1. The weekend commenced with Blueberry Buttermilk Pancakes for One.
Well, actually, make that pancake. Singular.
I used buttermilk powder for the first time in one of my pancake recipes, and though I added it according to the package directions, the batter turned out much thinner than when I use actual buttermilk. Thus, the four mini pancakes turned into one gigantic ‘cake. Needless to say, flipping that sucker was quite a challenge… and the resulting plate of pancakes was less than beautiful; but at least it tasted fantastic!
2. John’s parents were both planning on coming up from CT for a nice dinner in Kenmore Square and then a Red Sox game, but unfortunately John’s dad got stuck at O’Hare airport on business. John’s mom still came up, though, and we had a nice evening!
We braved the torrential downpour that drenched the Boston area to fill our reservation at Island Creek Oyster Bar, a great restaurant that – as (un)luck would have it – came to Kenmore Square right after we moved from the area about 2 years ago. I had to bypass the raw oysters, but my entree was delicious!
Here we have Gulf of Maine halibut with ricotta gnocchi, braised tomatoes, and summer herb pesto. Halibut + gnocchi + pesto might sound like an odd combination, but the flavors and textures worked really well together.
3. A five minute walk brought us to Fenway Park just in time to catch a gorgeous double rainbow extending over the field. The rain had dissipated and the weather was perfect for an evening game.
Check out how awesome our seats were! My father-in-law is very generous… it’s such a shame he didn’t make it up to watch the game with us.
4. After John’s mom left the next day, I set out on a hike in Rocky Woods, a 491 acre wooded system of trails, many of which are off-leash dog-friendly. In other words, Shelby’s paradise!
I’ve always been happiest when hiking on a trail, and I’m pretty sure we’ll be frequenting these woods =).
There are also a bunch of beautiful ponds dotting the woods…
… and this particular one was covered in lily pads. So pretty!
5. This week on the Back Burner, we’re sharing recipe for the 4th of July. My contribution is this Red Potato Salad… a classic addition to any summer BBQ.
