Summer Bucket List: Paint a New Picture

Trudy and I had a blast Sunday painting beachy vignettes for our house!

Masterpieces

Summer Bucket List: Pool Party at Joes!

While some of our friends couldn't attend this Saturday, we still had a great time with the roomies and dogs. It was a beautiful day by the pool on Cedar Cove Farm!

Nell is too cute

Summer Bucket List: Attend an Outdoor Concert

We went to see the Dave Matthews Band on Friday night at Farm Bureau Live. Such a great show and what has now become a family tradition with my dad. I think this was my 8th time seeing him??

Sissy, Dad and myself

Summer Bucket List: Host a Crab Picking!

We have a place on Cedar Island up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. While the crabs have been sparse this summer in Norfolk, we were hitting the mother load on the shore.  We must have averaged 30 crabs per day (we were there a week, you do the math).   I was able to bring some home for my roommate to pick and make crab cakes.

So silly!

Crab cakes anyone?

Zucchini, Sun dried Tomato, Rosemary, Asiago Bread. Oh my!

I found this original recipe on Skinny Taste (a great blog with super healthy versions of the foods you love!). I made it on a Wednesday night in preparation for a Saturday night dinner.  I definitely recommend eating this right out of the oven. The left overs were amazing for breakfast!

You will need:

3/4 cup cold buttermilk

1 large egg, beaten

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup All purpose flour

1 tbsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup chilled whipped butter, cut into small pieces

2.5 oz shredded asiago cheese

1 cup shredded zucchini, squeezed of all moisture

2/3 cups of sun dried tomatoes, diced

1.5 tbsp fresh rosemary

cook spray

one large egg white, beaten

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mix all wet ingredients in a large bowl. Mix dry ingredients, cheese, rosemary and veggies in another bowl. Slowly mix together the two bowls and knead about four times until a dough forms. On a greased cookie form about a 10 inch circle and cut the dough into 12 sections. Top with more cheese and egg white wash. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve warm and enjoy!

Summer Bucket List: Old Beach Farmer's Market

I have been dying to check out this local farmers market in Virginia Beach! Old Beach Farmer's Market takes place at Croc's every Saturday in the summer. Off season is it open the third Saturday of each month.  Vendors include Fruitive, The Creative Wedge, Croc's and Pelons.

 Check it out what they have to offer:

Fresh Seafood

Corn by the truck full

Homemade pasta and breads

Artisan Cheeses

Homemade Salsa

Local Meat Butcher

Locally Made Hot Sauces

Goat's milk and cheeses

Fresh Produce

Flowers

Herbs

And retail!

Cloth Diapers

Unique Handmade Jewelry

Homemade Soaps

Handmade gifts

Used books

Beach decor

I bought a nice hunk of TUNA from them!

Can't wait to go back!!

Summer Bucket List: Slurpee!

No better day to get a Slurpee than 7-11!!  It's free!!

(Please ignore my messy car and Starbucks wrapper from this morning's breakfast)

Summer Bucket List: Sand Castle!

Complete with a four way tunnel and Sand Fiddler inhabitants!!

Summer Bucket List: Margaritas!

My best friend Lauren came to visit this weekend for the Fourth of July and suggested we make Margaritas! How am I suppose to turn that down?!  We found Organic Agave Margarita Mix which was amazing. And we finally put our margarita glasses to use! CHEERS!

Summer Bucket List: Make Pimento Cheese from Scratch

Amazing and healthier! I made this version with Greek Yogurt. It tasted almost the same as the kind I buy at the store!

What you need:

1 cup plain Greek yogurt

1 dollop of Mayo

4 oz diced Pimentos with juices

4 cups shredded cheddar and Colby jack mix

A few sprinkles of Cayenne Pepper

Salt and Pepper, for taste

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl. Add more cheese if desired. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Enjoy with your favorite chips!

Summer Bucket List: Play Pro Kadima

SO my version of the game is generic, but it accomplishes the same idea! This is the BEST beach game. It's fun, portable and entertaining.

Joe and Jillian trying to beat their record

Summer Bucket List: Visit the Outer Banks

We did it! We went to Kitty Hawk this past weekend for a quick trips with the Pruitts! Taylor's "Grannie" has a house on the sound side of Kitty Hawk with an amazing view of the water. Saturday we woke up early and packed up for a day of fun in the sun off Oregon Inlet. Taylor's giant truck hauled everyone and everything to the beach where we played from about 10:30am to 4pm.  After a long day of snacking and drinking, we got ready for a seafood dinner at Mulligans  consisting of "Crab Pretzel" (crab dip on a soft pretzel!), fried calamari, burgers, scallops, shrimp, soft shells, fish, and all the fixings! We look forward to our trip every year with amazing friends. It's one of the highlights of our summer!

Our campsite for the day

The beautiful ladies on our way to dinner

Spider Burger! Soft shell crab on a burger. Wowza!

Summer Bucket List: Go to a Wedding, Part 2

Mr. and Mrs. Caskill!!

On Saturday we attended our first Jewish wedding celebrating Stephanie and Tyler Caskill!! This was the most beautiful wedding I have ever attended. Everything was absolutely gorgeous and super elegant!  Following the nuptials,  the guests threw fresh lavender on the newly weds as they left the Synagogue. The reception was held at the Hilton Oceanfront. Cocktail hour was held in the foyer of the ball room. Appetizers included shrimp cocktail, bacon wrapped meat balls, and croque-monsieur bites. Following a few cocktails, we entered the ballroom for a sit down dinner.  The venue looked incredible: trees on each corner of the dance floor, personalized birds on each glass of champagne, hanging glass votives with candles, and lots of white flower arrangements. Instead of wedding cake, the couple provided delicious cupcakes in three different flavors (placed in white lace paper and topped with white icing). We were entertained on the dance floor by a DJ and local band Cheap Thrills.  The evening ended with the Jewish tradition of lifting the bride and groom on chairs in the middle of the dance floor while singing Hava Nagila.

Dinner was amazing!

The place settings.

My handsome date.

The ballroom looked incredible! Each chair had a menu tied to the back. 

I love this picture and all our bright colors!!