What do all the above have in common? Well, let me tell you!
We have had an amazing week. It started with a medical school graduation and party for my son-in-law which included the cake below. Appropriate, don’t you think?
Less than twelve hours after leaving the party, the whole family left for Destin, Florida where we spent 5 wonderful days relaxing, playing and having some great family time.
Our rented house was about a block from the beach in a beautiful gated community.
The beaches in Destin are breathtaking. The sands are white and the emerald water is crystal clear. We swam, snorkeled, took a boat ride and read books on the beach.
We ate at a couple of really good restaurants and two of the nights we stayed in for dinner. It was a real vacation for me since my two oldest daughters and their spouses took turns cooking!
One night Kindra and DL made Lasagna-Style Baked Ziti inspired from a Real Simple Magazine recipe. Click here for the original recipe. They used ground turkey instead of beef and frozen spinach instead of fresh. They also used whole wheat pasta and low-fat cheeses. It was served with garlic bread and a fabulous salad that included gorgonzola cheese and craisans. Who needs to go out when you are served meals this good?
Here is DL using his swim goggles while he cuts onions….a very creative use of tools on hand.
Kayla and Dylan prepared a Chicken Fajita Salad that was unbelievably good. They marinated a chicken breast (one per person) overnight in Italian dressing, the juice of one lime and a minced jalepeno. The next day they grilled the chicken breast. While the chicken was grilling they sauteed an onion and green pepper. When the onions turned translucent and the pepper was tender they add a packet of taco seasoning and two cans of black beans. The meal was assembled by layering the onion, pepper and black bean mixture over a bed of lettuce. The chicken was added, followed by cheese, salsa and sour cream. It was so good!
Dave and I joked that we should rent a place in Destin for the entire summer. Since we work from home we technically should be able to work from anywhere. It sounds wonderful, but not sure I would get too much done knowing that gorgeous beach is only a short walk from my front door. If you have not visited Destin, I highly recommend it!