Thoughts for Thursday

After having last week off {our company closes all of our offices in the US for a week twice a year}, I thought this week was going to creep by very slowly. To my surprise, it has actually been the complete opposite and I am not complaining one bit because we are off to The Greenbrier Resort with TC's family this weekend!

I am still not ready to admit that 4th of July has already passed and we are half way through the summer. Is anyone else struggling to admit this too? We have hosted a 4th of July party for the past 3 years at our home and it has quickly become an event that TC and I look forward to each summer. This year we had a packed house of friends and 2 new additions - my adorable Goddaughter and another friend of ours also has a 2 month old, little girl. They are precious!
You know that adorable Goddaughter that I just mentioned? I seriously can't handle how cute she is in her red, white and blue to match her sweet mom. I feel like I am the luckiest lady to be able to be such a special part of E's life.  
Even though it poured in the afternoon, the skies cleared as everyone started to arrive {thank goodness} so we could enjoy being outside. The guys spent a lot of time seeing what they could find in the pond - some actually caught a few fish but others only caught sticks and weeds. :)
What's a 4th of July celebration without red, white, and blue, a few festive cocktails and a lot of traditional American food?! I made the Sangria that I mentioned in this post and it was delicious! I had never made Sangria before so I was worried that it wouldn't turn out well but it did and was the perfect cocktail for the afternoon - light and refreshing. 
 
A few weekends ago, we traveled to DC to meet my sister and her husband. We had such a great time catching up and enjoying all the sites of the city together. A few of my favorite stops during the trip...

The Observatory is a rooftop bar located on top of the Graham hotel in Georgetown, it has the most spectacular panoramic views of DC and Virginia. Their hand-crafted cocktails and wine selection were amazing!

We ate dinner at Restaurant Nora which was by far one of the greatest meals that I've had recently. Nora is focused on providing organic, seasonal, local food that is full of flavor so the menu changes daily. I thought it was neat to hear that Restaurant Nora became the nation's first certified organic restaurant, which means that at least 95% of all ingredients must be produced by certified organic farmers, growers and suppliers.  

After we walked up and down the cobble streets in Georgetown, we stopped for a cocktail and a cheese & charcuterie plate at Martin's Tavern in Georgetown. Martin's Tavern is one of the few restaurants that has been around since the Great Depression and the tradition of hospitality has brought every President from Harry S. Truman to George W. Bush to their tavern. By the way, I hope you are enjoying all the fun {and random} facts that I'm sharing from our travels.
I hope everyone is having an awesome week! I'm linking up with Annie and Natalie for Thoughts on Thursday and I hope you join us.

Current Obsessions + Links

Does anyone else have a case of the Mondays?! I certainly do. I have been dreaming of this past weekend and wishing that we could relive it all over again. After such a fun three days, I made sure to keep my coffee cup full because I needed every bit of that caffeine to get me through the workday.
TC and I made these delicious Three Cheese Calzones a few weeks ago and I'm already craving them again. They were packed with flavor and easy to make, it was perfect for a quick week night meal when I didn't want to spend hours in the kitchen or have a huge pile of dishes staring me in the face after we were finished. 
Ingredients:
1 Pound of Pizza Dough
1 15 Ounce Can of Diced Tomatoes
8 ounces Fresh Mozzarella Cheese
4 cloves of Garlic 
1/2 bunch of Green Kale
1/2 bunch of Lacinato Kale
2 tablespoons of Golden Raisins
1/2 cup of Skim Ricotta Cheese
1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
1/4 cup of Semolina Flour
2 teaspoons of Spice Blend {Italian Seasons and Pepper}
4 teaspoons of Olive Oil 
2 tablespoons of water

Instructions:
ONE. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees. Peel and thinly slice the garlic. Tear the mozzarella cheese into small pieces. Remove and discard the green kale stems and roughly chop the leaves. Remove and discard the lacinato kale stems and roughly chop the leaves.

TWO. In a medium pot, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium to high until hot. Add half the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 to 45 seconds. Add the spice blend and cook, stirring frequently, for 30 to 45 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until warm. Remove from the heat.

