pizza peel

We finally bought a pizza peel, which gave us the perfect excuse to make a pizza...

pepperoni, pineapple, olives & fresh basil. perfecto.

Michael has mastered the pizza peel.

summer quiche

cleaning out the fridge before fruits & veggies go bad...

bell peppers, sweet corn, swiss & sharp. Yum.

F.O.S.

french onion soup

bouillon cube or fresh homemade broth, 

onions, shallots, white wine or sherry, Worcestershire, bouillon, S&P

french bread & gruyere 

soo good & cheesy :)

cake batter x 3

It started off as 1 batch of cupcakes...

Then Michelle used 1 cup of oil, instead of 1/3 cup!

Toss the batter or buy 2 more boxes of cake mix??

Yep, you guessed right.

34 cupcakes, and 1 cake later...

wrapping up the cake and some cupcakes to freeze... 

saran wrap first, then foil.

Frosting, and more frosting. A neapolitan 

frosting assortment- something for everyone.

vanilla & cream cheese cupcakes.

strawberry & chocolate cake.

having our cake & eating it too. oink. 

fish & chips

It might be restaurant week here in Alexandria, but the Faber's are home cooking meals to clear the fridge before vacation...
Found these adorable baskets at Crate & Barrel outlet for under $1 and they had adorable packs of liners for $1! Oh, how could I resist...

cod & sweet potato fries

fresh from the garden

tomato salad

Step 1

chop tomatos & basil

Step 2

add fresh mozzarella or goat cheese

Step 3

and some EVOO, S&P, and balsamic vinegar

so easy & good

i heart pie

Peaches, blackberries and blueberries all from the West End Farmers Market... come together to create a party in your mouth! So delish.

my Summer of Pie

salsa verde

organic homemade salsa

tomatillos, orange cherry tomatoes, garlic, onion, parsley, cilantro, lime and S&P

discover Talenti!

vanilla gelato + cherry pie = happy Michelle.

Tahitian Vanilla Bean & Double Dark Chocolate. 

Is this the meaning of life? Yes? Try it!

2 for $5 @ Giant 

keep your cool

what better way to stay cool than mint chocolate chip ice cream with a cake cone

so refreshing!

salty & sweet

Some friends of ours introduced us to dark chocolate covered almonds with sea salt from Trader Joes. Woah! The perfect chocolatey blend of salty and sweet. Soo dangerously good. What these almonds lack in aesthetics, they make up for in taste. You can't have just one....

photo by Shutterbean.com

berry pickin & pie

On Sunday I journeyed to Butler's Orchard in Germantown, MD with my friend Helaina to scout out some ripe blackberries, and blueberries. Oh, and delicious berries we found! This Farm was delightful- from the country store, berry and flower picking, games and hayrides to the great prices! Yep, I went home with half a bucket of blackberries for around $6- not counting the ones we devoured while picking hehe. Can't wait to go back next month for the raspberries.

This experience reminded me of how easily I take grocery shopping for granted. I've got a weekly Farmers Market, Harris Teeter, Giant, Trader Joes, Whole Foods, Shoppers, and several other markets to chose from within 10 minutes of my house, and I feel like many Americans, such as myself, too often forget how easily accessible food is. After one day of berry picking in the heat with stubborn gnats swarming my face, I had a new appreciation for the grueling work farmers do to provide us with these edible luxuries. With busy lives, it's easy to get distracted from how lucky we are to have daily access to fresh foods. I encourage you to go picking- it's a great experience for all ages, and chew longer- take the time to enjoy and give thanks for the food you eat, and where it comes from! 

Almost time for pie...

stained fingers- worth it!

time for blueberries

berries + a paring knife + a caramel- to hold me over

= time for pies

peach & blueberry

very berry- blueberry & blackberry

Time to head to John & Liz's for Pool, Pie & (meet the new) Puppy time! 

the boys walking Wyatt- the most adorable puppy!

Silly puppy, hold still...

Ok, that works :)

It was a Great weekend, and now to have some more pie!

Yum