Good morning!
Mazen is currently obsessed with corralling all of the pillows in the house and making forts. It’s super cute, but the pillows are taking a beating!
Breakfast yesterday. I am so into buttered toast these days! And the eggs I bought from the farmer’s market are heavenly.
I love the ritual of going down to the garden in the morning, putting on my rain boots and stomping through the dew to collect my lunchtime salad. Sure makes it easier when I come home at noon hungry for lunch! The first tomatoes are here!
I turned this into a massaged kale salad for lunch along with a leftover salmon burger.
Grammie and Pea are here for a visit for a short two nights. M, of course, is on cloud nine.
On Monday night we made burgers on the grill – they were fab!!! Okra fries on the side. Okra is my favorite summer vegetable!
Tuesday morning we had more eggs, toast and blackberries, and I went to the gym for a small group session with Erin while mom, dad and M played at home. For lunch we had leftover burgers and more kale salad – this time in a sesame dressing with toasted walnuts and a lemon stilton cheese. A few roasted potatoes mixed in too.
I asked my mom what she wanted to do during their visit and without hesitation she said SWEETHAUS! So we took a group field trip over to the cupcake shop that afternoon just as a big storm was rolling in.
We shared six cupcakes between the four of us so we could taste a bunch of flavors. Each little bite was perfect. Cookie dough always wins!
Mazen was too much of a busy bee making cupcakes to smile, but we spent a while playing before heading home.
Last night I was triple booked with a date night, soccer dinner and night out with my friends, so Matt and I restaurant hopped around. We started at the Tin Whistle with my team and shared a few beers while we talked about our summer season.
If you were to ask me what’s the “junkiest” menu item I order when I’m out, fish and chips is hands down my answer. Rarely do I find fried food to be that tempting, but I love me some fish and chips! I shared a few of Matt’s peas for some vegetables – these should come with peas! I also try to keep the portion size I eat small, especially of the french fries : )
We got to listen to this huge group of musicians play Irish music for a while – so pretty! They had no sheet music and knew all the songs by heart.
Our next stop was Red Pump Kitchen where we met friends and shared these two cocktails. Mine was a Lavender Bellini and Matt got the most delicious hickory syrup bourbon martini.
Love these gals!!
Happy Hump Day!
[email protected] says
Your summer produce looks so good! I’m anxiously awaiting our tomatoes!
Ashley says
What a huge piece of fish- looks delicious! I would hope the musicians didn’t have sheet music; traditional Irish music is an aural tradition, and although you could read it, the ornaments and additions to the tunes are what make it unique. The sheet music would only be a rough outline. I bet Jeff could explain it fairly well- isn’t he a DMA?
KathEats says
Cool! I don’t know the style – just that I like it! I’m sure Jeff would have the answers : )
Cassie says
Hope you have a lovely time!
Kelsey @ SoMuchLifeToLive says
I am so envious of your garden! I’m still in apartment life, but I am promising myself that next spring I’m going to plant at least a couple containers of plants: I’m thinking herbs and tomatoes will do well in pots. Any other suggestions?
KathEats says
Start with herbs and squash. Lettuce/greens are really easy to grow too – maybe a bigger pot of those? I love being able to make salads!
Sarah says
I have an apartment porch garden and I actually would NOT suggest squash In pots since it grows so large! We have tons of herbs, a tomato, lettuce, and peppers. Plants that don’t spread out as they grow are more advisable!
Coco says
I’d love to read a post about your garden experience. how to start for beginner! I really want to grow greens to make fresh salad!!
btw… how do you make your burgers? they look fabulous!!!
KathEats says
If you search for Garden Update on the sidebar I’ve done a handful of posts on our gardens in the past. I’m also working on one for this house’s garden, so look for that in the next few weeks!
Sagan says
Cookie dough cupcake?! YUM.
I’ve been having tons of kale lately. Love it. It’s such a versatile leafy green!
Amanda says
Cookie dough always wins everything forever 😀
Kristan says
On the photo with the tomatoes + greens in the spinner, I thought the tomatoes were egg yolks and it took me a while to figure out what was going on, even though I read the copy. Haha, random. Looks like a great couple of days! Thanks for the continuing inspiration! So glad I found your blog again, I used to read forever ago before Google Reader went to Internet heaven, but now I’m back with Bloglovin.
KathEats says
Haha – yeah yellow tomato doubletake! Welcome back : )
Kelly R says
Ughhh absolutely loving real butter as of late. I’ve been using Kerrygold on rye toast and i am obsessed.
