Boat Drinks

Photo

In addition to operating the wonderfully convenient water taxi between National Harbor and Old Town Alexandria, Potomac Riverboat Company has a number of fun river cruises including Monument Sightseeing tours, boat rides to the baseball stadium, and pirate cruises. 

Hopefully, Patton, Lucy and I (and maybe even Goalie if we decide to take one of the dog friendly tours) will get a chance to branch out beyond the water taxi this summer and take a nice boat ride along the Potomac.

Perfect Outfit:

Sundress / Bikini / Colorblock Heels / Sunnies 

Perfect Coconut Cocktail

Lime and Coconut Cocktail

2 Oz of Coconut Rum

2 Oz of Lime Juice

1 Oz Coco Lopez

1/2 a Lime

Splash of Sprite

Add all ingredients to a blender along with one glass of ice and blend until smooth

Garnish with a Lime Wedge and Start Drinking!

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Tempting Tentacles

The cashiers at Harris Teeter ALWAYS look at me like I am crazy when they ring me up and see my selection of frozen, whole, cleaned octopus. It definitely looks a little creepy in the packaging, but really, I think those cashiers are the ones who are a little nuts for NOT  taking advantage of this delicious, nutritious, inexpensive and easy to prepare protein. 

Lemony Octopus with Red Wine Vinegar, Oil, Garlic

Rinse 2 or 3  whole cleaned octopus (about 4 oz each) in warm water

Put them into a large pot

Add 1/2 cup of olive oil and 1/2 cup of red wine vinegar

Add one lemon chopped into wedges and 5-7 garlic cloves

Sprinkle with oregano, salt and pepper

Bring mixture to boil

Octopus will turn from white to a deep purple as they cook

Check periodically by stabbing octopus with a fork until tines enter with little resistance. When this happens remove octopus from the pot immediately (a few seconds of overcooking turns tender tentacles into rubbery, chewy bands) and chop into small segments.

In a separate pan, saute onions and tomatoes in olive oil.

Add mixture (minus octopus) from pot into saucepan and let it simmer for a 2-3 minutes.

Drain, toss in octopus, and spoon onto plates.

Add another pinch of oregano and sprinkle some more salt and pepper to each serving and

include a lemon wedge to squeeze over octopus as you eat.

Really fresh, really healthy and so summery.

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That Face!

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One Particular Harbor

National Harbor

With the summer season just beginning there are so many more reasons that I loooove living at National Harbor.

Here are my top five reasons to love Harbor Living (or visiting) this summer:

1. Saturday Farmer's Markets (starting May 26th) - fresh local produce including sweet corn, tomatoes, berries, peaches and peppers. Delicious cheeses and creamy whole milk from Amish vendors. Crusty baguettes, rosemary sourdough and homemade wheat rolls. So much fun to grab fresh, local ingredients and prepare a delicious meal without ever stepping foot inside a grocery store, and then enjoying it from the fantastic roof deck of my building (with views of the Washington Monument, the National Cathedral, the ballpark and more!)

2. Scripps National Spelling Bee!!! - Hosted the last week in May at the Gaylord Convention Center. I went to watch the finals last year and it was amazing. I have always watched the coverage on ESPN and am weirdly obsessed with it. These kids are so smart and quirky and endearing... it was so much fun to see it live and I can't wait to go again this year! If you like the Bee as much as I do, be sure to check out this documentary.

National Harbor Pier


3.  Long Walks - The Harbor is really beautiful. I especially love strolling along the water and up and down the piers in the evenings with Patton, Goalie,  and, this summer, with Lucy! The grounds of the Gaylord are perfectly manicured. If you hit the Harbor on the hour in the evenings, you will be treated to a lovely light show (including the twinkly lights in the trees along "American Way") which change color in time to music. My favorite walk to take during the day is along the shell path up to the Woodrow Wilson Bridge. The walking/bike friendly overpass has a surprisingly beautiful park which cuts over the highway. Delicious smelling lavender and dreamy views included!

4. Free Outdoor Movies on Friday and Sunday Nights - Starting at the end of May, free movies are projected onto the screen in front of "The Awakening" sculpture. Friday nights are "Date Night" movies and Sunday they show family friendly films. Can't wait to see the movie list for this summer!

5. Sunset Yoga on the Piers -This is new this summer. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening around sunset there will be free yoga classes, friendly for all levels. All you need to bring is your own mat and some positive energy!

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Who's Afraid of a Little Thunder?

I've been meaning to order it for over a year and FINALLY got around to it last week.

Goalie is absolutely petrified of thunder. The poor little guy, who is normally very brave and relaxed, trembles like a leaf during thunderstorms, and unfortunately, during firework displays. The fireworks fear is especially tough since we live at National Harbor where there are spectacular fireworks EVERY weekend of summer. 

We got a chance to use the Thundershirt on Goalie last week during a brief but noisy (and beautiful) firework show put on by the Gaylord National Convention Center.

The Thundershirt worked wonderfully during the ten minute firework display... Goalie sat peacefully on the couch despite the loud booms and crashes.... and hopefully it will be as a big a success during thunderstorms. Apparently the snug fit of the velcro and jersey vest makes dogs feel secure and peaceful... it certainly seemed to do the trick for G!

With any luck, Goalie won't be needing to sing this very offensive, very hilarious song during the next thunderstorm!

PS... Does't Goalie look totally cute in his sporty little Thundershirt?

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