Celebrating Memorial Day during the Corona Era

What are your plans this summer?

Are you traveling or staying put for the meantime?
There’s some good news. As the states start to open up - they’re now all fully or partially open - people are starting to travel again. Air travel saw its best day on Wednesday since everything shut down. All airlines and airports are now enforcing their rules and guidelines (so be sure to check those out.) With gas prices and traffic at an all-time low this is a terrific time to take to the road. However, if traveling to another state you should expect to be asked to self quarantine for 14 days. So you’ll have to decide if the travel will be worth it… for now.

We strongly encourage you to look into all the activities within your state. This is a great time for a shorter road trip. Discover new outdoor dining spots and hiking trails. Or just stay put and enjoy everything your local community has to offer.

Whether your state is fully opened or partially opened, Memorial Day weekend will look a little different this year, and maybe for the next couple of years. While parades and large group settings need to be put on pause for a while, this doesn’t mean that we have to put our lives on pause. So let’s get out there and celebrate! We can still have fun in small groups, surrounded by our closest friends.

It's time to sweep off our porches, decks and balconies, clean off lawn chairs and deck furniture, bring out the hammocks, open our pools up and look forward to some nice relaxation in the summer sun. It's time to make lemonade and iced tea and sip it slowly beneath the warm sun, perhaps while reading the morning newspaper on a hammock in the cool shade of a tall Oak tree. Has your beach opened up? Grab your chair, sunscreen and a great summer read.

---

Ok, so we can all agree that 2020 is turning out to be the most bizarre year. We’ve faced many challenges and adversities, but we still have so much to be grateful for. While we have no idea what the future will hold for us, there are going to be plenty of good times are ahead of us, they’ll just look a little different from those of the past. So as we start to embrace Summertime with open arms let's remember those Heroes who have paid a dear price for our freedom, and this year, let’s all celebrate those who have fought for us in our hospitals, and our new front lines. We are forever indebted to them.

What does summer mean to you?

These may not be the easy, breezy, carefree days we once knew, but let’s all vow to make the best of what we do have!

To me, summer is about long lazy days and swimming in lakes, pools and oceans. It’s about letting kids play outside until late at night as the sun sets past their bedtimes. We fondly remember those endless days that seem to blurr together. Running in the rain without rain gear, splashing in the puddles, chasing fireflies, building campfires and making s'mores. These are the things that make summertime so special. Summer is about creating memories that will last a lifetime. And while our summer will be different this year, there’s no reason why we can’t

Below are some links to help celebrate the weekend. Some of us will be getting some rain, but we won’t let that ruin our virtual parades. Have an indoor party, and what’s a party without cake? We love this gorgeous flag cake.

---

American Flag Cake

2-3 cups of blueberries, washed
4-6 cups of strawberries, washed and sliced
1 container of Cool Whip or your favorite vanilla ice cream or frozen yogurt
Sparklers

Take your Cool Whip or ice cream out of the freezer to soften
Using a springform pan arrange your fruit and ice cream/whipped cream in layers as seen in the image above left.
Place in freezer to set. 3 hours minimum.
Remove from freezer 15 minutes prior to cutting and serving

---

Click on the links below for some other Memorial Day Weekend and Summer fun inspiration!

Memorial Day Desserts

Decorating with the American Flag

Gazpacho Recipes

Eating like you live in New England

Watermelon Recipes

Simple Summer Party Food

46 Fun things for everyone to this summer (in spite of covid 19!)

We’re all bored in the house, in the house bored and as the weather gets nicer we are getting more restless and more anxious. Many of the things we had hoped to do this summer will have to wait. But, with enough creativity, there is a lot we can do! Below enjoy some of my ideas and things that I have had fun doing with my own children over the years.

1. Reverse Tie Dye

Tie dye is all the rage, but what about reverse tie dye? I had fun with this when my youngest was young. So many of his Polo shirts were coming home stained and not wanting to toss them I decided to have a little fun. We LOVED the results. This can be done with sheets, pillow cases, cloth napkins, jeans… anything really. The sky’s the limit! (Apologies - the photos below are 11 years old!) Directions and original blog post here.

