Watermelon feta salad

Watermelon is to summer what football is to fall. They just go together.

And I love me some watermelon.

While shopping at Publix this weekend, I picked up a watermelon thinking it would be a yummy addition to the fruit kabobs I was planning to make. Little did I realize how much watermelon one watermelon actually contains. When I was done cutting it up (four days and one messy kitchen later) we had a TON of it.

I like watermelon a lot, but not that much.

So I used some of it tonight to make a delicious summery salad.


I first ate this on Father's Day at my parent's house. I don't know where my mom found this recipe, but I'm glad she did and that she shared it with us!

Watermelon feta salad
4 ounces crumbled feta cheese
2 pounds watermelon, cut into bite size pieces
8 ounces grape tomatoes, cut in half
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar*
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 cups arugula greens (about 5 ounces)*
1 cup sliced red onions

Whisk oil, vinegar and salt to blend; set aside. Place arugula, onions and tomatoes in a salad bowl. Add vinaigrette; toss to coat. Add cheese and melon; serve.

*My mom didn't have white balsamic vinegar, so she used regular balsamic vinegar and it was just as good. We both used romaine lettuce instead of arugula. And I don't have kosher salt so I used regular salt. All these substitutions and it was still a delicious salad!

Recipe from Easter Sunday

Easter is one of my favorite holidays. It ushers in the start of spring, we get to dress up more than usual and we spend a wonderful lunch and afternoon with some of our favorite people.

Not to mention the fact that it's the day we celebrate that our Lord has risen from the grave and is alive! To me, this day is more spiritually significant than Christmas; I mean, our God lives and has conquered the grave! Praise Jesus.

Oh, and it's also mandatory to snap a picture or two:

Easter is one holiday that Patrick and I spend with our friends, our "Brunswick family," if you will. We love this group of people and are blessed to share life with them. The Herndon family has graciously opened up their home (and backyard) to our crazy crew for the past five years. Whitney is the world's best hostess!

Patrick has been a part of this tradition since it started in 2006, and I joined in when I moved down the next year. Patrick was just a single guy the first year; the next year he and I were engaged (and I had moved down to Brunswick and participated in the Easter festivities), and the past two years we've been married with no kids. This year, I was hugely pregnant. Next Easter we'll have our own little "peep" to chase after!

And get this - in 2006, there were only two kids in the group. This year there were 18 with two on the way. Next year there will be AT LEAST 20 kids running around - no wonder we all need naps after all the fun!

Oh, and there's food. Oh, the food. Lots and lots of yummy, yummy food.

Everyone brings two side dishes, and we all dig in for a delicious feast.

This year I made Spicy Black Bean Salad and Strawberry Banana Trifle. I think this trifle just screams spring - it's light, sweet, and full of delicious fruit.

Not the best picture in the world, but at least you can see the yummy layers of pound cake, pudding, fruit and Cool Whip.

Strawberry Banana Trifle
Pound cake or angel food cake, cubed (I use the Sara Lee family size frozen pound cake)
6 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix
3 cups milk
1 carton of strawberries, washed, dried and sliced
3 bananas, peeled, sliced and sprinkled with lemon juice (to help prevent browning)
12 oz. Cool Whip

Make pudding according to package directions; refrigerate to set.
Layer half of each in the following order: pound cake/angel food cake, pudding, strawberries, bananas, Cool Whip. Repeat layers one more time, ending with Cool Whip. Enjoy!