THREE. In a medium, non-stick pan, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium to high heat until hot. Add the remaining garlic and cook for 30 to 45 seconds or until fragrant. Add the green kale, lacinato kale, raisins and 2 tablespoons of water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until the kale has wilted and the water has evaporated. Transfer the kale to a strainer and hold the strainer over a bowl, press down on the kale with a spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Discard the liquid.

FOUR. In a large bowl, combine the drained kale, mozzarella cheese, ricotta cheese, parmesan cheese and 1/3 of the tomato sauce. Stir until it is thoroughly combine and season with salt and pepper.

FIVE. Sprinkle half the flour onto a sheet pan. Place the dough on the sheet pan and divide into 3 equal portions. Roll or stretch out each portion into a 1/4 inch think, round, approximately 8 inches in diameter. Divide the filling between the centers of the rounds and fold each round in half over the filling. Using your fingers, press down on the edges of each round to seal. Using a fork, firmly press down on the edges to crimp and completely seal.
SIX. Sprinkle the remaining flour onto a dry sheet pan. Transfer the assembled calzones to the sheet pan and lightly drizzle the tops with olive oil. Bake 16 to 18 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from the oven and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes. Cut the baked calzones in half and serve with the remaining tomato sauce on the side.
I am sure that you have figured it by now...I love a cold, crisp glass of bubbly. I stopped into the new Southern Season store in Cameron Village and was immediately impressed with everything they had to offer. From the wine selection to fresh cheeses that you could try while shopping to the southern sauces and marinades that lined the walls, it was my kind of place. I picked up this bottle of champagne after I overheard a mother and daughter that were raving about it. It is delicious and a great price that I couldn't pass up!
 
I am obsessed with this Lilly Pulitzer strapless dress for the hot {humid}, summer days that we have been experiencing in NC recently. I have worn this to a variety of occasions from a dear friend's graduation party, date night with TC and even to work with a cardigan. Versatility is key for me.    

A few more links that I am loving - 
+I have to admit that I am dreaming of Fall right now and this amazing list of knitwear from Angela at The Sunday Chapter has me even more excited about those cool October nights.

+Ashley from Turquoise & Teal shared a list of the 10 Best Rose Wines for the summer. I can't wait to try a few of these soon. If you have a favorite Rose, I would love to hear any of your recommendations!

+Does anyone else enjoy finding handwritten script fonts for your blog? If so, Sarah from Venus Trapped In Mars shared a great list of fonts here.

Summer Bucket List

After a long and very cold winter in NC, I was counting the days until my skin would be sun kissed and the weekends would consist of lots of outdoor activities, pool dates and afternoons on the boat. Summer is here and quickly flying by, how is it already the end of June?! We have been busy over the past few months but I can't wait to scratch more activities off of our Summer Bucket List.

ONE: Spa Day at The Umstead Hotel & Spa
TWO: Weekend Getaway to The Greenbrier Resort
THREE: Attend the Food Truck Rodeo in downtown Raleigh 
Complete: Read more about it here.
FOUR: Enjoy cocktail hour on our deck more often than last summer
FIVE: Visit the Summer Farmer's Market in downtown Apex
SIX: Spend the afternoon fishing with TC
SEVEN: Plant a garden & enjoy fresh vegetables all summer
EIGHT: Attend a few outdoor summer concerts
NINE: Spend the evening shagging to our wedding band, Band of Oz, at a local venue
TEN: Go on a picnic in the park with TC and the pups
ELEVEN: Soak up the sun by spending the afternoons on Lake Jordan
Complete: Our lake adventures will continue but we kicked off Memorial Day on Lake Jordan. 
TWELVE: Celebrate our 1 year anniversary on September 20th!!
How are we already celebrating our 1 year Anniversary?! 
THIRTEEN: Enjoy cookouts with our friends & family
FOURTEEN: Go on a road trip {or a day trip} with TC
FIFTEEN: Find a few good books to enjoy while sitting by the pool
SIXTEEN: Visit 2-3 local breweries in the area 
SEVENTEEN: Train for the Philadelphia Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 
Oh, hey Danielle! I can't wait to cross the finish line with you.
EIGHTEEN: Visit Washington, DC for a weekend
NINETEEN: Host a 4th of July party, read more about my plans for our celebration here.

What do you have on your Summer Bucket List? I hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying some fun in the sun!