Posts Tagged ‘summer’

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grape jam

Friday, August 19th, 2011

image courtesy of Hunt Country Vineyards

“so, last year you went to apple fest… and now you’re off to grape jam?” natalie asked me last week. it hadn’t occurred to me but apparently there isn’t a fruit festival i miss. don’t get me wrong, i’m fine with it. more than fine, actually. i’m a full-fledged fruit groupie. apricots are my favorite but since i have yet to find its corresponding fete, i’ll just keep working the apple/grape circuit. these festivals are often, for me, the highlight of whichever season they head up. plus, it usually means a much needed trip to the finger lakes region of new york state, where i went to college, and where i left my heart. i mean, not to be dramatic, but have you been?

so last weekend i met up with some of my favorite people to celebrate 30 years of winemaking on keuka lake at hunt country vineyards’ grape jam and we rocked the vineyards. i pulled that entire sentence straight off the poster, but i couldn’t have said it better myself. hunt country is a family farm and winery in the heart of new york’s celebrated finger lakes wine region. the farm’s 172 acres have been home to the hunt family for six generations, and boy do i love a family affair.

this year, my friend just happened to be helping out and the hunt team could not have made us feel more at home. the wines and specialty grape juice were top notch, and just what we needed after the long road trip north. nestled into the hilly vineyard was the main stage, along with tents for local bbq courtesy of good smoke. for the record, i’m still dreaming of their pulled pork tacos. it was the perfect way to spend a true summer weekend: a little off the grid, camping, some nighttime lake swimming, someplace called “the bluff”, mandatory bonfire and resultant s’mores overdose, live bluesy music, and wine at its source. a big thank you to the hunt family and their superstar team; here’s to hoping this becomes an annual event!

~jamie

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sharks!

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

photo courtesy of http://mylittlescraps.com/blog/2007/08/shark-week/

dun dun, dun dun, dun dun dun ….yes it’s shark week. until this year i can honestly say i have avoided this event and never truly understood people’s shark obsession.  however, this year i have decided to check out what all the hype is about. it consists of back to back episodes of incredible and graphic videos of shark attacks or encounters. i can’t exactly explain the combination of fear and inability to look away while watching for 4 hours a night, but i can tell you that even though it is seriously disturbing, it is also spectacular footage of an animal people don’t know too much about.

the most fascinating part to me might be that even after shark warnings are put in place on certain beaches, people continue to go swimming, unfazed that yesterday a man was mauled by an uncontrollable water beast. i cannot relate to this mentality in the slightest. last weekend while swimming at the beach, a piece of seaweed brushed the bottom of my foot and after a pathetic bout of screaming i made an ungraceful yet surprisingly speedy exit from the water. after watching only one night of shark week, the chances of me ever going in past my toes again is highly unlikely.

if you are interested in watching the shark infested waters from a safe distance, shark week is every night this week at 9pm on discovery channel. see you there!

~rachel

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fruits of summer

Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011

the glow bracelets are a nice touch, right?

when packing for a trip, I always find it helpful to go in with a sartorial vision from the start. for my college roommates’ recent bachelorette getaway to lake tupper in the adirondacks, that meant bathing suits, headscarves, shortalls, and the cherry on top…a watermelon manicure. it was a lot of look and I certainly didn’t get any new facebook profile shots out of the weekend, but I felt great!

most items on my list were easy to check off. bathing suits? ready to go. headscarf? thanks, grandma. shortalls? ebay (don’t judge me). to make my watermelon manicure dream a reality though, I did my research. I put my trust in the literal hands of Valley NYC, nail artists of the highest order. booking the appointment, I giggled awkwardly as I specified my nail art of choice was to be a not-so-subtle watermelon design, but the receptionist didn’t bat an eyelash. though this trend is definitely making a comeback (just like short-alls, I swear) I hadn’t even thought of doing nail art since I was a flower girl in a family wedding and was allowed one crystal on one nail of my choosing. on the day of my appointment, I felt just as special.

I arrived, selected my colors, changed my mind and then chose different colors, while my patient and steady-handed artist smiled at me supportively. the manicure and custom, hand-painted design took about 45 minutes all told and necessitated at one point an actual paintbrush and acrylic paint.

amazingly the worst part of the 5.5 hour night drive to the cabin on the lake that followed, besides the inclement weather and the winding, dark country roads, was really the frustration that I couldn’t admire my newly done-up nails the entire time. flipping back through my film, it would appear I had found my muse. I definitely took more pictures of my nails than of the bride-to-be (sorry, mary!).

though I wouldn’t spend the time or the money to have this done on a regular basis, it was an entertaining one-off experience that landed me with a silly, summery manicure, which, like most summer activities, was fun while it lasted.

~ jamie

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its may and what does that mean? picnics!

Tuesday, May 10th, 2011

one of my favorite activities to do in may when its warm but not humid, is go to the park and have a picnic, a favorite spot of mine is the rockefeller estate, kykuit in tarrytown, nY.  but i am not talking about lukewarm turkey sandwiches and store-bought potato salad. with a beautiful day and a gorgeous setting, there is no excuse for ugly, bland food. so here are a few tried and true recipes for pretty, portable, and palatable picnic provisions.

side: zucchini and carpaccio salad from smitten kitchen (20 minutes)

sandwich: parisian steak and cheese croissant sandwiches from giada (11minutes)

dessert: espresso chip meringue from giada (1 hour)

drink: berry-guava lemonade from the food network or, if you want a more spirited affair, try the super simple pomegranate spritzer from everything and nothing.

the trick to a good picnic is quality not quantity. no one enjoys lugging a heavy basket around, so try to keep it light, sticking to three satisfying courses that won’t strand you in the kitchen for hours.  if you decide to picnic on a whim, pick up some ready-made treats from your nearest grocery store. a favorite of mine is manchego cheese and olive tapenade on french bread.

also, keep it green! try to use reusable utensils, cups and plates! (this also gives you an excuse to shop for some adorable picnicware)

~carolyn

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