I had high hopes for this week’s food for fun post. Last weekend, a friend and I threw an 80th birthday party for one of the most amazing women I know. This woman, and her party, are a natural fit here and I was looking forward to telling you how I came to meet my amazing friend 20 years ago, giving a brief recap of what she’s meant to me over the years, and finishing sweetly with three of the cookie recipes served at the party.
party time
But.
undoubtedly the first non-food picture shown @ food for fun
Summer has thrown me for a crazy loop–the kind you ride full speed at amusement parks. It happens every year–me thinking I can keep up with work projects, etc with my kids home from school, then realizing midway through that I just can’t. My only choice at that point is to give in to the free fall, hang on tightly, and enjoy the ride. This post, then, is about enjoying that ride. Here are a handful of the summer adventures that have eaten up my blogging time.
- Took my daughters to a riding stable for a pony party. Of course there were treats. (thanks, Marlaine!)
yeehaw 🙂
- Enjoyed phenomenal meals at local treasures.
ribs, coleslaw, and collards @ Big Daddy’s
Buttered Tin’s salads, sandwiches, and sweets are top-notch
Minnetonka’s General Store
- I could say my kids dragged me to a nearby town for a candy shop tour, but that wouldn’t be entirely true as I had a hand in planning our day.
oh, the bounty
- Made mint juleps Chubby Princess-style.
two words: lemon. juice.
- Grilled up salmon on the maple Superior Planks I ordered after seeing it used at Patrons of the Pit, grilling blog extraordinaire.
first time grilling bacon–I highly recommend
ice cube trays, oh my
- Wrote another Funny Names in Food post at Blog of Funny Names. Check it out here for more on the foods of summer.
Will close with a picture of me and dear friend and mentor, Ann.
at MIA last winter, seeing the What Would Shakespeare Eat? exhibit. Thanks, Mary G for taking photo.
Hope to see you back next week when food for fun unveils Ann’s story and offers up her tasty cookie recipes.
food for fun 
beautiful pics, make me hungry, even at this time of day. enjoy it all and just do what you can do, life is short. looking forward to ann’s story and the recipes as well )
Thanks, Beth. Yes to the “life is short do what you can do” thing. Just want to know what to do when you want to do it all. ?? Glad you’re here 🙂
How cute is your friend, Anne?! Can’t wait to read her cookie recipes. You sure do live the good life, Liz!
No kidding, they don’t make ladies like Ann anymore–she’s a classic and I love her to pieces. Thanks for the “good life” comment–haven’t been on any yachts lately (or ever 😉 ), but I do have lots of Little Ponies littering my living room floor right now and there’s a castle on the dining room table, so life has to be good, right? haha. maybe tonight is another mint julep night 😉
Little Ponies are always good. So are mint juleps.
Oh my ruddy Lord, I am STARVING. I have been toying with the prospect of buying myself a bacon sandwich all morning, and seeing that picture of grilled bacon has made my mind, very firmly, up. BACON HERE I COME.
🙂
How was the bacon sandwich, Becky? (Does Stick like bacon?) You have a bit of mayo on your chin 😉
Thanks for ambling over.s Always happy to see visitor such as yourself. I didn’t see you over at the last poptail post and I would NEVER try to push someone to read my posts (hahahahaha), but was thinking you’d like this one especially as it involved alcohol on a stick. (stick, get it?) Just sayin’. If you already read it, never mind me.
Hope you’re day goes well and you’re able to get a few things done even with all that hoopla over the new royal baby.
Summer is always full speed ahead and looks like you have been really busy!! Love grilled bacon I’d like a BLT right now.
It had never occurred to me to grill bacon before reading Patrons–they grill everything! Full-speed ahead is right. Hope you’re enjoying yours! Thought of you when I saw the cover of the most recent Bon Appetit–homemade vanilla ice cream 🙂
Echoing Princess here – how cute is Ann?!? I mean, honestly. And the fact that you’re combining food and Shakespeare?? I mean, honestly. Can we add “hanging out with Anne” to the list of things we’re going to do when I finally get myself out to Minnesota to play?
I love that you were able to turn getting off your blogging schedule into an awesome blog post! Way to work with what you’ve got, my friend! 🙂
hey, amb. Working with what we’ve got is the only way to go, it seems. Thanks for the words of support.
Figured you’d be all over the Shakespeare thing. And am sure Ann would enjoy you very much. We’d have a blast hitting the town!
