Coconut Lanier popsicles

Just in time for Memorial Day, the true start of summer, and my best friends arrival from her current Midwestern home, the sun came out.

Nothing is better than the Fogg residence in the summertime. Just as any other weekend with my second family we started with morning mimosas and coffee on the porch overlooking the lake.

And the always delcious Fogg breakfast - not bikini approved.

We spend the days on the boat in the Georgia heat

In honor of swimsuits and tan lines and to stay refreshed all afternoon, we whipped up Coconut Lanier Pops.

1 cup coconut water

1/2 tsp lemon juice

1 bunch of mint leaves. chopped

6 oz. coconut vodka

1 C chopped fruit of your choice

Mix water, lemon juice, vodka and fold in fruit and mint. Spoon into popsicle holders and freeze at least 3 hours.  

Beware that these pops can lead to late night dance parties

and extra friends sleeping over!

Successful lake weekend - besides my racoon eyes and peeling skin. FAIL.

Rainy bangos and thin crusts

We spent all of last night in the rain, in the mud, surrounded by strangers.

It was wonderful.

It was date night with my #bff and we danced the night away in the pouring rain to Old Crow Medicine Show and Avett Brothers.

It was an AH-mazzz-ing show, the rain was WELL worth it.

Gah, Scott Avett you get me everytime..

Since the rest of the weekend has been spent hibernating and staying dry, I busied myself with homemade pizza topped with our garden veggies - tomatoes, basil, and peppers. At least the rain has helped me garden to grow. I had handfuls of tomatoes ready for roasting and chopping.

Use either an instant pizza dough or if you are stuck inside all day try this easy, go-to, homemade dough.

1 cup warm water
1 tsp honey
1 package dry active yeast
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp salt

The thickness is your own preference so roll it out how you care to - I did an extra crispy, thin crust and then bake 5 minutes. Take out and cover with all of your toppings - cheeses, pestos, and lots of vegetables. Bake another 9-12 minutes depending on your crust thickness and enjoy!

We added mushrooms, broccoli, onions, roasted red perppers, the recipe I recently tried for my Basil Pesto, tomatoes, and delicious chunks of mozzerella cheese.

Not beautiful, but so darn tasty!

Riverdawgin' beershakes

I can't take it. Summer should be here by now and I am about ready to throw a temper tantrum at its late arrival. It has stolen an entire month of lake days and early runs to the farmers market from me. An entire month of volleyball and jean shorts. An entire month of hammock sleeping and crickets. And an entire month of tanned skin.

To quench my summer lusting I have taken hikes at Sope Creek, a quick turn to Savannah, had a waterfall adventure at Cloudland Canyon, and learned my uncle's famous beershake recipe.

Yes. You read the right. Beershake. Not a milkshake, not a beer. A Beershake.

And it is as naughty and delicious as it sounds.

My uncle is a foodie extraordinaire as well as one of the best and funniest guys around. He runs Charleston Riverdogs stadium, is soon to be a reality show personality, and invented the coveted beershake (as well as the pickledog and PB&J Jalapeno burger to name a few).

Being his favorite niece I was given a lesson on perfecting the secret recipe which I quickly stole for my own use. And luckily for yours as well!

It is as easy as it is delicious, combine:

7 oz beer
7 oz ice cream
1 oz flavored syrup
1 oz malted mix

Throw in a blender and blitz - not too long lest you care to drink chocolate milk.

Try to mix and match your favorite beers and ice creams. My favorite everytime (I had to be thorough and test many varieties) was vanilla ice cream with a Guiness and caramel flavored syrup.

Chocolate and a Sweetwater 420 is also delicious and a strawberry and a sweet local brew is quite tempting - more batches are easy to whip up but make sure your growing crowd is willing to share.

Ok, all beershakes are delicious, you cannot go wrong. Mix and match and find your favorite.

And root on those Riverdogs!

Too deep in thought, too deep in the woods

I have been quite the naughty blogger lately. Please forgive me, life has been in the way - which is the real reason for my blog anyways, to sort out this craziness I am calling my life.
I have had a difficult year so far, have asked God for a new adventure, a new path in my life for some time but instead I am spending the excitement whining from scary unknowns - although I was the one that asked God for this journey.

I have lost my grandfather, the best men I have ever known. A man that saw the world, raised five kids, was a leader, and continually pushed me to strive for better. The one person in my life that I needed to be proud of me. I am thankful for every moment I spent with him and feel lost without him still.

Just when I thought I had it all figured out - I didn't. I asked God to provide a reason for me to leave and now that he has I am scared stiff. I don't know where to go but I need to find what is out there for me. I am a weak Christian and taking the leap of faith is a struggle nonetheless.

To clear my mind and I needed a solo trip in the woods and spent the afternoon swimming in a vacant swimming hole and hiking at Cloudland Canyon.

Instead of piling all of my friends, a 6 pack, and a weekend camping into the trip - I took the time to thank God for the woods, the time alone, the sounds of the forest. It reminds me of my roots, that I am finite, that I am a speck and my problems are small. Sometimes we all need a reminder of this.

 

Cloudland Canyon is in Northwest Georgia and a perfect spot for a group camping trip and enough trails to keep you busy all weekend. The views are astounding and the waterfalls magical.





Sometimes a trip into the woods can solve all your problems - or maybe it will if you are just a girl from Montana - but it reminded me that I have to believe in the plan. The obstacles become the blessings. In those dark places I can see God moving in my life. This dark place has brought me back to God and there is not much else one can ask for. I believe he is leading me on the path I am meant to be.

Make your own trip into the woods - to answer some questions or just swim and hike and drink with your friends. Afterall, sometimes doing that will answer just as much as your time reflecting.

#forwalter

I miss his personality, his good morning kisses, the vodka tonics he made everyday at 5PM and not a minute later, his large hands that engulfed mine, and his devilish smile. 

More than I am sad though, I am thankful for my time with him. 

Mornings around the kitchen table, walking to the polo fields after dinner, driving to pick up peaches, surrounded by family in the kitchen listening to him say grace, Edisto adventures, and breakfast runs after church.

I miss his tall stance that intimidated me in my youth and was my comforting shadow as I grew.

Our talks - listening to his stories and his guidance with his head low to mine over a glass of wine, as all I wanted in those moments was to make him proud.

I miss his voice and the ways his eyes twinkled before he would wink at me across the room and make me feel like his favorite. 

When he would holler at me to stop running through the dining room or slamming the pocket doors.

The way he complained about the littlest ones but those were the ones he thrived with. 

These moments are full of love and I am deeply thankful for each of them. 

I am thankful for what I learned from him - his strength and his willingness to serve, his motivation to be his best and expect the best.  . 

I am thankful to have known him and be molded by his example. 

And I am beyond thankful to think of him now - safe with God, not labored in breath, enjoying his youth.

I know he spends his days playing baseball, drinking martinis, and with the same twinkle in his eye. 

Until then...