2. Make Collages

We love to collage. Even now that the kids are nearly fully grown. Of, course they’ve changed in style over the years, but they’re always fun and you don’t have to be artistic for them to come out beautifully!
We have these for the very young, and you can incorporate them with a story. They’ll also LOVE these using cut out construction paper and recycled popsicle sticks.

Years ago I took the kids to The Eric Carle museum in Massachusetts and it happened to be the Very Hungry Caterpillar’s 40th Birthday. We did all sorts of Carle-inspired collages. They’re super easy to do at home! Why not collage with newspaper or even wrapping paper?!

---

3. Make your own ice cream! We’ve had such fun over the years with our YayLabs ice cream ball. Want something to do the work for you? Cuisinart’s ice cream maker will not disappoint! Here’s a link to some great ice cream recipes and ideas. (See below)

4. Have a picnic at home - We love making cheese and charcuterie platters for our at home picnics. See below.

---

5. Make s’mores without a fire pit

We’ve had so much fun doing this in our screened in porch on rainy 4th of Julys. All you need are sterno cans, sticks, marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers. Or totally kick up your smores game with other goodies such as Nutella and peanut butter.

Here’s a link to some great S’mores with a Twist recipes.

---

6. Have a backyard campout

7. Paint seashells (or rocks or pine cones)

8. Organize a treasure hunt/scavenger hunt - This can be a lot of fun for adults too!

9. Start a journal

10. Start a photo journal - All you need is the camera from your smart phone.

11. Make dill pickles

12. As they open up, visit a new ice cream stand every week

---

13. As they open up, discover new lobster roll shacks. Or make your own and have an outdoor picnic or bring them to the beach (if your town permits)

Recipe for New England style Lobster Rolls

4 cups cooked lobster meat, cut into bite-size pieces

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 tablespoon chopped celery

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Dash hot sauce

4 hot dog buns

Assemble all the ingredients together and mix well. Then spoon into hot dog buns. We prefer them slightly toasted.

---

14. As they open up visit a vineyard

15. Make Sun tea

16. Search for seashells and seaglass

17. Start a container garden

18. Start a vegetable garden from your kitchen scraps

19. Take a long bike ride

20. Take a hike!

21. Make your own lemonade

22. Make your own limoncello

23. Go berry picking (where and when allowed)

24. Make your own fresh berry jam!

25. Have a water balloon fight!

---

26. Watch a summer thunderstorm -

I love nothing more than to sit outside in a screened-in or covered porch or deck and watch the summer sky light up followed by the distant clap of thunder… Bring a sweater, blanket and a glass of wine and enjoy some of nature’s prettiest sights and sounds!

27. Go stargazing

28. Watch the sunrise

29. Make Whipped Coffee

30. Celebrate Christmas in July!

It’s been a crazy year. Why not take out some of your favorite ornaments, play some music and bake up some of your favorite holiday treats. Invite a few friends over and have a Christmas party in July!

31. Create an inspiration board or book -

There’s no time like the present! While we’re no longer sheltering in place, we’re still enjoying a slowed pace. What’s your dream come true? What would you love to do next? Capture it all on a vision board or book. According to the popular book The Secret, "The law of attraction is forming your entire life experience and it is doing that through your thoughts. When you are visualizing, you are emitting a powerful frequency out into the Universe." If it doesn’t work you’ll have something closely resembling a work of art!

