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We had the most delicious Fourth of July in Cooperstown this year. Here are some fun photos I took on instagram if you’d like to see:

On the Fourth we rode in my Dad’s Model A Ford in the 100th Springfield Center Fourth of July Parade. There is no hard proof but we’ve been told it is one of the oldest parades in the country. My daughter and her friend threw lots of candy out the window. It is always a little bit of struggle to remind them to throw it. They’d rather keep it all to eat themselves!

Here is the thing about watermelon salad, I never make it the same way twice. But, it always tastes great no matter what I through at it. Today I thought I’d share a few different variations for how you can make it at home. And, please, share your additions and tell us how you do it!

This Watermelon-Goat Cheese-Basil salad is such a fave. It will even be in my next book!

Our summer schedule is pretty hectic these days. Between camps, visiting grandparents, and just general fun, I haven’t been in the kitchen for long stretches. To make the short bursts of time I have to cook worth it I’ve been focusing on lots of no-cook recipes that are quick to assemble. This chilled white gazpacho has quickly become a favorite of ours. It is wholly satisfying and a snap to pull together.

As we gear up for the Fourth of July weekend, I am writing up my final list of easy entertaining recipes. For the main courses, we’ll be grilling our favorites like chicken skewers and hot dogs. We might even grill up some vegetables. On the side, I plan to whip up a few of these easy and delicious caprese-style cheese tartines. I use delicious Arla Dofino Creamy Havarti cheese, slices of the fresh beefsteak tomatoes we’ve started finding in our local markets and basil snipped from the garden.

I’ll admit, the only time I eat strawberry ice cream is in the summer. I like it to have loads of real fresh fruit, and that means using strawberries that are truly fresh and red to the core. I’ve tried many great ice cream recipes in the past but this one really takes the cake when it comes to strawberry ice cream. It is sweet, but not too heavy, with loads of fresh strawberry flavor. It doesn’t get too hard when it freezes which makes it perfect for scooping into a circle on top of cones, or add on top of a cake or pie. Best of all, it is easy to make! I am so glad my friend Megan featured it – she is, as we all know, a culinary ice cream genius. Haha! Here’s how you can make it too:

Last year my friend Faith, the incredibly talent editor of The Kitchn, came out with a gorgeous cookbook called Bakeless Sweets: Pudding, Panna Cotta, Fluff, Icebox Cake and more No-Bake Desserts. I no-baked from it all last summer and just pulled it out again last month. You guys, this it the ultimate dessert summer cookbook. Faith knows what we all like – cool, sweet desserts that range from the traditional to adventurous. And she also knows that we don’t have time for complicated cooking techniques and fancy equipment. Her desserts are all easy and accessible and taste completely fabulous.

To get us all in the mood to turn off our ovens this season Faith has stopped by to chat about her book and generously give away a copy. If you want to see the kind of recipes that are in it you should checkout my take on her Graham Cracker Lemon Icebox Cake and her No-Bake Brownies, they are soooo good!

We were strawberry picking up a storm last week so brace yourself for a few upcoming strawberry recipes. Unfortunately, we had to do most of the strawberry picking in the fields north of us. The strawberry patch I planted is very slowly ripening and has so far yielded about 10 berries total. I think next year it will be more abundant as the plants mature. In the mean time, we are happy to pick wherever and whenever and I was thrilled to have about 20 pounds to work with last weekend.

Last month my friends at Ball Canning sent me some of their newest products for summer. I immediately fell in love with the lid that screws onto their wide mouth jars and is intended for infusing beverages. I try to drink lots of water and teas in the summer but I stay away from sugary drinks as much as possible to avoid the unwanted calories. Instead I infuse my beverages with natural flavors like vegetables, herbs, and fruits. This new lids makes it so easy to do! Here are a few flavor combinations I’ve been enjoying lately:

Since we are talking about awesome frozen desserts this week I had to include this post for making ice cream cake in a loaf pan. Seriously, you guys, this is soooo easy. Plus, it is super fun for kids. Here is how you make it!

I was never really into flavored cheeses until I started working with Arla Dofino. There cheeses are the first ones I’ve ever tried with actual natural flavors like real peppers or dill incorporated into the cheese. There is nothing artificial about them! The cool thing about naturally flavored cheeses is that can give new life to tried-and-true dishes. For example, a regular grilled cheese can be transformed if you use Pesto Gouda instead of cheddar. Quesadillas take on a whole new life with Chipotle Gouda, and salads taste amazing with a sprinkle of shredded Dill Havarti. Last week my in-laws were visiting so I used the Jalapeno Havarti to make an easy summer entertaining dip.

The best and worst think about the food writing world is staring at amazing recipes and food all day. My friends and favorite writers are constantly thinking up new and amazing dishes. I try to Pin them all with the hopes of making them someday but there is never enough time! Last week I finally tasked myself with making Phoebe’s amazing peanut sauce. It has always been high on my to-do list and I was totally craving an Asian-inspired noodle dish so it was finally the perfect time to give it a whirl.

This is my best friend of summer salads. The one I pull out time and time again when I want a light dinner, or a heavier side dish, or I generally just have a craving for a BLT. (I know that sounds silly, but those cravings happen fairly often!) I first found it on Food52 practically the day after it was published. I made it the week after publication and have done so steadily ever since.