Summertime Favorites 2011

Here are just a few of my summertime favorite foods. The first recipe is the number one dish I think of when summer rolls around (not to mention, Fourth of July as well). If there are any recipes you'd like me to experiment with or post, please don't hesitate to comment. I need more variety but my tastes are obviously limited to foods I would normally eat. My next big adventure will be some Indian desserts!

Enjoy!

Classic Apple Pie is the definition of Independence Day (in my opinion anyways). You can make this with a lattice top, plain top with slits or go festive like I did last year and cut some stars out of the top. Either way, this pie will top any other apple pie you've ever made before. Guaranteed!

When fruit is in full season and summer is well under way, I love to make this Summer Chicken Salad. It was inspired by a seasonal dish I once got at Paradise Cafe, but I tweaked it to fit my own tastes, just as you can too! It is so juicy and delicious it hardly needs dressing.

Although I first made this homemade Mango Ice Cream back in January, it's still one of my absolute favorite summertime flavors. It's very easy to make and will definitely satisfy your every dessert need on a hot summer day.

These Teriaki Burgers are amazing by themselves, but with this fruit salsa, they are to-die-for good! These are the very first burgers that I've ever had that needed absolutely no additional toppings (can we say mayo overload). I usually drown my always-dry burgers when eating out in mayonnaise, but there is absolutely no need here!

My husband said to me when I first made this Strawberry Soup, "soup is supposed to be hot." Under normal circumstances, I'd agree. However, this is a summertime dish and uses fresh strawberries. Plus, it's amazingly delicious and so easy to make with only 5 ingredients!! You've got to try this one if you haven't already!

Since my husband doesn't like to cook (at all) unless it involves the grill somehow, I had to adapt my recipes each week last summer to incorporate a few grilling recipes. We all need a day off from cooking once in a while. I didn't feel like even making dessert so I tried out these very easy, healthy, and scrumptious Stuffed Peaches. You can bake them like I did as well but we grilled them a couple of times, too, and they are still simply amazing.

I hope everyone enjoys a few of my favorite summertime recipes that I know we'll be adding to with this summer's recipes. I will post a baby-related update when that happens. :) Until then, this waiting game is very hard and I'm the least comfortable I've ever been in my entire life. Worth it though? Of course!