exploring our mint jungle: mint infused water

There are a lot of drink recipes, cocktails and otherwise, that call for mint. But quite frankly, when it's hot and humid, I'm not really motivated to go to the store for the rest of the ingredients. Then I saw an ad in Real Simple magazine for "Metromint" water and I knew that instead of paying for refreshing mint water, I'd do a little at-home experiment.

And it was successful! I threw three large sprigs of peppermint and chocolate mint in a pitcher of ice water. The hint of mint adds extra cooling refreshment — perfect for a hot summer day. And the mint sprigs can be reused for a couple refills.

I'm definitely more motivated to get my 6 glasses a day when it tastes like this!

exploring our mint jungle

I'd been wanting to buy mint for a while. Particularly chocolate mint. I searched high and low, and finally decided to settle for peppermint and orange mint from Trader Joe's at $2.99 a pop. Then we ran into the Copley farmers' market which, of course, had lots of chocolate mint plants for just $3. And then there were three.

Ian insisted that, if we're going to keep all of the mint plants, we have to use it. A lot. So I keep my eyes peeled for new ways to use mint, which I gladly share with you! Stay tuned for recipes and ideas featuring our mint jungle!

sunsets and seafood

For Dane, Micki and Ren's last evening in Boston, we enjoyed a sunset cruise. The boat leaves Long Wharf at 7 p.m. and makes a loop through the inner harbor before heading out towards Boston Light on Little Brewster Island.

The timing of the trip was impeccable — the sun was just beginning to set behind Boston as the boat turned around, and we spent the rest of the cruise on the bow, hair flying as we watched the sun sink behind the skyline.

Salty and sweaty, we headed to the Chart House for dinner. Dane, Micki and Ren had discovered the restaurant at lunch a day or two before and were raving about their chowder and dessert.

The historic building used to be John Hancock's counting house, and we ate next to the old safe tucked into the bricks and exposed beams. The clam chowder is the best I've sampled so far in New England, exploding with flavor (Dane found a copycat recipe online — I'll experiment adding oregano, parsley, marjoram, dill, thyme, basil, sage, rosemary and tarragon to TJ's canned clam chowder and report the results eventually). Dinner was fine, but the portions are huge. We should have shared accordingly. By the time the molten chocolate cake with hints of heath bar arrived, we were stuffed. But we ate it anyway. (I still like Stellina's better.)

Our only complaint was the service seemed a bit slow that night — lots of time between courses (isn't the point of ordering the 30-minutes-to-make dessert with everything else that it will be ready when you finish your entree?). But really, timing didn't matter. We were there to relax and savor the evening.

The next morning, we said our goodbyes to Ian's family and started our six-day countdown to the arrival of mine. Stay tuned!

lobster pots + fog + the Atlantic = Bar Harbor, Maine

On July 5, we took Jordan to the airport, snuck in a quick nap, tidied up, then headed back to the airport to meet Ian's family. We enjoyed a pretty low key week — exploring (them), working (us), and enjoying some delicious local dining establishments followed by an episode or two of Burn Notice.

And when our extended weekend rolled around, we were ready to hop aboard the Downeaster to Maine. From Portland, we picked up our rental car and continued up to Bar Harbor, one of Dane and Micki's favorite places (and the location of the Obamas' latest vacation — we missed them by a week).

Our first order of business was lobster. On a recommendation, we stopped at Trenton Bridge for the catch of the day.

Then we watched them boil.

I'm not particularly fond of lobster as food and have a hard time eating anything that makes it to the dinner plate with a face. But the guys assured me it was the best lobster they'd ever had.

The next morning after indulging in tasty blueberry pancakes, we strolled down to the docks and hopped on the nature cruise around Frenchman Bay.

We learned about lobster fishing and how Maine is protecting its lobster population, saw seals and a bald eagle nest, and marveled at the expensive cottages (i.e. mansions) along the shore.

After lunch, Micki and I spent the afternoon on Oli's Trolley through Acadia National Park while the guys attempted to buy fresh lobster from the lobstermen. When we saw them again after our tour, they didn't have dinner but had managed to turn into lobsters themselves. Never go on the water at 10 a.m. in patchy fog without wearing sunscreen.

We finished our day at low tide, when a bridge emerges from the bay and you can drive from Bar Harbor to Bar Island. Just make sure you're back in town before high tide leaves you stranded!

Bar Harbor is picturesque — reminiscent of Colorado mountain towns we enjoy. And the coast of Maine is stunning. This made it fun and easy to snap lots of gorgeous landscape photos — the adjective "gorgeous" specifically modifying "landscape" and not necessarily "photos" (see more here). Maine is very photogenic. We'd love to go again to spend a little more time in Acadia National Park exploring the trails and taking in the views.

Thanks to Dane and Micki for a weekend away from the hustle and bustle of the city!

the best fireworks show. period.

Since we moved here, everyone kept telling us we have to experience Boston's Fourth of July celebration at least once, so we convinced Jordan to join us on the Esplanade with the Reunion crew. Sarah owns a 600 square foot tarp and shows up at 6 a.m. every year with a rotating group to secure a prime viewing location for Reunioners to hang out and enjoy the show. And wow, what a show.

Everything started at 8:30 with a flyover and the national anthem to kick off the concert. At 9:30 p.m., the Boston Pops played the 1812 Overture. Nearby churches ring bells at the appropriate time, cannons explode, and fireworks light up the sky. This, mind you, is just a precursor to the big show. And that teaser was the best fireworks show we'd ever seen.

From our vantage point, there was a bit of a lull in the action after the Overture. The national coverage started with host Craig Ferguson and special guest Toby Keith. They both sounded muffled on the giant speakers over our heads, which was disappointing in regards to Craig ("I know!") and less so with Mr. Keith (we're from Kansas, but we're not big country music fans).

After more great music by the Pops and a discussion on the music of John Williams, the fireworks began.

We realized exactly how great our location was. The fireworks were directly overhead, with MIT across the river as a backdrop. And there were fireworks I'd never seen before. One of my coworkers informed me Boston's Fourth of July show is the pinnacle of a firework person's career, and they often debut new fireworks here. I'll admit, I caught myself jaw dropped a few times during the show.

I echo the sentiment that no one should pass up the opportunity to spend the Fourth in Boston. And we picked up a few tips for next year.

• To snag a prime viewing spot, you should show up early (6-7 a.m.) and either have a rotating team or a picnic and games/books. And lots of sunscreen. And water.
• Embrace the fact that you won't get home quickly. We hung around the Esplanade for 15 minutes and things had cleared up considerably. We then wandered through the Public Gardens and the Christian Science Center Plaza before hopping on the Green Line, which had cleared up by then.
• A car downtown on the Fourth is really not a good idea. Drivers get grumpy when it's bumper to bumper on narrow, one-way residential streets at 11 p.m. And then people start honking, residents start yelling out their windows... it's not pretty. Parking then taking the T is a much less stressful option!

I hope you get to experience a truly spectacular fireworks show sometime in your life, and maybe we'll see you on the Esplanade next July 4th!