I'm not sure how I will feel by the Fourth of July, but I'm hoping I'll be up to entertaining family. Just in case I'm still recovering, I celebrated the holiday early with a cookout by the pool with Joe and the children. A menu of grilled chicken, spinach salad, bowtie pasta toss, garlic bread and strawberry swirl ice cream with sweetened berries was a great way to celebrate summer -- as well as give Carson and Christian a proper send-off for a week at church camp.
Hydrangeas from our yard made a lovely centerpiece for dinner by the pool, and tableware from the Better Homes and Gardens collection at Wal-Mart set a festive table. I couldn't decide which combination of plates I liked best, so bought three red and three blue of each piece. I would like to have a complete set of each color -- or at least the blue. While I'm recuperating and Joe is doing our shopping, I wonder if he would complete our collection if I add these items to our grocery list? Or perhaps I'd better focus on getting better so I can purchase these "grocery staples" myself.
Tomorrow, the recipe for our refreshing summer pasta!
