Lets pretend that it is the middle of July and we are in the Amalfi coast enjoying a Caprese salad in the not-so-quiet-any-longer seaside town of Sorrento.
You can almost believe that we were there this weekend from this picture… but alas, the basil is from our garden, the tomatoes are sadly hothouse, but the mozzarella, authentic. This salad dressed in balsamic and a great olive oil from Napa was just enough to transport Evan and me to June 2009 when we visited the Amalfi coast on our way from Rome to Sicily.
A long weekend is just what was needed at our house. A long, leisurely weekend where we could stay-cation knowing that there would be nowhere to rush to and no traffic jams to be stuck in. We prepared well by stocking up on groceries and to-do lists, inviting my parents down for a few days to help with Sophia while we got a handle on spring cleaning. My eyes dance with pleasure every time I walk into my closet now — the shoes all organized, the purses neatly stacked away in their cloth cases.
The weather, too, did not disappoint holding the temperature steady in the mid 70ies most of the time. That in itself is surprising for this area given the time of year. We re-introduced Sophia to gardening this year and she planted her own flowers and a few pea plants. She’s been diligently watering them and everything in the yard every chance she gets.
We also broke out our new sandbox — well, new to us. I can’t say that I am a huge fan of sand boxes, but I know Sophia enjoys playing in one and so we finally got some sand and she had a great time.
The spring cleaning and all that time outdoors surely whetted our appetites for something delicious and Evan didn’t disappoint with his stir fried beef with black bean sauce and fried rice.
The days off flew by too quickly but the end of Memorial Day signifies the semi-official beginning of summer, of great weather, great produce and more time outdoors.
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