Drinking, Hunting, Sanding, & Staining

This past weekend was my first full weekend in Boston this summer!  Between weddings, boating trips, bridal showers, bachelorette parties, and family reunions, my weekends in Boston have been few and far between.  That's okay though.  I like weekend trips in the summer (or anytime, really).  It's nice to get away from the usual routine and scenery.

On Saturday, Jared, Jennifer, Bill, Mike, and I did Drink & Hunt, which is an awesome group event that combines a pub crawl and a scavenger hunt.  You use your smart phone to get clues about different bars in Boston, and then once you arrive at the correct bar, you have to find a challenge code in the bar that unlocks your 15 minute social break until the next clue is given.  We had a blast running through the streets of Boston in 90+ degree weather, taking pictures for the photo bonus questions, and answering trivia questions.  I definitely want to do this again sometime!  Our team, Tootsie Likes The E, came in second place!

Tootsie: one love.

Second place!

Stop, drop, and roll picture bonus.

With our man, Christopher Columbus.

Doing the sprinkler.

Checking out Paul Revere's pad.

After all the fun on Saturday, Mike and I used Sunday to get some things done around the homestead.  On the agenda: errands, staining our coffee table, and cleaning/organizing the back storage room.  It was a nice little [Sunday] if I do say so myself.  We even went to Home Depot.  No Bed, Bath, & Beyond though.  There wasn't enough time.

Safety first!

Eyeing up the task at hand.

Before.

Never thought my chemistry goggles would come in handy again!

Sanding...

That's right, I'm tough.

Cool cat.

After!  Check out that semi-gloss finish.

Oxygen.

Time to work on my green thumb!

It was a great weekend!  On tap for this weekend: another wedding! Woo hoo!

Man v. Food

The other day, Mike told me that he wanted to cook dinner for us one night this week.  Music to my ears!  Since I like to cook and bake, and am studying nutrition, I typically do most of the meal planning and cooking for us.  I don't mind this system at all, but, in my opinion, there is something so attractive about a man who can cook a yummy dinner that a) does not come from a box, b) isn't ramen noodles, and c) isn't take-out disguised as home cooking.  He even brought home some pretty flowers!

Mike kept his lips sealed about the menu until last night when he revealed that he would be making the following:

• Dale's Summer Salmon
• Alton Brown's Broccoli
• Wild Rice (courtesy of Uncle Ben)

I would definitely recommend this meal.  Particularly the salmon.  It was moist and flaky and had a lot of different flavors going on between the pineapple, onion, and capers.  I was so impressed with Mike's choice of recipes and his ability to follow the directions to produce a delicious finished product.  He said that he made sure to include a protein, grain, and vegetable, because you should have all three.  "I learned from the best," he said.  Aw, shucks!

And for dessert, two options.  Technically, one was the appetizer and one was the dessert, since we split the mini strawberry shortcake while dinner was cooking.  After dinner, we had some delicious ice cream sundaes made with vanilla Haagen-Dazs ice cream, fresh strawberries, chocolate chips, and whipped cream.  That's right, the future dietitian had two desserts.  And I liked it.  So sue me :)

Somehow, I forgot to take a picture.  Probably too busy enjoying!

Love

Well, the summer is in full swing, and that means it's wedding season!  Mike and I have six weddings this year.  Three of them are in July.  I'm in two of them.  Fun times ahead!

I really love weddings.  They are just the right combination of  lovey-doveyness and fun.  It is especially nice when you know the two people very well, have seen their relationship flourish over time, and know deep down that they are so right for each other.

This past weekend, my cousin, Matt, married his bride, Keri.  The ceremony and reception were absolutely beautiful.  They had perfect weather for their special day; the sun was shining and there was a cool breeze for the  outdoor ceremony.  The ceremony itself was relatively short and non-traditional.  It was so well suited for the couple, and was very lovely in more ways than one.

Following the ceremony, we headed over to a beautiful white tent for cocktail hour.  There were tables and tables of appetizers and a full bar.  In lieu of a guest book, the couple set up a painting of a tree with empty branches.  The guests were invited to press their thumb in a multi colored ink pad, stamp it onto a tree branch, and sign their name inside the thumb print.  I thought that this was such a neat idea...wish I had a picture!

The reception began soon after.  Keri, who just finished her own nutrition Masters program, clearly had some influence in picking the table names.  We sat at the lettuce table!  More interesting than numbers and again, very suited for the bride and groom!

For my dinner entree, I had tilapia gabrielle.  This was broiled tilapia with sweet potato crust and a vanilla cream sauce.  It was out of this world!

Instead of a traditional wedding cake, Matt and Keri opted for a tower of cupcakes.  There were a variety of vanilla, chocolate, red velvet, and carrot cake cupcakes as well as a large selection of other desserts.  My favorite!

I proceeded to dance the night away with my family and friends.  What a fun night!