Firecracker Fun

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!

Regardless of whether you ran the Peachtree Road Race, soaked up the sun on the water, grilled a tasty meal, gave thanks to those who have served our country, watched fireworks, or simply enjoyed time with friends and family, I hope you had a fantastic day celebrating the USA!

Here's a look at how I spent my Independence Day

A late breakfast after I slept in until nearly 9:30am
Patriotic pancakes and eggs

Someone thought it was a brilliant idea to go for a 10k run at 11am.  

What was I thinking??  It was hot as Hades out there!

Salad greens topped with quinoa and tofu.
Served along side of an incredibly sweet and juicy Georgia peach.

An ice-cold root beer and some shades

 For dinner, I created my own summer grilling feast - minus the outdoor grill.

Mushroom brown rice burger with all of the fixings, corn salad, and watermelon

The corn salad was very simply and incredibly good.  Add this to the menu of your next summer meal.  

Tangy Summer Corn Salad

Simply saute a chopped red onion, 1/2 cup chopped banana peppers, and 3 cloves of garlic in a tablespoon of olive oil until they are soft.  Add three ears worth of corn and continue to saute for three additional minutes.  Remove from the heat and allow to cool.  For the dressing, combine the juice of half a lime with one tablespoon of dijon mustard and a hearty amount of freshly ground black pepper.  Toss the corn mixture with the dressing and then refrigerate until ready to serve.

Taking a step back to yesterday, I joined some of my ortho family at a Summer Pops Concert in the Park, featuring the Charlotte Symphony Orchestra.  The park was packed to capacity and we all enjoyed a festive night with lots of patriotic themed tunes.

Tacos from the Harvest Moon food truck - all local and organic ingredients.

I brought my new camera along with me with the intention of trying my hand at capturing fireworks on film.  I alternated between many different settings to try to get a feel for all that the camera is capable of doing.  I think I took a few good ones.

One last firework erupting over the South Park amphitheater