I loathe bananas. Seriously, I cannot stand them at all, but these miniature bunches at Whole Foods were begging to have their picture snapped. They were just so cute! I couldn't bring myself to actually bring a bunch home (because they would go to waste and I might gag), but they were fun to look at from afar. Everything is better in miniature form, don't you think?
It's starting to feel like fall already, which is great because I love fall cooking (squash, soups, chili, stews, and so on). I kicked off some comfort food cooking tonight by roasting multiple heads of garlic. Some of it went into making this dip, and others will be spread on crostini or worked into pasta dishes. Bring on fall and especially pumpkin season!
one of my favorite sparkly corners of a local sushi spot
P.S. How is it September already?
Well, my quick trip home to the DC area was filled with poolside relaxation, catching up with friends + family, good meals, and shopping trips, but it's time to head back to Rhode Island, work, and cool fall-like days that I love so much. I'm actually excited for September and everything that it entails, but not until the last hurrah of Labor Day (and the three-day weekend)! I love this shot of Union Station in DC, where I caught the commuter train up to BWI for my flight. The ceilings are so grand and ornate. 'Til next time, DC!
A couple of days ago, Tiane's 365 photo was of mangosteen, a tropical super fruit native to Asia that I had never seen or heard of before. Since she's such a good friend, she brought a bag of them over to our crab feast last night and I was able to try them for the first time. I have to say that they were surprisingly tart and tasty, despite their tough exterior and slimy texture. Now I have to scout around the Asian specialty markets in Providence to track them down for myself. I love trying new things, especially when they're so healthy and packed with antioxidants.
Thanks, Tiane!
One thing I constantly miss about living in the DC area are the Maryland blue crabs that I grew up eating. My mom and I ventured down to Main Avenue this afternoon to pick out several dozen crabs and have them freshly steamed for dinner. It was great to get together with my sisters and our friends and enjoy eating crabs, grilled pizza, and homemade key lime pie and blueberry cobbler. It's nights like these that make me love summer so much!
Luckily, everyone in my family's neighborhood survived Irene without too much trouble. There were some power outages and fallen trees, but the worst part of the storm definitely missed the DC area. I feel so lucky that our power stayed on the whole time. Tonight, we went out for a fun family dinner and I can't remember the last time we got together, reminisced, and laughed so hard. It was so much fun! It makes me wish that I lived closer to home!
So I've been stuck inside for most of today, aside from a quick trip out for coffee this morning, and have been glued to Irene coverage (like everyone else on the east coast?). My cousin and I decided to try out this recipe for key lime pie, which I've been craving lately, complete with a homemade graham cracker crust. She squeezed almost an entire pound (54 halves to be exact) of golf-ball sized key limes-by choice, I offered to help-which only yielded one cup of lime juice. It was definitely a labor of love and made the final product that much more rewarding! The rest of the night is going to involve movies, popcorn, and magazines by candlelight if the power goes out! Good luck all you east coasters.
Ahhh! Nothing beats relaxing poolside with my momma! We ran around this morning after my flight landed in preparation for Irene. The grocery stores and Target were completely sold out of bottled water. Hope you're taking all the necessary precautions. Be safe!
I ventured down to South County today in celebration of my last few vacation days and summer winding down. It was foggy and overcast at first, but ended up being a beautiful (but windy) beach trip. It was also the first time I've seen kite boarders in Narragansett. I give them a lot of credit-it takes some serious strength to hang on while the wind pulls you around. Not exactly my cup of tea, but fun to watch, especially when paired with acrobatics in the air.
