With fresh rhubarb ready for harvesting and summer berries in full tilt, I turned to a trusted source for an easy dessert recipe to showcase them both.

I can’t believe it was last weekend that I made this delectable dessert and it has taken me over a week to get the recipe to you.  I suppose we have been doing our best to milk the last of summer, which means as little time in front of a computer as possible.  Hopefully many of you are doing the same!

This past spring, I had high hopes for my edible garden.  I few things here and there this summer kept me from the bountiful harvest I had seen in my crystal ball. Luckily, I did manage to get a rhubarb plant into my perennial patch. As it grew, the leaves were perforated by some creepy crawly garden inhabitants but no matter… it was the precious stalks I awaited.
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Nothing says summer like a molded, frozen treat. For maximum enjoyment, sit on a stoop while you lick.

Sometimes summertime heat can really beat down my productivity and patience.
But then I remember that cold, blustery December will be here before we know it.
It’s better to find almost any kind of icy cold treat to love.
Then just hold your stick, take a refreshing lick and bask in the sun from above.
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I hope that good intentions are worth something because my initial plan to bring a warm coffee cake to a new neighbor really was a good idea.

It went a little something like this…  A month or so ago, my visiting mom picked up some new neighbors in front of our house.  The neighbor lady and her mother were out for a walk and were equally as open to communicate with friendly strangers as my mother always is.    Within the first five minutes, we knew that they had just moved back into the city from the suburbs with their three kids and that our parents were both from Michigan. (Hailing from Michigan is common for Chicagoans. Discovery of this common geographic origin often results in a showing of “the hand” and occasionally the name game to find connections.)
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Busy life, bouts with illness and summer fun had us eating too many take out meals and bowls of cereal. This salad was my attempt to jump start our healthy diets.

It is just so easy to fall off the healthy eating wagon.  A few “just-in-case” frozen dinners from Trader Joe’s freezer section, a decision to head to the beach last minute for an evening swim leaving no time to cook, summer heat that made endless weeding of the veggie garden less fun and an unseasonably sick toddler.  These are the types of things that ganged up of late to nearly eradicate fresh, interesting foods from our diets.

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Cooped up with a sick toddler, an exhausted Mommy and 100 degree heat.  Homemade Play-doh to the rescue!  A few hours of giggling and much needed relief.

When I was a small kid, I remember my mom helping us make homemade play-doh.  I must have also enjoyed the store bought variety because I recall the lever machine that pressed out snakes, spaghetti and shaped tubes.  Perhaps it was my early fondness for baking and cooking that guided my preference towards the do-it-yourself process of kneading and getting your own color just right.
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Next time you have the grill fired up, plan to use a little corner of real estate for a packet of foil filled with feta cheese, Greek oregano, olive oil and tomato.

We are still a few months away from our annual excursion to visit my in-laws in Greece.  But, the excessive Chicago heat already has me in the mood.  Once I start dreaming of souvlaki, Greek salad, pasticcio, bougatsa and feta, it is impossible to push myself out of the taste bud trance.  Last week, I took an unplanned, quick turn into a local, ethnic grocer (Harvest Time) on the way back from the gym. Ten minutes later, I found myself walking out with a block of authentic Greek feta the size of my head.
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It turns out that cilantrophobes may have a genetic predisposition against this fabulously fragrant herb.  So, I won’t blame them as much for hating one of my favorites.

I have long been intrigued by the intense feelings people have about cilantro.  You rarely find a palate that is indifferent to the herb.  As I’ve mentioned before, I am so drawn to it, I have been known to pluck a leaf off in the grocery store and sneak it into my mouth while I shop.  Yes, kind of gross since it is likely quite a dirty leaf that has traveled through the produce distribution underworld.
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The outside of this cake was gorgeous but the unexpected treat awaited inside.  The first cut revealed layers of blue and red velvet sandwiched between cream cheese frosting.

A few months ago, my husband became an American citizen.  He has lived here for years but rather than continuing to renew his green card, he made it official and got a blue passport to add to his collection.  He already has Dutch and Greek passports so he added the American one to the pile calling it his “Jason Bourne” passport.

Americans tend to be quite patriotic and through my husband’s naturalization process, I saw the best of the American spirit. When I announced that I would be hosting a big BBQ to celebrate, my talented friends came out of the woodwork with generous offerings.  I am fortunate to know a designer who can design personalized plastic beer cups, a floral expert who delivered gorgeous red, white and blue arrangements, an event planner who supplied tables and patriotic linens and a very talented chef/baker who suggested a flag cake.  
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After all the ingredients, necessary tools and the recipe at hand are ready on the counter, I find my way into a baking trance.

This post was originally written for Buttoned Up where I was a Guest Guru in April.

Oh, Organization! We play a little game of cat and mouse, the two of us. Organization is my spirited toddler who is always one step ahead of me, out of reach and causing a little trouble. However, I will never stop chasing him. Somehow, I seem to stay the most organized when I am in constant pursuit of organization.

Let me explain…
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Every since I perfected my perfect pizza dough, I have been pizza crazy. Fresh greens are my newest topping, straight from my little garden.

I was so anxious for my veggie garden to grow faster and faster so I could pluck just a few leaves for a fresh salad.  Now, summer is upon us and I am nearly overwhelmed with my unending crops of spinach, mixed lettuces and arugula.

In an effort to find some fresh ideas for using the glut of arugula, I turned to Twitter. Almost immediately, @springboots (you can find her blog here) told me it would be good on pizza.  She was right.  I lathered up the dough up with some pesto and topped it with prosciutto and medallions of fresh mozzarella.  After removing the hot pie from the oven, I dressed it with freshly harvested arugula.
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Father’s Day is this Sunday.  If your Pops likes good grub, you might want to send him this Zingerman’s Reuben Sandwich Kit.

So, I jumped the gun a bit and made some early Father’s Day Reuben Sandwiches from Zingerman’s.  Why?  So I could tell you how good they are in time to order them for your Dad, of course!  What sacrifice.  (If  you do order, use the code ZINGDAD to get 10% off.  Thanks Zingermans!)

I’ve always appreciated Zingerman’s use of  illustrations instead of photographs of their products in their clever catalog. Even with the best food stylists, there is no way you can quite capture their food experiences in a photo.  There is an extra aura of yummy magic that comes from the sum of all the perfect parts that can only be understood when all 5 senses are actually engaged.  Their whimsical drawings help you better imagine how your palate will play.   (Please excuse my best attempts to photograph and post their delectable wares.) 
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Coleslaw is one of those foods that I can’t decide if I love or hate. It’s rare that something with the same name can be at the top and bottom of your list.

Coleslaw can mean so many things:  A big, gloppy mess overflowing from a small plastic cup next to your fried fish, a surprising red cabbage and apple concoction that turns up alongside your pork sandwich at a fine restaurant, an expected side dish at a BBQ. The common denominator is cabbage.  My preference guides me toward the less goupy, more crisp and refreshing versions.
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