More Hawaii pictures.

These make me so happy. Looking at them I'm instantly transported back to our relaxing and carefree vacation last month. Filled with lots of naps, a lot of sand, and the people I adore. I think I can smell the sunscreen through my computer. Sometimes I roll my eyes at the thought of having to lug our camera around everywhere, but looking at these I'm so glad we do it anyways.

Up to the highest height.

Mila's first time flying a kite. 

I think the photos say it all. 

p.s. Note how Baa got roped into flying it too.

2012 Panzanella-Off.

This is happily turning out to be the summer of panzanella for me, tomato bread salad which is one of my favorite favorite things to eat this time of year. Don't even try to make this when tomatoes aren't in season, don't use stinking flown-in tomatoes that taste like mealy mush inside, splurge for the fat heirloom ones all sorts of weird colors and shapes. This summer I've tried four different recipes--a Cook's Illustrated one, a Suzanne Goin one (I worship her because everything I've tried from this cookbook is perfection), another one that was dismal so I threw the recipe out immediately, and this one, which incidentally was the simplest. That one won. Don't you love it when simplicity wins out?

I've been a Chez Pim fan for a long time and none of her recipes have failed me yet. Plus her boyfriend is Chef David Klinch of Manresa, where Steve took me for a spectacular 3-hours-long dinner for my 29th birthday. These people know food.

But! After these last few weeks of panzanella experimenting I think I've come up with a small tweak to Pim's recipe. I like my day-old bread crisped up in the oven before pouring the tomato juices over them. Say, 300 degrees for 10 minutes. There. Now it's perfection, just like that little hand above reaching for its little fork.

Mila, a Chamois, and two horses.

As we were driving to our vacation rental from the airport for the first time, I explained to Mila that there would be a puppy named Chamois when we got there. When we opened the car door on her side and Chamois instantly materialized, excited to lick a new face (and what a face!), a delighted Mila simply exclaimed SHAMMY! as if they had known each other a lifetime. And thus it began. Even now, having been home well over a month, a morning doesn't go by that Chamois doesn't get mentioned at least five times. I wish I were exaggerating. And! The horses, a mama and her little boy foal; Mila would go from her Chamois to those horses like a ping-pong ball. Each morning the first words out of her mouth (from bed, mind you) was MOHNING SHAMMY! MOHNING HORSIES! Her and Steve would head outside before breakfast to throw the ball around with Chamois and feed apples to Mila's beloved horses.

So that's my introduction. Mila and her Chamois, Mama Sealy and Baby Stormy. How I love that our daughter feels such a strong connection to animals. I think we're doing something right over here.