The perfect pool snack...

I have spent the last several days relaxing and enjoying ever moment of summer! Unfortunately that means I have been slacking on the blog! lol. I have spent many afternoons by the pool and thought I would share my most favorite poolside snack. This recipe also makes the perfect keep-in-my-fridge-to-munch-on snack, and the perfect party dip! :-)

Vegetable Salsa
2 chopped tomatoes
1 bunch green onions chopped (green part)
1 bunch chopped cilantro (leafy part)
1 can drained shoepeg corn
2 cans drained chopped green chilies
2 cans chopped black olives
8 oz. grated Monterey Jack cheese with hot peppers
1/4 large bottle of Italian Dressing

THIS IS SO GOOD! I have yet to meet a person that didn't love and ask for the recipe. Even the kids munch on it! :-) So next time you head to the pool... or a party... or just want a semi-healthy snack on hand... mix up a batch! It's yummy!!!

Holiday Weekend...

I had THE best 4th of July weekend EVER! It was so much fun for so many reasons! This is always a fun weekend because it's the one BIG get-together that my parents throw every year! I love it because you always see family and friends at Thanksgiving and Christmas in the middle of winter, but my mom and dad use the 4th to celebrate with everyone in the middle of the summer!



Perhaps the BIGGEST thrill of the weekend was my sister's arrival from Montana on Wednesday! I haven't seen her in person in a VERY long time so I was super excited that she flew down for the 4th! Mama came up Tuesday to my house and we visited Megan and Web and hung out. Then, Wednesday we piddled around town until it was time to pick Sarah up at the airport and then we headed to dinner at Ahart's pizza! Afterwards it was SO very nice outside that we decided to do something spontaneous that would allow us to spend some time outside... golfing!

Okay, so Mom and Sarah didn't actually golf! This was there very first time ever on a golf course! :-) But Chris and I golfed and they drove around in the cart laughing and having a big time! It was a WONDERFUL night with a cool breeze!!

We had a lot of fun! Chris answered a lot of questions about golf. Mom and Sarah had a great time driving around! It was a activity for a warm summer evening!!!

Sarah couldn't resist! She had to get out of the cart and give it a try! We had fun just knocking it around! :-)

On Thursday evening after a day of shopping Franklin that morning, we headed to Chattanooga! We went straight to Couch's of course to get our BBQ fix! :-) Afterwards we just relaxed at mom and dad's.

On Friday we had afternoon tea with Sarah Marie and Bentlee! That was so fun. Then we ran errands and headed to Couch's for dinner again! Sarah Marie and Bentlee met Mom, Sarah, and I at Couch's! Ken and Dad were already there working and we were also joined by Chris and Lily who drove down from the 'boro to hang out for the holiday weekend! After dinner it was back to Mom and Dad's to hit the pool! We had the best time!! :-)

Saturday was THE BIG celebration! Mom and Dad set up badminton, the horseshoe pit, corn hole, and ladder golf, just to name a few things! ALL of the family on both sides and many friends are invited to come out at any point during the day to relax, swim, play games and then enjoy a big spread of dips, dishes, burgers, and dogs with home made ice cream for dessert! The night is capped off with a BIG-TIME fireworks show! It was such a fun day! It always is....

These two are DOUBLE TROUBLE! lol. They have such a big time playing together... I don't know how they were still awake for the fireworks! :-)

Lily and Bentlee riding bikes! The fun was endless, I'm telling you! They had a blast playing all day!!!

And lastly, a picture of Sarah Ellen with Bentlee and lily! Doesn't get much more 4th of July than light-up, sparkly, tiaras! :-) Thanks Aunt Sarah!

It was one heck of a celebration! I thank God that I am a citizen of the United States of America and I thank the many service men and women for making it such a safe and wonderful place to call home! :-)

My D-Word...

Thursday of last week Lauren asked if I could keep Dawson for a couple of hours. My reply: OF COURSE!?!?!!! :-)

It just so happened that Megan and Web showed up to pick up a key at the same time that La showed up to drop off D-word so I, of course, got a summer pic of me and my favorite two ladies!

While we stood around to visit Dawson got in a quick visit with baby Jack... who was totally oblivious and sound asleep, but D-Word didn't seem to mind!


After everyone cleared out, Me and D-word got down to the important stuff...

...like playing outside of course! He was so much fun! We ran around the back yard, explored, and even played a little bocce ball...

I love this picture of him exploring... he looks like such a big boy!!!

We had a grand time! We played inside, played outside, played inside some more, and even found time to bake cookies and cook dinner! :-) He was SO very well behaved... I was so proud!

La, thank you for allowing me some one-on-one time with one of my favorite nephews! He is one special little guy and he can come to Aunt Meag's any time he wants!!! :-)

Another Sandwich...

I am not a huge fan of egg salad, but I have now met one that I like... strike that... LOVE!


