Easy Summer Supper Recipes & Ideas

I'm constantly looking back at my old recipes to give myself inspiration for the night's dinner... I thought you might be doing the same thing!  So, here is a compilation of some of my favorite summer dinners from the past couple of years - kebabs, skewers, steaks, soups and pasta.

Don't forget to pin so you'll know where to look next time you can't decide what to have for dinner.

Grilled Summer Vegetable "Bolognese" with Fresh Pasta

 

Simple Summer Supper Menu | Lemon Orzo & Squash, Teriyaki Marinated Steak & Heirloom Tomatoes

 

Summer Vegetable, Sweet Corn & Chicken Chowder

Heirloom Tomato & Fresh Mozzarella Flatbread Pizza

Grilled Steaks with Pineapple, Zucchini, Mushroom Kebabs

 

Lemon Basil Grilled Shrimp Skewers

 

Brown Sugar Chili Lime Grilled Chicken and Vegetable Kebabs

 

Tomato, Watermelon & Feta Salad with a Citrus Vinaigrette

This salad is my new obsession - I've made it almost 5 times in the last week.  It is sweet, but sharp and completely delicious.  It goes perfectly with a burger, kebabs or grilled shrimp... all of which we've had this week with this very salad!

Tomato, Watermelon & Feta Salad
with Citrus Dressing


1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup minced shallots
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 seedless watermelon, cut in 1-inch cubes
2 cups of tomatoes, 1-inch dice
4 ounces  feta cheese, 1/2-inch diced

Whisk together the lemon juice, shallots, sugar, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion.

Place the tomatoes, watermelon and feta in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough vinaigrette to coat the lightly and toss well.

A Day in the Strawberry Patch with Emma

Summer's really not complete without a trip to the strawberry patch.  For the last two years, I competed in the Verrill Farm Strawberry Recipe Contest (which I never won...), but now that we're back home I wasn't sure where we'd go for picking. 

Emma is just ripe for the picking age! Children are welcome at strawberry patches - they are just the right height.   It was so fun to see her get to explore and run and pick and eat without having to constantly tell her "no."

When I was young I was crazy for strawberries.  I've shared this photo before, but it really is worth sharing again.  Here I am on my 2nd Birthday - complete with a "Strawberry Shortcake" cake and a punkin' pie haircut... looking so much like my Emma.

Enjoy our photos from our day in the Strawberry Patch!

At least once a week I try to find an activity that is all about Emma. 

Sometimes I feel like our typical days are filled with things she can't do - open certain cabinets, climb on the furniture, run down the driveway...

...play with anything but her toys, spray the windex, or run around Target like a madwoman. 

Both of us have so much fun when we do things and go places where she can have free rein and do whatever she wants to do without me holding her back. 

On our special Emma days, I try not to have the camera in her face, too much...

...or make her pose, or try to get the perfect shot of her smiling.

  I just let her be and do whatever she wants to. 

Even if that means running through fields...

She has a great time and I'm usually rewarded with a big smile... and very long nap-time in the afternoon!

Day Trip to the Arboretum | A Hunt for Peonies

Emma was on Summer break last week, so we filled the week with local explorations and little day trips.   Peony season is one of my most favorite times of the year - the blooms are just so unbelievably majestic and heavenly scented, I just can't get enough.  So our first trip was to the local (as in 45 minutes south...) Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens (Overland Park, KS) on a hunt for peonies - I wanted Emma to be able to experience them in a huge bounty.  

We packed a picnic lunch, put on Emma's most peony appropriate dress, drove alllll they way out there to discover... I had forgotten my wallet.  It was in the swim bag from the day before.  Admission was only $3 (for me, free for Emma) and all I could scrounge up was $1.25 in quarters from my car. 



I asked the admissions lady if they would allow me to mail a check for the remaining fee (I even offered to include an extra donation...) if they would allow us to come in.  A woman near by that seemed to be in charge (she was on a golf cart and sporting gardening gear) come over and said not to worry - she would pay the rest of my fee.  I realize that a $2 handout is tiny by most comparison, but it seemed huge at the moment... the difference between putting my 1-year-old back in the car for 45 minutes after talking about all of the pretty flowers we'd be seeing on the way there!

I never mentioned "who I am" (not that it would've meant anything!) or that I would be sharing our day in the gardens on my blog, but I promised her that I would pay it forward.


We spent a fabulous morning there - I let Emma lead the way, which she loves, of course.  She ran and roamed all over the gardens smelling flowers, looking at fish and testing the boundaries. 

These are my favorite peony -  the palest pink with bright yellow centers.  Very chic.

My favorite area, was of course the peonies...

But the "fishies" were her favorite part.

The gardens are all maintained by volunteers.

The "Monet Garden" was unbelievable.

We wondered on the mulched paths in the woods to find our picnic spot.  While I enjoy the manicured flowerbeds, I felt most at peace in the rustic areas like this one by a stream.

Emma wondering around with her brownie.

Many artists enjoying the blooms.

Starting to wind down...

Here knees look just like mine always do!  We're tough girls.

More gardeners.

Irises in bloom.  

Love how she closes here eyes when she smells the flowers.

Can't wait to go back and visit mid-summer when everything is in its full glory!

.....

Here are some Emma Outtakes from the day...

Dancing on the deck.

The funniest joke.

More groovin'!