Each year I head out to visit my niece (AKA Little Miss Party) and her family in Quogue, NY. Let me just say it's always an adventure. We usually hang out, cook, swim, dine out and play with her two little boys. But most of all, we get silly stupid and laugh...a lot.

This was a bit of a different trip. I came into New York City on a Friday afternoon. We went out to dinner to Joe's Shanghai before driving out to the house. I witnessed my 6 year old great nephew down what seemed like an entire order of soup dumplings ( I think he consumed 6 or 8, I can't remember). The food was amazing and these kids are treated like celebrities at this place. Most likely because they have been going there since conception.

Normally, I spend an entire week with the whole family because my date of travel falls in the summertime when her kids are off school. This time around, I wasn't able to book the trip during my standard week in July due to a scheduling conflict at work.

So here I am .........ALONE IN THE HAMPTONS. Yes, they went back to the city to work and school on Sunday and left me out here for some much needed R & R. But before they ended their weekend stay we did lunch in a grand way.

As you can see, this was a special collaboration of LMP, SBE and ABK. The party planner, the food stylist and the barbecue master.

The menu for lunch was as follows:

Quogue Grilled Chicken Salad

and

Simply Beautiful Spiced Grilled Nectarines

You may or may not know this but I'm stuck on making an avocado rose. The best I can do is making pretty cucumbers and oranges. It doesn't take a food carving artist to accomplish this task.

AND.......look how stunning!

Oh wait. You are going to want to know how this is done right? I could try to explain it to you but why not just watch this YouTube video. They use a tomato but it's exactly the same method. Super easy. Basically you are making zigzag cuts in the fruit and veggies. You've got this. Trust me.

Now what about these plates? Target has a wonderful collection of outdoor tableware. We went there to buy some household items on the first full day I was out at the house. When LMP saw these Marimekko for Target beauties they were in her cart faster than you can say chicken salad.

Not having enough time to shop there on that jaunt, I decided to go back there today on my own. It's intimidating putting yourself in the hands of a navigation system but after a few street misses, a couple of traffic circle fails and the part where I thought I would never see the house again, I made it BY MYSELF to Target.

Honestly? I've never been so proud.

Hoping that I would be loaded down with some new clothes and shoes, this is what I came home with after this shopping trip.

Two bananas and some toothpaste. I'm pretty sure I need to declare the toothpaste.

Grilled Chicken with Spiced Nectarines -4 boneless chicken breasts, marinated (use your favorite one) -1 Boston lettuce, washed and torn into bite size pieces -1/4 cup sliced or slivered almonds -1/2 English cucumber, sliced -1 nectarine, sliced -Sesame Ginger Dressing (store bought or homemade) -4 nectarines, halved -extra virgin olive oil -1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon -salt & pepper

Arrange lettuce on a large platter with almonds, cucumber, sliced nectarine. Grill chicken until no longer pink in the centre. About 7 to 8 minutes on the barbecue. Coat nectarines in olive oil and sprinkle with cinnamon and salt and pepper. Use your hands to coat both sides well. Grill for last 3 to 4 minutes while the chicken is still cooking.

Slice chicken and serve over your plated lettuce mixture. Pour sesame ginger dressing over and serve with grilled nectarines on the side. Serves 4.

See ya next week! (If I don't get lost in Quogue)

debi @simplybeautifuleatingsimplybeautifuleating.com