Liz, what a lovely post:) What fun it is to think of all the wonderful memories that you children will have of this summer:)
Thanks, Poppy. I keep reminding myself that I’m helping make memories for my girlies, though most of the time I’m exhausted, so am not sure I’ll remember much of these years. haha. At least I can look back and read this blog post!
Always grateful for your visits. Hope your summer is going swimmingly 🙂
Lovely pictures, dear Liz! thanks for sharing your adventures in food & fun!!!
thanks, Sophie–glad you could come along on the adventures 🙂
My pleasure! 🙂 xx
Great pictures of all the food and treats! I’m getting hungry haha.
Thanks, Ada! Somehow missed this–my bad. Always happy to have you around 🙂
I kept reading “80th birthday party” as “80’s [themed] party”. Can’t seem to get the mental picture of legwarmers out of my mind.
Can’t wait to see what Ann has to share!
haha–no leg warmers at this party. It was a class act all the way! Put it out there that I would write about her so I wouldn’t bail on it again. You would like Ann and she would adore how you approach cooking and recipes 🙂
Liz..seriously? Candy, Bacon, drinks and blogging all wrapped up into one? Ahhh…Life.Is.Good! Ok..good thing I just ate my dinner BEFORE reading this, right?! Right! I spied cherry sours in that candy, yes? I LOVE cherry sours…watch for that, ok? Your friend Ann is charming and I love cross-generation friendships, so amazing. I want in though, when Amb comes to town..how fun would that be? 🙂
One crazy summer, for sure..but would you have it any other way?
Oh, the fun we’d have if you were here! candy, bacon, cocktails 🙂 (now I’m wondering about a Candy Bacon Cocktail. ?? candied bacon as a garnish? bourbon involved, certainly. http://wp.me/p2dvv9-sV hmmmm…. maybe you should revive your sip and savors?)
I do remember you liking the cherry sours 🙂 I’ll be watching. Agreed about cross-generation friendships: the younger ones keep you young and the older ones teach you lots.
Would I have it any other way? (you asked 😉 ) Honestly, sometimes I want to get out of dodge and start a new life under an assumed name. But I’d come back as there is too much good around here. And am thinking I’d fill any new life with just as much stuff, so might as well stick with what I know! Thanks for coming to my virtual kitchen, Miss Bonnie. Cheers!
Wow, what fun! You’ve had quite a full program with some fabulous parties under your belt. Looks like you’re doing this crazy ride called life the right way:)
yes, full program–one way to look at it 🙂 I’m hoping I’m doing things the right way, but sometimes am so exhausted I’m just not sure. Thank you for your encouraging words, Trace!
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Everything looks so good and fun! You’re right about the crazy times. It does feel like a roller coaster and at the end you usually feel pretty good. For some reason, the ice cube tray picture made me laugh.
Thanks, Sam! Yes, in the end it’s all good and there’s always lots of laughter. Though there’s often screaming (and even crying) in the middle, too. Raising little girls means lots of drama.
The ice-cube tray was used in the Blog of Funny Name guest post, so hope you had a chance to read.
Hope you’re enjoying your summer roller coaster 🙂
I look forward to reading about your friend. (Sorry if I should already know who she is; I think I missed some of the background posts!)
hey thanks, wdydfae. you haven’t missed a thing as this is my first mention of Ann. (though she did show up as an unnamed “mentor and dear friend” here: http://wp.me/p2dvv9-gN)
Will have to get my act together this week now that I’ve committed to telling her story!
Wow. I get home and see this feast! Great Post. Can’t wait to see Ann’s cookie recipes. Yay!
Thanks, Tracy 🙂 Hope the workshop was fabulous. Shoot me an email, would you? Would love to hear more about what you learned. Wednesday fast approaches so I best get crack-a-lackin’ on those cookie recipes 🙂
Told you you were good at circling back! Appreciate you checking back in.
What a fun summer! I look forward to hearing more about Ann, great picture of the two of you!
Thanks, Jayne. Fun and crazy nuts and I will also say exhausting. Who over the age of 12 has the energy for all of this? haha. Am putting Ann’s post together so it’ll be ready when Wed rolls around. Your kind words are much appreciated 🙂
I think we can all understand the busy summer! I keep thinking I am a slacker but I think we have other priories in the summer- which is good! I am having a blast and it looks like you are too! 😀
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