... that we have a night exactly like this one for the wedding!  I have to admit, heading back to D.C. today was rough for both of us.  We had a wonderful weekend trip up to MA to get our marriage license... but we didn't stop there.  We had coffee rubbed filets on the classic charcoal grill, took beach chairs out to the dock afterwards to watch the incredible sunset with wine, wine and more wine on Friday night, then had a full day of barbecuing and beach fun with my cousins, aunts, and uncles on Saturday.  I don't think I've ever seen a sky like this one, and to top it off we had a full moon high tide which always makes everything more beautiful in our neck of the woods.  Tears hitting the keyboard as I post these for obvious reasons ...

PS - we were drinking Gascon Malbec, and it was a perfect summer red.

Yum yum yum!  I saw a recipe for Swordfish Kabobs with Salsa Verde on the March 2014 issue of Bon Appetit, and have been meaning to make it ever since.  I recently found the magazine while doing a little cleaning, and decided to give it a go, except using chicken to work within our budget, and incorporating lemon into the marinade instead of grilling, since we don't have a grill!  This recipe was so flavorful and healthy, fun to make, and pretty - the recipe for a crowd pleaser in the Burke/Mabee home!  Even though kabobs are a bit labor intensive, the marinade was so incredibly simple, so I know we will keep this marinade around in future for any cut of chicken we might have on hand.  Enjoy! 

It is so crazy to believe we are only one month away from the big day!  Even though we had a quick 8.5 month engagement, it feels like we got engaged ages ago, and I can't wait for a weekend full of all of the people we love to finally be here!  In the five years Wes and I have known each other first as friends, as boyfriend & girlfriend, and finally as fiances, it really feels like we've grown from teenagers to adults.  Looking back on all of the stages of our relationship, our hobbies, our habits, our jobs, our apartments.... the list goes on, have changed, and it has only made us grow more in love and in trust in one another.  There is no better feeling than knowing you will continue to grow with someone, and that your life will most certainly be better for it.  My heart is at peace with Wes, and I can't wait to lock him down for life :) Below are a few of our favorite engagement photos, taken by our incredible photographer Mary Dougherty (see her full post here!), and let the countdown begin!

This is one of those recipes we have all seen floating around for years, always wanted to make, but never have!  Well, I took a stab at it this week, and made a few tweaks of my own.  One of the main things to note about this recipe is that like kale, raw brussels sprouts need to marinade in the dressing for a bit in order to lose some of their toughness.  The positive side to this, is that it is a great option for a work lunch.  It makes a large portion that you can chip away at all week long, and it will only get better as all of the ingredients sit in the marinade.  It is also a very versatile recipe - I didn't have any parmesan on hand, so I substituted for some apples and arugula that I did have.  For days I have been hungrier at lunch, or known I am having a late dinner, adding a fried egg to the top has been delicious.  

We are so excited for our "Black Tie Fun Bowtie" theme for our wedding, and so grateful to be working with High Cotton Ties to make it a success!  All of their colors and patterns are so stylish, and the cottons and silks that they use are just beautiful.  It was so hard to choose what the boys in the bridal party would be donning down the aisle, but between their home try-on program, and knowing that we could not go wrong with any of their products, we made our choice!  You won't see what we are using for the groom and groomsmen until the big day... but I can not wait to see them in person, and for years to come in our photos!  To make the deal even sweeter, their family was so easy and fun to work with!  High Cotton customer for life, right here! 

Until September 19th (the big day!), enjoy 10% off cummerbund sets using the code "KCB" at checkout! 

Talk about a farmer's market salad!  Tomatoes are incredible right now, so we are taking advantage of every opportunity to enjoy them that we get!  The main star of this salad is the basil oil, that is hiding equal parts of spinach to the basil.  It helps with that beautiful green color, and makes it a bit more of a dressing than a pesto.  It is so fresh, with tons of lemon and basil, and packs a great amount of flavor!  Such a nice mix-up from the classic tomato and balsamic combination.  This is another one of those toppings that we will be enjoying over salads, chicken, fish, steak, etcetera - all week long! 

I am officially back in DC for the foreseeable future, and it sure was hard to leave beach life!  Even though there wasn't much time for relaxing between working out remaining wedding details, fun blogging projects, then getting ready for and having my bachelorette party this past weekend, just being in the environment is so peaceful and relaxing.   We love to live life meal to meal, and have what feels like a constant rotation of good friends and family coming and going.  We have entertaining down to a science (the Clam & Onion Dip and Tzatziki making daily appearances), and would not have it any other way!  Below is a series of images taken from the last couple of weeks summing up my time with my wonderful friends and family in my favorite place in the world.