Long Weekend

My mom came for a visit this weekend. It's really hard to be so far away from my entire family, but it's especially difficult to only see my mom every 2-3 months. Usually when she visits we just hang out and talk. We don't really need to go anywhere or do anything special, just spend time with each other.

She got here Thursday afternoon, and we just sat on the couch and talked. I wanted to get her opinion on some difficult decisions that I needed to make. She's a great sounding board for that sort of thing, and I always feel better after I talk to her. I made shakshuka for dinner which caused everyone to make mmmmm noises at the table. It's a really easy, yummy dish. You should try it.

We went swimming at Regner on Friday with my Friends Jenni & Jessica and their kids. Jessica, who is still pregnant as far as I know, wore a bikini since her maternity bathing suit is no longer adequate. It's amazing how people stare at a really pregnant woman wearing a bikini. She got all sorts of questions and comments, especially from kids. The best interaction was between Jessica and a girl who looked to be about 3 years old.

Girl: Do you have a baby in your tummy?
Jessica: Yes.
Girl: Did you eat that baby?
Jessica: No.
Girl: How did it get in your tummy?
Jessica: You should ask your mommy that.
Girl: Was it yummy?
Jessica: I didn't eat the baby.

As we were walking away the little girl made some sort of motion with her hands an mouth at Jessica to indicate that Jessica did indeed eat the baby.

While Charlotte was napping, my mom treated me to a manicure and pedicure. I haven't had either for at least 2 years. It was really nice to do something just for me. Rick and I also got to go out to dinner, alone. It gave us a chance to talk and reconnect as people instead of as parents.

On Saturday we decided to check out the art fair in Cedarburg. We weren't there for very long. It was really crowded and hot as an armpit, plus I wasn't really impressed with the variety of the artisans. Every time I go to an art fair and see something cute or interesting I can usually make it myself. It's nice to be crafty.

Port Washington was great. There were hardly any people at the marina and there was a wonderful breeze coming off the lake. We had lunch at Dockside Deli and the food was excellent. I wanted to get some nice pictures, but Charlotte wasn't really into it. My mom managed to snap a good family picture, the only one that Charlotte agreed to take.

Since we ate a late lunch I made a salad for dinner. It's one of my favorite salads, and can be as simple or as fancy as you like. Here's the recipe.

Spinach Mozzarella Salad

ingredients:
bag of spinach/lettuce mix (I usually just use spinach, but you can use any greens you like)
grape tomatoes, halved
black olives, halved (I like the ones in a can, I would prefer Israeli olives, you can certainly use any kind you like)
a ball of fresh mozzarella, cut into bite sized cubes
artichoke hearts, quartered (I buy the canned variety and squeeze the liquid out of them)
red bell pepper, cut into strips
good olive oil
red wine vinegar
salt & pepper

Just mix everything together and add as much oil and vinegar as you like. I usually go with a 1:3 ratio of vinegar to oil. It's really yummy and very filling because of the artichoke hearts and cheese. You could aways throw some grilled chicken on top if you wanted to turn it into a more substantial meal.