-
Sweet and Tangy Key Lime Pies
What better way to say goodbye to summer than with individual key lime pies! This recipe took some research because I wanted to get the filling just right, and I wanted to really bring out the lime flavor, but I didn’t want to use egg yolks or commit time to baking these pies. So, I found a few no-bake, eggless recipes and I tweaked them to include both lime zest and lime juice. I love how these turned out and I’m really happy with how the filling combines a sweet and tart flavor profile to make a delicious pie. My biggest tip for this recipe is to be patient and…
-
Summer Sangria
There’s no better way to start off the weekend than with this White Wine Summer Sangria! Citrusy and refreshing, it’s the perfect way to relax after a long workweek or toast to another beautiful, but hot, summer weekend. Most sangrias do take some prep work and the longer you let all of the fruit and wine sit together, the tastier it will be–so be patient! Ingredients: 2 bottles of white wine Pinot Grigio Moscato 2 lemons, sliced 1 orange, sliced 3 limes, sliced Maraschino cherries 3 tbsp. simple syrup Ice (optional) Instructions: Slice the lemons, limes, and orange Spoon out 6-8 cherries and rinse them under cool water Add all of…
-
Rosemary-Lemon Lamb Chops
I’m pretty excited about this recipe! First time making lamb chops and they turned out great! Now, I did call in back up because I wouldn’t dream of making lamb (or using his grill) without asking my dad to join me 🙂 The steps below are mostly prep work, but they prove that a good marinade really does make a difference. Ingredients: 10 lamb chops with bone 1/4 cup freshly chopped rosemary 1 lemon—juiced and strained 1/2 cup oil—I used 1/4 cup vegetable and 1/4 olive oil 1 tsp. garlic powder 1/2 tsp. salt 1/4 tsp. pepper Instructions: Set out the salt, pepper, garlic powder, and 1/2 cup of oil.…
-
Coconut Rum Mojito
One of my favorite summer drinks is the Mojito. The refreshing mint-lime combination makes this one cocktail you can sit back and relax with no matter where you are for an instant summer getaway. Using coconut rum adds a more tropical spin on this classic drink which typically incorporates white rum, simple syrup, lemon juice, mint, and club soda. I’ll be honest, I don’t usually use exact measurements when I’m mixing drinks, but below is a general idea of what to include the next time you feel like playing bartender. Ingredients: •Coconut Rum •Club Soda •Simple Syrup **directions below •Mint Leaves •Lime Juice •Ice Instructions: Simple syrup: Mix equal parts…
-
Blueberry Cheesecake Bites
Watching the food network can be a dangerous, but beautiful thing. While watching Valerie’s Home Cooking one Saturday morning, I decided I wanted to give her Blueberry Cheesecake Filo Cups a try. This recipe was fairly simple and in just a few steps, I had a lemony, summer dessert perfect for satisfying any sweet tooth. I tweaked a few things below to make the process a littler smoother. Instead of whisking the marscapone, powdered sugar, and lemon zest, use a dinner fork to mix everything together. The marscapone tends to stick to the whisk and makes it impossible to keep a good stirring motion to blend your ingredients. For a user-friendly…
-
Strawberry-Pineapple Smoothie
Fruit smoothies are my absolute favorite! And thanks to my college roommate who introduced me to the Ninja blender, making smoothies has never been easier. You can pick your ingredients, add ice, and blend for a cool, refreshing (and filling) drink. Perfect for beating the summer heat, fruit smoothies are an easy way to make sure you’re getting the right amount of fruits and vegetables. I know there are a lot of “green” smoothies out there with kale and spinach, and maybe I’ll add some of those to the site someday, but for now, enjoy this sweet summertime favorite. Ingredients: 1/2 cup Frozen strawberries Fresh strawberry for garnish 1/2 cup Frozen…
-
Summer Reading
It’s no secret that summer reading and “beach books” get a bad rap for being easy-to-read, superficial stories. I’ve never really liked that stereotype because during high school and college, summer was always the time of year when I got to choose what I wanted to read so for me, it had nothing to do with a book’s reading level and everything to do with my interest in the stories and authors I got to explore on my own. One of my all-time favorite authors to read in the summer is Sarah Dessen. I love her books so much that I wrote my college Honor’s Thesis on her success as a Young…