32. Perform a random act of kindness

33. Take a hike!

34. Create an obstacle course in your backyard (for kids)

35. Create an obstacle course in your swimming pool (if you’re lucky enough to have one!)

36. Go skinny dipping at midnight!

36. Hang a tire from a large tree branch

37. Find a drive in… This will be the summer of the drive-in for sure!

When the beaches open up…

38. Sip champagne when the sun sets… This is my favorite thing to do!

39. Have an evening picnic - save the cooking and cleaning. Order from your favorite restaurant!

40. Learn how to Kayak

41. Learn how to paddle board

42. Ride the waves on a boogie board

43. Make a sandcastle

44. Make sand candles (this can also be done at home)

45. Make blueberry or strawberry bread

46. For some terrific Covid-safe ideas for things to do in your state visit Only in Your State.com

Lemon, Honey, Turmeric & Ginger Tea

Whether you’re looking to detox, want a coffee substitute or looking for something to keep you from constantly reaching for the fridge, honey, lemon ginger tea is my answer to everything. It’s healthy, soothing and right now it’s a guiltless source of comfort. It’s terrific hot or chilled over ice. Don’t like turmeric? Leave it out. Want it minty? Add some fresh mint leaves. Lavender is a nice refreshing twist. Want it stronger? Add more ginger? Too strong? Add more water. This recipe is a general guideline but go ahead and make it to suit your preferences.

The turmeric is optional and you can substitute the honey for sugar, splenda or stevia. I love this tea both hot and cold served with ice.

Lemon, Honey, Turmeric & Ginger Tea

Lemon, Honey, Turmeric & Ginger Tea Ingredients:

Per serving

1 inch of peeled grated ginger
1 tbs honey
1/2 lemon
16 ounces of water

I like to make this in batches and keep a couple of bottles on hand to enjoy hot or cold.

Large batch recipe:

8 cups of water
2 lemons juiced (add zest if desired)
4 tbsp honey
8 inches of ginger, peeled and grated

Lemon, Honey, Turmeric & Ginger Tea

Lemon, Honey, Turmeric & Ginger Tea Directions:

If you have a micro planer or a zester I recommend you use them. The zested ginger yields a stronger flavor. If you have neither, you can slice the ginger thinly. I estimate about an inch per cup. If this is too strong you can always add more water once the tea has been made.

• In a large pot or saucepan, add your water, ginger, and lemon. use one cup of water per serving).

• Bring to a boil over high heat then reduce heat to maintain a gentle simmer, for anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes. The stronger you want your tea the longer you’ll want to steep it. My suggestion is to go strong and then dilute if necessary.

Pour the tea through a fine sieve to catch the ginger and lemon pulp.
Add a dash or two of turmeric - It will turn your beverage into a fun bright yellow color. Add a wedge of lemon and add more honey or sweetener if desired.

Try these options:
Add some fresh mint leaves and muddle for a nice minty flavor or add some fresh lavender. I love the way the lavender adds an unexpected complementary flavor. And the leaves look fo pretty.

Lemon, Honey, Turmeric & Ginger Tea

Lemon, Honey, Turmeric & Ginger Tea

Summer on a Plate: How to make a perfect Salade Niçoise

I eat a lot of salad year-round, but admittedly do eat much more of it during the summer when our gardens and farms are ripe with crisp, bright green lettuces and beans, when tomatoes are so ripe they’re sweet as can be. Toss in some farm-fresh eggs and our summer salads are completely unrivaled, unparalleled. Originally, the Niçoise calls for canned tuna, but you’ll see it with fresh salmon or tuna instead. I happen to love all three versions. Add a crusty baguette and perhaps even a nice hunk of cheese and you have a perfect summer meal.

The Salade Niçoise (pronounced Neese- wahz) hails from the town of Nice in the South of France (pronounced Neese). The above picture created for me by my friend Patricia Van Esche years ago inspired this post.

To create the perfect, original, salad Niçoise, you must do as they do in France. It's imperative that you use a high quality tuna packed in oil, not in water. Please do not even attempt to try this with Bumble Bee or Starkist…. Please don’t! Opt for a high quality tuna packed in oil. You can serve the salad on top of a bed of Boston or Bib type lettuce, serve it with all the ingredients tossed together or, for groups, you can arrange the ingredients on a platter and have everyone serve themselves family style.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE DRESSING:
1 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of red wine vinegar (I add even more)
2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
Freshly ground sea salt and black pepper, to taste

Note:
A traditional Niçoise dressing is very basic. There are many variations now and some like to add shallots or garlic or anchovy paste to the dressing. I tend to stick with the basics. Though sometimes I will infuse a clove of garlic or two for a couple of days. This dressing goes with everything so we make it in large batches and it's ready to use on any salad.

