Sleepy Warm Nights (Cherries & Cream Shortbread)

Don't you just love breezy, warm summer nights?  Sitting in a lawn chair with your favorite person in the world, sipping a glass of wine or a cocktail...talking about nothing...

Those nights mean everything.  Those are the nights I will carry with me forever.  When you can lay aside the daytime things, the to do lists, the job stress, the housework, the endless laundry and the full dishwasher and bask in the soft way the night settles over our little corner of the world.  Watching the dog chase fireflies, listening to the crickets and the birds that come out at dusk.  That's my favorite time of day.

Down on the Farm (Spaghetti with Sugar Snap Peas)

If you met me for like 10 minutes, you'd realize that I don't grow things.  Except my kiddo, thank goodness.  Green things, however, shrivel up and die in my presence.  I don't understand why...I water and place in sunlight and follow all the directions and yet somehow even the hardiest bamboo withers under my loving gaze.  The only plant that I have someone managed not to kill is a potted aloe plant that my gramma gave me about 4 years ago that sits in the window of my living room, which only proves that it is probably not a real plant, but a prop, placed by a covert government agency to spy on me.  (Hey, just because you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you.)

This is why I don't even attempt to garden.  I bought some herb plants a few weeks ago at the grocery store, and they lasted exactly three days.  Three days.  Insects live longer than my plants.

Needless to say, the only fresh produce that enters my house comes from the grocery store or the farmer's market. So, when my BFF suggested that we go to Johnson's Farm and pick strawberries, I was skeptical.  Pick our own produce?  I didn't want to be responsible for decimating entire crops with just the touch of my black thumbs.  Oh well.  Surely these poor plants would have enough protection from real farmers to withstand an afternoon with me.  I strapped the kiddo into the Baby Bjorn and away we went, to toil in the fields like my ancestors.

Tractors are, apparently, fascinating to babies.

Summer Lovin' (S'mores Cookie Bars)

After several weeks of hot weather, wet weather, cold weather, humid weather, this week has been beautiful.  Hubster and I have made a point to eat outside and enjoy our patio as much as possible.  Last night we had a little impromptu cook out with our besties and my sister - just simple, steaks on the grill, corn on the cob and this yummy zucchini recipe (from Kalyn's Kitchen - check it out), and this dessert.