The Summer Kitchen

For some people, summertime means more time for cooking. For others, less time as you shuffle kids around to day camp, the summer reading program at the library, and every park in a 20-mile radius.

Main Dishes

• Rosemary Ranch Chicken Kabobs
• Best Steak Marinade in Existence (make ahead, freezes well)
• Grilled Chicken Teriyaki

Dips & Sauces

• Annie’s Fruit Salsa & Cinnamon Chips
• Honey Mustard Salad Dressing
• Sabra Kids Brownie Batter Dip
• Honey Citrus Vinegarette (also great as a light marinade)
• A classic fruit dip of 1:1 cream cheese & marshmallow fluff is always popular. Put your own twist on it by adding 2 T. orange (or other citrus) juice + some zest, using strawberry cream cheese, adding 2T lemon curd, or add coconut extract (start with 1/2 teaspoon & adjust to your taste).

Drinks & Desserts

• Pineapple Margaritas (I freeze this in 1-cup jars for individual servings.)
• Strawberry Sorbet (no machine necessary!)
• DIY Ice Cream Sundae bar

Hacks & Other Ideas

I love cooking in the summer. But, chances are, if I don’t start at least part of it in the morning, I’m going to be scrambling for a no-prep dinner recipe that I can use instead. The days just get away from me! So before our day really gets started, dinner gets prepped — meat is thawed, veggies cut, sauces made. If I don’t finish it all, that’s fine…as long as I get it started!

Fresh fruits & veggies are quintessential summer…but who wants to cut them up every day? My solution — I keep a container with dividers (something like this) in the fridge. As we eat up all of one fruit or veggie, it’s easy to pull that part out and fill it with something else. Dividers that come out are also handy because it accounts for larger things, like carrot sticks or big slices of watermelon.

Love reading about food? Check out this list of 20 fiction books that’ll take you into the kitchen…without the heat!

Music, while I grill, is a must. What’s on my radio (er….Echo Dot)? Grill & Chill (Amazon), Breezy Summer Classics (Amazon), This is America (Spotify), and the Ultimate Summer Vacation Playlist (Spofity).