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Monthly Archives: August 2015

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #5: Chocolate-Cherry-Coconut-Ginger

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #5: Cherries, Peaches, Cacao Nibs, and Ginger

This last fruit salad in the series was my favorite. I sat down to try a few bites of it and ended up eating the whole thing! It’s super-decadent and addictive.

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #4: Watermelon, Mint, and Blackberries

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #4: Watermelon, Mint, and Blackberries

The watermelon and mint in this fruit salad are super refreshing, while the lemon juice and zest, honey, and pinch of sea salt give it a nice zing. Bonus points if the honey is raw and organic!

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #3: Cinnamon-Kissed Peaches, Cherries, Blueberries, and Sliced Almonds

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #3: Cinnamon-Kissed Peaches, Cherries, Blueberries, and Sliced Almonds

I couldn’t figure out what ingredients of this fruit salad to incorporate into the title because they are all so frickin’ delicious and integral to the flavor – so I just incorporated them all! Longest title ever – but very apropos, considering that this is one summer side that is not short on flavor.

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #2: Nectarine, Blueberry, and Basil

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #2: Nectarine, Blueberry, and Basil

So pretty, so simple, so yummmmmm!

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #1: Grapefruit, Avocado, and Tarragon

Super-Easy, Totally Un-Blah Fruit Salad #1: Grapefruit, Avocado, and Tarragon

Suummerrrr! Where have you gone, summer? I’ve found myself starting to freak out over the last week or so – and especially now that we are into mid-August. I know that the official end of summer isn’t until the autumnal equinox (on September 23 this year), but really, we all know that summer is over after Labor Day. So, if you are like me, you are trying to figure out how to cram in all that stuff you vowed you would do this summer and didn’t – or didn’t do nearly enough of: “I only went to the beach once! I never went to the farmer’s market! When did I sit on my deck in my bikini and read magazines – NEVER! What happened to the gazillion patio happy hours me and my friends planned out when we were shivering our asses off slogging through snow in mid-February? Oh whywhywhywhy do you always fade so fast summmmmmerrrr?”

White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

White Bean and Swiss Chard Soup

Recipe creation, for me, often originates from the practical standpoint of “I need to use X and Y and Z before they go bad – what can I incorporate them in?” I’m sure many of you can relate, especially at this time of year, when swoon-worthy produce is everywhere. It’s too easy to buy too much up at once at my beloved neighborhood Italian produce market – it just all always looks so lovely!