I really don’t think there is a more beautiful noise than the sound of cicadas and crickets screaming “ittttttttttttttts summer” on repeat. There comes a time in July when their song is constant and it’s as relaxing to me as the most peaceful Mozart.
Keep it up bugs, keep it up. [Just say outside!]
I cold brewed some coffee last night in my new french press!
I used the New York Times recipe (although I doubled it to make more). The first time I made it I didn’t note that the recipe says to leave it at room temperature. Last time I refrigerated it. Today’s brew was much more robust – and extremely chocolately thanks to the fact that I used 50% Choffy! Love that stuff to decaf-down my brew.
Smoothie on the side!
Made with 1 banana, 1 cup of milk, 2 tbsp raw rolled oats, 1 tbsp chia seeds, a sprinkle of cinnamon and 1/3 cup frozen blackberries. Yum!
Toppings included the last of my Cville Cluster granola (sadness!), Honey Puffs and buckwheat. I went back for a refill of Honey Puffs after I ate the top off!
Happy Birthday Kate!
Kate’s husband Matt emailed me to see if I could surprise Kate with some birthday wishes on KERF. She’s apparently a big fan! Happy birthday Kate!
Happy Birthday, Kate!
29… the birthday that will be repeated for years to come…
I adore you and appreciate all you bring to our marriage, from your laughter to your recipes. You spice up my life, figuratively and literally.
Hope you are surprised, and I look forward to celebrating tonight. How about Mamasita’s and sheet cake??
Love, Matt
* * *
It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me. And I’m feelin’ good!
{ 88 comments… read them below or add one }
And lightning bugs dancing to the beat?!
You got it!
What a perfect bowl!
And what a cute birthday present! Happy birthday, Kate!
I agree with you! the sound is like summer for sure
I saw that article and would love to attempt making my coffee like That! Great pictures.
Happy Birthday to Kate!!
That’s adorable! Happy Birthday, Kate!!
so sweet! happy birthday, kate!
Chocolate coffee sounds so good right now! I don’t know why, but I’m surprised the NYT has a recipe for french press.
Happy birthday Kate! That’s a pretty impressive husband surprise, he’s got mine beat
Welcome to the 29 club!
That’s so cute that he wanted a bday shout out on KERF.
Aw, Happy Birthday Kate! What a wonderful surprise to get on your birthday – and what a good husband for thinking of it!
I couldn’t agree more about the sound of the cicadas – it used to be my favorite summer sound when I was little. We’d go for night swims and just relaxingly paddle around the pool while we listened to them.
On another note, I really need to check out Choffy…
Aw, how sweet of Kate’s husband! HAPPY BIRTHDAY KATE!
French press coffee is my favourite kind. Go Kath!
what a sweet bday wish! happy bday kate!
I love the birthday message — Have a great Birthday Kate!
Happy B-Day Kate! Are they regular readers? Matt is definitely in good books now
Do you find the smoothies more “runny” when using a cup of milk versus thick?
Aww that birthday message was so sweet!!!
Such a sweet birthday shoutout! Happy Birthday Kate
French presses are the best!
Such a sweet and thoughtful birthday present! Happy Birthday Kate!
Kind of the cutest thing ever. Happy birthday to Kate!
Happy Birthday, Kate! How nice and thoughtful to have a birthday shoutout on KERF! What a sweet husband you have!
That constant buzz… it is so peaceful your right. Happy birthday to Kate! That is so thoughtful of her husband
Happy Birthday Kate! Hope you have a wonderful summer birthday (you share a birthday with my son turning 23 today!)
Love all of the sounds of summer. I’m listening to the cicadas just as I read your post this morning. One of the things I like most about not having the house air conditioned is the summer sounds and smells.
Happy birthday Kate! That’s a sweet man you’ve got
I love your smoothie bowl Kath!
That birthday greeting is TOOOOOO adorable!
Happy Birthday, Kate!!
That’s so sweet of you to feature his birthday message!!!
Love the green bowl
What a great idea Matt had and so nice of you to help!
I love the idea of using 50% Choffi! I finally found a decaf brew I like for iced coffee that doesn’t give me a headache – Dunkin Donuts!
I agree, OUTSIDE those noisy bugs must say. I don’t appreciate them when I’m trying to sleep in my bedroom.
Hope it is one fantastic day!
……..Whadda husband!!!!! Happy Birthday Kate!
Happy birthday to Kate – what a sweet idea.
I still don’t know what cicadas sound like. I have a lot of friends from the midwest and south who talk about their soothing sound, but I’m just used to the crickets in the northeast. I guess it just means I have to make a visit to Charlottesville one summer!
Happy Birthday to Kate!
I hate the sound of circadas! They are so noisy and creepy! Eek! I love the shape of that bowl! It’s so cute!
I always love your purple smoothies!
What a great husband!! So sweet of him and you to surprise her on her birthday.
That is so sweet!! Good points on that one Matt!
I love that sound too! Definitely reminds me of summer.
Aww that’s so sweet! Love it
Happy birthday Kate!
Aww very cute birthday feature! Happy birthday to Kate!
PS love the bright green French press!
Cute birthday wish
I’m totally making one of those smoothies for breakfast
Happy Birthday Kate!
I’m with you on the sounds of summer! I love them. We have a lot of crows around us here and I love to listen to them in the morning. Nature’s sounds are so great in the morning and at night…so relaxing!
Happy birthcake (as we sometimes say in our family because we adore cake) Kate!
Barbara
I love this profile picture with your comment. You look so much like Larbs and Kath here – you could be a sister.
Thanks. You’re sweet. Just got home from a long day of travel after a writers’ conference. Fun to come home to nice words!
Beautiful pictures and yummy food as always.
