Maybe it’s the short work week. Perhaps it’s because I just realized it’s July first and I’ve yet to don a swimsuit, go to a pool or lay on the beach. Or maybe, just maybe, this is a rare moment when I really don’t have much to say.
Whatever the case I’m not feeling very motivated today. I know it’s hard to believe. And I’m sure by the end of this post you will be all like ‘woah that’s a pretty long post for a girl who claims she has nothing to say today.’ And you’ll probably be right because I somehow have a way of filling the space with words even if they don’t have accurate context behind them. In my world even a few words are better than no words. Give me periods of silence and I’ll probably shift in my seat until I’m allowed to ask you why we are sitting in silence. Or what you are thinking about while you sit in silence. And likely at which point we are going to be done sitting in silence so we can talk again.
I had dinner with a girlfriend this weekend and we were reminiscing about our shared love for communication. Her husband brought up a few instances in which he came home after she was alone for a period of time and was taken aback at the sheer volume of words that came at him in a matter of minutes. We’re talking near record-breaking word counts. I think for a moment he thought I could commiserate, but he quickly caught himself, ‘Oh why am I telling you. You know exactly what I am talking about.’
And he was right. Having lived with my fellow communicator for a number of years, I experienced it a time or twenty. But for the two of us, that was just a good day’s conversation. We both came from families of talkers. And talking is what we do.
And so we chatted. About the craziness that was the Blackhawks parade and rally on Friday.
And about my Chicago bucket list trip to Ravinia Friday night where we picnicked, listened to the sounds of Darius Rucker and made further use of our ponchos.
The rest of the weekend was pretty low-key. Finn got a new toy and hasn’t let it out of his sight ever since.
We made the most of post-Ravinia recovery and cooler temps and delayed our 10-miler until Sunday. Typically I prefer to get it out of the way early Saturday morning, but what a nice surprise to meet some of Chicago’s finest along the way, just resting up for a long day of work at the Pride Parade.
Afterwards, we brought Finn with us to the lake and took him to the dog beach afterwards where he proceeded to only enter the water if there was paraphernalia (aka tennis balls) nearby. And as you can see the run and swim hit some of us harder than others.
Finn “Swims” from Sarah Murphy on Vimeo.
As usual, I have a random recipe to leave you with today. I made these pesto chicken skewers last week for dinner with my girlfriends along with a triple berry trifle. They turned out well so when I needed something that we could throw in the cooler for Ravinia, I made another batch Friday afternoon. Simple, fresh and perfect for a summer party.
Pesto Chicken Skewers
- 1/2 C fresh basil leaves (I added spinach and arugula as well)
- 1 clove garlic
- 2-3 TBL chopped walnuts
- 1/4 C shredded parmesan cheese
- kosher salt and fresh pepper
- olive oil
- 1 lb skinless chicken breast or tenders, cut into 1-inch cubes
- grape tomatoes
In a food processor, add basil, garlic, walnuts and parmesan cheese. Pulse until combined and add salt, pepper and olive oil until desired consistency is reached.
Using kitchen shears, cut chicken tenders or breasts into 1-inch cubes. Place chicken in a large plastic bag and cover with half of pesto mixture. Refrigerate overnight.
Soak wooden skewers in water for at least 30 minutes. Starting with chicken, alternate chicken and tomatoes for each skewer.
Heat grill to medium (350 degrees). Add skewers to grill and cook approximately 5 minutes on each side or until cooked throughout. Let cool. Serve with remaining pesto.
Prefer the original? Visit skinnytaste.com.
I hope everyone has a wonderful week celebrating our independence with family and friends. As for me, I will continue my annual tradition of trying to avoid severe burns and severed digits due to my love of fireworks. If all goes well I will be back at the end of the week to recap the holiday. If you notice more typos next week, you’ll know why.
Happy Birthday America!
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