Beach Etiquette at the Jersey Shore

The Jersey Shore is known for a lot of bad things.

Snooki. The Situation. Bamboo. Guidos. Urg.

I defend it on a daily basis. It's where I live. I love it.

Newest poke at the Jersey Shore? New Jerseyans have the second-worst beach etiquette. We're right behind New York, but since they come to our beaches, I think it's even worse.

Head on over to NJ.com to see my take on beach etiquette at the Jersey Shore.

Out of a Slump

Sometimes, all it takes is a mug of coffee on the beach,

an evening acting silly and catching up with friends,
and a 30% off coupon on shoes you've been lusting over to get you out of your funk.

Let this be documented:

It's always amazing what a girl's night and a 30% off show sale does to someone.

Balsamic Vinegarette Chicken Pasta Salad

Pasta salad during the summer is my absolute favorite food. It can be made as healthfully or not as you want and a little bit goes a long way.

Earlier this year, my boyfriend asked me to to make Jessica Seinfeld's Balsamic Chicken Sandwiches (delish) and with its great flavors, I was looking forward to adapting it into a pasta salad.

My boyfriend, for whatever reason, believes that pasta shouldn't be cold, so this is a great dish I make during the week that works well for a dinner or two and lunch for the week, or until I finally get tired of it.

Balsamic Vinegarette Chicken Pasta Salad
For chicken:
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
½ tsp salt
½ tsp pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4cup balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp firmly packed dark-brown sugar

Season chicken with salt and pepper
Warm oil in the skillet Add chicken and garlic. Cook until chicken begins to brown. Add chicken broth, vinegar and brown sugar. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer until the chicken is cooked all the way through.
For Dressing
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp pepper

Wisk all ingredients together

Pasta
Make one pound of pasta. Rinse with cold water and drain. I chose a spiral pasta. Why? Because it's pretty. Whole wheat pasta works well with this recipe, too.

Putting it together
Mix the pasta, chicken and dressing together.

Add:
(?)oz. grape tomatoes, halved (I can't remember how much I used. I bought a container and used a little more than half of it. I'm not a much tomato fan, but it goes so well with the chicken)
8 oz. fresh mozzarella, cubed (or more or less, depending on how much you like cheese ... does anyone NOT like cheese?)
1/4 cup fresh basil (optional, but oh-so good)

Mix it all together in a big bowl, let it chill a few hours and enjoy! Best served with a little bit of grated parmesan cheese on top.

An Ode to My Bike, and the Asshole Who Stole It

New Things to Come

Here's something I've been holding out on for the past year: I love to cook and bake.

Recently, someone asked me why I don't blog about cooking.

Well, because I tend to make up my own recipes. Any things tend not to come out the same way twice. And I'd hate to be the one to tell someone to use a tablespoon of baking soda and, oops, I really meant a teaspoon.

But I've decided to put an end to that and document what I bake and cook. I got two thoughtful gifts for Christmas last year that were aimed to help me do this, so no excuse next time.Oh yes, good things are coming.

Happy First Day of Summer

Ahh, after a looong winter, it's finally here.

I welcome and thrive upon, in no particular order:

• Bikinis
• Tan lines
• Beach days
  
• Concerts
• Flip flops
• Sun dresses
• Iced coffee
  
• Popsicles
  
• Water ice
• Watermelon
• Canonballs
• Bud Light Lime
• Landshark
• BBQs
• Fireworks
• Thunderstorms
• Baseball

And, with all these great things, I'll deal with:

• Humidity
• Mosquito bites
• Thunderstorms (yes, it goes under both)
  
• Bennies and shoobies
• New Yorkers
• Sunburn
  
• Beach badges