AMERICA! LET'S EAT SUMMER TREATS

Happy Fourth of July everyone! Hopefully your day is filled with family, friends, and fun!

So, I was having a pretty difficult time figuring out exactly what I wanted to post for today (if anything at all). I didn't want to discuss my love for my country, or how cute (or kind if weird looking) I think bald eagles are- so I decided I would do a red white and blue themed post. Classic!

Now, this decision could really go pretty far down a rabbit hole of themes, but what better way to celebrate your independence than with some tasty food!

So here we are folks- my version of a bombpop- my red, white and blue popsicles! I remember eating bombpops all the time during the summer as a kid- and one of the floats in our local town parade gave them out (until food was banned- what gives guys, that was the best part!). So I decided what better way to celebrate our independence, than with a tasty summer treat!

INGREDIENTS:

Red layer:
2 cups raspberries
1/4 cup coconut water- I use this one
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

White layer:
1 cup low-fat vanilla Greek yogurt

Blue layer:
2 cups blueberries
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

INSTRUCTIONS:

1: Blend the fruit for the blue layer and for the red layer with coconut water and lemon juice in a blender individually. You can strain out the seeds in the red layer if you prefer- I left about half of them in, give them some texture.

2: In a separate bowl- mix yogurt and 1/4 cup of coconut water  together.

PUTTING THEM TOGETHER:

1: Fill your popsicle molds about 1/3 of the way full with the red layer. Put them in the freezer for 45 minutes (or until firm to touch).

2: Repeat step 1 for the white layer next, and then the blue later.

3: Once frozen solid (it took them about 6 hours to fully freeze- I left mine in overnight, just for good measure), remove from the popsicle molds, and ENJOY!

NOW:  for some fun Fourth of July pictures.

Do you have any fun plans for the Fourth?

What kinds of food do you like to eat during the Summer?

PEACH + GOAT CHEESE SALAD

My aunt made this salad a few years back for a Summer dinner she had me over to. I was SO impressed by how good it was and how few ingredients there were that actually went in to it. I asked her for her recipe, and it has been a staple at a lot of out Summer meals since.

It is so easy to make and fresh and yummy, and I can't not share it with the world!

INGREDIENTS:

- 4 large peaches - 6 medium peaches

- goat cheese

- red onions

- 1 lemon, juiced

- fresh basil

- olive oil

- pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

1: Cut up the peaches in to thin slices- about 1/4 inch thick. Do the same with the onions.

2: Grab a good size handful of basil leaves (no stems)- roll them and slice them in a thin line, about 1/4 inch.

3: Grab your goat cheese, you can either slice small chunks off of it, or you can pick it apart (since it is a softer cheese). I usually pick it apart by grabbing small pieces and pulling apart- like you are tearing a piece of bread.

4: Once you have placed all of the ingredients in the bowl, squeeze the lemon juice over the "salad". You will only need enough to coat. Same with the olive oil. Pour approximately 1 Tbls.- or enough to cover the other ingredients.

5: Stir all together, and enjoy!

What is your favorite thing to eat for Summer?

Have you had anything at a Summer party you make all the time?

10 (SO EASY A MONKEY COULD DO IT) HAIRSTYLES FOR SUMMER

I  don't know about you, but in the Summer, I am ALWAYS looking for new ways to do my hair- it is warm, being blonde- my color always goes a little wonky, and I am usually so busy that I don't ever have the time to look-up and find cute(r?) ways to style my locks.

So... I went ahead, and preemptively found 10 easy enough styles that look close to effortless, but that will have a big hit (amongst the hair critics I am sure you surround yourself with).

1: The Topknot

2: The Sidebraid

3: The Tied Ponytail

4: The Twisted Chignon (good for weddings or summer parties)

5: The Braided Topknot

6: The Sidebraid with Bun

7: Pulled back by braids

8: Side Waterfall Braid

9: Pink tipped hair (nearly any color would be fun!)

10: Simple Curls with a summer haircut!

What hair style do you usually sport in the summertime?

Do you have any other cuts, colors or styles that you would do?

DISCLAIMER: I have nothing against brunettes, I am a blonde (most of the time anyways) so most of my Pinterest "Hair" board has blonde hair ideas. 

SUMMER SERIES: GRAPEFRUIT + BASIL SORBET

I am going to start this one off by saying that I LOVE making ice creams and sorbets. Love may not even be a strong enough word for how I feel about eating them...

When my sister gave me my ice cream maker as a house warming gift a few years ago, she had no idea how great of a gift she was actually giving me. I have made so many types of tasty treats with my my machine (not all good, but most edible). I made this one a few weeks ago, and it was delicious. My Mr. is very reluctant to try anything that is not vanilla, but even he gave this one his seal of approval...

I am excited to share this recipe with you guys! It is such a refreshing recipe for the warmer weather.

INGREDIENTS:

- 2 cups water

- 1 3/4 cups sugar

- 2 lemons, zested and juiced separately

- 1 packed cup of basil leaves

- 4 large ruby red grapefruits, juiced

- pinch of salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

1: Bring the water and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan.

