Summer Tributes

Our little girl was born here in Kansas (with a lot of love brought in from Iowa).

But something tells me that she's got a lot of her mama and daddy's (and Grandpa's) Iowa-ness in her. 

Corn is in her blood...and all over her face.

We had so much fun whipping up Summer Squash & Corn Chowder with this Kansas-grown treat (delicious, but not quite the same as good old Iowa sweet corn) that we decided to add it to the dinner list again this week.  I hope you get to try this recipe from Cooking Light- it is a pure tribute to summer, and best if you get your produce from your local farmers market-especially the corn.

Yumminess for the Week

Tuesday: Green Onion & Bacon Breadcrumb Pasta

This is a huge favorite of ours tossed with whole-wheat spaghetti. Look at the first slide for instructions on breadcrumbs, and then flip to the second slide for this particular version- there are several! I used green onions (scallions?) instead of chives. That's just what I had on hand. And because I have trouble saying 'no' to cheese, I stirred in grated parmesan for additional flavor and cohesiveness (if that's not a real word, I'm making it one).  Feesh calls these delicious, cheesy bits of cohesiveness 'bacon crunchies'. 

Wednesday: Grilled Peach & Goat Cheese Salad
We turned this into a side salad without the chicken and did not grill the peaches. All you have to do is get the most local, delicious peaches you can find and dice them up (two or so).  Crumble of some fresh goat cheese (chevre) and dice up some good white country bread for homemade croutons. Fry those diced-up bread pieces in olive oil for a few minutes and toss them with grated parmesan after removing from heat. Sprinkle with pepper. Dress the salad (we used fresh spinach for greens) as directed. Serve grilled chicken or shrimp skewers on the side. 
Thursday: Summer Squash & Corn Chowder
The recipe calls for frozen corn, but that's just ridiculous to even think of using at the end of July when you live in the Midwest.  We used two medium-sized ears and used it raw. This soup thickens up very well on its own with the fresh corn and milk puree- but I'd use a touch less milk if you're like me and want a thicker soup.
Friday: Grilled Cheese on Sourdough

I just can't make grilled cheese on regular old bagged sandwich bread anymore. Farm to Market Bread Company, a local set-up, makes some pretty awesome product. If you live in the area, make sure to check out their pretzel buns! An awesome shop called Little Freshie (they hand-craft all-natural snow-cones and sodas- hello, Blackberry Lavender) puts sharp cheddar, almond butter, and sliced green apples on the aforementioned pretzel buns.  One of the best sandwiches I've had, hands-down.
Saturday: Hoping to get out for one more date night before Baby 2...we'll see how that goes. If it doesn't, we'll just chalk it up to a FIO night- Figure. It. Out.
Sunday: Chorizo-Potato Tacos

This is a new recipe from Real Simple magazine. Looking forward to trying this one out. While the idea of radishes usually makes me turn up my nose, I feel they just might work here. Also will throw in some tomatoes with the black-bean salsa. What is a summer salsa without tomatoes?
Monday: Quesadillas 

A good way to use up any leftover produce. Which is good- summer is a great time to go overboard on things like tomatoes, zucchini, even peaches. And Feesh will remind you to not forget the corn!

Simply Sweet Summer Fun

Some things about raising kids aren't always so sweet, or always so simple.

At any stage of parenthood, I'm sure.

That's why it's always good to take a step back and look at the times that have been and will always be sweet and simple. I aim to provide my kiddos with such memories; nostalgia, I suppose you could call it.  And now that it is summer, there are many of those kinds of times to look forward to with my children. (Yes, children!  As of next month!)

Feesh is a little young to experience some of my favorite moments of childhood (playing outside with her friends by herself until dusk, playing basketball with Dad), but she is definitely old enough for some of them (cooking with Mom, having water fights).  Aside from some re-creating some of the favorite moments of my past, we also enjoy some simple and sweet moments that belong to her and her folks (yep, I called myself a folk).

Dandelion Wishes

 Bubble-Blowing

Water Play

Box-Opening (...?)

Every so often, we get a vegetable and fruit delivery dropped off at our door from an organic food delivery company.  "Getting a de-yivery" is a highlight of her day, and I don't open it until after nap, since it usually comes during that time of day. 

I know, this totally sounds nerdy, but she loves it! And having a smidge of nerd in you is essential to your happiness. I would know. 

Anyway, one of our favorite things to do after exploring the box's contents is to make smoothies.  It's a great way to perk up a kid after nap!  It's also great for clearing out any produce we have that may be is languishing in the refrigerator or the fruit bowl. Smoothies are an amazing way to get lots of vitamins and some healthy calories into your kiddo, especially if they are picky about veggies, which Miss F. seems to be these days.  

And these recipes are just how I like my summer: sweet and simple. Even the spinach one. I hope you can enjoy them as much as we have! And for you mamas out there, they all freeze well and make great frozen bites for your teething baby or toddler.  

Trust me, they are tasty. I have proof.

Smoothies:

Banana-Peach-Mango Smoothie 

Just whipped this up yesterday with produce that was about to overripen. One banana, one peeled mango, and one peach. Threw in some fresh blueberries and ice if you like. If you don't like seeing flecks of fruit peel in your smoothie, peel the peach and omit the blueberries. Incredibly delicious! 

Triple-Berry Spinach Smoothie

Fell in love. A smoothie I can use up leftover fresh spinach in? And not taste it? Yes. We left out the honey and ice and added extra fresh spinach. Also added a bit of cold water to help it blend easily in our reluctant blender.

Blueberry-Banana Smoothie

The gorgeous color roped me into this one. Not that I needed much convincing.

Berry-Oatmeal Smoothie

Great energy booster!

For links to other fun smoothie ideas, check out my Sip board on Pinterest! There are so many more I am excited to try.