A Warm, Sun-Drenched Weekend in February & Grilled Miso Snapper

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What a beautiful, warm weekend we had here in Kansas City! The thermometer tipped over the seventy degree mark, and if not for the bare trees lining the boulevards we would have sworn it was spring. Happy people were running and biking and skipping in shorts everywhere we looked. SHORTS! Yes, I got out shorts on Saturday for the lot of us. It was a bit strange digging for them in the back of my closet it being February and all, but thrilling nonetheless.

The whole week had been pretty warm, actually. On Thursday I threw open all the windows that allowed for it in this old home. Most are on a rope pulley system and could use a bit of repair, but work just fine if you are really wanting to let a bit of fresh air in. It was a windy day on Thursday and the warm winter breeze tugged at our curtains, pulling them this way and that. That afternoon I swung open the porch doors and let the smell of the outdoors find its way inside these walls, a familiar smell I missed so very much…a simple scent of warm Midwest air that cannot be matched.

That night I had my dear friend Bev over for girl night, something I rarely do these days but ought to weave into the week more often. It was so relaxing getting to hang out in the living room sipping wine together. We talked about everything from our kids to summer travel to blogging to the wonderful word “authenticity” (wink wink) to snapchat…which I ended up getting and love. I am sure you know all of this by now, but if not, unlike Instagram, snapchat is all about videos (more or less) and a bit more casual in nature, for me at least. There are no grids, no likes, no comments, no filters (unless you want to make weird faces) just a snapshot of your day to make up a story. I have been snapping with family who live far away and they have been loving seeing the kids and little parts of our day. That night, Bev and I did a snap parody of Joan and Melissa covering the ever controversial topic of chardonnay vs. sauvignon blanc. You guys, my face hurt after making and watching it we laughed so hard. Did anyone see this? So so funny and fun to make. Anyway, here’s to being a goof and not taking social media so seriously! I’m over there at amandakwatters if you’re on snapchat, too.

Back to this weekend, this deliciously warm weekend, where everything took on a golden color as if the hours were bathing in sunlight. I know you know that feeling, where everything seems to shimmer and dance with a general lightness once the seasons start to turn. The five of us spent so much time outside enjoying these warm days. The kids got really dirty in our yard, which right now looks more or less like The Sandlot where The Beast lives. We are in the first stages of new outdoor projects so welcome to MUD and a lot of it. Aside from kicking the soccer ball around and raking the dirt, we took several strolls around our neighborhood, visited the park, and walked to get groceries. One of our very favorite things to do as a family when the weather is nice enough is to take long walks on the trail and then stop by the market on our way back home. I’ll usually bring along few canvas totes we’ll fill them up with groceries for supper, plus a few random things the kids pick out as we go up and down the aisles. These days Stella picks gum and Theodore clementines.

On Saturday night it was so warm Andrew and I go to walk to the restaurant for date night! A new one opened up nearby we’ve been waning to try. On our way we talked about our spring renovation plans and held hands and admired front porches of old homes we passed by. We sat at the marble bar for a few hours and sipped whisky cocktails shaken with egg whites. We ate sheets of homemade pasta and had pistachio gelato for dessert. The two of us had such a good time. On our walk back home to our babies, we both agreed  more date night walks will be in our future. So romantic!

On Sunday after church we took turns taking naps and playing on our tree swing. We turned on classic country and never put on shoes and sat on our sun porch. Although I hardly picked up my big girl camera throughout the string of these warmer days, I did manage to take a few photos of the beginning stages of our grilled snapper supper and what my loves were up to while I got everything prepped. I caught Andrew and Alfie on the hammock, Theodore playing out back, and Stella running nonstop in and out of the house because she could. Meanwhile, I sipped chablis (which we here in Missourah call CHAB-LISS) and made a variation of Gwyneth Paltrow’s snapper recipe from It’s All Good, one of my very favorite cookbooks. Per her suggestion, I have been adding white miso to a lot of my recipes lately. I thought it would pair nicely with the snapper, so I made a little sauce to coat the fish inside and out before grilling. It turned out to be really good.

Miso Mint Lemon Sauce 

  • 1 tablespoon white miso paste
  • 1 small handful fresh mint leaves
  • the juice of one lemon
  • 1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1/2 cup olive oil
  • pinch of salt and pepper

To prepare, mix all the ingredients in a blender or food processor until well incorporated. We drizzle this on everything from veggies to pasta to any type of grilled meat. For the snapper, I sliced up a few lemons and put them in the cavity along with a several heaping  tablespoons of the miso mint sauce. I let the fish marinate in the fridge for about an hour before taking it to the hot grill. We bought our fish cleaned so it was very easy to prepare, don’t let whole fish intimidate you! They are far easier to make then you might assume. Just don’t look at the eyeballs for too long.

We grilled it first in aluminum foil over a charcoal grill for about ten minutes on each side, and then for about five minutes on each side without the foil. We knew it was done when the skin was falling off and the flesh was no longer translucent. The meat slid off the bones and was ridiculously easy to carve up. We also grilled up some sweet corn seasoned with old bay and as well as a few lemons to squeeze on the snapper. Andrew’s dad joined us for supper which was such a treat, and everyone licked their plates clean. I didn’t take a final picture of the snapper grilled through, but you can trust me that it looked really pretty.

Ahhhh…what a good weekend! As I type this, it’s thirty seven degrees outside and anything but sunny, but we do have this past string of warm days to look back on…this bright, light-filled weekend where we ran around with bare feet and ate supper on the grill. It makes me so excited for the upcoming season, I can hardly stand it!

 

  • Alicia - We had a summery weekend here too, and it was so lovely! Just makes you wish for more of those kind of days, hehe. 🙂ReplyCancel

  • mariell - This was my favorite blog post of the day, I took time to read with my tea and it just filled me with such calm in expecting a big change in my life; having a baby and moving from London to the norwegian countryside. This is exactly the life I want, calmness and children and hammocks and wine. (and a dishwasher!)ReplyCancel

  • Bec - Sounds like a dreamy weekend! Love when memories come from simple things. Love the blog.ReplyCancel

  • Kizzy - Looks and sounds like a perfect weekend. Always great to catch up with friendsReplyCancel

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