Shaz by the Sea

  Even though I am against using recipes, this post will be used as a guide or example for you to see what I would make for dinner on a random night. Since I am traveling out of the country tomorrow, and even though my husband is going to be home, we all know my vegetables will spoil. Therefore, I am going to indulge in a what I would call, a pasta primavera -- with chicken sausage.   In order to make this dish, here's a photo what I will use: Olive oil, garlic, white wine (not pictured), onion, red pepper, spaghetti squash , summer squash and a Mexican style squash that resemble zucchini   -- notice a theme?        As with almost any dish I make, I begin with some olive oil in my saute pan.  I like to use it liberally, as I am tossing in about 5 vegetables together and like to have the olive oil touch each veggie.   I then use one clove of garlic and mince it. I throw it in to the already hot ...

This year is the first year in a long time that I am not starting classes this month. It is weird not having to buy books, check my schedule and drive up to Malibu to start it all up again. Another reference to the title of my blog, "Shaz by the Sea" are my colleges. I went to undergrad at Endicott College which is on the ocean in Beverly, MA. And as I mentioned in previous posts, I just graduated from Pepperdine University, which is in Malibu, CA. Here's a comparison photo of both my schools: Instead of starting up school, I have been spending a lot of time outdoors. Fortunately, this month's weather has been amazing in SoCal. We had a cooler summer than usual and everyone has been waiting for that serious beach weather, bro. The sunsets over the past weekend were just spectacular, so I had to share a few pics:   In addition to the beach time and serious volleyball crushing, I have also been running outside a lot more than usual. As I men...

Jimbo and I decided to road trip to Northern California. With flights costing an arm and a leg these days, and also realizing we would need a car while up there, we decided to spend the 8+ hours in the car together and rock it. Now the songs from "Dashboard Confessional" are in my head...does anyone remember them? I love the name of their band because some of the most serious and life-changing conversations are had while driving...whether you are talking on the phone or talking with your passenger sitting right beside you. Some of my fav Dashboard songs are mentioned in this MTV article from 2003, http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1474767/dashboard-confessional-happy-now.jhtml. Check it out! Getting back to the road trip to Northern California: I briefly mentioned home exchange back in my "Luck o' The Irish" post...but never really explained it. In short, we have our Cape house on the home exchange site (https://www.homeexchange.com/en/listing/225541) and we...

July is probably my favorite month now.  When I was little, I much preferred January, my birthday month, but I just love July.  Not only is the New England weather perfect for the beach and outdoor activities, but it is also my anniversary month, and the time we all spend the most time together in Cape Cod for Fourth of July festivities. As I mentioned in my last blog, we headed back to the east coast for my friend Julie's wedding on 6/29/2013.  The timing was perfect and we were able to stay the following week in the Cape for the Fourth of July.  This year marked our 7th Annual Fourth of July party...so of course, I made t-shirts.   The Fourth is by far our favorite week of the year, here is just a preview of what a fun week it is!  I was then able to spend the next weekend down the Cape with my Mom, too.  My cousin Jodie visited with her three kids, Jason, Kelsie and Kayla (below).  We had an absolute blast at Keyes Beach ...

June held some considerable changes this year...some of them challenging, but certainly hopeful and for the best.  Some of our best friends in LA moved to Cincinnati to pursue new careers and be closer to family. And towards the end of the month, one of my best friends got married back in Boston.  I was very honored to be a part of their wedding day. To start, Kiley and Ryan are some of our best friends.  We met them one day moving in to our condo complex in Marina del Rey and they lived a few doors down.  We initially became friends because I was quite jealous of their interior decorating ability.  Our place had hand-me-down furniture and boxes everywhere, and their place was simply stunning.  We hung out a few times and then we became really close.  Kiley was pregnant with their first baby, Leiya and then they had Colton almost two years later.  Those two little kiddos are some of the greatest kids.  And I miss them all so much!...

May is typically a fun-filled month for my family, because you know -- cinco de Mayo is an Irish holiday and we celebrate like you wouldn't believe.  I am kidding.  Although, I personally do celebrate and enjoy May 5, it isn't why it's so busy.  Instead, it is mother's day on/around May 12th and also my cousin Jodie's youngest, Kayla's birthday; my sister's birthday May 13th; my husband's grandmother's birthday May 14th, and my maternal grandmother's birthday May 15th. So May 12th-May 15th is crazy. May 1st: Does anyone remember the Maypole?  When I was in pre-k, we conducted this annual tradition which consisted of a dance around the maypole to welcome spring. It was done on May 1, also known as May Day. May 5th: This year I was in LA for Cinco de Mayo and Jimbo was studying for finals.  I cooked up a storm all by myself, which is seriously one of my favorites.  I made avocado salsa with homemade pita chips, carne asada, and marga...