One of my favorite things to do in the summertime is to slice a tomato and eat it all by itself, because for these few summer months tomatoes are at their peak and are so sweet and juicy. I just slice and add salt and pepper, simple as that! They become the perfect snack, or the perfect addition to any meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. My other fave summer veggie are cucumbers that beg to be eaten just sliced with a little garlic salt or Cajun seasoning. My other favorite thing to do with these beauties is to make a fresh summer tomato and cucumber salad that is the easiest side dish to accompany any weeknight meal or summertime backyard BBQ's.
We have a tradition...me and the hubs...a tradition that we sort of work our schedules around if at all possible. It's something so simple, but is essential to a successful weekend if you ask us. It usually involves a full belly and way too much enthusiasm for two 30 year olds to have for such an activity. Sundays, for us are all about the nap.
This is how our Sundays typically go.
We wake up, we head to church, we brunch (at home or out), we walk the pups (you know to walk off the delicious brunch), we take an epic nap (crucial), wake up sometimes walk the pups again, I cook dinner, we eat, watch a little TV and savor the last weekend moments before Monday slaps us in the face at 5:30 AM (that's what time Canean's alarm goes off, I usually get out of the bed around 5:57 AM, give or take a minute.)
That combination right there equals Sunday success. Well...if you are us it does.
"He was just like summer, and she loved summer. If she had any wish, it would be to live a lifetime of summers. " Anna Godbersen, Bright Young Things.
I have great memories from my childhood of Summer. Summer meant no alarm clocks, pool days, sleepovers, cute boys, plenty of ice cream, and tan skin...
I have always loved summertime and still do.
I know it's scorching hot, and Spring just seems so much nicer, but there is just something about summertime that I fall in love with all over again every year.
It's summer, maybe not officially, but the heat tells me that summer is here. At least in Louisiana, which means one thing. Lots of grilling to be had! And you are going to want to make my charred spicy BBQ grilled chicken with parmesan thyme potato wedges all summer long!
Sometimes I have no idea why we grill in the summer more because it is hot as balls (excuse my French), but seriously it's 4,000 degrees outside and we decide it's a great idea to go and stand by a lit fire and grill some stuff...brilliant. But it just tastes so good that we have to! It just goes with summer, sweat and all, you just have to grab a cold beer, and get to grilling.
Canean and I love BBQ almost as much as we love each other, and making BBQ at home is one of my favorite summer spreads. The key to good BBQ chicken is to slow cook it and add a little char at the end in my opinion. There is nothing better than crispy skin smothered in your favorite sauce..yum!
This sauce is an old faithful that I go to out of my Southern Living cookbook. It's so good that I have never tampered with it too much, just a few minor adjustments. It's sweet and spicy and dark in color and is just delicious! The potatoes are the perfect side and you might even want to dip them into the BBQ sauce..get crazy with it! This is your BBQ after all.
Do you ever read a recipe and it sounds great, but there is one problem...you don't have the fancy tool required to make it? I have been there, and over time I have collected what I think are the essentials for the kitchen to make life a little easier. These are my go-to weekly tools that I use all the time, and I want to share them with you! I'm sharing my top ten kitchen essentials that I think every home cook should invest in!
Meet Kallie and Lauren...the founders of the growing farm to fork delivery service, Country Table. If you live in the Baton Rouge, Louisiana area you might already be familiar with the services that these two ladies are providing. If not, you need to get familiar...and I'm here to help you out a little bit! I had the pleasure of sitting down and getting to know all about, what they are all about and I couldn't resist sharing it with you!
I am a huge fan of buying local food and creating your weekly menu based off of whatever is available for the season and the week. You know where it came from, you are supporting local farmers, and it just tastes so much better!
Country Table is doing it right...bringing local produce, meats, fresh eggs, and even beauty products right to your doorstep, doing the hard work for you...all you have to do is eat it!
Pretty awesome! Just look at these berries!