Boil three eggs and chop
Stir in some Gorgonzola cheese
Add just enough mayonnaise to moisten the salad
Salt and Pepper to taste

Crisp up some pancetta (or bacon will do)

Put the egg salad on a slice of bread
Top with crumbled pancetta or bacon
top with another piece of bread and you have...

ANOTHER perfect summer sandwich! :-) Thank you Giada and the Food Network!

Father's Day...

Let me start by saying...

I LOVE MY DADDY!!!!!!

I have such wonderful parents. My dad is a hero to me, a champion, and an example for me and everyone with whom he comes in contact. He is an amazing man. My sister did a wonderful post on him that says it all... you can click here to read it and I hope you will!

So today I headed to Chattanooga for a little Father's day fun! I met Mom, Dad, Ken, Sarah Marie, and Bentlee at Ankar's (where they eat almost every Sunday) for a yummy lunch and then headed to Mom and Dad's for a *perfect* Sunday afternoon!

I arrived first because everyone else had to make stops along the way. We all planned to spend the day in the pool and when I got there this is what I saw...


Take a closer look....

LOL! My parents have a pond that these two call home, but since the pool has been uncovered they have found it a refreshing place to be each afternoon for a little swim! :-) They weren't too happy that we crashed their party!

These were my views all afternoon....

Jealous yet???

We had so much fun just playing, talking, and soaking up the sun!!!! Here is my adorable mom! Doesn't she just look like she belongs in some little town by the beach!?!?

And here I am swimming with Bentlee, she is SO much fun! She swam the entire length of the pool with no swimmies by herself! I was so proud!

And, of course, my brother had to do some diving board tricks! This was MY ENTIRE childhood! Between the two of us we could do every trick in the book of the diving board! Every dive, every flip, ever cartwheel into the water... we had it going on! He pulled out the old backwards, twist-in-the-air dive and I caught it with my camera!

Take a closer look... Superman?

Here are Ken, Sarah, and Bentlee just chillin'...

And last, but not least, the man of the day! My Daddy. The one who provided all of this for us to enjoy!

I love you Daddy!!! Every girl should be as lucky as I am to have a father like you!

Sandwich, baby!

Take some fresh mozzarella, tomato, basil, and french bread. Brush the french bread with some good olive oil. Assemble...

Smush... in a Panini Press that is....

And the result is THE PERFECT summer sandwich.

And the baby part... (unrelated)

Megan and Jack came over tonight for dinner and a visit!

I made salad, garlic Parmesan bread, and Cajun chicken pasta.

We ate, we visited, and we cuddled on sweet baby Jack!

It was a perfect summer evening visiting with the dearest of friends and her new, more than preciously, bundle of pure joy.

:-)

A quote and a ticket...

I was reading lovely Leigh Ann's blog and saw her post entitled, "Perspective." I thought it was a beautiful post when I read it and viewed the video that accompanied it. You can click here to read it yourself, which I strongly recommend!

Anyway, the day after I read her blog I started my new book, The Noticer! Ironically, the quote on the front of the book says, "Sometimes, all a person needs is a little perspective." And that, is just what the book is about... perspective.


I am only on chapter four of the book and I am enjoying it so much. It's a great story with some great perspective changing and thought provoking moments! So far a couple of good quotes include:

"What would you think if I told you that, yes, your bad choices and decisions have had a part in your ending up (where you are), but beyond that, (where you are) is exactly where you should be in order for a future to occur that you can't even imagine at this point?"

and...

"...everybody wants to be on the mountaintop, but if you'll remember, mountaintops are rocky and cold. There is no growth on the top of a mountain... It is in the valley that we slog through the lush grass and rich soil, learning and becoming what enables us to summit life's next peak."


And now for a total change of subject...

I got a ticket yesterday!!!!! I haven't had a ticket since I was 18, lol. I was going down Medical Center (if you are from Murfreesboro, you know there is ALWAYS a speed trap there!!!!) and not paying attention. He got me going 53 in a 40... it is only the straightest, wide open, 4 lane highway in town!! Anyway, he cut me some slack and lowered it to 49 in a 40 and let me off with a warning... BUT... here is the kicker, or at least the part I KICK and KICK and KICK myself over... I got a ticket for not having proof of valid insurance! Are you kidding me?!?!? Do I have insurance, you might ask? Why, yes I do! The same policy that I have had since I was 16, I believe. That has NEVER lapsed and is ALWAYS paid on time and has been lowered because of my spotless record! Why, you might ask, then, did you get a ticket? Because MY proof of valid insurance was recently mailed to me and was neatly sitting in plain sight next to my calendar on my kitchen counter SO I WON'T FORGET TO PUT IT IN THE CAR!!!! :-) Nice, right? Oh well. I go to court in August and he said it would be dismissed when I showed my proof of insurance. What a pain! Lesson learned!!! My proof of insurance is now secure in my CAR where is belongs, lol! :-)