Home Of The Brave

Can you believe it is already Wednesday?  What the heck ... I hope your weekend was amazing and relaxing and filled with yummy food and lots of fun.  We had a great weekend ... I was ready for the weekend to start on Thursday to be honest.  When Friday came I was literally dancing in the kitchen ready to get the fun going.  I think I put flags in every single plant on the porch, added a bow to the basket of flags on the door and managed to find all sorts of cute patriotic items for our barbecue.

  

 
 

I shared our menu in this blog post and I was up early on Saturday morning making both the macaroni and potato salads so they would be cold for our late lunch.  I made a ton of both so we would have extra and, we did, even though they both are so delicious. The macaroni salad also is so good if you mix a can of tuna in for a yummy lunch, which I have done twice.  I highly recommend you try it, I think it would be amazing with salmon as well. 

I think for me the highlights (food wise) were the appetizers and dessert.  I have decided I prefer appetizers and desserts over a real meal anyway.  There is something about having a nibble of this and that followed by something delicious and sweet that just makes me happy.  If I haven't mentioned it before you can pop into Trader Joes and prepare an amazing cheese tray with the yummiest finds.  I added some yogurt covered pretzels, Blackberry Patch spicy jam, and Rainier cherries and it was so good I have craved it every single day.  A cheese plate always is a great idea in my opinion. 

The Hubs and I sipped rose spritzers ... half rose + San Pelligrino soda (blood orange) and a splash of soda.  They are so refreshing and delicious and are so easy to create.  I will definitely be drinking these on the beach next week. ❤😍

And dessert ... how about a good ice cream sundae?  Since I seemed to eat my weight in apps + dinner, well we all did, so dessert waited until Sunday and I think it was the best idea.  We had left overs for a very late lunch and then dessert just as the sun was setting.  And ice cream sundaes ... I can never say no to a great bowl of ice cream. I think my love for sundaes in the summer started years ago when I used to reward the kids once a week for their summer reading goals.  Our local ice cream shop has half off banana splits on Thursday if you bring your own banana.  They would split a banana split (they are huge) and I would get a sundae.  It still reminds me of them standing in line with their banana barely able to see the counter to order and so very excited. 

My friend Reggie surprised us with a box of her amazing July 4th cookies and it was all I could do to keep the hands out of the box before the weekend.  They are so delicious and so very cute.  Can you even handle the details on Uncle Sam?

We used waffle bowls from the grocery store, some amazing vanilla bean ice cream, hot fudge, sprinkles, some fresh cherries and, of course, the Highland Park Pie Lady cookies.  I will admit to feeding Millie the nose on Uncle Sam.  

She was thrilled.  

I truly hope your weekend was a good one.  It has been so hard to have such different celebrations and I know so many of us are missing our family and dear friends, but I hope there were a lot of laughs and celebrating going on at your house. We broke up the day with our family and watched National Treasure which was the best choice for the day. 

Ice cream anyone? 🍦

My outfit ... Emily McCarthy Shoppe

Blue and white trays ... old from Home Goods

My glasses ... Peepers

Minear cups ... Sequins & Lipstick

Popsicle napkins, gingham plates + straws ... Target

Various containers, bowls + small plates ... vintage finds

Whale spreaders

Rectangle platter (with cheese) ... The Enchanted Home