Abby Comes Home/ Family Wedding

My sister Abby, who lives in Kansas, came home the last weekend in July for our cousin's wedding, and her future niece's baby shower. It was fantastic to see her, even though the visit wasn't long enough. Ben also got to spend some quality time w/ her fiance Jared. They went fishing down at Higgins, and had a late night Wii- bowling- session after the wedding. I'm really hoping that they will make the move back to Maine soon!

My cousin Jeremiah and his bride Courtney had a beautiful wedding at The Landing at Pine Point Beach in Scarborough. Ben and I danced a little, and saw family that we don't get to see often. I had a great time even though I didn't get to fully enjoy the open bar!

I loved the starfish place settings...

Soon to be Grandmother.

37 Weeks Pregnant.

Two generations of  sisters.

The new couple cutting their cake. 

Best wishes Jeremiah & Courtney!

July Weekend at Camp

Ben and I haven't been able to get up to camp as much this summer as we would like to, between busy weekends at home and getting ready for the baby. But we picked a gorgeous weekend in July to spend it at the lake, and some friends of ours joined us- Rick and Erin, along with their two kids Mitchell and Molly. (And two dogs, Gage and Daisy.) The kids enjoyed a lot of swimming, fishing, and tubing. Being 36 weeks pregnant at the time, I didn't get to enjoy the water sports as much as I typically would- but I managed to get some "floating" in! Here are some photos I took of the weekend.

The prize fish of the weekend! 

Mitch & Molly tubing.

Gage & Bailey, best friends for a weekend.

 Our water-obsessed dog on the left, and on the right is Erin's dog Daisy. This pug is not a fan of the heat or water sports like the bigger dogs. She kept to the shade.

Highland Lake at sunset.

Successful weekend= Tired dogs....

...and a tired Ben.

Baby Bump

Since there are only a few weeks  left in my pregnancy, I thought I'd post some pictures of MacKenna growing over the last nine months. The time has been flying by, and these last three weeks can feel free to do the same .   I'm ready to meet her!

Skillet Summer Lasagna

This recipe is a great way to use some summer vegetables that you may have on hand; zucchini, yellow squash and fresh basil. Ben and I have basil growing in our kitchen, and receive a local farm share each week- so although we haven't gotten around to growing our own vegetables yet, we have lots of fresh veggies to use! I made this recipe a little healthier by using wheat lasagna noodles. It was delicious and made great leftovers! 

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped fine
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 (28-oz.) can diced tomatoes
Salt and pepper
10 curly-edged lasagna noodles, broken into 2-inch lengths
1 small zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1 small yellow squash, cut into 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 cup shredded fresh basil
2 cups part skim ricotta cheese
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Drain tomatoes into a 2-cup liquid measure. Add water to tomato liquid to make 2 cups. Add tomato/water mixture and 1 teaspoon salt to skillet.

Scatter noodles into the skillet, layer tomatoes over the noodles and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, covered, stirring occasionally (so the noodles won’t stick!) for about 10 minutes.

Stir in zucchini and squash, cook, stirring now and then, until noodles and squash are tender, about 8 minutes. Add basil and half of the ricotta cheese and half of the Parmesan cheese to the noodles, stirring until the sauce is creamy. Dollop remaining ricotta  cheese over the noodles, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese.

Adapted from a recipe found at MelsKitchenCafe.com

Refurbished Tables

I could have an entire blog that features creative wood working projects that Ben does. He loves to create things, especially with wood and all his tools. Here is the latest and greatest.

Ben and I have been looking for tables for our "bonus room" or "FROG" (Family Room Over Garage) and haven't found something that is the right height for the couch. We also wanted two individual tables that could be moved around or joined together. So Ben got creative, and made his own tables.

The best thing about these tables? The wood tops are made from the original crown moldings that Ben stripped out of the Devonshire St multi- unit, when he was renovating it a few years back. He sanded down each molding individually, than leveled them together into a square table top.

Table tops in progress...

And voila...

The finished product, fitting perfectly!

Skyline Lobster Bake

This is the 3rd year that Ben and I have been to the Skyline Farm Annual Lobster Bake in No. Yarmouth. This Saturday evening event is held every July, and it is a fundraiser for the non- profit museum. Skyline is a special place for Ben and I, since it is where we got married. My dad has a large part in organizing the event, and it's a great time. This year we brought guests with us- Judy (my fabulous mother-in-law) and Kathy (my second fabulous mother-in-law.) I only had my iPhone with me, since my pregnancy brain forgot my camera, but I managed to snap a few good photos with my phone..

 Wine from Kansas that my dad & Ann brought home from their recent visit to see my sister Abby. Unfortunately I couldn't try it, but a stop to the winery will be on my Kansas to-do list. 

A traditional New England lobster bake, with lobster, corn and potatoes cooked in seaweed.

 Delicious.

 Kathy, enjoying her meal! 

 Judy & Ben checking out the silent auction items.

For more information on Skyline Farm, visit http://www.skylinefarm.org/

Engagement!

Way back when Ben & I were amateur landlords, we (mostly I) had the tough task of picking out our very first tenants to rent to. We rented the newly renovated downstairs of our Portland multi- unit, while we lived upstairs. It seems like so long ago now, as we are on our third renters in the downstairs apartment. There was lots of interest in the apartment, and in the end I picked a couple named  Ethan and Jessie. They moved in to the apartment in the Spring of 2009. Within a few weeks we were having dinner together... within a few months they came to our wedding.. and today they live only a few miles from us in Windham and are some of our closest friends. Picking them as tenants was a priceless decision. This past month, they got in engaged! I'm so excited for them, and can't wait for all their wedding festivities. 

We celebrated at Pats Pizza and when that wasn't enough- Dairy Queen. It may have been the pregnant person's idea...