Hi friends! Long time, no blogging! I’ve been working, momming and out on the trails training. I’ve got a quick life lately for you and then we’ll switch gears and talk summer food.

LIFE LATELY

One month from today I will be flying out to Colorado for TransRockies. I am feeling very excited along with a healthy dose of all the nerves. I have one last big training weekend ahead of me as well as a ton of prep and organization to do. I’ll write a post about my training as well the gear and preparations later this month!

For now, I’ve made my way from the mountains to the sea to visit my fam for Fourth of July.

Finn and I flew to Florida late Tuesday evening after a slew of delays due to storms. Despite our 11p arrival, I was just grateful that we made it down without a cancellation – and that we arrived safely. The complimentary upgrade didn’t hurt either (I have platinum status with AA and RARELY get upgrades and always on the most random flights like late ones). When our upgrade went through, Finn and I were assigned seats one in front of the other instead of side by side. Some fellow passengers offered to switch but Finn thought he was sooooo big sitting behind me on his own and declined. It was very cute. Seasoned little traveler, that one.

It was hard to leave the pups (especially Zoey) but thankfully she’s been doing so well lately and I was able to book an in-home sitter who has been with them a lot.

She’s been getting a lot of love and attention since we’ve been gone!

THINGS I CAN’T WAIT TO MAKE AND EAT THIS SUMMER

With the arrival of July, I have been dreaming about all the summer recipes I want to make and foods I want to eat. Here’s a little mini bucket list!

1. ALL THE PEACH THINGS! 

I am so ready to grab my first basket of peaches to make peach cobbler, fresh peach cake, peach oatmeal, grilled peaches and chicken/pork chops with peaches. Yum!

2. WATERMELON, FETA + ARUGULA SALAD

I have been eating alllll the watermelon for the last month and I am going to put it into salad form when I get home and make this watermelon, feta and arugula salad with pepper jelly vinaigrette.

3. GRILLED PLANTAINS + MY DAD’S PB SHRIMP SKEWERS 

I’ve already shared the recipe for grilled plantains but my dad makes this insanely delicious grilled peanut butter shrimp and now that I’m in action with my new (used) grill, I’ll post it this summer!

4. OKRA 

I personally think okra is best roasted and I’ll be whipping up multiple batches of it for the next couple of months. I love this recipe for roasted okra with sriracha aioli.

5. TOMATO EXTRAVAGANZA!

I love peaches and watermelon but summer tomatoes are absolutely where it’s at for me. I am going to be living on tomato toast for lunch for the foreseeable future.

I also cannot wait to make a tomato pie. Drooling.

6. CRISP WITH ICE CREAM 

I have been craving a warm fruit crisp with vanilla ice cream something serious lately. This is hands-down my most favorite summer dessert of all time. I take whatever summer fruits I have on hand (cherries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, etc) and add a crumbly, buttery oat topping and bake it in cast iron.

7. BANANA PUDDING 

From-scratch banana pudding is a close runner up and it’s not summer without it. This is a childhood favorite of mine and this peanut butter twist that I put on it a few years ago is super delish. This is a great dessert to take to a cookout!

8. SQUASH CASSEROLE 

The Georgia girl in me loves a cheesy squash casserole. This is such a tasty way to use summer squash and a great side dish.

9. POTATO SALAD

I think potato salad is an iconic summer side. While I love my dad’s traditional mayo-based potato salad (which I need to share), I love a fun twist on it too like this lemon and feta potato salad and this roasted sweet potato salad.

10. EGGPLANT 

I go crazy for eggplant parm during the summer with a crunchy panko crust, fresh mozzarella and homemade tomato sauce. I also find myself making big pans of sautéed summer veggies with things like zucchini, squash, eggplant, cherry tomatoes, etc. You also can’t go wrong with grilled eggplant as a side dish!

AND A BONUS: FIGS

Last but certainly not least is figs. I dream of having a big fig tree in my yard so that I can enjoy them every summer to my heart’s content instead of having to stalk neighbor’s trees or pray I find them at the farmers market. I just wish the season weren’t so insanely fleeting. There is nothing like a fresh fig.

QUESTIONS 

What are some of your favorite summer foods and recipes? 

Are you on team cobbler or crisp? I won’t turn either down but I LOVE a crisp. 

Favorite way to enjoy summer tomatoes?