Martha’s "50 Ways of Summer"
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you should know that I love me some Martha Stewart, and I especially love me some Everyday Food. In this summer’s issue, there’s a huge list of summery things to do/eat, and I got happy/hungry just reading it. I wanted to share it with you, just in case your summer has been lame and you need some ideas. Kidding! It’s because I love you and I want you to enjoy some of this summery goodness. I’ve managed to do the ones in bold so far:
- Eating a ripe peach at its peak. (Georgia, baby!)
- Dig into a funnel cake or corn dog at a state fair or hometown street festival.
- Spend the day outdoors loaded up with picnic fare. (Picnics have always been my fav.)
- Watermelon juice for a day at the beach: puree the fruit in a blender and don’t forget the ice.
- Make homemade barbecue sauce for grilled chicken or ribs. (On my to-do list, for sure.)
- Strawberry ice cream in a waffle cone is worth sticky fingers.
- Sharing a box of saltwater taffy on the boardwalk.
- Throw summery herbs like basil and cilantro into a dinner salad. (Wanted to do this just the other day!)
- BLTs with heirloom tomatoes and smoky, thick cut bacon. (Heaven.)
- After picking blueberries and eating your fill, freeze the rest for pancakes.
- Your turn to grill dinner? Good time for a cold beer.
- Corn on the cob with salt, pepper and fresh lime.
- Cooking what you’ve bought at the farmers’ market as soon as you get home.
- A big pitcher of punch or sangria made with seasonal fruit. (Yes, please!)
- Making jam or pickling vegetables.
- Cracker Jacks and foot-long hot dog at the ball park.
- Coconut-cherry smoothie: Pitted cherries blended with coconut milk and ice- hammock and warm breeze optional.
- A special occasion calls for a double-crusted jumble-berry pie with raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
- Delicious potato salad: toss the spuds with dressing while they’re still warm.
- Sipping the perfect iced coffee. The secret ingredient? Cubes of frozen coffee.
- Salads for dinner because it’s too hot to cook.
- You haven’t made strawberry shortcake yet? Get cracking!
- Best tomato sandwich: thick slices of juicy beefsteaks, mayo, salt and pepper on lightly toasted bread.
- Make a refreshing Arnold Palmer: half iced tea, half lemonade.
- Thunderstorm? Have fun indoors with board games and homemade ice pops. (So cute, Martha.)
- Sunset cocktails on the beach. (I wish!)
- Eating leftover pie for breakfast.
- Trade some of your bumper crop of zucchini for a neighbor’s sweet peppers.
- Fresh shrimp on soft white bread with malt vinegar. (Never heard of this..?)
- Use chocolate wafers for ice cream sandwiches. (Just bought some amazing cookies for this purpose, you’ll see soon!)
- Pucker up: slurp a fresh-squeezed limeade sweetened with agave.
- Perfect your dry-rub recipe, then enjoy the raves.
- Savor a lobster roll on a buttered, griddled hot-dog bun. (Never had a lobster roll, is that weird?)
- Fresh and fuss-free: gazpacho or tomato bread salad. (Bread salad is a go-to summer dish around here.)
- Beach bonfire and clam bake.
- Spice up fish or pork with mango salsa.
- Any excuse for a pool party.
- Stir pesto into softened butter and add to grilled corn, vegetables or steak.
- Unexpected dessert: grilled plums and nectarines.
- Bacon-wrapped scallop kebabs.
- Snack on pretty radishes with sweet butter and sea salt.
- Grilling burgers to order for a crowd.
- A pulled-pork sandwich with extra coleslaw.
- A refrigerator filled with watermelons and beer.
- Nothing beats chips and salsa (homemade, of course).
- A big jug of iced tea with fresh spearmint.
- Eating tomatoes off the vine.
- Finding the perfect stick for roasting marshmallows.
- Bowls of corn chowder or an unexpectedly cool evening. (Maybe tomorrow?)
- Sitting in the pool eating watermelon.
Which of these have you enjoyed so far this summer? Which ones are you dying to try before September rolls around? Are there any must-do summer favorites that you would add to the list?
Pool party?? Lucky lady.
Missing you.
Strawberry shortcake goes right to the top of my list! I’m kinda curious about the cherry-coconut combo, I’ve never tried it before.
I’ll have another month of summer, please…it’s just too short! How about sitting on the screened porch in the evening, just listening to the crickets? Your list reminded me that it’s been too long since we’ve been on a picnic- must do that!
Enjoyed blueberry picking last week, made muffins and still have plenty leftover for snacking!
Love the list!
This is a great list, I only wish I saw it sooner!
Emmy, I want to put an in-ground pool in this minute. Please come dig a hole with me.
Jeane, agreed. We have to get to the bottom of this cherry coconut thing.
Scrambledhenfruit, I’m a big cricket listener, too!
Julie, lucky girl! I’m hoping to plant some blueberry bushes ASAP.
Jess, we still have lots of hot GA summer left!