welcome "summer"!

june 2nd has been marked on my calendar for months - the first local farmer's market of 2012.

it was a cold, wet saturday, but we braved the downpour for local kale, greens, radishes, and other new england specialties.

 i celebrated the first farmer's market by making a spicy salad:

i combined fresh, spicy greens, baby spinach, hardboiled egg, radishes, avocado, and tomatoes and topped it with this dressing (with a little added honey to counterbalance the spicy greens). 

it's been such a busy week that i have been eating junk (chinese food one night, grilled cheese and fries another, nothing last night), and this was a nice antidote.

...

on a side note, i went to my first apr graduation last night.  this was my fifth year at the academy of the pacific rim, and so my first eighth grade class was graduating high school.  it was a really moving ceremony, and i am really proud of them!

class of 2012!

branches

home sweet home

one of my best friends is moving in with her boyfriend, so i am sending a little "care package" their way.  i love my home and am so excited for them as they're building one too!

happy memorial day!

a beautiful long weekend calls for:
white wine on a patio with girlfriends, drawing in a busy little cafe, a bbq with friends, bike rides, a fresh summer pasta salad, and sleeping in.

roasted baby bok choy and croquettes

this is a meal for my mom - she was worried about me since i haven't been posting much lately.

my favorite part of this meal was the roasted baby bok choy - there is apparently no vegetable i don't like roasted. to make, simply clean, rip into pieces, toss with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper and toss in the oven at 450 for 10 min.

baby liberty

i gave an art i.o.u. as a baby shower gift to my colleague, sarah.
we had to wait until she had a photo she'd like drawn.  and then i had to wait until my injured finger healed.
here is the finished pencil drawing of her daughter, liberty.
the photo shows her first time eating carrots :)

backyard progress

i've been planning small, inexpensive changes to make the backyard more than a parking lot and trash bin holder.  the weather has not been cooperative - no flowers because of the freezing nighttime temperatures. 

5 new planters section off the parking from the building

a place to sit

bricks were found in the basement - our house was built in 1910.

BEFORE - parking & trash bins

dave's first homebrew = success

it is really tasty!
especially when enjoyed on a beautiful saturday on our new back yard patio*.

* the "patio" is a work-in-progress.  pictures soon!

spring break II

the checklist, new fabric, and garden inspiration

massachusetts has two spring breaks: february and april.  i spent february's in miami.  i've spent april's getting things done. 

i've checked at least 20 things off my checklist including:

1. planning out a backyard make-over
2. buying supplies to recover some new dining room chairs
3. purchasing a new mattress and bed (we're upgrading from our ancient ikea futon = grown-ups!)

things i did not check off include:
1. paint at beach
2. take daily walks

it hasn't been rest and relaxation.

if i get the backyard done before summer, my plan is to make beach paintings my summer project (past three summer projects were: renovate art studio, plan wedding, and kitchen makeover)

i love breaks!

photo hunt: white pizzas

my favorite bar game is photo hunt.  can you spot the differences?

...

(left) broccoli, red pepper, and olives
(right) roasted asparagus,  artichoke heart, and fresh spinach

the unifying ingredients are a garlic + oil base and a feta + mozzarella topping.

it was hard to pick a favorite.