Ready to start your week off on a healthy note? This smoothie should do the trick. Not only does it taste delicious, but has two big bonuses. The beautiful purple shade is hard to resist and definitely resembles more of a treat than something healthy. And what the color doesn’t show, is the hefty amount of ripe summer squash included in this. That means a nice serving of veggies to start the day on the right foot and the munchkins are none the wiser. Big plus for sure, right?
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Planning to do some barbecuing this weekend? I’ve got the perfect side dish to go with anything you’re firing up the grill for whether it be burgers, BBQ chicken, hotdogs, steak, you name it. This Sweet Pea and Fresh Herb Potato Salad can also be a great addition to your weekend vegetarian feast. Or, it makes a fabulous lunch topped with a jammy poached egg. It’s so good and checks 3 important boxes- fast, easy to make, and full of bright, fresh, seasonal flavor.
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Can you ever have enough hummus in your life? I’d say no. There’s so many different flavor combos you can make with chickpeas and it is such a perfect compliment to so many situations. Crackers and crudité with friends, mid-morning snack for the munchkins, topped with all the goodies for a giant party platter or loaded with sizzling meat for a delicious meal. (recipes for both of the latter coming soon.) Hummus is almost always a good idea. And lucky for me, my kids agree. Especially little Miss Sparkle, my pickier eater.
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Are you missing traveling these days? I definitely am. I don’t even need some far away exotic location, though. I think right about now I’d be pretty happy with a trip to a cafe right here in Istanbul for some good eats and a little chit-chat with girlfriends. Funny (and kind of nice) how all this change in life has made us really grateful for the little things and hopefully learn not to take them for granted. Perhaps for most (fingers-crossed,) that will be a long-lasting effect of life post Covid-19, if we ever get there.
For now though, while we are mostly stuck at home, maybe we can find other ways to travel. I know for me, food is always an easy way to be transported to another beloved or bucket list locale. One of the places in the former category for me is Vietnam. About 8 years ago this exact time of year, K & I were lucky enough to take a month long trip to Hong Kong, Vietnam and Indonesia. Circumstances had caused us to cancel our initial honeymoon to Mauritius where the itinerary consisted of mostly relaxing on a beach. And as a result, when we were able to take the trip 8 months later, we were able to think about what we might rather do instead.
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Today is the first official day of summer. And that means it also happens to be my birthday, along with my twin brother’s. Having our birthdays always conincide with the longest day of the year and the kick off to the school’s out/ warm weather season, almost always meant two things- we usually celebrated with some sort of outdoor pool or park party and watermelon was always on the menu. This year will be different in more ways than one, but at least there’s still my favorite fruit. And one of the ways I plan to enjoy it, is with this Watermelon-Mint Agua Fresca. The perfectly delicious and refreshing cold beverage for this hot and humid summer solstice.
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