This Summer Make your Dessert Sparkle!


One of the joys of a childhood summer are sparklers. My boys look forward to that time of day when the sun has set and they can light the world on fire... figuratively speaking, of course! Influenced heavily by a few images I had saved onto to my Pinterest board, I thought it would be fun to add some sparkle to my kids' dessert. What could make a warm brownie a la mode even sweeter? The magic and glow of a sparkler, of course! Sparklers truly make those spectacular summer nights even more memorable.

To make your Sparkling Warm Brownie a la Mode you will need:

2 glasses 
1 brownies cut into a circle shape to fit the bottom of the glass
2-4 scoops of vanilla (or your favorite) ice cream placed on top of the warm brownie
Optional: Hot fudge, caramel or butterscotch sauce drizzled over ice cream
2 sparklers placed into the center of the ice cream, anchored by the brownie
Serves 2 - Double recipe if needed






Pardon our poor quality, rushed iPhone photos!


Love, on the rocks



I've not posted in a while - this is unusual for me. Last weekend I was away in Newport, Rhode Island where life was was all rest and relaxation... a dip in the pool, a walk in the sand, and a climb upon the rocks to hunt for the perfect pieces of sea glass. I don't know what it is about sea glass... but I adore it - and  I love looking for it... carefully combing the sand, and rocks of all sizes, sometimes. It requires a careful and methodical eye, and a certain amount of patience. There's something extremely therapeutic about it... getting lost in the process of the search... tuning out the world... forgetting your troubles and stresses... 

Whenever I comb the shores I must search for the perfect faded pieces of glass that wash upon the shore. A perfect piece of sea glass is one that is smooth to the touch with a frosty appearance. My children and I have one rule - If a piece of glass still has a side that is still fairly sharp we toss it back into the ocean until it is ripe for the picking. At the beginning of the season we collect pieces of all sizes, as the summer progresses and our collections grow we tend to leave the smaller pieces behind. It seems that lately most of the sea glass is brown. Sometimes you'll find green or white pieces. Blue, lavender and red sea glass is nearly impossible to find. And when you find a piece that has been deemed "rare," it is a special treat. You can find sea glass just about anywhere the ocean meets the sand. You'll find more earlier in the day before the beach has been picked over and as the tide is rolling out. But by far the best places for sea glass are along the rockier parts of the coast. The glass is washed up onto the rocks and then seems to rest in little craters created by the shifting rocks and tides. I learned this when I was hunting sea glass in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, Marblehead, Massachusetts and Newport, Rhode Island. Whether you're just picking up your first piece or you thousandth piece I must tell you that with certainty you will find love on the rocks! 





The above piece is not really ready for picking by our standards, but how could we possibly resist this lovely and brilliant cobalt blue? Where did it come from? Something unique and exotic or perhaps a bottle of Saratoga water that had carelessly been tossed overboard?




it's summertime!!!!

Original source unknown

Happy Memorial Day! While the day is really to celebrate and remember all those who have given and continue to give of themselves for our country, for most of us it is the day that marks summer's official arrival. While the calendar may argue, this first long weekend of the season, tells us that summer is here... that we can let our hair down and let the weight of the world roll off our shoulders... We can bask in the warm rays of the sun, jump into the pool, swim in the lake, sail on the ocean... We will have cookouts and barbecues, catch fireflies and wave sparklers around. We will eat ice cream and watermelon, hamburgers, hot dogs and lobster rolls. We'll drink copious amounts of iced tea and lemonade. We'll go for long walks and run and bike for miles and miles, perhaps even stopping to picnic along the way. We'll search for pretty shells and sea glass. We'll take road trips and sight see and make new friends along the way. We'll stay up late and listen to the peepers and crickets. We'll open our windows and let the sweet, summer air inside. We'll live in sundresses, cut off shorts and flip flops. We'll nap on hammocks or on couches in screened-in porches... Ah summertime... Welcome back!

via Slim Aarons

via The Kitchn

via The New Yorker

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via Alicia Block Photography

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original source unknown

via Tumblr

via Alicia Block Photography

Summer pasta with heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella....






I had a lovely dinner at my friend Allegra's the other night. She simply "whipped together" a few heirloom tomatoes, some seasonings, fresh herbs, olive oil and some fresh mozzarella. This couldn't be easier to make. My version is best when made several hours in advance. It's fine to make in the morning to serve for lunch or dinner. The longer the tomatoes marinate in the seasoned olive oil mixture, the more flavor they will absorb. This recipe can be done with any tomato, but heirlooms really are spectacular!

Ingredients:
Heirloom and all varieties of tomatoes - gauge about 1 per person
1 heaping handful of fresh basil leaves, Julienned
2 - 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped (depending on your taste)
Olive Oil, approx 1/4 cup, plus more to drizzle
Any good seasoned salt such as Lawry's or Jane's Crazy Mixed up salt, 2 -4 good shakes
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 or 2 good shakes of crushed red pepper flakes
1 ball of fresh mozzarella cut into bite sized pieces 
Freshly shaved or shredded Parmesan cheese, for serving if desired

Directions:
Chop tomatoes into bite sized pieces and place in a  large sized bowl.
Add garlic and basil to the tomatoes.
Add mozzarella. 
Mix well, slowly pour in olive oil, and seasonings. Set aside to marinate for at least 2 hours.
Just prior to serving cook your pasta per directions on package. Drain and rinse under cool water to bring to room temperature. Drain pasta of all excess water.
Add pasta to tomato mixture, mix well and taste... adjust seasonings as desired

Don't worry about it being too "soupy" the Parmesan, if used, will absorb some of the moisture or serve with a nice crusty baguette and use the bread to sop up all the good stuff!