The "No Agenda" Weekend

A couple of weeks ago, I started talking with my husband (more like lobbying) about getting away for a quick two-day trip somewhere. Nothing fancy, just something to help me pretend that summer really isn’t almost over. Of course, I should have thought about this earlier. WAY earlier. Anywhere I wanted to go was either booked up, or the hotel prices were so exorbitant, even I couldn’t justify it. So I gave up and resigned myself to a weekend at home. The last weekend before Labor Day. The next to last weekend of “official” summer. Do you hear the tinge of sadness in my voice? I even held off on making any local plans with friends for this weekend in the hope of a last minute breakaway. But, alas, it was not to be.

So now with nowhere to go, and no local plans, I am embracing the “no agenda” weekend! That's right, we're just going to throw caution to the wind and do whatever we want, go wherever we want, laze about in the sun, maybe even show up at a restaurant without a reservation! Oh, the horrors!

Of course with all this lolling about we’ll need a cool beverage, so perhaps I’ll make this cocktail that my friend, Pam, sent me the other day (recipe below). It sounds so crisp and delicious.

What will we eat? Who knows? Maybe we’ll go out, maybe we’ll stay in. No agenda, remember? We had a delightful meal the other night at a cool Mediterranean spot in Montclair called “Mish Mish.” We could go back there for breakfast or brunch. 

And for dinner? I have been craving a lobster roll and with no trip to Maine in my near future, I think we’ll try the ones at Gus and Co (also in Montclair). The rolls looked divine when we were there buying soft shell crabs a few weeks ago. 

Luckily, if we need a sweet, dessert is already taken care of.  Last weekend I made this delicious Frozen Yogurt Bark, which is totally chilling in the freezer.  Fun and easy to make, frosty and sweet with raspberries, blueberries, and toasted almonds, it’s the perfect end of summer treat. You can use other fruits, nuts, or seeds to add different textures.

Pre-frozen yogurt bark

What is it that my Italian friends say?  “Dolce far niente,” literally, “sweet doing nothing.” That’ll be me this weekend. Hope you have a lovely, “no agenda” weekend, too.

Cucumber Vodka Cooler

Ingredients

- 2 cucumber slices

- 1 oz. simple syrup

- 2 basil leaves

- 1 oz. fresh squeezed lime juice

- 1 oz. white cranberry juice

- 2 oz. Praire cucumber vodka

- Muddle first 4 ingredients three times in a mixing tin

- Fill glass with ice (medium size glass) and pour ice into tin and muddle ice with rest of ingredients 7 times

- Cup mixing tin and shake vigorously for 10 seconds

- Pour contents into glass

- Use 1 Basil leaf for garnish