Lake Michigan Vacation

Earlier this Summer, I spent a week of vacation at a lake home on Lake Michigan.  What a great, relaxing week we had!  We had absolutely perfect weather the entire time that we were there and enjoyed every minute of our vacation.

The house we rented is in Southwest Michigan, about halfway between Grand Haven and Holland.  Both are wonderful Summer Beach towns with great restaurants and cute downtown shopping districts. 



We spent most days relaxing on the beach and enjoying the water - although it was still pretty chilly!  My sister and I enjoyed spending the evenings on the deck, enjoying a glass of wine.

Counting planes in the sky...

{ Baby Sister, Mom, Me }

The house is only 30 minutes or so from where we live.  That made it nice because we were able to have friends and family come out and visit us for the day.

{ Dad & World's Cutest Brother }

We like to think of Lake Michigan as similar to an ocean - only "unsalted" and no sharks!

The evenings were just beautiful.  We West Michiganders like to say that we are on the "right side of the Lake" because the sun sets over Lake Michigan.



Collecting driftwood was a favorite passtime.  I came home with a pretty nice collection.

This kayak provided endless hours of entertainment.  After several failed attempts, my brother and I mastered paddling around in it.

My sister and brother never did quite master it, though  My mom and I watched them from shore and were laughing so hard we were almost crying.  Every time the two of them got in they tipped over!

We went in to Grand Haven several nights for dinner.  We rediscovered an old favorite, Fricano's.  Yum, their pizza is delicious.  I remember going there often with my parents when I was a kid.

We also rode our bikes in to Grand Haven one morning for breakfast - 7 miles!  I know that's not a lot for you bikers out there, but for us, it felt like a lot.  Especially for World's Cutest Brother who's bike only has one gear.  Not so much fun for him.

We also ate lots of meals at home.  When we did, we ate outside on the deck.  I love eating outside in the Summer, don't you?

We also enjoyed fires down by the beach.

What a lovely week on Lake Michigan. 

{ To see my post from last years Lake Michigan vacation click here }

Tasty Tuesdays: Pasta with Tomato, Basil, & Brie

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Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

 

I originally posted this recipe back in the summer of 2010.  I am sharing again today becasue I haven't been cooking much.  I've had weddingd to attend the last two weekends and have been busy enjoying the last few weeks of summer.

 

In an attempt to keep up with my ever growing supply of fresh basil, I made this pasta dish for dinner the other night. I thought it was good and it was probably the quickest pasta dish I have ever made! I used whole grain pasta, but if I make this dish again I think I would use regular pasta; I thought the whole grain made the overall dish a little dry.
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*Recipe from the July 2010 issue of Sunset Magazine in their Fast & Fresh section. It was submitted by reader Colleen Clark of Loveland, Co. 

 

Ingredients:
- 12 oz. orecchiette or shell pasta
- 4 oz. brie cheese, sliced
- two large tomatoes chopped (or 1 qt. cherry tomatoes)
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- 1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 c. fresh basil leaves, sliced
- salt & pepper to taste
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Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pot. Add remaining ingredients and stir to combine.
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Can you believe how easy that was?
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I served this with mixed greens drizzled with fresh lemon juice, olive oil, sea salt, and pepper.

 

What did you cook this week?

 

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Tasty Tuesdays: Creamy Fettuccine with Corn & Arugula

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

This might be my new favorite summer pasta dish {and you know I have a lot of summer pastas on the blog!}.  This was really good and I'm definitely going to be making it again.

{ Original recipe from Real Simple Magazine.  I've changed it a little and added the cherry tomatoes.  Find the original recipe right here }

Ingredients:

- 12 ounces fettuccine

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 2 leeks {white & light green parts, sliced thin}

- 2 cloves garlic, minced

- 1 cup corn kernels {from 2 ears or frozen}

- 1/2 cup dry white wine

- 3/4 cup heavy cream

- 2 cups arugula

- 1 cup cherry tomatoes; halved or quartered

- salt & pepper

- shaved Parmesan for serving

1.  Cook pasta according to package instructions; drain and set aside.

2.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.  3.Add the leeks, garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, 3 to 4 minutes.

3.  Add the corn, tomatoes, and wine. Simmer until the corn is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in the cream.

5.  Add pasta; season with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, and toss to combine. Fold in the arugula. Sprinkle with the cheese before serving.

What did you cook this week?

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Tasty Tuesdays: Summer Zucchini Salad

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

I made this salad this weekend and loved it.  For so few ingredients, it packs in a ton of flavor.  A great recipe to enjoy summer produce at it's best!  And the best part about it?  It was super easy to make - only takes a few minutes to pull it all together.

{ recipe adapted from the August 6, 2012 issue of People magazine }

Ingredients:

- 1 medium zucchini

- 1 cup arugula

- 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, torn

- 1/2 cup toasted walnuts, chopped

- 1 tablespoon olive oil

- 2 teaspoons lemon juice

- salt, pepper

- Parmesan or similar cheese

1.  Halve zucchini.  Place 1 inch of water in saute pan and place zucchini in pan, skin side down.  Cover and stems for a few minutes.  Zucchini should be tender but not mushy.

2.  When zucchini has cooled, cut into paper thin slices.

3.  Place zucchini slices on a plate and top with arugula.  Add basil, pine nuts, olive oil, lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste.  Top with cheese and serve.

{ makes one serving }

What did you cook this week?

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Tasty Tuesdyas: Zucchini Lasagna

Welcome to Tasty Tuesdays!

Is your garden overflowing with zucchini & tomatoes?  If so, I have the perfect recipe for you.  This original recipe is from Williams Sonoma and can be found here.  I did adapt the recipe a bit, changing up the ingredients.  Also, I cut the recipe in half for me but will write out the amounts for a full size recipe. 

Ingredients:
- olive oil for cooking


- 4 lb. zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices

- Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

- 4 cups ricotta cheese

- 1/3 cup unsalted butter

- 1/3 cup all-purpose flour

- 5 cups milk, warmed

- 1 1/2 lb. fresh pasta, cut into lasagna noodles, cooked until just tender

- 4 lb. tomatoes, seeded and coarsely chopped

- 1 clove garlic, minced

- 1/2 cup smoked Gouda cheese; sliced thinly or shredded

- several fresh basil leaves

1 cup fresh mozzarella cheese, sliced

1.  Prepare tomatoes by seeding and coarse chopping.  Mince garlic and add to bowl with tomatoes.  Set aside.

2.  Pre-heat oven to 475 degrees.

3.  In a large saute pan over medium heat, warm 1 Tbs. of the olive oil. Working in batches, add the zucchini, season with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter and repeat with the remaining zucchini; set aside.

4.  In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the flour and whisk until smooth, then cook until fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes. Slowly whisk in the milk until smooth. Cook, whisking occasionally, until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt, pepper; set aside.

5.  Cover the bottom of the lasagna pan with a layer of lasagna noodles. Spread one-third of the ricotta over the noodles. Spread one-third of the tomatoes over the ricotta, then top with one-third of the zucchini. Pour one-third of the sauce over the zucchini. Add one third of the basil leaves.  For the first layer only, add smoked Gouda cheese.  Repeat the layering twice more. Top with the mozzarella cheese. Bake until the lasagna is golden and bubbling, about 50 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before serving. Serves 10 to 12.

First layer with smoked Gouda:

Final layer topped with mozzarella:

Right out of the oven:

I served the lasagna with a simple garden salad.  Everything in the salad was fresh from the farmers market along with a few tomatoes from my garden.



 

 

What did you cook this week?

 

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