End of Summer Fiesta
What’s your end of summer tradition? For many years, we marked the end of summer in late August with an annual Family Fiesta involving friends, food, and fun. It gave us one last excuse to hang out with neighborhood friends and energized our entrance into a new school year. If you know me you know I make a tradition of NOT doing things the same way each time which keeps everyone from being disappointed if you make changes but also keeps them in suspense about how you will actually pull things off. My Family Fiestas ran that very same way. Many years involved an assortment of tacos or enchiladas with a side of guacamole and jalapeno poppers (if my neighbor brought them). Activities ranged from piñatas (some more successful than others!), to tie dye t-shirts, to scavenger hunts, to the “never do this again” leather coin purse sewing craft completed by grumbling parents when the kids abandoned the activity. But memories were made, t-shirts were saved, pictures were taken, and bellies were full. As I flip through the scrapbooks, the memories jump off the page! The kids were so little! The parents so young! The crafts and piñatas were budget…
Summer Salads
What’s your favorite summer salad? BLT’s are always a favorite summer meal when the garden tomatoes are sun ripened to perfection, but wait until you try an easy summer BLT salad! Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Salad takes dinner to a whole new level of healthy summer goodness. Chop up some fresh lettuce and summer tomatoes. Add some perfectly cooked bacon (whatever your definition of perfect is) and top with homemade ranch dressing made with plain Greek yogurt and spices. If you need a side, Texas toast or potato chips are a good addition. I have a recipe for ranch seasoning that you just stir into plain yogurt or sour cream for a quick dressing or dip. This is literally one of those quick meals that comes together with the items you have on hand! Adding avocado kicks it up a notch in sophistication that leaves you wondering if you need to change the title or not. Like country farm cousin meets Manhattan city cousin in the summer. Ranch Seasoning Mix 1 t garlic powder 1 t onion powder 1 t salt ½ t pepper ½ t dried parsley ½ t dried dill Use this base recipe to double, triple, or…
