This past week, I headed east with my family for my cousin’s wedding. Our first stop was Gloucester, MA…a lovely little town where the movie “The Perfect Storm” was filmed. The town is fueled by seafood, which was a delight for me since I am in LOVE with crab and lobster. While in Gloucester, we visited The Crow’s Nest, the famous bar in the movie…which was a great little whole in the wall with cheap drinks ($3/beer). The next day, we stocked up on Chardonnay, and  hit the beach all day in Rockport, MA. That night we feasted on crab, lobster, shrimp…you name it. We pretty much continued this routine all vacation, mixing in some bloody marys in the morning and white russians at night. Aside from the late nights with the family and endless games of catch-phrase (where my sister referred to a unicorn as an extinct animal), there were also some very pretty scenery. Here are a few snapshots of my trip, including the maple syrup straight from the tree and my aunt’s angelic looking cat:)

Recently, unique food and drink recipes have become extremely prominent on the web. With the help of the ever-so trendy Pinterest, food and drink bloggers everywhere are pinning their favorite recipes and cooking tips. A few that I have stumbled upon look absolutely delicious, for instance, Butternut Squash and Quinoa soup, Sweet Potato/Black Bean/Roasted Pepper Burritos, Sicilian Cauliflower Pasta. And then there are those popular recipes that look like they would either be served in a cafeteria or give you an instant clogged artery, like corn muffins stuffed with hot dogs, Avocado Egg Salad w/ mayo (cholesterol nightmare), or Buffalo Fried Chicken Enchiladas (including a stick of butter).

Many of the recipes I’ve checked out look great online….but they turn out to be a dud. But lately I had been seeing tons of posts on flavored water, and I decided I’d try it. I’m definitely one of those girls who loves lemon in their water, so when I tried this with multiple flavors, it was delicious! To flavor your water: fill a pitcher with water, toss in your desired fruit or vegetable, and let sit overnight in the fridge! I was skeptical at first, thinking that flavor wouldn’t come through, however, I was proved wrong. Here are a few ideas for flavoring your own water:

• Pomegranate/Blueberry
• Lemon/Ginger
• Cucumber (really thinly sliced)
• Sliced Apples
• Lime/Mint leaf
• Mango/kiwi
• Pineapple
• Strawberries/Vanilla Extract

So, if its not quite 5-o-clock somewhere and you’re in the mood for a refreshing, non-alcoholic beverage, try some flavored water!

Cheers!

-Katie