Breakfast:
- 1 Umcka packet
- Organic berry yogurt smoothie
- Repetitive, I know, but it's good to keep that probiotic intake up!
- 2 yogurt pretzels
- A sweet little surprise that I found in my cupboard
Lunch:
Danny and I went to go visit his grandma in Beverly, MA so he could teach her how to use a computer program. While he was teaching her I went to a nearby cafe called "Organic Cafe". It looked cute and cozy from the outside. When I went inside, the walls were washed with yellow, embellished with simple coral stamped pictures and matched with dark wooden floors. Himalayan pink salt candles topped each table and christmas lights lit up the cracks where ceiling met wall. Purple and glimmering gold curtains hung from the windows. The menu was packed with fresh, local health foods. The air surrounded me with the smell of a warm summer garden and fresh baked bread. It was deliciously comfortable.
- All organic toasted whole wheat bagel with homemade cream cheese, a fresh tomato, fresh lettuce, clover sprouts, avocado slices, a little lemon for flavor
- 1 pot of green china oolong tea
- Fresh baked oversized fortune cookies
- They were so cute I couldn't help but get one for Danny and his Grandma too. They were soft cookies and the fortunes were 10 feet long, to give perspective of how big they were. . .Just kidding, but they were 8 inches long!
Dinner:
Danny's mom cooked a beautiful dinner for us! It was delicious as always, the flavors all paired well together, and you could tell that she had been cooking for years by the way she moved around the kitchen, multi-tasking and expertly preparing everything at once. When Danny, his dad, his grandpa, his two brothers, his mom and I sat down at the table to eat you could practically feel the excited energy of everyone waiting to dig in. The meal was so colorful, flavorful, and filling. We were all very grateful and appreciated the experience with many "Mmmm"'s and "Ooooh"'s and "Wow"'s.
- Homemade white bread
- Hot and fluffy
- Great for soup-dipping
- Leek soup
- Creamy and pureed
- Savory and filling
- Spinach salad with avocado, grapefruit, and watercress
- Homemade dressing of vegetable oil, grapefruit juice, paprika, red wine vinegar and brown mustard
- I learned that the smooth creaminess of avocado and the citrusy pop of grapefruit pair together in a fantastic way I probably never would have thought to do
- The whole dish was colorful and bright! It broke up the heavy, rich, delicious main courses as well
- Shrimp Alexander
- Bread crumbs, butter, shallots, garlic, parsley and a beurre blanc sauce
- Noodle Rice Casserole
- Noodles
- Rice
- French onion soup
- Chicken broth
- Water
- Butter!!! Lots of butter
- Soy sauce
- Water chestnuts
Dessert:
The bread experiment! I will show this in more detail in its own separate post later on.
- One homemade fresh lemon poppyseed muffin
- 1/2 a slice of homemade fresh honey whole wheat bread
- 1/2 a slice of homemade fresh rosemary focaccia
This summer Danny's mom compiled a list of all "the little things" that make her friends and family happy. I thought it would be nice and fitting to share them here!
Sleeping in on a rainy day
winter
babies laughter
bare feet
the sound of the ocean
chocolate
the boston Bruins winning
most things Irish
reading a great book
holding a parrot
warm bread with salty butter
time with good friends
holding hands
fresh lavender flowers
love
a kind deed done in secret
giving someone hope
checking things off my to do list
planning a menu
different kinds of people
sharing what I have with someone who needs it
doing the right thing
solving a problem
the smell of a campfire
candlelight
the first sip of coffee
being stuck at home in a snow storm
making the people around me feel good about themselves
warm towels
a beautiful sunrise
cooking for others
getting the giggles
handwritten letters
memories of loved ones who are gone
digging in dirt
the smell of spring
gardening
baking
making others happy through a gesture even just a smile
helping out where needed
spending time with the elderly (they have so much to say)
looking at old photos with other people to see faces light up
the smell of cooking on the grill
walking on the beach, looking for shells
the first crocus of spring
time spent with family
seeing your kids happy
drinking tea
going a different way in the care and seeing where it takes you
seeing deer in the yard
bird watching
listening to good music
camp fires
having faith
music: playing, listening, writing
drawing
frisbee
outdoors
dogs
guitar
writing a poem
watching a movie that I hope will not end
getting lost
coming up with an idea
using a new word in a sentence
smelling the seasons change
walking in the woods
smiling at strangers
strong mints
a cold pillow
bike riding downhill
looking down at a pair of new shoes on your feet
taking a nap in the sun
old jeans
giving helpful advice
climbing trees
being barefoot in unusual places
a good walking stick
play wrestling just because
waking up and realizing you still have an hour to sleep
driving with the windows open
cozy spaces
camping
sneezing
taking pictures
sleeping in a cloud-like bed
surrounding myself with nice people who have a positive attitude
Good health
Moving till you sweat
someone hugging me when I need it but didn't have to ask for it
the smell of bread baking
feeding people
a burst of creativity
a sleeping baby's warm breath on my neck
dancing the night away
lighting candles when the electricity goes out
the sun on my face
a still day when all you can hear is the sound of the birds
sitting in a hammock
finishing a hard and frustrating project
making drip castles
finding something I thought I had lost
"ah-hah!" moments
changing my mind without distress or regret
dreaming
forgetting about what time it is
mocha chip ice cream
somebody thanking me and really meaning it
frolicking and forgetting how old I am
trying something new
singing to the point where you can't hold back a smile
picnics
falling asleep in the afternoon
expanding my knowledge of myself and the world
snuggling
watching friends and family succeed
massages
a surprise that turns a day around
a painting that stirs my soul
walking while the snow is falling
going for it
running in the rain
the smell of summer
the smell of garlic cooking
the smell of the outdoors after it rains
roller coasters
riding horses fast
ripples in still water
the hug after being apart from a friend for a long time
road trips with fun people
midnight snacks
kneading dough
turning someone's garbage into a treasure
arranging fruit
being in the wilderness
power naps
salty ocean breezes
the buzzing feeling after a good workout
picking berries
kids learning to read
untouched snow
fossils
acoustic guitar
little kids with english accents
coming home to a clean room
finding a giant stack of good books at the library
licking the spoon after making brownies
knowing and believing that imperfection is beauty
being goofy
being genuine
wrestling in the snow
wiggling toes in soft sand and mud
friends that bring out the best in you and vise versa
laughing till it hurts
making others laugh
thinking outside the box
opening my heart to someone new
doing the spontaneous
being a good listener
contagious smiles
conquering fears
roller blading
wordless conversations
old couples that are still in love
kisses that catch you by surprise
eating organic
trusting your instincts and finding that they lead you in the right direction
the sound of the italian "r" rolling
fruit smoothies on a hot day
melted Burt's Bees chapstick
completing a puzzle
water droplets on a spiderweb
the silence after a really great jam
watching stars
doing yoga
finger painting
thunderstorms
face paint
volunteering
dancing ridiculously to really loud music when you're home alone
mountains
waves
traveling to somewhere new
eating slowly
breathing deeply
the smell of old books
bathtubs
farmers markets
letting go of a grudge and forgiving
a gentle breeze
doing the right thing when no one is looking
finishing a knitting project
a good cry
tapping maple trees
growing something from a seed
coincidences
doodles
background noise
peace at the end of the day
magic
fireflies
chirping frogs
foggy breath on a crisp day
drawing in window frost
fuzzy socks
the scent of cinnamon
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