When I was home for the long weekend, my parents and I had a huge BBQ to celebrate July 4th. As usual, my mom made her signature garden salad—with most of the ingredients picked from our backyard. Sure, it's a basic salad, but somehow, it always tastes crisp and crunchy and looks fluffy and fresh.
I finally asked her to share her secret: she uses paper towels to dry off every vegetable she adds to the bowl after washing them. For example, after pre-washing the lettuce, she leaves it in a plastic bag with a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture. She also lets ingredients like cucumbers and tomatoes air dry on a paper towel before adding them to the salad. What a difference this makes!
Do you have any salad-making tricks?
How was your July 4th holiday weekend? Sorry I didn't get a chance to post before heading off to Massachusetts! The extra days off were so lovely and restful—and after Hurricane Arthur passed through New England, we were left with one of the most gorgeous weekends of the year. On Saturday, my parents and I headed up to Plum Island on the North Shore next to Newburyport. It was lovely—no greenhead flies, either, thanks to the breeze! We rounded out the weekend with these awesome sparklettes.
How did you spend the holiday?
Happy July 1st, my darling readers! I always look at this weekend as the official kick-off to summer. The 4th of July weekend happens to be my favorite holiday, too. There's nothing better than leisurely BBQs, sunshine, and enjoying it all with family and friends. Here are a few things I'm excited about this month:
• Picnics in the park, and dining al fresco
• Beach days—and sunscreen
• Sipping rosé
• Fireworks (so pumped that they're moving back to the East River this year!)
• Prince George turning 1!
How about you? What do you love about July?
PS: Another reason to celebrate summer!
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My darling readers, cheers to a short week! What do you have planned for the 4th of July? I have to admit that it's my favorite holiday. Mainly because of the fireworks, but I also love that it's the unofficial kick-off to summer in New England. I'm taking it easy this weekend, and very psyched to have a New York staycation planned. Wishing you a terrific four-day break! Here, to get it started right, a few happy posts from around the web:
An awesome wedding toast.
Grown up topsy tail.
4th of July: From day to night.
Love salts.
Sparkler cupcake toppers.
The art of summer.
Rachel Khoo's picnic ideas.
Macarons in New York.
For those who love tabbouleh. Yum!
A red, white and blue wedding.
(Image via Pinterest)
It's been a busy (but short) week, and now I'm off to wedding #3. Stay tuned for pics when I get back. Wishing you a magical 4th! xx
(Image via Pinterest)
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