Hot Summer Meal Plan

The heat of summer is upon us and there is nothing to do but sit around sipping ice water. When these days come, I am always refreshed by light, fresh, appetizing meals that don't weigh me down. My children especially appreciate these meals because they go away from the table with lots of energy instead of that heavy sleepy feeling that other meals produce.

So, here is my Hot Summer Meal Plan:

Breakfast - Yogurt with Fruit and Honey. This is not a make ahead dish. The honey does something to the culture in the yogurt so don't fix this ahead of time. Also you will want to mix the honey with the yogurt before you add the fruit, if it is frozen. Otherwise the frozen fruit will stick together. We use fresh or frozen, what ever is in season or we have ample of from earlier harvests. Berries are our favorite!

Snack - Cheese and Crackers. Sounds boring but in truth there are so many recipes for crackers and cheese, you could have this snack everyday and never have the same thing twice. Both are also something that you make a lot of and then store it for when you need it. I especially like herbed rye crackers with nutty soft cheese.

Lunch - Fruit Topped Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing. Basically you take torn baby salad greens and top with seasonal fruits cut into bite sized pieces. I like to add seeds and nut as well as dried fruits like raisins. Quartered cherry tomatoes fit into this salad as well. Make sure not to dress your salad (add the salad dressing) until it is served. The best dressings are made from pureed fruits added to balsamic vinegar, sweetened with honey to taste. Try making some in small quantities and see what combinations you like.

Snack - There is nothing better than a snack of fresh fruit!

Supper - Garden Stir Fry. The last thing that you want to do on a really hot day is stand in front of an oven, sweating over supper. Make a quick meal from your garden vegetable patch. Slice up zucchini, eggplants, tomatoes, peppers or whatever you have and toss it in a hot skillet with some oil or butter and a dash of salt. Serve over rice (a rice cooker helps to keep the kitchen cool). You can add canned, chunked meats and/or pine nuts or cashews. No matter what you put into it, it always seems to taste better when everything came from your own garden!

Desert - Frozen Yogurt or Ice Cream. Try adding fresh mint for a very refreshing treat. We have a hand crank contraption that only makes about four cups worth. The children take turns cranking and it is a lot of fun for them.

Beverages - Water, Sun Brewed Teas. Water is the most important beverage on a hot day, especially for the children. Sun brewed teas are easy to make and take nothing but dry leaves, water, a glass jar and a sunny spot to sit. You can make tea out of almost anything! Try mint, strawberry leaf, raspberry leaf or look online for other teas that you can harvest from your own yard. Just make sure to harvest the leaves when they smell the most fragrant and with no spots or blemishes. Dry them well and keep out of direct sun. My friend keeps her mint in the freezer in a giant recycled mayonnaise jar. The first time that she took it out for me to smell, I almost fell out of my chair. It was so strong and I could never describe how fresh!