July 4th LOBSTAH FEST: Fresh Salt at Saybrook Inn

For the July 4th holiday week, we wanted to take a mini road trip to enjoy a quiet New England beach town.  Using his excellent travel research skills, DJ found the quaint Saybrook Point Inn in Old Saybrook, CT.  Located right on a marina, this super kid-friendly place boasts lovely views of the ocean, a spa, and both an outdoor and indoor pool (in case of a rainy day).  It wasn't quite as close to the beach as we expected (driving distance rather than walking), but we loved hanging out at the pool and enjoying the serene view from our window.

An unexpected bonus: during the days we were there, it was Lobster Fest at Fresh Salt - the fabulous restaurant connected to the inn!  AND, you could get anything from the menu through room service.  AND, you could add lobster as a topping to any of their salads.  A total win: we could just relax in our bummy clothes and let the toddler run free in our room while enjoying some awesome meals.  Over the course of our stay, we ate so much lobster we agreed we probably would not crave it for the rest of the year.  Totally a splurge, totally worth it.  

TREAT YO SELF: Lobstah Edition

Quintessential Lobster Roll

Lobster Mango Salad

Lobster over Heirloom Tomato Salad

Rhode Island Clam Chowder

Fried Seafood Platter and Sriracha Calamari

Scallops with Caesar Salad

Berry Burrata Salad with Steak

Berry Burrata Salad with Lobster

Backyard Basil in Watermelon Feta Salad

With the help of DJ's uncle, we started a small herb garden this year.  Neither of us have a green thumb, but everything has been growing pretty well and holding up to the summer heat.

 

The basil came in the fastest and strongest, so we decided to give it a try in a refreshing summer salad.  

 

We found this delightful recipe for a Summer Watermelon Salad with Cucumber, Feta and Mint (and basil) and immediately started drooling.  

We skipped the honey since we're avoiding sugars and used coconut oil instead of olive oil to compensate for the sweetness.  So simple and so tasty! 

 

And we are very proud of our backyard basil.   This success has definitely boosted our gardening confidence.  Next year we may try cucumbers!