Hi guys! How are you all? I think this may be one of the longest stretches I’ve gone without blogging, with the exception of my trip to Russia last fall.
Having the time to read is one of the best gifts vacation has to offer. Reading has always been one of the greatest pleasures for me, but I haven’t had too much time for it in the past couple months. So, I took advantage of this week to get a few “beach reads” in. As soon as I finish Breaking Dawn, I’m moving on to The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I’m a little slow on the blockbuster books… I still haven’t read The Help!
Jenny and I spent hours roasting, peeling and mashing eggplants for Paula Wolfert’s Pan-Roasted Eggplant with Tomatoes and Cumin the night we were co-captains of the cooking crew.
It was so worth it! I’m newly obsessed with eggplant, and I just can’t get enough.
We’ve had a few salad bar stations set up, which have contributed to some of my favorite dinners. Of course, the meals have all been amazing, especially when shared among 40 friends.
So far we’ve only visited Oink’s ice cream shop once, but I have a feeling we’ll make it back before the week is out. It’s seriously the best ice cream in the world, I promise.
Fun fact: my maternal grandfather used to work for Borden’s Ice Cream Company. Their mascot is Elsie the Cow!
Chocolate Peanut Butter + Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough
Farm- fresh fruit!
Grilled peaches with ice cream
Peach, strawberry, and blueberry cobbler
The same way that we can refer to ourselves as “dewy” instead of “sweaty,” “frizzy hair” = “beachy waves” in the summer. Meet my new favorite hair product, Bumble & Bumble’s Surf Spray:
Lululemon’s W Flight Running Visor has been a great protector from the 98 degree blazing heat. I wasn’t sure how I would feel running with a hat, but it’s really lightweight, protects my eyes, and I hardly notice it’s there.
Somehow the week has flown by, and we only have two days left. Why does that always happen? So, without further ado, I’m going to unplug and enjoy them.
Describe your ideal vacation. Where is it? Who is with you? How long do you stay?
This is the best summer post! Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
Awww…you are making me wish I was on vacation. Ice cream and fruit stands are one of the best parts of summer vacay! Enjoy the rest of your trip!
You went to Russia? I don’t think I knew that. Or maybe I did, but anyways, that’s so cool. My husband and his family are from The Ukraine. He was born there but came here when he was 3. He doesn’t really remember but my inlaws always want to take us back someday!
Wow, it really looks like you are having an amazing time. Why is ice cream on vacation just so good! Seriously, even the DQ’s at the beach are remarkably more exciting than anything around here. I think its just necessary to eats tons of it on vacation!
oinks! my roommates are OBSESSED with it and always used to take detours their on the way home from school to get their creamy fix.
mmm, summer.
what beautiful produce and i LOVE that hair stuff.. works miracles and smells divine!
Looks like such a great time! Great food, good times relaxing – nothing is better than that
Eh…I’m the same way with books! I haven’t read ANY of the Twilight books yet, but my husband is reading the Dragon Tattoo book right now and he said OUT LOUD last night while reading “Ah….exciting!”. Apparently, things weren’t happening how he thought/expected, but he was surprised last night which is a good thing. He really likes it so far.
That salad bar spread looks amazing, as does the eggplant. I am obsessed too, it is just so good! Enjoy the rest of your vacay.
Girlfriend you have got to read The Help, it’s definitely in my top five favorite books of all time.
I’m so glad you are enjoying your vacation. When you get back we must meet up some time!
where are youuuuuuuuuu hahaha i know where you are but seriously are you in heaven girl?
eggplant is amazing. enough being said. but yours looks ridiculously good especially after you spent hours working on it
SO worth it
glad you’re having such an awesome time!! relish in your vaca girl
That Bumble product is the root to summer success:) Love every expensive drop.
Glad you are back on the scene. Holy cow, talk about delicious ice cream and cobblers. NOW we are talking. I have enjoyed grilling peaches, mmm.
I live good smoky tasting eggplant! I think you’l like Mama Pea’s ggplant burgers, they taste like baba ghanouj. Enjoy the rest of your vacation!
as i sit here at my work desk, answering your question about my ideal vacation seems necessary. i will be on that vacation exactly one month from yesterday! in ogunquit, maine with my parents and sister, eating 3 course gourmet meals, licking massive cones of the best ice cream, drinking a nightly bottle of wine, golfing, watching summer theater at the perfect new england playhouse, taking long walks on the beach, wandering along the coast, sleeping in the sun, reading on the beach, swimming in the freezing atlantic…k, i’m going to stop.
vacation to me is total relaxation and freedom, which is exactly what it sounds like you’re doing. so glad you’re having a good trip. can’t wait to see you when you’re back in town.
Hi there! I happen to stumble upon your beautiful blog with all those delicious food! The Pan-Roasted Eggplant dish looks amazing!
Wow, that meal sounds fantastic…I too have become recently more obsessed with eggplant…so good! Its great to hear you are having a lovely vacation. I love traveling internationally, but the most relaxing is my summer home on Martha’s Vineyard with my family and boyfriend.
PLEASE prepare that eggplant for me! I am too chicken to make eggplant myself because I’m afraid it will be bitter – I know, you’re supposed to salt it but still
Your vacation sounds so relaxing!! I hope the heat isn’t too bad over there!
Great summertime photos, Katie.
My ideal vacation is one with a mix – beach time, city exploring, and countryside wandering. We were in Spain, Andorra, and France in April, and I loved going to different cities and driving on small back roads. If we had gone to the beach in southern Spain, I think it would have met my perfection expectations.
Your eats look RIDICULOUS good. So impressed with your eggplant dish, too! I’ve never been to Greece, but I’m pretty sure that would be my perfect vacay spot! Can’t wait to go one day.
Do I spy beets on that fabulous spread of dishes? Yum!
Those cherries are pretty gorgeous too.
grilled eggplant is my favorite. I like your egglplant dish.
Awww how amazing!! WOW that eggplant dish AND ice cream (2 of my fav flavas!!!) id LOVE to go to australia with my family and my boyfriend!
That truly looks like a wonderful way to spend a way! I definitely like the quiet, nature-filled environment you were in as I grew up in that!
Looks like your having a wonderful time! My perfect vacation would be with my husband and my best friend and her hubby. We would start with a week in New York staying in an apartment and doing lots of sightseeing, shopping and eating! Then we would fly off to Goa in India to chill on the beach and eat indian food. Heaven x
Awww – I can tell you´re having a blast, Katie!
Hope you have two more amazing days!
My ideal vacation… any vacation is ideal at this point, hahah! I really love vacations where I get away from my family, though. I know, that sounds awful, but I’m a teenage girl and sometimes I need some time away from mom and daddy dearest! Hahah. This weekend I’m PSYCHED to go the beach with my friends! I leave in… about 8 hours!! AHHH!
the eggplant dish sounds amazing.
Mmm sounds like you had an awesome time!
My ideal vacation would be one involving lots of scuba diving, ocean, scenic, deserted beaches, picnics and good food/drinks. Along with my amazing hubby of course:)
oooh yum! That eggplant looks divine! Same with the market, so fresh! My ideal vacay would be somewhere warm and relaxing with my entire family. ahhh bliss.
omg those must be some huge ass melons, i mean a shopping cart is pretty big, so in comparison those watermelons must have been quite gigantic! mm i picked up a carton of cherries that looked just like that- love in the belly for sure!
eggplant is always hit and miss. i know its cuz the japanese eggplants are more bitter which i dont like.. but the big fatty ones taste quite sweet
xoxo
The eggplant was the best I’ve ever had. sr