Summer Means…

Alternate titles for this post:

“Commence Operation: Grill Everything.”

Or

“Take advantage of outdoor pictures while they’re still possible.”

Summer means…

Giant.

Fresh.

Salads.

Outdoor dining with Mom.

Have you ever seen goat cheese with black in it?

I have, and it scared me.  Beets, however, don’t scare me one bit.

It means adopting a bike while it’s nice enough to ride outside.

For the record, Joey is the one doing the riding.

It means only turning on the oven under emergency circumstances.

Replenishing your granola is definitely an emergency situation. 

And for the record, this granola is amazing.  

Even if you make some changes:

• 1/2 cup almonds —-> 1/4 cup almonds and 1/4 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup sucanat —-> 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1/4 cup brown rice syrup —-> 1 tablespoon maple syrup
• 3 tablespoons Maple Cinnamon Almond Butter with hemp, flax, chia —-> 2 tablespoons Justin’s Maple Almond Butter
• 2 vanilla beans, scraped & 1/2 teaspoon almond extract —-> 2 extra teaspoons of vanilla extract

Fact: I almost always cut back on the amount of sugar in recipes.  I like to err on the side of caution.  I can always add more if I want something to be sweeter.

This granola was just right the way I made it.

Oh and remember what I said about only using the oven in emergency situations?

Well, summer means…

Patty pan season! 

And baking stuffed patty pan squash is also an emergency. 

Do you see the baby patty pan top??

Look, there it is!

   And one lone zucchini boat.

Summer means firing up the grill whenever possible.

Even if that means losing a few good shrimp.

It also means following dinner up with some granola and peanut butter-topped vanilla Blue Bell ice cream, while watching True Grit.

Please don’t leave me, Summer.

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Finish this sentence: “Summer means _______________.”

Happy Friday, my dears.