Easy Cold Cucumber Soup

Summer heat and humidity makes it hard to turn on the stove and heat up the house. Today’s recipe is perfect for hot August days but is easy and tasty enough for any day. Cold cucumber soup is a quick-to-make, refreshing, and flavorful cold soup. and it helps use all those fresh cucumbers from the garden.. Perfect to serve as an appetizer, side dish, or for a light, healthy main dish. I’m using Greek yogurt low fat but you can certainly use regular Greek yogurt too. Add lemon juice, minced shallots and fresh herbs and blend. Refrigerate at least 4 hours up to overnight for a wonderful mouthful of cold goodness.

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Fresh Zucchini & Corn Sauté

It’s August with all its summer heat. Today’s recipe is a simple sauté of two of the season’s most bountiful crops, fresh corn kernels and zucchini. Nothing beats the fresh taste of vegetables. The classic sauté begins with butter. I am using 1/2 butter and 1/2 olive oil. For vegan, use vegan butter and/or olive oil. Olive oil adds a rich flavor to the buttery veggies.

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Perfect 4th of July Recipes

Next week the calendar shows the official first day of summer is June 20th. Yeah!  Even if your weather doesn’t feel like summer yet, let’s fire up the grill, whip up some favorite potluck sides, and make red, white, and blue dishes.  If like me you’ve had both vacinations,  you can safely have vacinated friends over to enjoy the summer. Obviously Independence Day isn’t always going to fall on a weekend. Luckily, this year July 4th is a Sunday. Live outside the US and don’t celebrate the 4th?   Not a problem – let’s talk summer cook-outs. Now what are you eating?

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Peach Cole Slaw

This week I’m doing my recipe early due to Memorial Day. Traditionally summer starts with Memorial Day. Wishing you all a day of safe time with family with a few moments remembering those who served our country. Now let’s talk about cole slaw.

Peaches are one of my favorite fruits.  Peaches are available from April to October.  Since Florida is a hot state, you probably think we don’t grow peaches.  Peaches do grow here in mostly the north part of the state.  Our peaches are available April and May. By June our markets are selling Georgia peaches.  No matter the state where they are grown, I just love fresh ripe peaches. I love them as my snack or dessert and also like adding them to many dishes.

 

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Strawberry-Lime Water

It’s hot here in Florida; we’ve had temperatures in the 90’s for over a month. I’m in the mood for refreshing and thirst-quenching cold drinks.  Today’s recipe is a strawberry-lime infused water. For a sweet drink add a little honey and you’ve got a honeyed strawberry flavor. I love strawberries and so does our bodies. Eating strawberries has been shown to improve heart health, help with blood sugar control and even cancer prevention. They are loaded with vitamins and contain very high levels of antioxidants called polyphenols. Just one serving (approximately 8 strawberries) contains more vitamin C than an orange.

 

 

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Strawberry Cupcakes

I like real flavors even in baked goods.  All too often cake mixes use artificial colors and flavors which do not really approximate the real thing. Strawberries are a perfect example. Fresh strawberries are available now in most of the country. Let’s make luscious, moist strawberry cake in a small cupcake for easy summer eating.  No fork necessary! We’ll make a couple of dozen for serving a crowd at your next cookout or barbecue. (It makes about 23 or 24.)

 

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