I’m officially on vacation for a week! I’m excited to let you know that the weekend brought me to Kinston, NC to visit The Chef and the Farmer. I’ve been a fan of Vivian Howard for many years. Her PBS Show, A Chef’s Life, is something to DVR if you haven’t checked it out yet. While Kinston is far from the urban setting I’m usually drawn toward, we loved checking out both The Chef and the Farmer, the Boiler Room Oyster Bar and the sweet boutique hotel, The O’Neil. If you’re looking for a fun 18 hour adventure, I recommend it. My only regret was not bringing home a bottle of Vivian’s Blueberry BBQ Sauce.

I’m back at home and enjoying working in my garden, taking small day trips, indulging in some summer treats (note the delicious roasted corn I picked up yesterday at the Farmer’s Market) and catching up on life. I also have a list of recipes I’m going to get into throughout the week, so stay tuned!

Finally, I’m super pumped to have a batch of Paloma Granita in my freezer for afternoon happy hours and visits with friends. I made this last week and it’s been quite the treat! Mix up a batch for the hot upcoming days!

Paloma Granita 

• 2 cups fresh grapefruit juice
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 1/2 cup simple syrup
• 1 1/2 cups tequila
• 1 cup club soda
• 1 cup orange juice

Combine all ingredients. Pour into a shallow glass dish with sealable top. Freeze for 6-8 hours, stir to brake up ice, freeze again for 3ish hours. Break up and serve as a icy dessert!