heather & olive

BBQ and brews on Saturday.

Much needed latte.

Kitchen companion enjoying some sun.

Cooling off with some pool time.

And suddenly, we're back on a Monday. This weekend I was able to accomplish everything I wanted, which was a whole lot of nothing. After a long day on Friday, I made cauliflower pizza (using Trader Joe's cauliflower crust) and went to bed early.

Saturday I took my sloth-like ways to a level that surprised even me, but I managed to get my act together and meet my brother and his family at Carter and Stevens Farm for BBQ and beers. It was a lot of fun: the food and beer were delicious, and while it was super crowded it was definitely a fun summer night.

On Sunday I had lunch with my mom and then proceeded to get toasty at the pool--the weather was absolutely perfect. I made a pesto pasta salad with mushrooms, spinach and chicken for dinner and continued reading Hello Sunshine (it's been okay so far, but not my absolute favorite--I think I much prefer Laura Dave's other novel, Eight Hundred Grapes). I'm trying to soak up as much as the remaining weeks of summer that I can--I can't believe we're halfway through August.

Here's hoping the work week goes by quickly!

a successful sushi lunch

I can't believe it's the first of August--time is seriously flying by. Truth be told, this summer has been a pretty rough one for my family and we've been most recently dealing with the death of my sweet grandfather who passed away last week. I'm so lucky that I have such an amazing support system and we're able to lean on each other, but I also hope we can catch a bit of a break soon.

I've been able to make it up to Maine for a few long weekends which has been great, and this past Saturday I saw The Head and the Heart with my sister in Boston at Blue Hills Bank Pavilion (such a cool venue). The band was so good and I'm hoping to go to their show in Portland in September.

Other than that, I'm plugging along. I have some things in motion that will hopefully come to fruition in the fall but I need to constantly remind myself not to get stressed out over the stuff that's beyond my control (something I really, really struggle with).

So...deep breaths. I'm using the start of a new month as a clean slate and fingers crossed there are good things to come.

My favorite fall recipe is Smitten Kitchen's Butternut Squash and Caramelized Onion Galette, but I wanted to experiment with a more "summer-themed" version because galettes are delicious 365 days a year. My only requirements were avoiding summer squash and/or zucchini because those are the two vegetables I really can't stand.

I ended up combining pesto, tomato and a variety of cheeses and it's definitely going to be a repeat recipe--the combination of three major ingredients can't be beat, and it's super easy (especially when you use pre-made pie crust). I had it by itself (by itself I mean with some wine), but it would be great with a salad for a more balanced meal. And while I used a variety of cherry tomatoes, heirloom tomatoes would take this to the next level.


What you need:

• 1/4 cup ricotta (I used whole milk ricotta, but part skim would also work)
• 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1/4 cup grated mozzarella
• 1 9-inch rolled pie crust (thawed according to directions)
• Sliced tomatoes of your choosing (go for the heirlooms)
• Pesto (homemade or store bought)
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper

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I recently got a sample of Maison Margiela Replica Beach Walk with my Nordstrom order, and I might have to spring for a bigger size. While my favorite summer fragrance will always be White Sand from Finn and Co., Beach Walk is a close second--I only wish it would last longer!

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My sister gave me Cravings for Christmas last year, and I'm obsessed. I made the Basil Chicken and the Cauliflower, Feta, Orzo Salad this week and they were so delicious and super easy--and the Margarita Chicken Fajitas are my absolute favorite. I highly recommend this cookbook.

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The Keepers on Netlfix is a must-watch--the documentary starts as a story about the murder of a Catholic nun but quickly evolves into something much more, and I've loved watching this series (despite the heartbreaking and disturbing subject matter). It's so good.

Every summer I find myself wanting a picnic basket (for all of those picnics I go on) but I find that most of them are pretty pricey...until now. Land's End has a couple of great picnic basket options, and the prices can't be beat--especially since you can almost always get some sort of discount.

First up, the traditional:

English Style Picnic Basket

And then, for the wine aficionado:

Vino Picnic Basket

Vino Picnic Basket

They offer two options--a traditional "English Style" full blown picnic basket with settings for four, and the Vino picnic basket with room for two wine bottles (and complete with a corkscrew and cheeseboard). Realistically, I didn't see myself serving three of my friends a full blown picnic so I went with the Vino option. I definitely plan on packing up some wine and cheese to savor Maine sunsets this summer. And, both are available monogrammed--the perfect treat for yourself (or as a wedding gift)!

*I tried searching the Land's End website for both of these but they didn't show up, but if you search the internet or use my links, they will take to the site. As of today, they're both available.