Also loving blackberry season. I got a pint from the farmer’s market last weekend and they were so perfectly tart and sweet that I ate the whole thing in almost 1 sitting!
Erin @ Her Heartland Soul says
Mazen is the cutest! And your eats look fabulous, as always!
Kate says
Mmmm now I’m craving fish and chips! My “junky” food of choice is always super cheesy, size of my head pizza!
Shel@PeachyPalate says
Love that your burgers are still a little pink inside! Nothing worse than an overcooked burger!
Kamila @ somesunnydayblog.com says
You make the best looking scrambled eggs. hands down!
KathEats says
: ) Have you seen my video on them?
Kaila @healthyhelperblog! says
Loving all the fresh fruits and veggies! Nothing beats summer produce!
eve says
I am so jealous that you get to go out all the time! I have two young kids at home, work full time, and don’t have the support from family that you have (no one lives nearby). I hope you realize how lucky you are to have all that free time!!!
Jen says
How do you make your Okra so that it’s not slimy?
Every time I’ve cooked it slime like oozes out of it to the point where there is no way I can eat it. Is there a trick? or do some people like the slime?
KathEats says
I think the slime inside is just a part of it – you have to embrace it!
Ashley says
Actually there are tricks to getting rid of the slime- that’s why you so often see okra fried, pickled, or stewed with tomatoes, as those are the common ways of cutting down on it. Alton a Brown did a great good Eats episode about it.
LSS says
Roasting it to make okra “fries”, as Kath does, absolutely fixes this for me. Stewed okra is very slimy, but we love it roasted. They become crispy and delicious with ketchup or barbecue sauce, just like fries. We like to toss them in a little bit of olive oil and then dust with salt and spicy paprika before roasting them at 400* for about 30 minutes. I just leave the tops on – the better to hold and dip later! Definitely give this a try – it’s my favorite “KERF” find after sunbutter and overnight oats!
Kelly @ Laughter, Strength, and Food says
I love fish and chips, too!
Kate says
Uuuugh I know what you mean about throw pillows taking a beating. That’s really too bad.
Any tips on how to refresh them? Or do you just put them out of reach so they can’t get fort-ified? Hehe. : )
And did Matt go with you to Girl’s Night Out? Was he the one who captured that great group shot?
Micki says
Throw 3-6 pillows in the dryer on high for an hour. It will fluff everything up! Add a dryer sheet if you’d like.
Sam @ Grapefruit & Granola says
Confession: I’ve never used fresh okra. Any prep tips? I see them at the farmer’s market all the time so I’ll have to pick some up.
KathEats says
Either grill it whole (and don’t eat the end) or make this!
https://www.katheats.com/favorite-foods/better-than-fried-okra
India Dastic says
I love okra…when it’s fried. My grandma makes the best. But, I’m curious to try your recipe now.
Ashley @ Saving Money in your Twenties says
making forts as a kid was the BEST activity! Haha, but now that you say it, I do feel bad for my parents putting up with us kids being so rough on the pillows 😉
KathEats says
We used to do crazy things to our couch cushions too!
Elyse says
I’ve been off greens lately. Not sure why, but you’re making me crave them! yum!
Katie says
I don’t think I’ve ever NOT been into buttered toast! I don’t eat it often, but when I do, I LOVE it. Even better is a toasted plain bagel with butter 🙂 My 9-month pregnant digestive system can’t handle something that heavy right now, but give me a couple more weeks and I hope to be ALL over that snack!! 🙂
Kelly says
I’m part of a CSA this summer and loving it. Every week is something new. Love that it’s so fresh! However, I think you have inspired me to start a garden of my own. Looks like such fun! On another note, your meals always always look so good( filling and healthy). How do you get away with eating out so much along with the beers/cocktails you enjoy without gaining massive amounts of weight? I don’t mean that in a negative way… I’m just jealous :). If I ate and drank like you, I think I’d pay the price! However, I’m a bit older than you… I’m sure that makes a difference! Enjoy it while you can!
Vh says
It warms my heart to see your mother looking well, happy and beautiful. Here’s to you and your family 🙂
KathEats says
Thank you!
Mom says
Thanks! It’s been a year since my surgery and I continue to be grateful it went so well.
Clareio says
Apparently whoever brought fish and chips over to America did it wrong…
Being british fish and chips HAS to come with peas, either garden, mushy or minted crushed!
Oh and curry sauce…
KathEats says
Agreed!