July 4th

I love holidays... any excuse to have people over and entertain. I'm not sure where I get it from - maybe because I'm Italian and just love seeing people happy. We had friends at our home all weekend - some were with us the entire time, and others came and went over the three day holiday. Spending time with people you enjoy is priceless - making them happy is even better. Knowing I had a part in giving them a fantastic memory this July 4th means more to me than going to someone else's party and being the ones entertained. I love being the hostess - especially in our fabulous home by the lake and with a fiance that loves to cook as much as I do. We planned out what meals we would provide: omlettes made to order with homemade blueberry muffins and chocolate muffins, grilled pizzas made to order - you pick your own toppings, potatoe casserole and pancakes made to order with toppings like blueberries, walnutes, bananas, and chocolate chips, fajitas with homemade refried beans and spanish rice, french toast and breakfast calzones, and finally grilled chicken and brats with corn on the cob and mac n cheese with bacon. And believe it or not, we didn't spend as much money as you might think - many of our meals had overlapping ingredients and we were able to buy fewer items because of this trick to planning meals. When we weren't eating, we took our guests out on the lake for fun in the sun - there is a local cove where the water is only two feet deep - it's a hangout for boats on the weekends and July 4th was busy, busy, busy! That is where we spent our afternoons playing volleyball and just hanging with all the other folks having fun out there. The nights were late - bedtime normally around 3 to 4 in the morning!!! but fun just the same. I don't think I've laughed so much in such a short amount of time in years! A couple of nights were spent taking a night time ride in the boat - a fabulous experience when the water is clear and calm and the boat traffic is not so heavy - just make sure to take a jacket! And of course, fireworks at our local marina were spectacular! The marina is located in our own cove and we get first class seats to the show - many of us just sat in the grass at a neighbors house and watched lakeside, while some of us stayed behind and watched from the front deck of our home. Either way, the lights in the sky were awesome.

All in all, the weekend was perfect in my eyes. My fiance and I had so much fun, and are now recovering from a memorable weekend with our closest friends. It's tough getting back to reality when you wish your reality was more like your fun time. Sometimes I wish I could open a bed and breakfast - entertaining and cooking all the time sounds like something I could sink my teeth into....

Someday maybe.....