Momorial Day

My mom was sick on Mother's day, so we hosted Momorial Day on Sunday - a celebration of all things Mom with a side of Americana.

Penelope dressed up for the occasion (of course).

 

We had a BBQ bash with lots of red, white and blue. Jake grilled sliders and I made all of the fixings.

We got a baby pool for Addie, which she insisted on skinny dipping in for most of the day. This is the only photo I could find of her partially clothed. I wish that I could share the one of her streaking through the backyard while Penny chased her and licked water off of her, but I am afraid that someone might call child protective services on my family.

Did you do anything special over the holiday weekend?

The Tallest Tree

 

This past week, I drove up the east coast with my parents to Syracuse, N.Y. to visit my grandma as she underwent chemotherapy. 

Our trip was peppered with reminders of how much our family has changed in recent years. Some of our most sharp and quick-witted family members moved at a slower pace. Loved ones that once were at the top of our list to visit, were no longer there. It seemed at every turn, was a reminder to not take my youth, health or life for granted.

My parents both grew up in Syracuse, but my family moved away when I was nine - so, most of my memories there are from my early childhood. After visiting my grandpa in the nursing home, my mom took me for a drive past the house that we lived in when I was born.

My mom seemed taken aback when she saw the large plum tree that engrossed the entire front of my parent's first home together, "I just remembered - we planted that tree when you were born. Dad and I both talked about bringing you back here someday to see how much it had grown".

This trip was a clear example for me of the brevity of life and the mark that time leaves on each of us as we age. Yet, I found comfort there, staring up at that sprawling plum tree...  Even during the toughest times (perhaps, especially during hardships) there is always opportunity for growth.

Recipe: Cilantro Lime Salmon

Last week we had take-out or microwaveable food for dinner every single night (please make me feel better and tell me that I am not the only person who has done this). I felt gross and borderline neglectful of my husband.

In an effort to ensure that this doesn't happen again any time soon, I've been working on adding easy dishes that both of us enjoy to my meal time repertoire.

This dish takes about 20 minutes to make - oh yeah, and it's healthy and flavorful - triple whammy!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb salmon fillet cut in half (serves 2-3)
• Salt & pepper
• Juice and zest from 3 limes
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• A dash of Cumin
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Generously season salmon with salt and pepper, add a dash of cumin and half of the lime zest. Arrange salmon in a shallow baking pan.  Roast until salmon is flaky, about 10 to 13 minutes. Use a flat spatula to remove fillets.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, and sugar; fold in cilantro and lime zest. Spoon sauce over fish.

I served mine with a roasted sesame asparagus - I'll share that recipe here soon.

Please let me know if you give this recipe a try, it's a new staple in our house!

 Recipe adapted from Martha Stewart Food*