Just in Time...

for the 4th of July.  I splurged on these.  And they feel like heaven on.  I adore them.  And when I find the perf dress to match, I'll post the whole outfit!

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Inspiring Prints: Found on Etsy

All from [THE LOVE SHOP]

Gardening 101: Don't Kill It.

Ok, Ok.  I'm not the best at gardening.  I'll get it eventually.. but until then.  I'm loving these hardy (and almost unkillable) plants.

Lantana [Apartment Therapy]

[succulentLOVE]

Rosemary [The Kitchn]

but will they stand the deep south heat??

Napping Perfection.

Y'all know I love a good nap.  Whether it's at work.. or face down on the lawn (or the hill outside the undergrad lib with RSJ in college)... I'm always game for an amazing mid-day nap.

And how absolutely perfect would these be to have around to fall asleep in..?

[Sunset]

[Pottery Barn]

Great Additions to Your Summer Cooking!

Moistly Grilled from Sur La Table -- Keeps your food tender and moist while you grill!

Grill planks for all the smokiness you need in your dishes!  [a fire inc]

 And when you're eating on the lawn... these are perfect for relaxing in the grass.  [Spoon Sisters]

I'm a sucker for grilling out, and once I get my own little patio area set up.. these cute accessories will def be on my wishlist.

Endless Summer.

I'm adoring these summer images from Antonella Arismendi in her Endless Summer photography collection.

Blogs I'm loving.

The Alternative Wife
Her picture posts continuously inspire me and just give me general lovely images to brighten my day.  She's also a highly successful Manhattan-ite with a fabulous style that I aspire to (when I have the dough to have a killer wardrobe!).

Skinny Jeans and a Chai Latte

I feel like a kindred spirit with this lovely blogger -- we have very similar styles and I absolutely adore her latest finds and the insight into her life as a newlywed! 

I'm catching up on all my blogs, and I really adore these wonderful ladies!

And this is life.

So first of all.  He's ok.  He actually made it on his Africa trip (and thus our break-up since I would be gone to NOLA by the time he gets back) -- which we didn't find out he was going on until a few hours before his flight left.

He was hit on his bike by a car that was not paying attention and pretty much t-boned him.  He's in good spirits, although it has really shaken up me and his friends.  He broke his arm and nose.. and her windshield.. and she was the first to apologize and call the ambulance.

It really put a damper on our farewell plans.. well ruined them.. but we made the best of it.  There wasn't much else we could do.. but I am so thankful he wasn't hurt worse.  

And since he was off to Ghana, he made sure to get red, white, and blue colored cast for to rep the US in the world cup.

Goodbye Durham!

So these last few days (and weeks) I've been so busy with my move -- and it's official!  I'm out of Durham (and the Triangle) and off onto the next chapter -- medical school!  So for the next few weeks, I'm a free bird, wandering NC and GA with my handsome dog and visiting family and friends until I move into my apartment in New Orleans.  

One of these days I just want to sit on a porch, with a glass of sangria, and catch up on my google reader.  I hope everyone's enjoying their official first day of summer!

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Poor and Hungry: Turkey Burgers and Lemon Mousse

There's something about a delicious burger that I have been craving lately.  And this was just perfect.  I had some onions and pimiento cheese around.. and 3/4 pound of lean chuck.  After having a get together and some left over dip and a little onion.. you'll spend just a few bucks for the fresh (grass-fed) ground beef and another few bucks when you buy day old sliced bread from Whole Foods.  I can never keep their bread long enough to use a whole loaf anyways, so this is perfect.

The trick for the onions is to carmelize them just right.. a tiny bit of butter and saute them on low/med for about 20 minutes.. get them nice and brown on the edges (and a little translucent in general). 

For the burgers -- Worcestershire sauce is absolutely essential.  A handful of breadcrumbs and an egg yolk will help it all bind together when you're using a pan. (rainy days have a downside..)

Then I found this amazing recipe from Serious Eats for a low-fat lemon mousse.  It was delicious, and with one cup of fat-free greek yogurt, it made 3 large servings.

Materials:

1 cup plain fat-free Greek yogurt (1 container)
1 lemon worth of lemon zest

1 large lemon's worth of juice (but it could have standed to have another half lemon worth)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup water
1 envelope (about 2 1/2 teaspoons) unflavored gelatin -- whole foods sells 4 packets to a box
4 egg's worth of egg whites (large eggs)
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup sugar

Method:
- Mix yogurt, zest, juice, and extract in a small bowl. Whisk together and set aside.

- To a separate small bowl, add water. Sprinkle gelatin on top and set aside.

- Fill a medium saucepan halfway with water (this will make the bottom half of a double boiler). Boil over medium heat. In another bowl, add egg whites, salt, and sugar, stirring gently to combine. Once water is boiling, carefully lower the bowl with the egg whites and others into saucepan. Whisk gently until sugar is dissolved and eggs are near-scalding to the touch. Remove bowl from pan.

-Scrape gelatin water into egg mixture and whisk quickly and thoroughly to combine.

-Put the hot bowl into a bowl of ice water and whisk quickly. Once the mixture is cool to the touch, add yogurt mixture. Continue whipping a few more seconds, until it's all combined.


-Divide mixture among serving vessels and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. Serve cold.. and they suggest berries which would have been an absolutely delicious addition.

Their final product (ours disappeared pretty quickly haha).  And there's no guilt (not that I ever have any) with this dessert.