Summertime in the Nutmeg State.

Last weekend brought me back to my old stomping ground, Connecticut.  A friend's wedding and a couple of BBQs was a whirlwind of catching up with friends, good food and beautiful weather...

Tyler Lake.

Refreshings.

The tree of life.

My fav, jalapeno cornbread.

Come sail away.

Congratulations Matt & Jen!

Ladies take Beantown.

After a two week hiatus from the blogosphere, I'm back!  We have lots to catch up on.  My girlfriends came to visit a few weekends ago.  Their first night here I took them to the North End for some good Italian fare...

Our gabfest closed the restaurant down.

Eggplant yummy as our appetizer.

A bottle of red.

Where else is there to end the evening?

The next day we set out for some AdvEnTUreS around the city.  My friends are not only beautiful but talented as well, the below shots were taken by Ness...

Here we go!

Gnome friend.

Soaring skyscrapers.

Right after an afternoon shower.

My wolfpack.

I can't wait for them to back so we can do it again...

Calling All Tree Huggers.

Just when you thought I couldn't get any crunchier, I went ahead and made my own granola.

Sometimes you feel like a nut.

The recipe (which I'll share below) calls for Saffron Oil.  Apparently, Saffron Oil is worth is weight in gold and priced accordingly.  Upon this discovery, I made an impromptu swap and used coconut oil.  Not only is it the secretly-good-for-you kind of fat, I already had some on my shelf...

The glue of the granola.

Variety is the spice of life.

GRANOLA:

1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup honey
2 1/2 cups Old Fashion rolled oats
1/2 cup EACH chopped walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds, wheat germ
1/2 cup EACH raisins, dried cranberries, unsweetened shredded coconut

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.  Combine the oil with the honey and bring to a boil.  Mix the oats, walnuts, pecans, almonds, sunflower seeds and wheat germ in a bowl.  Pour oil/honey mixture over and stir to coat. 

Easy breezy.

Spread mixture on a large rimmed baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes; after the first 10 minutes break up the pieces with a metal spatula and continue baking for another 10. Once golden brown in color, remove from oven and let cool.

Almost there.

Break up pieces and mix in raisins, cranberries, and coconut (chocolate chips, dried apricots, whatever you want!). Store in Tupperware or Ziploc bags.

Enjoy.

I scream, you scream.

We all scream for the 28th Annual Jimmy Fund Scooper Bowl!  What's a Scooper Bowl?  An ice cream festival (!!!) that happens to support cancer care and research at Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Scooper Bowl has raised more than $2.65 million

since the first one in 1983.

Boasting more than 30 flavors, I was just doing my part my tasting them ALL...

Oh, to be a kid again.

Me Gusta Mucho.

A new tradition was born last night.  The almighty Taco Tuesday...

Who:  Come one, come all!  But don't come all at once, sitting is limited.  Warm weather bonus: seating on their outdoor patio!

Start with a Strawberry Rhubarb Margarita.

What:  A fiesta for the taste buds!

Fried Plantains with banana guava ketchup.

Every kind of taco on the menu.  $2.00 each!

Where:  Tremont 647. The very same restaurant I went to the night I moved to the city.

Hot spot.

When: Tuesdays, of course!

...see you there...

My Summer Reading List.

My summer reading list is also my spring, fall and winter reading list.  Ever growing.  Always a book or three that I want to dig into on top of the one I'm already reading.  It's probably a blessing in disguise that I can't read more than one book at a time, if I could, I might never finish one...

Few things beat a good book on a hot (or not so hot) beach day.  Throw in some fresh Bing cherries and you're got yourself an afternoon of reading and absentmindedly spitting cherry pits in a pile in the sand in front of you.  Before you know it hours pass in what feels like a matter of minutes...

What's on said reading list?  One of countless books:  Little Bee by Chris Cleave.

My most recent endeavor.

We don't want to tell you WHAT HAPPENS in this book.

It is a truly SPECIAL STORY and we don't want to spoil it.

NEVERTHELESS, you need to know enough to buy it, so we will just say this:

That is how the back of this book's cover reads.  Of course you're hooked - he doesn't tell you anything!  Who doesn't love an air of mystery?  I will not ruin the e v a s i v e nature of Cleave's summary but I will say this - get through the first 10 pages.  Once you get through them the book will grab you by the seat of your pants and take you on a RollEr coaSter ride.

While not based on a true story, the events that take place in the novel are meant to bring an awareness to ongoing issues.  It will break your heart and put it back together again.

Sesuit Harbor.

What is more quintessential Bostonian than escaping to Cape Cod for the weekend?

A bench for two.

Sixteen friends head to East Dennis, MA for some sand, sunshine, and good times...

Blue towel meets blue skies.

Toes were enough.

Lots of marine life came out for the event...

A beach weekend isn't complete without BBQ & brews to wash it down with!

Grilled veggies.

A growler of the local finest.

A sunset to complete the meal.

Back to the city last night to watch the Celtics beat the Lakers 103-94 in Game 2!

Rajon Rondo!  Take that Kobe.

The SoWa Open Market.

Last Sunday I went to the yocal SoWa Open Market over on Harrison Avenue here in the South End.  They claim it "Boston's original outdoor art and indie design market."

To market, to market!

Tents as far as the eye can see.

Host to a vast array of artisans, designers, bakers, sculptors, and on and on.  Each one has uNiqUe items for purchase from fresh bread to hand crafted jewlery.

I bought awesome Red Stripe beer bottle
coasters from this glass vendor.

Decisions, decisions.

In addition to this, there is also a vintage market and a food market!

Funkytown.

Who knows WHAT you'll find.

If you're in the area you should absolutely check it out (might I also suggest you bring me along).  It's most Sunday's from 10:00am - 4:00pm and it's FREE!  Just the right price.

To All the Single Gals.

It was inevitable that I dedicate a post to the long awaited viewing of Sex and the City 2.  I went, I saw, I absolutely LOVED it!

Fly girls.

This wasn't just your ordinary night out at the movies.  It was an event...

A hip spot to meet the girls before.

Traditional & White Grape Cosmos.

Highlights:

1.  Liza Minnelli singing and dancing "Single Ladies".  The place went WiLD.

2.  Samantha.  I can't put the things she said in print but know that they were wet-your-pants-hilarious!

3.  The outfits.  After seeing this movie, you learn the difference between clothes and outfits.

4.  Miranda & Charlotte's bar scene.  SIP!

5.  THE SHOES!  Oh, the shoes...

After the movie the girls came back to my place for a little nosh and a lot of gab...

Cheese and fruit.

The hostess in her movie going attire.

(I promised my friend I'd use her well taken shot)

Holiday, celebrate.

So much to see, so much to do!  Lots fit into one three day weekend...

9 holes of golf, a BBQ with friends, watching the Celtics win their way into the Finals, splunking from one end of the city to the other, multiple used bookstores, an outdoor market, a shop or two, a side trip to the wonderful state of Maine.  And a partridge in a pear tree...

Fresh Pond Golf Course.

Ars Libri.

Funky spot in the South End.

The sign says it all.

Casco Bay, ME.

Happy Memorial Day.