Locally Grown Produce

With the summer harvest in high gear, I try to buy and cook locally grown produce.
In my area strawberries, greens, summer squash, zucchini, cucumbers, corn, cauliflower, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, blueberries, winter squash, and peaches are available.
Here are a couple of great recipes that are perfect for a picnic or a dinner party and use all the freshest produce.
Strawberry Salad
1 Tbsp sugar
1-1/2 Tbsp white vinegar
1/4 cup minced Vidalia or red onion
1 tsp poppyseeds
1/4 cup light mayo
1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 head of Romaine lettuce
16oz strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
Whisk sugar and vinegar in large bowl, until sugar is dissolved. Stir in onion, poppyseeds, mayo and yogurt until well combined.Add romaine to dressing; toss until leaves are lightly and evenly coated. Divide salad among four individual salad plates; garnish with strawberry slices.
Grilled Zucchini & Peppers
3/4 lb zucchini, sliced diagonally in 1/2-inch rounds
1/2 lb sweet red pepper, halved, seeded, cut in 1/2-inch strips
2 Tbsp Oil
Preheat grill on MEDIUM 10 min.
Clean grill with wire brush. Using soft cloth, coat grill grate lightly with vegetable oil.Drizzle zucchini and pepper with oil. Sear on both sides. Grill, turning every 1-2 min, until both sides are grill-marked and vegetables are knife-tender, 10-12 min.
Enjoy the harvest.

Fruit Kabobs

I’ve been invited to a tennis party and I’m bringing the appetizer. With all the fresh fruits of summer in season, I decided to bring a plate of fruit kabobs. They’re so colorful and tasty and what could be more refreshing after a few sets of tennis?! If you’re short on time, most grocery store have pre- chunked fruit or a fruit salad bar, which is a bit more expensive but it’s a timesaver.
Or if you’re really cramped for time you can order a pre made platter
http://www.fruitfreshup.com/catalog.asp?prodid=593023
I found a recipe for a creamy orange dip that sounds delicious.
Here’s all you need
Creamy Orange Dip
1 jar marshmallow creme, 7 oz.
1 cream cheese, 1 - 8 oz. pkg.
2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed

Summer Festivals

Food fests, art fests, music fests…whatever the fest they’re on my families to do list. Our city hosts the second largest food festival in the country. Over 60 restaurants serve up their specialty dishes to thousands of hungry patrons. Our arts festival began in 1958 and has grown and thrived over the past 50 years. It’s set in a lovely part of town where over 400 exhibitors show their art. At this festival, it’s as much fun to watch the people, as it is to look at the art. The ethnic fests are a great place to get a taste of the culture. My favorite is the Italian festival. The streets are lined with vendors selling everything from cannoli to sausage with peppers and onions, yum. My daughters love to go down to the art museum on Sundays to enjoy the outdoor jazz festival. We find a shady spot, set up the chairs, pop open the picnic basket and kick back, relax and enjoy the music.
If you'd like to find a festival in your neighborhood check out this informative site.
http://www.festivals.com/

Summer Entertaining

Long summer days and warm evenings, mean more time to entertain outdoors. Living in the great white north, I really appreciate summer. When one party is over, I’m busy planning the next one. Whether you prefer a beach party or a backyard barbeque here are some great tips I found to help make every party a success.
A giant umbrella offers relief from the sun and they look good.
Pre-hang some miniature lights and add some candles and your party goes from day to night effortlessly.
I like to throw shawls over the chair backs in case it gets chilly.
Have plenty of icy cold beverages to choose from. I serve mine from a bright red galvanized tub loaded with ice.
Keep the oven off, a crudite is a great no cook appetizer.
http://www.fruitfreshup.com/catalog.asp?prodid=593027&showprevnext=1
Serve cold soups, my favorite is gazpacho.
Corn on the cob is a hit at any party. If you’d like to upscale it, stack the corn and drizzle with herb butter.
Fresh fruit is always refreshing and it can also serve as a dessert, just add ice cream. Here’s a fruit tray that looks as good as it tastes.
http://www.fruitfreshup.com/catalog.asp?prodid=593023
Last but not least… always have a backup plan in case mother nature doesn’t cooperate.
Party on the patio this weekend.

A Day At The Beach!

The dog days of summer have finally arrived. That means fun, sun and surf. The kids and I plan to spend Saturday basking in the sun on the beach. Packing for the day can be a real hassle.

Here’s the checklist I use to help make it a little easier.

Tote bag - I use a plastic one because it easy to clean

Over-sized beach towel , blanket or beach chair

Hair brush, hair ties and a hat Sunglasses Sunscreen - I keep mine in a zip lock bag to avoid messy leaks

Baby wipes - great to clean up sandy hands

Band aids, insect repellant

Frozen bottles of water Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches, trail mix, pretzels, fresh fruit, hard candies

Reading Material

Music

Sports equipment

Beach toys, floats etc.

Enjoy!

Summer Camp

My daughter leaves for an overnight sports camp on Sunday. The kids stay in college dorms, with no amenities. Last year she forgot her pillow and I had to Fed-Ex it to her the next day. She used a rolled up towel as a pillow and wound up with a sore neck, I spent too much on shipping and wound up with a sore pocket book. That experience taught us a few things and hopefully this year we won’t forget anything.
This is our packing checklist for camp…
Sheets
Blanket
Pillow
Towels
Fan, dorm rooms are hot!
Shorts, T-Shirts, underwear, Sports Bras and socks
Pajamas, clothes to relax in
Toiletries like deodorant, soap, shampoo & conditioner
I always throw in a few band aids just in case
Swimsuit
Sun screen
Sports equipment
Cleats and sneakers
Alarm clock
Spending money for keepsakes
Case of water bottles and sports drink
Healthy snacks like fresh fruit, dried fruit and trail mix, give the kids extra energy and they’re all natural
Here's to the happy camper!

Family Vacation

We’re hitting the highway for a family beach vacation! The challenge, a twelve hour car ride, with three teenagers and two adults, fun wow! Long road trips have gotten easier thanks to i-pods, DVD players and video games, but the eternal question still remains, “When are we going to get there?”
To help make the journey more enjoyable, I found some fun car games online http://www.momsminivan.com/bigkids.html
Oh, and most important, I’m packing great snacks for the ride.
Here’s what I’m packing…
1. Cut Fruits and Vegetables - High sugary snacks can get the kids hyper so I choose to go with natural foods.
http://www.fruitfreshup.com/catalog.asp?prodid=593019
http://www.fruitfreshup.com/catalog.asp?prodid=593025&showprevnext=1
2. Water Bottles- Staying hydrated on a long trip is important.
3. Trail Mix – Satisfy your sweet tooth with a dried fruit and nut mix.
4. Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches
5. Cheese Sticks & Crackers
6. Paper Plates, Napkins and Utensils
7. Paper Towels, for accidental spills.
8. Hand Wipes – to keep everyone germ free.

Have a safe trip!