Sun, Sand, and Savory Snacks!

It's hard to imagine a summer without at least a little bit of swimming.  My grandparents had their own lake and boat so I practically grew up in the water- swimming, skiing and tubing- and loved every minute of it!  So yesterday, my not-to-little sister, Whitney, and I decided to head over to a small, local man-made lake called Lake Cable.  It's only $5 a day for an adult pass so totally worth it.  We packed a bunch of delighful snacks including bruschetta, pita chips and hummos, light babybel cheese, Italian sodas, strawberries and a dark chocolate bar.  We snacked away on a beach blanket and watched a really brutal mom yell at her smart mouth kid.  Whitney commented that he probably got it from her literally about 20 seconds before he said the same thing to his mom! 

The lovely Whitney herself, and Mocha, of course!


It was one of those the sun- keeps- peeking- behind- the-clouds-so-I-don't-have-to- wear- sunscreen type days, even though Whitney ended up with a little bit of pink on her shoulders when we got home.  It even poured down rain for about 15 minutes, just long enough to scare everyone away but us and one other family.  Whit and I hightailed it to a table with an umbrella to enjoy our strawberries with dark chocolate.  We waited out the rain and the sun popped right back out so we were able to swim for a couple more hours with the lake almost all to ourselves. 

Yum!  Bruschetta is one of my favorite summer dishes.  I've made it for lunch, dinner and an occaisional snack.  It's usually not filling enough for the Big Dog but it's quick and easy for me because my basil plants are growing like crazy in my little garden and I generally have everything else on hand.  Try it out and let me know what you think! 

Bruschetta

4 Roma tomatoes, cut into small chunks

2 cloves crushed garlic

1/3 cup coarsely chopped basil

2 T. olive oil

1 tsp. balsamic vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

2-3 thick slices of your favorite crusty bread per person

Chop all the tomatoes, basil and garlic and place in a bowl with a lid.  Drizzle olive oil and balsamic vinegar on top.  Season with salt and pepper and give everything a good stir.  I even like to add a couple tablespoons of chopped red onion if I have it on hand.  Let the flavors mingle together in the fridge for a half hour or so or throw it in the cooler with a cold pack on your way to the beach, but don't forget a spoon.  Put a couple of spoonfuls on top of a piece of toasted or untoasted bread just before you are ready to eat it- don't prepare ahead or the bread will get soggy.