2: Once boiling, add the lemon zest, basil leaves and salt.

3: Stir, remove from heat, and cover. Steep the basil leaves in the simple syrup for at least 20 minutes.

4: Meanwhile, add the lemon juice to a 4-cup measuring pitcher. Juice the grapefruits into the pitcher until you've measured 3 cups of combined juices.




5: Strain the simple syrup and discard the basil leaves. Combine the simple syrup mix with the lemon and grapefruit juices.

6: Refrigerate for 2-3 hours (or speed up the process, put it in the freezer for about an hour).

7: Pour the sorbet mixture into an electric ice cream maker. Turn on and mix for 20+ minutes, until the mixture reaches a "soft serve" consistency.



8: Eat immediately, or put it in an air tight container and freeze.

What are you cooking up this summer to keep cool?

Would you eat ice cream or sorbet with herbs in them?

SUMMER SERIES: RASPBERRY + ROSE SORBET

During the Summer, I am usually looking for all sorts of ideas and ways to cool down (and any excuse to eat treats!). One of my favorite things to do is make ice creams and sorbets! They usually cost a lot less than any store bought ones out there AND they taste SO much better.

Another way I usually save on my ingredients- my Mr. and I go to various Farmers' Market's around us and get fresh ingredients, which makes them taste all that much better (and make them better for you?- thats what I tell myself at least).

I really like to experiment with different flavor combinations- so one of the things I am going to be working on for a fun "Summer Series" is different summer treats you can eat to keep cool. This shall be the first one in series, but (fingers crossed) not the last.


INGREDIENTS:
- 12 roses (or 2.5 cups of rose petals- use either darker pink or red roses)
- 1 cup water
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 packages (or more to taste) raspberries
- 1 lemon
- 1 lime

note: you will need either an ice cream maker for this project- or you can watch this or this tutorial to make it without one*

INSTRUCTIONS:
1: Pull all of the petals off of the roses and place in a bowl.

2: Mix the water, sugar and juice of one lemon (more or less to taste) in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

3: When all of the sugar has dissolved, remove from the heat and add rose petals. Cover pan and let steep for approx. 20 minutes.

4: After rose petals are done steeping, strain the petals through a fine grated strainer and discard rose petals. Refrigerate rose syrup until cool.

5: Once syrup has cooled down (15-20 minutes), blend in blender with the raspberries until finely pureed.

6: Once pureed, strain out the seeds and refrigerate the mix until cold.

7: Once cold, get out your ice cream maker, because it's about to get real!!! Moving on, pour mix in to mixer, and process according to manufacturer’s directions. With my machine it took about 20 minutes to get to the consistency I wanted- frozen but not firm.

8: When sorbet is done mixing, scoop in to bowls, grab a spoon and enjoy!

I squeezed some lime juice on the top of mine- it made it taste extra nummy!


The flowers I used for this- left over gift from my Mr.

Do you make any summer treats? We would love to hear how you keep cool in the hotter weather!

ENJOY!

*I can not guarantee either of these processes working better than with am ice cream maker- but worth a try- heck, it could even be fun!

BOOKWORM ALERT: SUMMER READS

Although it hasn’t felt that way lately, summer is almost here! (I promise!) Whenever summer approaches, I get excited to get my hands on some quality beach reads. Now, when I say quality, I don’t mean the classics. A trip to the beach is not the best time to start Anna Karenina, no matter what Oprah says.

While laying outside in the sun I’m generally looking for something that's light-hearted, short, or just grabs me in a way I can’t put down. With that in mind, here are a few suggestions as to what you might want to pick up this summer as you head out to enjoy the sunshine!

Eleanor & Park, by Rainbow Rowell

Looking for a teen romance aimed at a slightly older crowd? Do you miss mixed tapes and love reminiscing about your youth? Then look no further. This book has also been a source of some controversy, so check it out and see if you agree with the critics.

      Mr. Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore, by Robin Sloan
This book appeals to both the technophiles and book lovers. It reminds us to appreciate the history of books while embracing their future, and takes the reader on a journey to solve a mystery.

      

      One More Thing (Stories and Other Stories), by B.J. Novak

Brought to you by one of the writers from the TV show the Office, this collection of short and extremely short stories is fun, quirky and sharp. Read it straight through or sift through and read them at random. You can't go wrong with this one. 

      

Bossypants, by Tina Fey

For those of you who are fans of non-fiction and memoirs, but want something a little lighter, this is the book for you. Ladies. It’s humor, hope, and a palatable dose of “girl power” (if I might be so ‘90s) all contained in under 300 pages. Now available in the portable and affordable mass market paperback size.

Don’t ever feel pressured to bring a book to the beach; it’s always ok to break out a the latest issues of People and US Weekly. No judgement here. (I mean, what better excuse to find out what the Kardashians are up to, and keep an eye on Prince George's latest outfits?) Just as long as I can borrow it when you’re done.

Happy reading!

We're always looking for new suggestions, so what are you planning to read this summer? Let us know in the comment section.