does. Their targeted ads see right into my soul. Last week, they brought to my attention United by Blue, a shop that removes one pound of trash from the oceans and waterways with every item purchased. Not only is their mission on point, but their products are gorgeous! I am considering ordering some of these mugs in both available color stories. (These are not affiliate links, but I had to share this shop. I just loved it too much!)
When you just need some trash
Every once in a while, I like to get sucked into a trashy show. I’d heard lots about The Affair which several friends recommended and have since been binging my way through it. It’s captivating, human, and you’re not really sure which characters to like. Although I do have a soft spot for anyone played by Paycee Joshua Jackson. Warning: not one to watch with the kids, even the teens, because there is a lot of sex. Like, a lot. Check out the trailer:
Little Life Moment
Wilder got his first big boy haircut (until now, I’ve cut it to the best of my ability) at our local Pigtails & Crewcuts. He was incredibly nervous and they were amazing at handling him. He was able to play at a train table while they cut his hair! After, I asked him to smile in front of the shop for me. I didn’t ask him to look as awkward as possible, yet here we are. Nailed it.
I can’t leave you with that awkward photo of Wilder. So here’s an awkward photo of me, trying to take a photo of myself with two friends the other day and thinking the timer had already gone off. Clearly it hadn’t. But what good is life if you can laugh at yourself with friends?
