Ya’ll, I’ve been hitting up my pinned recipes pretty hard lately and I’ve had some good results. So good in fact that I don’t have any nice photos to share because we were too busy eating everything. Such is life 🙂 Check out the links below for some stellar summer recipes that have been personally approved by yours truly!
Greek Salad with Wheat Berries
I’m actually having the last of this for lunch today! I like experimenting with new grains and wheat berries caught my eye. Luckily, the good ole co-op had them in stock. I wouldn’t say they are my fav new grain, but they were interesting to try – very nutty and a bit crunchy (but I may have under cooked them a bit). What really got me were the leeks. Dang, I can’t believe I’ve been ignoring leeks for the past 30 something years. They are super tasty all roasted up like that!
Homemade Cheeseburger Hamburger Helper
Probably my least favorite recipe of the bunch but it was worth the try. I liked the one pot concept but the flavor wasn’t quite right. The fiance liked it though so I might keep searching around for a more flavorful recipe.
Lemon Orzo Salad with Asparagus
Ahhhh…my go to spring salad – especially when Washington asparagus is in season. I made a batch of this for our trip to the Gorge (substituting TJ’s Israeli cous cous for orzo) and it was gobbled up in no time. It’s light but flavorful. I use a similar recipe throughout the summer and just substitute different in season veggies.
Sauteed Grapes with Goat Cheese
So simple, yet so good! If you need something quick when entertaining guests at home, this recipe is the way to go. I say at home, because the grapes are best when they come straight off the pan and are all warm and such. I probably wouldn’t bring this to someone’s house unless you could borrow a pan and saute them on the spot. My herbs came from the yard, which made this even better!
Paleo Coconut Chicken
I went on a brief paleo kick and came across this recipe. I like how fast it comes together. Dinner in 20 minutes? Sign me up!
Banana Coconut Bread
I had three sorry looking overripe bananas and luckily came across this recipe. I love me some banana bread but liked the added flavor of coconut in this recipe. I actually used coconut oil vs. veggie oil and almond milk vs. coconut milk and it still came out just right. If you really wanted to step up the coconut profile, I’d add coconut extract through I was completely OK with the almond extract and vanilla.
Anything good you’ve been cooking up lately? Do share!
Could we be more disinterested in each other? Sheesh.
I’ve been in the event planning biz for going on ten years now and I’d always thought that my wedding would be a cinch to plan. Hell, I’ve planned events for 1200 people so 150 was going to be a walk in the park. Oh boy, was I wrong. Very wrong. Here’s my top pieces of advice for preparing to get hitched without losing your f-ing mind! **Please note, I am still 6 months out from our wedding date so I suspect this list will get bigger…..oh gawd help me.Â
1. Get started on that guest list ASAP and hold strong with your guest count. You’ll be surprised how quickly the names start to add up. Create your big wish list – making sure to get your parents lists too BUT emphasizing that this is a WISH LIST ONLY. Not everyone on this list will be invited. For some reason this got lost in our messaging and we had some hurt feelings early on.
2. Get engagement photos! It’s not often that you are in front of the camera for two hours straight. Use those pics as reference for what
to do and not do for your wedding photos. We both had quite a few weird looking faces in ours so it was good to see that on film. Who knew that was you were thinking at the moment would register on your face like that?! And those kissing, lovey-dovey ones just weren’t “us” which was good to find out now vs. a month after the wedding when we get our professional photos back.
3. Don’t make him do things he doesn’t want to do. I know my man well, and I know that there are many things around a wedding that he will either 1) not care about or 2) just won’t want to do. I made sure I knew up front what he wanted to be a part of and left the rest in my court. It just makes all parties involved miserable when you drag him to look at linen colors or to the 30th potential venue of the day. But if your man digs that sort of stuff then by all means bring him along!
4. Make things fun! You don’t have to have the typical bachelorette party or registry. Think outside the box ladies and gents! Do you love to travel? Pick a honeymoon registry! Hate the bar scene? Grab your BFF’s and hit the trails for a day of hiking instead. Who says you have to do things by the books? I guarantee that all parties involved would like a break from penis necklaces and registry hand towels.
5. Hire a travel agent for honeymoon plans. The last thing you want to do is plan a vacation on top of a wedding! If you and your man aren’t the best travel arrangers leave it to the experts. We did just this, and a few easy decisions later and we had our honeymoon booked! No searching the 100 different airfare sights, no reading the reviews on Trip Advisor….it was really a dream come true! The best part is, we didn’t have to pay the agent – the properties pay her! And while you are at it, be sure to check your passport expiration dates now. Dealing with an expired passport right before the wedding is something you don’t need to be doing.
6. Consider your finances post wedding. You’re going to have to file your taxes together next tax season! Say what?! Have that money talk early on. Hire a financial adviser or seek out an accountant so there aren’t any surprises come April. The fiance owns his own business so combining monies isn’t going to be very easy. I was glad to get a head start on this.
