Island Ride

 

Even though I had just ventured home a few weeks earlier, I felt that I needed one more small getaway to tide me over until my next school break. I needed just a little more nature. Luckily, when I arrived back at my parents house, the two had already planned a day trip to Vinalhaven. We boarded the ferry early the next morning with road bikes and backpacks for a short island adventure.

I couldn't believe how many raspberries and blackberries we saw during our ride! Of course, I had to stop and try a few each time we spotted a patch. Before we hopped on our bikes, we stopped for a quick brunch at Vinalhaven's best breakfast spot. The ARC, Vinalhaven's arts and recreations community center that just so happens to be an excellent breakfast and lunch nook, boasts local produce, farm fresh eggs, and a breakfast sandwich on a homemade biscuit that will make you yearn for your childhood Sunday morning.

We just couldn't believe how perfect the weather was. We welcomed the breeze off the Maine coast as we chugged up the island hills and as we soared down the other side.

a fruity afternoon treat

 

Summer isn't summer without sangria. After weeks of discussing the tasty beverage, my girlfriends and I finally decided it was time to concoct our own version of the summertime special. We headed to Trader Joe's for some inexpensive fruit, and grabbed some cheap wine on the way home and set up shop in my tiny kitchen. Unfortunately, we realized when we got home that I didn't have a pitcher, and neither did  Gracie or Haley. With some quick thinking, we grabbed my yellow Le Creuset soup pot instead!

Summertime Sangria:

1 bottle red wine

1 cup raspberry vodka

20 ounces of your favorite sparkling fruit juice (something citrus-y would be best)

1 cup blueberries

4 cups sliced strawberries

3 cups thinly sliced watermelon

3 cups chopped mango

Mix alcohol, juice, and fruit into a pitcher (or soup pot). Serve in chilled glass with plenty of ice. Add bendy straw and slurp for summery effect.

It was the perfect way to welcome the last month of summer before we all head back to the grind of the school year. Yummy! Sluuuuuurp.