Dan loves all things coconut, so I made chocolate-dipped coconut macaroons for him as a Father’s Day treat! This was my first time making coconut macaroons, but I found that they were surprisingly easy to make, and require few ingredients. (I hate when I set out to make something and find that there are 20+ ingredients listed — my lazy self is immediately turned off and discouraged by such things.) I’d been feeling under the weather since Saturday evening with a slight fever, congestion, and runny nose, but I was determined not to let my cold get in the way of doing something special for Daddy. They turned out great, and Dan loved them!
Coconut macarons, out of the oven.
Nicely toasted coconut flakes!
Dipped in chocolate for extra yummy goodness!
Look at those beauties!
There was one member of the family who was not happy with the whole experience, though… little Mio is not allowed to have such sweets yet, much to her distress.
“I want themmm!”
She’s never had a chance to try anything like macaroons, but somehow, she knew they were good.
…and that she needed to get her hands on them.
Sorry bubby, only carrots for you!
Dan, on the other hand, was thrilled and very pleased with his treats. Mission accomplished! 😀
Happy Father’s Day to all the great fathers out there! I’m especially grateful for the two wonderful fathers in my life. My own awesome Dad, of course…
…and to my loving husband Dan! I couldn’t ask for a better husband, and Daddy for our daughter Mio. Thank you for making us smile each and every day! 🙂
Dan made these Golden Grahams treats for me tonight. They’re basically like Rice Krispies Treats, except with Golden Grahams instead of Rice Krispies. SO. GOOD. He used to make them and ship them across the country to me for Valentine’s Day. Now that’s true love!
I just mentioned them the other day and reminiscing about how amazing they tasted, and so he made them for me again when he got back from work today. It was the first time since getting them as Valentine’s Day packages back when we were long distance, so it was quite a treat.
Last Sunday, we went to a garden party hosted by Dan’s British coworker Liz, celebrating Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee — the 60th anniversary of her being the Queen. We’d never been to this kind of celebration before so we didn’t know what to expect, but it was a really lovely garden party with such beautiful details…
The Diamond Jubilee flag on the fence in front of the house.
Trifle and strawberries with cream.
Loved the presentation!
The little cuties at the party.
Cedar has gotten so big now. He's almost two years old!
I'm a sucker for details like this... so cute!
"Whack-A-Rat" game
Mio eating some fruit.
Delicious-looking cupcakes on display.
More yummy treats!
Mio was constantly running off somewhere and exploring the beautiful garden. It was all we could to keep up with her!
The food was superb, and everything about the party had the designer’s touch! We had a wonderful time. 🙂
We enjoyed some gorgeous weather this past weekend, with temperatures reaching the 80s on Saturday! We had planned to go the Cherry Blossom Festival in the city, but at the last minute decided against it, since navigating the crowds in the hot weather with a toddler didn’t seem so relaxing. Instead, we stayed in the local area and spent our Saturday on more Mio-centric activities.
Our first stop was the pet store! We stopped by while taking a walk to the farmer’s market, because Mio loves to go to the pet store to see all the animals. Weekends are especially fun to go, because there are often kitties there for adoption, as well as all the dogs that customers bring in to be groomed.
Mio looking at the birds.
Amazed at all the birds.
Watching a snake.
Look at all the fishies!
Also got to see a guinea pig...
...and some mice.
Dan bought Mio and I these lovely tulips at the farmer’s market… so beautiful! 🙂
Thanks hubby!
Back at the house, ready to go out again.
In the afternoon, we drove over to North Berkeley to visit Totland for the first time! I’d heard that it’s a popular for local mommies and kids to play, so we decided to check it out!
Scrunchy-faced smiles on the swing.
Mio and I in the sandlot.
Sipping away! Gotta stay hydrated!
Mio made a friend on the playground. Her mom happened to be Japanese, too!
Scooting around...
...with some help from Mama.
Mio is distracted by the older kids around the playground.
Taking a break for snack time!
Mio with a mouthful of fresh fruit.
Back on the swing.
Stylin' in shades! Thank you Matt for the baby sunglasses!
Dan and I couldn't stop laughing at how silly she looked in them!
After a couple hours of playground fun at Totland, we worked up quite an appetite! I’d been wanting some Filipino food, so we drove all the way up to Vallejo to try Max’s of Manila.
Ready to eat!
Filipino-style fried chicken. So amazing.
My first time trying pancit canton... and I am hooked!
They gave us a ton of garlic rice, which was also very tasty!
We also had some lumpia ubod, but Dan and I devoured it before we could take a picture…Â it was yummy, too!
Mio was really happy with a lemon she snagged from my plate.
Her reaction upon having a taste, however, was priceless. She's had it before, but she always forgets how sour it is.
Mio was in such a good mood that day, especially during dinner, which is rare because she usually gets cranky in the evening.
Sweet girl brings so much joy to our hearts.
We hope this awesome weather keeps up! 🙂 It’s starting to feel like summer!
