Me encanta la Tierra!

It was another wonderful Earth Day celebration in Forest Park!  This is the holiday/festival I most look forward to every year.  The weather this past weekend was amazing.  I like to think that the Earth is basking in her day and gives us the best weather to help us appreciate her even more!  After recycling our massive recycling pile, er, mountain, Chris and I (ok, I) packed a picnic.  I made my favorite picnic staple: lemony olive tuna salad (see below for recipe).  We also brought homemade slaw, whole wheat crackers, an Asian pear, apples, some Cooking Light Vanilla Bean Shortbread cookies, and pita chips with Trader Joe's basil white bean hummus.  My mom contributed some delicious fresh pineapple and dried mango and papaya.  Of course, there was beer and wine to be had as well.  

Lemony Olive Tuna Salad:

2 cans chunk light tuna in water

3/4 - 1 cup red onion, diced finely

1/2-1 cup Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped

1/2 cup chopped parsley 

juice of one lemon

pepper to taste

These measurements are just estimates, I put in however much I think looks and tastes good.

My dad brought his stunt kite along!  He hasn't brought this out since my brother and I were little and had to be held down while we held the strings so that we didn't lift off!  My dad actually made and designed this beautiful kite!  

It was the perfect windy day for flying a kite.  There were so many cute families flying their own kites all over the field.  

My mom and I watched this Capoeira group dance for a while, they were really cool!

After lounging in Forest Park for 5 hours reading, eating, and meandering through the festival, Chris and I went to meet his parents (who couldn't make it to Earth Day) at Racconelli's Pizza in the Loop.  We had a lovely dinner.  Chris and I shared a salad, and we all split an eggplant pizza.  Their crust was the BEST!  Crispy and chewy at the same time.

After pizza and salad, we ended our perfect day with the perfect treat: "'Fro Yo' hands in the aiiiiiiir!"  This is a brilliantly conceptualized frozen yogurt shop.  They have several soft serve frozen yogurt pulls along the wall that are self-serve.  You just pick up a cup, pick your flavor, or in my case flavorS, then you pick your toppings, and they charge you by the ounce.  Delicious, healthier than Ben and Jerry's across the street, and FUN!