Aunt Kim's Shallot Dressing

Rich and I have begun to plan our vacations for this upcoming year. It got me thinking about our summer trip to Port Republic, Maryland for our fifth wedding anniversary last year. That trip happened before I started to blog. We stayed in my Aunt Kim and Uncle

Fred's house on the bay. It was beautiful and relaxing.

 I loved vacationing and having a kitchen to cook and prep healthy food.

These flowers are a testimony to my Aunt's green thumb.

We also did some sight seeing on our trip. Like my new desk?

 Rich and I have a thing for lighthouses. I don't remember how it started, but we also go tour them.

 Rich and I also took the Metro to D.C. to say "hi" to old Abe and

 check out Mr. Obama's house too.

The beach area next to the bay house

 My Aunt is a "jack of all trades." She is a nurse, trained chef, skilled gardener, and just fabulous. She has books and books lining every possible shelf space and almost any topic and all her hobbies. She introduced me to her shallot dressing on this trip and it is by far my favorite salad dressing. 

Aunt Kim'sShallot Dressing

1&1/2 TBS of minced shallot
1//2 tsp of sea salt
2 tsp of red wine vinegar
1 TBS fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil
Dash of black pepper

Place  minced shallot into a jar with a lid. Cover the shallot with red wine vinegar and sea salt and allow to stand for 15 minutes. Add freshly squeezed lemon juice, seal jar with lid and shake well. Then add 1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil and a few grinds of pepper and shake again. Store in the fridge and let it come to room temperature before using.

*Tip: Before juicing a lemon (or lime) roll it gently between the palm of your and the counter a few times. This helps release the juices.


I am longing for summer and summer trips. We haven't decided where summer 2013 will take us, but I'm sure you will hear about it.

Stay strong and carry on,

Brooklynn