I know, I know, here I go with the rhubarb again. What can I say, I am addicted. I have a problem with stewed, sweetened rhubarb. This decadent breakfast treat came about last weekend when I was eating my strawberry rhubarb skillet jam out of the jar with a spoon. I wanted to eat it for breakfast on toast, but my daughter wanted french toast, so I decided to combine my ideas into one dish and make Strawberry Rhubarb Stuffed French Toast. Yes, sometimes I even amaze myself at my 7am culinary capabilities.

One of the things I buy the most at our local farmer’s market is berries. Strawberry, blueberries, raspberries, you name it, I love them. Since the season is fairly fleeting in the Northeast I buy as many as I can and preserve a whole bunch for winter. I also freeze a few bags worth, and then eat the rest! Last week I had the pleasure of interviewing Alison Sweeney about blueberries and how she incorporates them into her active lifestyle. I really like Alison and her positive, healthy message on behalf of her work with the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council which is why I am sharing it with you today.

We have weather two mega heatwaves so far this summer and it is only the end of July. Eeps! To get me through I’ve been turning on the oven very little and only using the stovetop as needed. There has been a lot of gazpacho, sandwiches, and ice cream on our dinner table. Yes, the ice cream has been put right on the table alongside our dinner because it is practically part of the main course when it is so hot out. I am still trying to lose the very last of the baby weight, but that doesn’t mean I still can’t enjoy a small scoop at the end of the meal. I just tell myself it is in the name of staying cool.

Every so often I like to share one of my favorite kitchen appliances with you. Remember the milk frother from last winter? I swear, that baby got me through infant sleep-deprivation like it was nobody’s business. Needless to say, I’ve put that away for the summer and have become devoted to the Magimix Vision Toaster.  Magimix by Robot-Coupe makes the highest quality kitchen appliances. Remember the food processor from last year? It is the gold standard in food processors and, like that appliance, the Vision Toaster is the highest quality toaster I have never used. In fact, I love it so much I’ll be giving one away in September.

Each summer I usually set aside a few days to preserve as much of my favorite produce as possible. It can be tough to undertake such projects with the little ones underfoot. But I find I can usually accomplish what I set out to do over the course of a few naptimes and with my mother to help with a little babysitting. However, there are times when I simply don’t have the luxury of my parent’s big kitchen and my father’s helping hands. So, instead of tackling several pints of pickles or a day of apple pie filling, I take the simple route and make a small batch of jam in the skillet.

Last week we had a heatwave of epic temperatures. It was one of those weeks I had no interest in turning on the oven. I could barely handle boiling water! So, the best solution, in my mind, was the hit the food truck scene at our nearby outdoor beer garden. Thankfully, the garden is full of awesome food choices. Since my kids were with me (it was only 5pm) I decided to let them choose and we landed on The Melt Mobile, the local grilled cheese food truck.

I just returned from the most amazing tour of the Rainier Fruit Company in Yakima, Washington. You can read all about my travels on the Babble!

1. Cherries: From Orchard to Store

2. How Apples Get from the Orchard to Your Store

3. Fresh organic blueberries: From Field to Store

My friend Phoebe inspired me last month. We share a mutual take-it-or-leave-it attitude to the amazingly popular smoothie trend. Sometimes I make them, most of the time I don’t. But last month Phoebz made an inspired smoothie using my favorite breakfast drink: chai tea! Genius! I decided to take a page out of her book and make one of my favorite summer drinks, a cool silky horchata, with some warm and nutty chai spices.

Currently I am traipsing around Rainier Cherry orchards marveling at one of my favorite seasonal foods. However, lately, when I am not enjoying fruit straight from the source, I’ve found myself picking up a KIND bars whenever I’m in the mood for a quick snack. They are easily found in our local stores, even gas stations, and last week I was sent a whole box of some of the latest and greatest flavors. I also am excited to give away a big bunch to one lucky reader!

In cooler weather I am a big fan of cheesy mushroom pizzas, hot mushroom crepes, and thick mushroom soups. But what to do when the thermometer reads 90 degrees F+? When faced with this question last week I decided to take a cue from Rick Bayless and run for the border. Since margaritas have been my drink of choice in this heat wave it only seemed natural to pair them with some spicy tacos, chips, and guac! As part of my year exploring the use of mushrooms in a variety of foods I decided to give basic tacos a vegetarian twist and make them with fresh mushrooms straight from the farmer’s market.

The trifecta of tomato, basil, and mozzarella might be one of the best (or possibly the best) flavor combinations of all time. Add a splash of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt and I’m done. It is the only thing I want to eat all summer long. A few years ago I made this delicious Caprese Pasta Salad and it is still one of my favorites. However, recently I decided to change it up and use some spaghetti and give the tomatoes a little heat to make them more tender and sauce-like.

I look forward to the ice cream social in Cooperstown every year. It is put on by the Presbyterian church. After dinner everyone in town gathers on the church lawn to eat as much ice cream as possible for a mere two dollars per person. Since we couldn’t attend the social this year we decided recreate a fun social at home on the back porch. To change it up I ordered a few fun things from Wayfair and set-up a little ice cream sandwich bar for my family to enjoy.