7. Remember, this is YOUR wedding. Not your mom’s, not your cousins….but yours. Even if the parentals are helping you foot the bill make it clear (in the nicest way possible) that this is your day. If you don’t want a sit down, 10 course meal then speak up. If you really aren’t the traditional wedding dress sorta lady, then speak up. If the color purple makes you want to barf, speak up. This is a one time deal and it should be you and your future husband’s vision. I’ve felt the pressure and the judgement from time to time and you just have to brush it off and move on. Trust me, they’ll get over it.
8. Start upgrading/updating your honeymoon wardrobe now. We’re headed to Jamaica in November and I’ll be closely watching the sale racks in August for those cute summery dresses and discounted bathing suits. I usually have 1 or 2 main bathing suits for the summer and come fall, they’ll be looking a bit tired. I’ll be glad to have a fresh lookin’ one at a cheap price so we can spend more money on those rum dranks!
9. Google Docs is your friend. Your very, very best most organized friend. We’re keeping our guest list, budget and notes all in one nice shared document. Updates are instant, all parties involved can check things out….it’s really a great way to get your wedding in line. Plus, you can access it from anywhere so you don’t have to worry if it’s saved on your computer or not. I’ve paired this doc with theknot.com’s online checklist and am feeling pretty unstoppable these days!
10. Take up the offers to help. I’m a professional event planner by trade but there’s never a time where I don’t rely on a team of peeps to help make an event a success. If a friend or family member offers to help…say YES. Even if you are a perfectionist like yours truly, there are still things you can delegate fairly easily – researching transportation companies, stamping and stuffing invites, etc. You’re going to burn yourself out if you try and tackle this yourself!
What are your wedding planning tips? Does this crazy, nutzo feeling go away or does it just get worse?
My backyard has been treating us to all sorts of delights lately! These beauties were tucked away in a far back corner of the yard and I almost didn’t see them because they were bent over due to their weight. Shame on me for not staking them up properly. I saved what I could and will def post ’em up for next year. Man, gotta love a mature, Seattle yard!
I’m fresh off the three music festival weekend that is Sasquatch and by no means would I consider myself a “festival expert.” But I would like to share a few tips with you that came to mind as I transitioned my way back into real life.
DO
Pack snacks/lunch/dinner
Food at the Gorge kinda sucks (besides the elephant ears of course!) and is also expensive. Hello $11+ beers! Bringing in a few treats will keep your bank account and stomach happy!
BYO a water bottle
Hydration stations abound and are def the way to go. Water is key for 12 hour days of music festival-ing.
Rent a locker
You are bound to have a few items that need stashing over the weekend. Fork over that cash to save your back from breaking. Plus your dance moves will vastly improve without having to shake it with a pack on!
Sneak in glowing items
Even if you aren’t a hardcore raver, it’s still fun to rock some glowing gear at night.
Define a meeting space
We had a group of 5 of us and not once did someone get lost. Pick a place close by a stage so if you do end up waiting a bit for someone, you can at least enjoy some music.
Throw your hands in the air! So what if this band or that isn’t really your thing. Listen, take it all in and just go with it! Trust me, your dance moves will be just as good as your neighbor’s.
DON’T
Think a bra is a top
OMGeee….I saw way too many of these. Ladies, I know it covers the same “parts” as a bathing suit top but bras are, well, bras.
Dress normally
I’m not saying you should wear a head to toe penguin suit (unless you really want to), but this is your time to dress a bit more funky. Head to toe neon? Sure! Funny hats? Why not? My concert gear is def not something I would wear normally, but that’s what makes it fun!
Sit on the hill
The sound royally sucks on the hill people! I know, I know standing on cement isn’t always fun, but rock out on the floor and save the hill for resting in between sets. Why pay for a music festival when you put yourself in a place where the sound blows?
Forget the sunscreen
Cloudy can still mean sunburns. Duh.
What are your tips and tricks for making it though a music fest?
Well consider Sasquatch 2014 a wrap my friends! I can’t believe it’s over. Phew! What a weekend! I’ve been to many shows in my lifetime, but this was my first multi-day festival. I was a bit nervous about it – the heat, the endless standing, the crazy people…..but I made it out alive abet on the tired side.We stayed at Wildhorse Campground (highly, highly recommended) which had a shuttle to the festival, hot and more importantly clean showers, an espresso stand AND a grill that made wraps and burgers. People, this is the way to go if you are to visit the Gorge. That GA camping should be banned. Seriously. Ick.
Highlights of the weekend included: Outkast, Queens of the Stone Age, Big Freedia, MIA, Phantogram, Phosphorescent, Major Lazer, Crystal Fighters and Lucius.
Observations of the weekend included: bras as tops (wtf ladies?), glow bracelets are confiscation material, Gorge elephant ears aren’t exactly elephant ears but taste awesome anyways, open air showers rule, conversations with strangers are always entertaining, earplugs are nerdy but necessary and tater tot nachos are actually kinda good 🙂
The crew.
The Bigfoot Stage – some of the best performances were here.
Taking a seat.
The end of a weekend. Yes, I’m old and wear earplugs.
