Today is our last full day at the beach with John’s family, so I thought I’d share a few of the eats we’ve enjoyed over the past few days!
Because there are about 20 people here, we decided that each night would have a cooking “team” for dinner duty. All of the meals we’ve had have been delicious, but I only managed to document the spread John and I put on.
We started with these pieces of grilled ciabatta bread with marinated tomatoes, the recipe for which I will hopefully be sharing on the blog later next week. I marinated tomato slices in a mixture of olive oil, garlic paste, fresh parsley, salt, & pepper and then brushed the flavored oil over the bread before John grilled it to crisp perfection.
Another appetizer I whipped together was this garlic and fresh herb dip, which I will try my best to recreate for the blog as well (I basically tossed together ingredients until I was satisfied with the flavor!).
For dinner I made a more mild version of my Spicy Pulled Chicken – scaling back on the heat both for the masses and for my recently acid reflux-prone stomach – with some Southern Skillet Corn served alongside. John also grilled up a bunch of beef sliders.
To end on a sweet note, I made a batch of brownies from Baked: New Frontiers in Baking, as seen on Brown Eyed Baker. These are hands-down the best brownies I’ve ever made, and I don’t think I’ll ever need another decadent brownie recipe! Intensely chocolaty, stick-to-the-roof-of-your-mouth fudgy in the middle, and crackly on top & around the edges, these really are the ultimate brownies.
I’ve been indulging quite a bit this week, but I have also managed to fit in a long bike ride, a great hike, and many beach walks with Shelby.
Although it’s been a fantastic vacation, it will be nice to get back to our routine up in Boston. From what I’ve seen of the forecast, the temps will be in the ’70s next week… perfect for wooded hikes with Shelby, lots of cooking & baking, and leisurely afternoon naps.