Cicadas remind me of home in Taipei during the summer months when they chirp nonstop!
Aw, that’s so cute! Happy birthday fellow Kate
Awww so sweet!
I love the sound of the cicadas in the summer, it reminds me of being a kids and looking for lightning bugs!
Your smoothie sounds FABulous. I am recreating it this morning.
Such a cute idea for a birthday wish! Happy birthday Kate! And love the looks of that purple smoothie, I’m excited to try out my cville cluster granola!
Hate bug noises. Cicadas remind me of hot August days growing up in MN. I have been known to wield a can of bug spray to quiet the crickets chirping beneath our bedroom window when we lived in Williamsburg, VA — at midnight. They definitely don’t soothe me. Give me rustling leaves/palm fronds or a rainstorm anytime.
YAY! Happy Birthday Kate…you made it to KERF! How exciting and Matt is such a wonderful husband!!! I am SO jealous. I can’t wait till you see your surprise!
what a super birthday surprise for kate – happy birthday!
i actually do not like the sound of cicadas because to me, it signals that summer is on the downturn – and the days are getting shorter now, too!
Aww, that was adorable. Husband points for sure!
I finalllllly got a french press, but still have yet to use it, haha.
What a thoughtful surprise, happy birthday Kate!!
What a sweet birthday greeting from Matt to Kate! All the best to you on your 29th, Kate!
I just printed The New York Times coffee recipe! I am going to try it.
You have the most unique bowls! I guess you need different bowls and such when you have a food blog. You probably would not want to use the same bowl for every smoothie and such photo shoot
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Aww, sweet Happy Birthday message.
The cicadas ANNOY me!! They are SOOOO loud!
annnnd Michael Buble!! *squeee!*
I cold brew in my french press in the ‘fridge… it is called cold brewing! I might try it at room temp tonight though.
Haha…I’m pretty sure I KNOW Matt(and he was always so nice)! UNC’s taking over KERF!
Happy Birthday Kate
Matt is a keeper!!
Seriously need to try Choffy! Stat! BTW, I tried cottage cheese in my bowl of oats today – it was AMAZING Kath!
My favorite summer sound too!
Matt that is so sweet! Kate is so lucky!
I love the sound of cicadas, it reminds me of my trip to Spain
awww happy bday kate!
so sweet he emailed you! happy birthday kate
So cute! Happy Birthday Kate!!
That has got to be one of the cutest things ever. Happy Birthday Kate!
Happy Birthday Kate!! I love birthdays!!
Such a cute birthday shout-out! Happy birthday Kate!
Super sweet Birthday treat for Kate! happy Birthday Kate!
The way you feel about crickets in the morning is how I feel about City sounds… ahhhhh so soothing hahaha
Yes, I have been 29 years old for years now.
I love the sound of cicadas, too. I was just telling my kids that their sound takes me back to be a little kid. We can hear them at night through their windows and there is no other soothing sound like it.
Kate’s one of my closest friends from high school!!! Happy B-Day, Busy Bee!! Great job, Matt
Thank you to Kath, too!!
Cicadas sure are nice to listen to, but not so fun to have swarming your living space! They got super bad in Nashville this year — they were everywhere!
What a sweet birthday note! Happy Birthday!
Thank you Kath for helping my sweet husband with such a great birthday message!! As per usual, I sat down at my desk to enjoy my lunch and catch up on blogs. Your blog is always my first stop, so I had a bite of sandwich and as I was reading, I thought “Wow, someone else named Kate has a birthday today.” Then, I kept reading and almost choked on my sandwich especially when I saw the picture of us! This has got to be the most unique birthday surprise ever! Thank you to everyone for their nice comments too
I will never forget my 29th birthday!
YAY you’re here!!!! So glad you enjoyed the surprise!!
[Such a sweet + attentive husband!!]
Happy Birthday, Kate! What a fun surprise on your 29th (I turned 29 in May
)
Happy birthday Kate! Kath, have you ever used xantham gum in your smoothies? What’s your take on it?
I haven’t. It may be natural, but it’s not quite real food enough for me to buy just to put in a smoothie
i use xanthan gum in my mixes alot – great for bulking it up slightly more….. psyllium husk is another i add often – it helps make a more satisfying and filling breakfast and i get my fibre intake boost
awww, that’s adorable! How sweet of her hubby to think of doing something like this!
I love the little Michael Buble reference!
That is such a cute bowl. I love the sound of cicadas at night! It reminds me of my lakehouse. mwahhh I miss it.
The birthday message is adorable! Happy birthday Kate – you’ve got a keeper. Enjoy your day.
Happy Birthday to Kate!
Your hubs is definitely a keeper!
Have you ever lived in a place that has periodic cicadas? Ask your mom what 17 year cicadas in Towson are like!
To me, the annual summer ones are the sound of “summer is passing and soon it will be back to school time.”
I love listening to the annual summer ones. With the temps a little cooler this past weekend, I opened the window so I could listen at night. The 17 year cicadas are horrendous. I was driving through an area about 2 years ago that had them. I thought the noise was my car breaking down. This was on a busy interstate. They were so loud.
aw such a cute birthday wish!
That is so cute. Happy Birthday Kate!
I’m the birthday girl’s Mom. I sure feel better today than I did 29 years ago at this time! HAHA! But it all was worth it. Happy birthday to my baby girl. Kate got a terrific guy in Matt and he got a terrific gal in her.
Wow, that’s one attentive husband! Kate’s a lucky lady.
Love the bday wish idea! But I HATE crickets and cicadas…I have one that lives outside my window and refuses to join the chorus. While the others are like ‘chirp! chirp! chirp!’, he’s all like ‘drrrrrrpppp! drrp! (pause) drrp!’. Hate him!
aw, this is so sweet! I hope she was surprised!!