Summer listening, Joni Mitchell

 

This is a summer bouquet from our garden.

There's something about the end of summer that reminds me of the Circle Game by Joni Mitchell. Lately, my daughter and I have been listening to her music and we always feel empowered by her writing and lifted by her keen sense of intuition. With the soon to be departure of my youngest off to college and my other daughter for her final college year, I can't seem to listen to Circle Game without fighting back tears. This end of summer has marked a new cycle in our seasons around here...rather than crunch time to get the first issue of the high school paper out, more than a few trips to Staples for school supplies, and talking about SAT tests, we are ordering engineering textbooks on the internet and shopping for dorm accessories. We are excited yet a bit sad by this new season of change, but like the song we continue in the circle game.

 I spent way too much time trying to get a good picture of this butterfly, but just as I was about to give up it rested on this Rhododendron leaf.

Summer Farm Foods

On our way home from the beach the other day, we stopped at a farmer's market and picked up zucchini, tomatoes, and peaches that were all locally grown. There is a growing movement all over the U.S. to look to the local garden for answers to our health, food security issues, and simply better eating. The farm to table concept is an important one not only for the farmers but for the environment, saving fossil fuels, and getting the freshest food available. From our farm fresh veggies and tomatoes we made zucchini casserole, fresh garden salad with peaches, and tomatoes with fresh mozzarella and basil with garlic toasts. And, we have plenty more for tomato sandwiches and fruit smoothies.

Cape May (Part Two)

We rode our bikes to Beach Plum Farm less than 2 miles outside of town. The farm grows over 100 varieties of fruits and vegetables and can be enjoyed at any of the Cape Resort restaurants throughout Cape May. 

We loved this truck full of freshly picked tomatoes!

The Chickens at the Coop

The beehives

We were a little late for asparagus season but can only imagine how delicious it was farm to table.

Berkshire pigs turning up the mud on a hot day.

After our trip to the farm we decided to head into town for a fruit smoothie.

Bliss is one of our favorite spots for coffee, ice cream and of course fruit smoothies.

Need I say more?

While we were walking to dinner we saw plenty of beautiful flower boxes and baskets, but these were a favorite.

Dinner outside at the Blue Pig www.congresshall.com/content/bluepigtavern is always a treat. Their farm to table menu ( Beach Plum Farm) is impressive. This tomato salad with prosciutto and fresh mozzarella was really tasty.  

The view of the harbor from the dock at the Lobster House. We stopped here for dinner and to watch the sunset. Best fresh seafood in town.

West End Garage www.thewestendgarage.com/  is home to antique vendors and other cool treasures.  My daughter found a really nice straw basket from Ghana.

We decided to go to the Point in Cape May on our last day. These pretty mares were snacking on beach grass before heading out for a ride on the beach. People were gathering around to chat with the owners and to snap a picture or two.

The local general  store looked so inviting from the outside...we wished we had more time to stop for lunch. Next visit!

Leaving Cape May wasn't too hard to do because it was raining and overcast, and as you can see the rain followed us home. Always happy to be home.

Beach Time Cape May (Part One)

It's been a while since my last post, mainly because the summer has a tendency to fly by while there is little time for reflection and writing even with the longer days. Recently, part of our family took a brief  trip to Cape May, NJ. Our family has grown up going there and we love the laid back vibe, the beaches, and the Victorian architecture. This shark head on the side of a bait and tackle shop, is one of the first things you notice after coming over the bridge into Cape May. Maybe not the most welcoming but we always knew it meant that we were officially on beach time!

One of the most unique things about Cape May are the stunning Victorian houses throughout the town. From B&Bs to family owned homes there are some terrific architectural treasures.

When was the last time you saw a gas light? They are all throughout the town and look really pretty at night.

The Mainstay is one of our favorite properties. The afternoon tea is really nice.

Porches are everywhere in Cape May. This house has a top and bottom porch that wraps around....great ocean breeze too.

When we arrived it was cloudy with a little rain but we still went to the beach! This is the view from our porch. Turned out to be a sunny afternoon.

July has its moment

  When my kids were young we read Tasha Tudor's book A Time to Keep until the pages were totally worn. There was something so soothing about the old fashioned illustrations and the month by month activities that brought a year full circle. We always wanted to get to our favorite month July for the fireworks, picnics, and long days. This July, we're staying close to home and so we have a renewed interest in what's going on in our own backyard. On the 4th, we walked into our hometown and saw amazing fireworks-it was so great not to be stuck in beach traffic! The next day we walked around Philadelphia and had a civilized breakfast-no crowds-outside at one of our favorite spots. Getting away for holidays is nice but who says it has to be far? Sometimes the best things are right in your own backyard.

Walking around the city I'm always intrigued by the lovely planters and window boxes that seem to be at their best during July. Not to mention the help their getting from the tropical weather that we've been experiencing on the east coast.

The Metropolitan Cafe www.metropolitanbakery.com Rittenhouse Square

 

The Metropolitan's coffee is so good. We had a millet muffin, bagel, and pecan pastry and had no trouble cleaning our plates.

This vertical garden graces the wall at Metropolitan Cafe.

Walking around Rittenhouse Square Park we noticed flags here and there from the 4th celebrations, but this one stood out.

July is a wonderful combination of patriotism and nature.

More beautiful flower boxes...I'm definitely taking notes.

Local farmers gather in the Square www.farmtocity.org/FarmersMarkets.asp to sell everything from fresh cut flowers, beeswax candles, homemade ice pops (the lime and mint and pineapple and basil were declicious!) and fresh produce. Oh and I can't forget to mention the most delicious confectioners from John and Kira's Chocolate.

All stripes on deck

Now that summer is here I have more time to catch up on the NY Times fashion section and see what's what for the upcoming trends. For the past few seasons - or actually years, stripes have been everywhere. At one point it was hard for me to find an article of clothing without some sort of a stripe in the pattern. As I looked at some of the resort shows it was apparent that sailor looks are going to be really big and like the stripe-everywhere in the upcoming collections. I had a quick flashback to Downton Abbey when the Edwardian clothes began to soften and sailor collars and wider collars in general became popular. There is something so chic about a well done sailor collar that incorporates a youthful vibe without the cutesy uniform idea. It's always interesting to me to see how these trends emerge and how they will speak to the mainstream of fashion. I suppose if sailor is in then we will probably see lots of great pea coats too.

A little cake with those strawberries?

My daughter found this Strawberry Summer Cake recipe on a blog she likes called Smitten Kitchen http://smittenkitchen.com/blog/. This above picture was taken after we made it a second time
(first time for my birthday) to bring to a friend's dinner party.  This recipe is really easy and if you want to taste primarily fruit not cake- this is perfect. We used organic strawberries from Whole Foods- it's better to pay the extra money for organic strawberries- better for you and the environment. 

This is before the powdered sugar was added. The slightly sweet whipped cream was a nice touch and added a bit of elegance to the presentation.