FOR THE SALAD:
1 lb. small new potatoes, boiled until tender
8 oz. haricot verts, blanched
12 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved (any in season tomato will do - we like to use heirloom tomatoes when available.)
½ cup black Niçoise olives (If you can't find Niçoise olives, Kalamata will do perfectly.)
8 salt-packed anchovies, rinsed and drained
4 hard-boiled eggs, halved lengthwise
3 (4-oz.) cans high-quality oil-packed tuna, drained. (Again, please no Bumblebee or Chicken of the Sea!)
1 small cucumber, thinly sliced
Capers, optional

As mentioned above, fresh tuna or salmon can be substituted, but canned is the most authentic.
You may add or omit the lettuce - the choice is yours. If using lettuce choose a soft variety like a bibb, butterhead or Boston.

Chilled Golden Gazpacho

Now that the hot, hazy, and lazy summer days are upon us the last thing we want is a hot and heavy meal. I’ve always been a fan of cold soups, especially gazpacho. While I love the traditional gazpacho, I sometimes find it a bit too acidic. I first had a yellow gazpacho when I was in my 20s and it’s remained a favorite ever since. It can be hard to replicate because you need really ripe yellow tomatoes which are fairly hard to come by, especially in Connecticut where tomato season is so short. So I tend to make a lot of it. The best part of this recipe, other than the fact that it’s so easy, is that it’s so easy to make.

This soup is also low calorie, low carb, low in fat and vegan so it works with all sorts of dietary restrictions.

Ingredients

2 cucumbers, peeled, cubed
2 Yellow peppers, seeded and cut into chunks
1 small Vidalia onion, quartered
1 large or 2 medium yellow tomato cut into chunk
1/8 cup white or cider vinegar
1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil
Juice of 1 large lemon
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place your vegetables, vinegar, olive oil and lemon into your food processor or heavy duty blender and pureé until you get your desired consistency. With this soup, I prefer it to be smooth and creamy. When blended to your preference season with salt and pepper to taste, then transfer into a large container and let chill in the fridge for a couple of hours or overnight. The longer it sits the better.

Serve with fish, chicken or seafood if desired, or serve with bread and cheese.
You can garnish it with fresh herbs such as basil, mint or cilantro. You can add a dollop of lowfat sour cream, guacamole or some avocado slivers.

Want to serve this at a dinner party and impress your guests? Top it off with a dab of creme fraiche and some caviar. Or perhaps some lump crab or fresh lobster meat?

Lemon, Dill and Old Bay Crab Spread (for all your Summer Entertaining)

If you don’t have a go-to summer recipe to serve your guests or bring to an afternoon pool party or evening barbeque, look no further. This Lemon, Dill and Old Bay Crab Dip is going to be the “it” recipe this summer! And the best thing about this recipe is that it is so easy to make.

I’m a firm believer in adapting recipes to fit your tastes and lifestyles. So feel free to add or enhance however you see fit… although I think it’s quite perfect as it is.

Ingredients:

• 16 ounces crab meat, lump or claw.
  Fresh is always better but Chicken of the Sea makes a good canned version.

• 16 ounces light cream cheese (room temperature)

• Zest of 1 lemon, juice from 1 1/2

• 6 scallions, trimmed and finely chopped

• 1 bunch of finely chopped dill, about 2 tablespoons

• 2 Tablespoons of Dijon Mustard

• 2 + Teaspoons of Old Bay (this is to taste)

---

Directions:

Place the crab meat in a medium sized bowl and add the cream cheese, lemon zest and lemon and start to mix it all together so that the ingredients are evenly blended. Add the scallions, dill, Dijon and Old Bay and work them into the mixture.

When all the ingredients have been well incorporated transfer them from the mixing bowl to the one you plan on serving from. Prior to serving, if you’d like, add some dill or lemon zest to the top.

These can be served with crackers, toasted baguette rounds, or anything you prefer.

Add a dollop to a chilled soup such as watercress, gazpacho or vichyssoise.

Use leftovers within 3 days of serving.