A day at the (dog) beach

It is a gorgeous summer: the temperature ranging from 80-85 degrees; the slight breeze; the gorgeous blue skies with the occasional fluffy cloud floating lazily by. All these things pull me out of bed at 7am on Saturday mornings and drive my poor sleep-deprived husband crazy.

This past Saturday morning, an extraordinarily beautiful one, was worse than usual. At 7:01am I jumped out of bed and found myself in my usual Saturday-morning dilemma: what to do with myself - and Marshall - for the next 3 hours before I'm allowed to wake Matt up. I've taken to walking Marsh up to Robeks to get a smoothie for Matt, because really, you can't get mad at your wife for waking you up at 8:00am on a Saturday when she has a smoothie in her hand. Can you?

And so it was that, at 8:03am this past Saturday, all three of us were sitting on our bed sipping our smoothies, and trying to figure out what to do with our day. Matt wanted to sleep. I wanted to be outside. The perfect solution was right before our eyes: The Beach.

And we spent a glorious afternoon at the beach, swimming, running, fetching (yes, that applies to all of us, as Marsh often decides its our turn right after the stick is thrown) and getting some much-needed sunshine.

So if you find yourself like I do, waiting for the world to wake up, go for a walk. It's good for you, it's good for the dog, and I promise it will be good for your relationship with whomever you may share your bed with. Happy Summer!

How well do you know Seattle?

For all of my dear friends that have wandered away, and all of my friends who want to call Seattle home, test your knowledge here. I must say, I've been away for way too long.

Dad's Cucumber Salad

May is upon us and Los Angeles is struggling to shed it's rain coat. Those new to the city keep asking when summer's going to arrive. I feel like I am back in Seattle, making excuses for the clouds and claiming that all will be forgotten once the sun and summer heat make their grand entrance.

And so, with our new friends and budding Angelenos, we escaped this last weekend to Palm Springs for a few days of intense heat, sunshine, and laying by the pool. A reminder to our bodies that we are almost there; that our semi-translucent ghostly skin tones will soon begin to golden; that our sweaters and boots will soon retreat back into the depths of the closet and our sandals, stilettos and tanktops will unearth and become staples once more.

When it's 104 degrees outside (or really, anything over 85) I get a craving for my dad's cucumber salad. It was a summer staple in our family; from June through September, there was always a huge bowl of freshly sliced cucumbers floating in their sea of sweet and spicy vinegar on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Requiring almost no work at all, this is a perfect light lunch, snack, or side dish for those unbearably hot days that I know, I know, are just around the corner.

Dad's Cucumber Salad

1 large hothouse cucumber, peeled (ours were homegrown and are definitely preferred if possible)
1/2 C. rice wine vinegar
1/2 C. water
1 t. sugar
Salt and pepper
1/8 medium red onion, thinly sliced (optional)

Slice the cucumber into thin rounds and combine with the vinegar, water and sugar. Gently stir to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Add the red onion about 10 minutes before serving (it will turn the mixture pink if added too early).

The salad can be made up to 2 days ahead of time (without the red onion).

24

I think it's time for the clock to slow its ticking. I don't want more seconds in a day. I simply want the seconds to stop their mad hamster wheel sprints at midnight and break for a nice glass of Pinot Noir.

I have no idea how I suddenly arrived here. Two years out of college. Six years out of high school. Two and a half years into marriage. Six years of living in Los Angeles. Seriously people, where was I while all of that time was sneaking by?! Regardless, it has happened, and I am officially 24.

And if my birthday week (yes, I got a whole week this year) is any sign of the year to come, I am elated to be 24. I stumble into this year with the most darling husband, wonderful family, and the very best of friends. Time better relax a little, because I want to savor every minute.

And maybe just one more bite of that sinful cupcake from Malibu Kitchen.

Thank you all for the phone calls, cards and plethora of gifts. I am completely overwhelmed by your thoughtfulness and generosity.

Finally! A sigh of relief.

Finally, after several months of hard work, I could not be more thrilled to announce the birth of 4 Tables.

After numerous dinner discussions, the members of TND have decided to combine our blogging efforts into one culinary-exploring masterpiece. Cleverly named after the four tables that serve as center stage for our dinner club, 4tables.net will share the great successes, attempts, planning and stories that come of our favorite weekly meal.

Our hope is that this blog will give you a chance to get to know each of the members a little bit better. We will take weekly turns updating the blog, as our week arrives to prepare TND dinner. I believe you will find our different writing styles quite insightful into our different personalities.

I just finished my first post over at 4tables.net, please feel free to check it out.

Thank you for all of your support and encouragement - I will continue to sporatically update this blog, but 4 Tables is going to be my main focus now. I hope you enjoy it!

A New Year in the works

Please forgive me for my absence. With the New Year and some new goals set, a very exciting surprise is in progress! We (yes, we) are almost finished, so please bear with us.

I hope your New Year has already brought you health, happiness, and many delicious recipes!