The Last Hurrah!

Summer keeps on slipping, slipping, slipping into...

With the days getting shorter and the TV playing ADs for back to school, I'm getting nervous that SUMMER will escape me without enough heavenly mojitos, pool parties, late afternoon beach jaunts, outdoor music concerts... 


Here are some things that say summer...

Freeze the scooped out orange and slice off a bit of the bottom for a refreshing bowl with scoop of ice cream, you can also add fruit and drizzle a balsamic and sugar reduction on top!

 Great idea from MSN today... your ice will last longer

Orange is my favorite summer color... great next to a tan... and flattering to most skin types...

Cynthia Rowley for Roxy, was $115 now $56.99

Loving this summer color...

Urban Outfitters, Paul & Joe Summer Nail Enamel, $14

I'm going to start planning a summer party today... hope you savor every minute of your summer too!

Hot & Frozen Delights

Yesterday afternoon we waited out a nasty rain squall, standing in the MIDDLE of my kitchen fearing a 70 foot tree would land on my house, before heading over to my girlfriends' poolside barbecue with 8 other families.  I made a dish of delicious medium hot buffalo wings with a sauce I picked up at Fairway last week... "Wing-Time", it comes in mild, medium and hot.  The blue cheese-yogurt dipping sauce was a recipe from Bobby Flay...

We were so late for the party due to the storm that I didn't get a photo of my wings which were juicy from grilling with a little olive oil, kosher salt and pepper,  then coated with the spicy orange buffalo sauce...

Speaking of yogurt in the sauce... someone brought delicious frozen yogurt from the South Korean originated chain, Red Mango...

100 calories for half a cup without toppings

Tanger Outlet, one of two locations nearby

I really liked the 'Tangomonium' flavor, which was invented by the company's President and CEO Daniel Kim.  The yogurt is not too sweet and a little sour... unlike Pinkberry, which is a little too sour for my taste... are you a Red Mango or Pinkberry fan... the lines have been drawn!

You'll have to go into NYC for Pinkberry... please share your preference in the yogurt wars!

Visiting Day Dread

Don't get me wrong, I can't wait to see my 12 year old son tomorrow on camp 'Visiting Day', but the thought of a sea of people clawing and running to be the first to their child, and for a spot in the shade to picnic in 97 degree heat and high humidity just makes me feel dread!  There's even a heat warning from the camp not to bring grandparents... because it's going to be too damn hot!!!

                                               photo from 'No Caption Needed'

 I've been feeling this dread all week, I can't shake it... maybe because it's our 5th year... and just maybe because I just saw my son last week ALL week (my husband works at camp for a week every summer)...
We all wanted to play tennis together, but it's too HOT, we want to swim together but we'll be directly in the sun so that will be good for about a half hour, and we'll see inside his bunk and the bunks will be stifling HOT and it's a boys bunk so it will be smelly too!
Please help... I'm usually so positive... here I go... maybe we'll run for the theater which is air conditioned, or Arts and Crafts which has an outdoor shaded porch with tables... maybe we'll go visit the nurses in the infirmary where my husband worked, it's air conditioned there too...
... maybe we'll have the best time ever!!!

Have a great weekend... I'm sure I will too... and I'll tell you all about it next week.

Shopping With My Son

My 14 year old son and I 'palled around' last night, running errands to prepare and pack for his 2 week stint at a Music Camp starting this weekend...  some of our errands brought us to the mall, looking for a pair of shoes (sneakers not allowed) for him when he preforms with the other musicians.  We strolled into Aldo, a footwear store with both feet into cutting edge trends at affordable prices.
We liked these canvas shoes, and my son has his own distinct style...  sort of layed-back musician, tennis player, California surfer (because of his long blonde hair) look.  I wish he would wear one of the great looking fedoras being shown everywhere this season, but he doesn't like hats...

The shoes also come in other great colors in leather and canvas (not all colors are on sale) including a beautiful grey...

Releford Loafer, online and in store sale, $34.98

While looking around the store I found this great summer belt I needed for a top in green and tan khaki that I purchased early in the season and haven't worn... now I will...

Belt, in store, $20, online, $14.98

We had a great time shopping, he's great company, of course when he was done with shopping, I could have gone on and on... so we compromised and then we had a bite to eat at his favorite...  Chipotle.

Pool Pooch (NOT)!

I feel bad for my labradoodle, Jez... he's afraid to swim in our pool, it's like this push/pull thing, a love/hate with the pool.  He looks like he's tortured by it because he runs around the pool (and it's hot hot hot this summer) following the kids and barking at almost every splash... he wants to go in so much but he can't do it even when we throw a ball (passionate about balls) in the water!
I don't get it, he's a Lab... ra... Doodle!!!  Labs and Poodles are supposed to like the water!  We've never taken him to a beach, but somehow I think he would be fine there.
Once a couple of years ago (he'll be 4 in November), we got him in, not easily, he's 58 pounds ok,... and I didn't handle it very well, instead of letting him figure it out, I was nervous and pushed him quickly to the steps... maybe I scared him more... I don't think so, because he was afraid then too.

Jez at my brothers pool

Watching and wanting to be part of the action!

Ahhh... poor guy

I know we should probably call a trainer and find out what to do because it's torture for me too.

I've read conflicting things...

What do you think?  Love to hear your ideas!

Dinner in the Hudson Valley

Philmont, NY... and restaurant Local 111, our dinner destination last week while vacationing in the upper Hudson Valley, a beautiful half hour drive of rich green (despite the heat) rolling hills, deer spotting everywhere this year, and plentiful farms with bounties of produce ending up on our dinner plate... farm-to-table restaurants, a term now used in the local sustainable food movement which means back to basics, staying local and fresh.
I like it for all the PC reasons but also because it tastes so good and the foods is packed with flavor!
Local 111 was built into an old service station with big windows open to Main Street...

                                     photo from Local 111 website

Yummy cocktails made with Soju

Mmmmm... local cheeses, berries and honey

Pork chop with baby carrots and zucchini bread

The food was delicious, and it made me want to visit each of the local farms where all these fresh ingredients came from... farm-to-plate-to-my palate, thank you all!

Away from the Daily Grind

My vacation week was was a great recharge...
Learning how to unwind takes some practice...  this being our fourth summer doing so for a week in the foothills of the Catskills and Berkshires... I'm getting good at doing just about nothing, although a Zen Buddist wouldn't agree it's nothing, but it's all relative.   I power walk in the early morning to avoid the intense heat of late, eat breakfast, some days make some art, eat lunch, walk or take a drive, socialize, swim in the lake (a real treat), eat dinner, more socializing, walk, eat ice cream, walk and sleep...
One of our 'drive and then eat jaunts' took us to Millerton, NY, a great little town where we've been before, and into the Irving Farm Coffee House where you can eat lunch and savor delicious coffee which is roasted nearby at their farm in Millerton.
We bought some of their roasted beans to take home... I LOVE the packaging too!

  I love the packaging so much I had to photograph it again down the street...

I ate a curried chicken salad sandwich on toasted multigrain bread ... DELICIOUS!

There are so many little towns to explore in this region of rolling green hills including a new spot for us, where we had dinner one night... in Philmont... but that's for tomorrow's blog... stay tuned...