Summertime Food

As I write this, I’m breathing a sigh of relief, because the weatherman was wrong when he said the temperature would reach the 90’s here, today. We had the low 80’s, which is ever so much more comfortable. 😉

But there’s no denying that summer is coming! So, as we approach the unofficial start of the season (Memorial Day Weekend), I thought it was time for another installment of Lucky Seven. 😀

For this week, I have . . .

7 Favorite Summertime Foods

1. Corn on the Cob
Sweet and Delish – especially when it’s very fresh!

2. Watermelon (Even better when it’s part of a big ole fruit salad that’s been placed in a scooped-out watermelon shell!)

3. A Hot Dog on the grill is about as traditional as you can get for summer food. Ok, they’re not good for you, but as Socrates once said: “Everything in moderation”. I’ll take mine with plenty of mustard and relish, please!

4. Grilled Veggies
A colorful medley of fresh vegetables with olive oil and herbs, wrapped in foil, and cooked on the grill? Oh la la!

5. Potato Salad
The best is homemade, of course. The ladies in our family liked to add hardboiled eggs and chopped sweet pickles – oh so good! Gosh, I almost drooled on the keyboard. 😉

6. Seafood
Here in New England, lobster and clams are a big part of summer dining. They’re easy to cook and fun to eat at the backyard picnic table, where nobody cares how messy you are!

7. Ice Cream
Whether it’s sundaes, scoops, cones, Klondike Bars, frozen yogurt, or Popsicles – I scream, you scream, we all scream . . . 😉

What are some of your favorite summer foods?

Hugs,

crystal-1b3-copy-flatfullwidth

Ode to Summer

Here in New England, our temperatures dipped below freezing last night, which isn’t really that unusual for May. We’re always warned to avoid planting tender annual flowers before Memorial Day because until then, there’s always a chance of frost.

Actually, I’m kind of relishing these last few cooler days. Summer is going to be here any second, and truth be told, I don’t look forward to it as much as I used to. I really wilt during those very hot and humid days.

curlyline

But I LOVED summer while I was growing up. The heat wasn’t really an issue then, because we used to spend the summers in a little cottage near a lake. We would get up early, have breakfast, pack a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, a big jar of kool-aid, and head for the beach. We’d stay in the water swimming until our lips turned blue!

On the lake, there was a wooden raft with a diving board. It was a big deal when a kid became a good enough swimmer to be allowed to “go to the raft”. 🙂 We’d swim out there, dive off a few times and then head back to shore, where we’d literally flop onto a towel and have lunch. Swimming made you hungry and those hastily prepared sandwiches always tasted so good after a swim. Of course, our mothers insisted that we wait an hour after eating (warning us we could drown if we swam on a full stomach). During that hour, we’d create elaborate sand castles with multi-level moats, and car sculptures, and an occasional “sand cake” (a pail was used to mold the cake, with leaves, sticks, and pebbles as the decorations!).

On cooler summer days, we’d ride our bikes, or grab a sand pail and go blueberry picking. (We usually ate as many berries as we gathered, but somehow there were always enough for my mother to make a blueberry cake.) When it rained, we spent hours with coloring books and crayons, or playing cards, or board games. It was a wonderful, simple, carefree time.

curlyline

The painting you see above, hangs in our home now. Several years ago, we were at a charity event, where all proceeds went to benefit a community art museum. I absolutely fell in love with this painting. It so reminds me of many happy summers in my life. Sir Beads and I were lucky enough to be the high bidders and it made us feel good to also be helping the art museum. We both strongly believe that art should be encouraged and supported as much as possible – especially now that more and more schools, with shrinking budgets, are having to cut it from the curriculum.

These days, the best part of summer for me is the time we spend with the extended family. There are more events and gatherings than in winter, and I cherish the chance to reconnect with the ones I love. I get through the muggy days dreaming of autumn – my favorite season! 😉

crystal-1b3-copy-flatfullwidth