Weekend Dispatch

What we were expecting to be one of the worst weeks weather-wise here at the Jersey shore has turned out to be quite nice so far.  However, my friends in central PA haven't been so lucky. They've had over 12 inches of rain in just a day or so and have experienced widespread flooding. Keeping everyone in my thoughts and hoping for drier weather soon. In the meantime, here's what I'm up to this week whether it's rainy or sunny.

The 51st Haskell Invitational is happening on Sunday, July 29th at Monmouth Park Racetrack. Kentucky Derby runnerup Good Magic is expected to be the betting favorite when the field of 3-year-old thoroughbreds compete for a purse of $1 million.

And Saturday, July 28th is Ladies' Day with Lilly Pulitzer, an event that benefits the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. There will be a Lilly Pulitzer fashion show and a ladies' hat competition.

More info on both events and other Monmouth Park events can be found HERE.

If you want to live your best life (and who doesn't??), you need to start listening to Oprah's podcast SuperSoul Conversations. This podcast aims to awaken, discover and connect you to the deeper meaning of the world around you. That sounds really serious, but Oprah's conversations with her guests are incredibly relatable and down to earth. Three of my favorite episodes include the ones with Michael Pollan, Brené Brown, and Amy Schumer. Listen HERE.

After buying a little too much corn at the farmers' market on Sunday, I was left with extra cobs and nothing to do with them. But it didn't take long to find a solution when I was reading the July/August Food Network magazine. I stumbled up on recipe for Parmesan-basil corn cakes. The pic looked delicious, and since I had every ingredient on hand already, I decided to make them. They were so good, but I definitely felt like they needed some sort of dipping sauce. We used hot sauce, but something a little thicker and heartier would have been perfect.

Summer and sangria go hand in hand. There's hardly a better drink to have in your hand at the end of a warm summer's day. When I found this recipe for sunset sangria, I was pretty much on it immediately. We'll ignore the fact that it was 10 am. 🤫 The color is so pretty (just like a gorgeous sunset) and it tastes even better than it looks.

photo via

When I first started Weekend Dispatch I featured a podcast where author Jane Green opened up to an audience in a podcast about the temptation of adultery that she experienced. If you've never listened to Jane Green's voice, you are missing out. She has the most delightful British accent, and there's an animation in her voice that's captivating. Now Green has written a short story, Greener Grass, about the very experience she spoke of in that podcast. You can download it HERE. It's a quick and entertaining read. If interested, you can listen to the podcast episode HERE.

So, tell me. What do you have planned this weekend?