a summer morning in july

on a summer morning in july kaley from kansas, a dear soul + friend i connected with on the instagram came over to meet us for the first time. i saw that she was in town visiting with her love, his home state actually, and messaged her suggesting that her and i meet up if her schedule allowed her to do so. i am so happy that i did because… well kaley is just one of those people you want in your life. a dear, kind, sweet and talented gem that was adored not only by me but my girls too!

while we visited she captured life as it unfolds with my girls and i have to say, they are some of my very favorite. my girls played with her like they're own. comfortably aquatinted right away. we enjoyed having kaley here and to this day the girls keep asking when she'll return. i think that says a lot.

buffalo chicken salad

i've been living off of this salad for weeks… which has to mean something right?! IT'S GOOD!  with the help from my love, this salad is pure perfection dears and i'd be a sad friend if i didn't share it with you. so enjoy!

it's real simple and easy to prep and make… so go… what are you waiting around for?! get this salad in your tummy!

your grocery list:
- 1.5 lbs of chicken breast
- bundle of green onion
- a red onion
- a package of cherry tomatoes or if you have a garden pick twenty or so
- parsley
- 5 stalks of celery
- 1/2 lbs feta cheese

food prep:
- saute 1.5 lbs chicken breast in olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
- pan fry the chicken (meaning don't cook all the way through)
- let cool, chop up in small cubes and toss in frank's buffalo sauce. you can refrigerate over night giving time to marinate but if time isn't on your side that's okay too, their ready for the oven!
- once you have given the chicken time to marinate, bake chicken for 20 minutes on 350 degrees.
- while you're waiting on the chicken you can chop up the rest of the ingredients (except the feta cheese) and toss in a bowl.
- after chicken is baked and cooked all the way through, toss in the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and your all set!
- add more Frank's buffalo sauce if desired and top it off with some feta cheese. you can use blue cheese also, but our family is more of a feta cheese palette!

you can simply eat it as prepared or you can make a sandwich or put it over rice or even lettuce, it's good either way you choose!

enjoy, dears!

my heart

these are things i want to remember for always and always. 

their wild hair. 

their smiles that trail on for miles.

 the sound of their little feet across our hardwood floors. 

their tears.

their playful hearts

their snuggles. 

their tired eyes. 

their helpful hands.
their everything just as it is right now.

these are the days… 

and a video i'll cherish for all of my days… this is my heart right here.

thank you kadi tiede photography and laura nickel for spending a summer evening with us in our most favorite place, our home. 

garden pesto

last week i spent a great deal of time in our garden trying to figure out what to do with our herbs since our tomato plants are completely taking over. after standing there, toes deep in the garden soil for probably far too long, feeling overwhelmed by the abundance that is our garden, i decided to let the tomato plants be and instead move our basil and a few other herbs into large pots where they can grow and have their own space. we are learning so much from this little garden of ours this year, that is equal parts rewarding. aaron has made a few notes in our garden journal of things to change and do differently next year, that already has me excited and looking forward to next year's stock!

so far the lettuce and the herbs have been the only things ready for harvesting. lately, we've been on a huge pesto kick and have been having fun exploring different recipes and creating our own. so far, this nut free blend has been my favorite. i put this sauce on everything, darlings! you must try it. super easy, and it's just too good not to share!

R e c i p e  +  i n g r e d i e n t s :

- 20 or more basil leaves
- 1/3 of one fresh jalapeño or more or less, depending on how spicy you want it
- olive oil (the amount will greatly depend on how much basil you're using. typically start off using a couple tablespoons and add more as i go along if needed)
- 1.5 tablespoons asiago cheese
- a sprinkle of salt + pepper
- a dash of onion powder
- blend it all together, making sure your consistency is paste like.
- spread it on crackers, use it on your sandwiches, on your eggs, or in your pasta. enjoy!