at the moment, i'm doing something i haven't done in many moons. 

this post is being written as i'm flying through the air at ten thousand feet. 

airplanes used to be the only place i got alone time to sit and concentrate. these days my schedule is my own and the only directions i'm going are the ones i choose. and i chose to head to dallas with wesley for a long weekend with most of our besties to celebrate our friend julia's thirtieth birthday bash. 

this was our first vacation since my self employment began and it was a feeling like no other. yes, the idea that no money is being generated while i'm away is a bit scary, but the freedom i feel is ten times better. while eating and shopping in adorable mckinney texas, we made a point to check out a kitchen shop that julia thought we would enjoy. not ten seconds into soaking up every inch of the curated shop we were offered a shot of homemade infused gin by the owner. right there in the middle of small town usa, i knew i had found my new muse. 

this woman lives in a picturesque town with her loves, raises chickens, has impeccable style and writes for better home & gardens magazine. that's when she's not working on marketing and branding strategy for food companies or working at her shop that makes you feel like your in the best kitchen ever. (some of this info she gave me and the rest i gathered with some mild blog/instagram stalking). 

while in the ettiene market i saw my dreams come to life. it IS possible. people do have big crazy ideas and they make them happen. so i'm headed home with some amazing new (thank you coryanne) and old (thank you mckinney antique mall) kitchen toys. and a whole lot of inspiration. but before i go whipping up a bunch of new recipes, here is a new summer staple to add to your arsenal. summer tomatoes are here and i can't get enough of them. there are so many amazing varieties, why not mix a few?

summer tomato salad
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered. 2 cups arugula. 4 slices bacon. .5 c blue cheese crumbles. .25 c olive oil. 2 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs chives, chopped. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper. 

preheat your oven to 400 f. while the oven preheats, place your bacon on a rack in the oven over a baking sheet. to help with clean up, you can line your baking sheet with aluminum foil. when the oven is hot, bake the bacon for 22-25 minutes until nice and crispy. when they are cooked, place them on a paper towel to dry off. when the bacon has cooled slightly, roughly chop the bacon. 

while the bacon is cooking, chop all the tomatoes. season the tomatoes with the salt and pepper. toss together the tomatoes, chives, blue cheese, chives and arugula. drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. toss well, top with bacon and serve.

xoxo
a

summer tomato salad
serves: 4
prep time: 10 minutes
cook time: 25 minutes
total time: 35 minutes
ingredients: 3 heirloom tomatoes, diced. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved. 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered. 2 cups arugula. 4 slices bacon. .5 c blue cheese crumbles. .25 c olive oil. 2 tbs lemon juice. 1 tbs chives, chopped. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp fresh ground pepper.
preheat your oven to 400 f. while the oven preheats, place your bacon on a rack in the oven over a baking sheet. to help with clean up, you can line your baking sheet with aluminum foil.
when the oven is hot, bake the bacon for 22-25 minutes until nice and crispy. when they are cooked, place them on a paper towel to dry off. when the bacon has cooled slightly, roughly chop the bacon.
while the bacon is cooking, chop all the tomatoes. season the tomatoes with the salt and pepper.
toss together the tomatoes, chives, blue cheese, chives and arugula. drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice. toss well, top with bacon and serve.