Ok friends, this is JUST FOR FUN.

We like fun, right?

I spend a lot of time kitchen-witching in the summer. I have pots of herbs on the back steps and go to the farmer’s market often. Here are a few things I love to make. Hopefully it gives you some inspiration to slow down and give your breakfast or beverage a little extra sumpthin’.

Fancy-Ass Oatmeal
I’ve shared my oatmeal and granola recipe before. It’s my sacred morning ritual. Here’s how I embellish it for summer.

After the oatmeal is finished cooking, keep the burner on low and add fresh blueberries, cardamom ghee, and flaxseed. Warm it until the berries are about to burst, but not melting.
PILE the oatmeal with granola and fresh summer fruit, including mango, raspberries, peaches, and/or nectarines.
Try not to die from breakfast bliss.

Orzo Salad Batch Lunches
I work from home now, but this is a batch lunch I used to make all the time for summer work weeks.

Make a batch of fresh pesto or buy a little jar of it.
Cook a pot of orzo and toss it with the pesto.
Slice a few radishes and a bunch of cherry tomatoes.
Compile lunch containers: salad greens, two scoops of pesto orzo, tomatoes, radishes, slivered almonds. Include a small jar of Greek salad dressing (I like Yasou brand, but anything with lots of lemon and oregano).
At lunchtime, shake that puppy up. The pesto + lemon dressing and combo of textures is SO good.
Eat outside.

Divine Water
Shout-out to my friend Christa, who offered me this miraculous "garden water" after a massage. It made me swoon, it's SO refreshing.

Trim a handful of fresh lemongrass and mint from the garden and rinse.
Infuse the herbs in a giant mason jar of cool filtered water.
Leave it on the counter and drink throughout the day. Feel like royalty.
(Did you know lemon balm is a nervine? It's great for soothing anxious feelings.)

Quinny’s Baja Salad
I recently invented this recipe, and it was a hit at my family reunion. It’s another great one to make on Sunday and eat all week.

Cut 2-4 potatoes into tiny cubes (I like a combo of sweet and red potatoes) and bake them on a cookie sheet at 425 with chili powder and salt until brown.
Cook 1 cup of quinoa per instructions.
Warm a can of mostly-drained black beans on the stovetop with minced shallot, salt, and cumin until soft.
Prep the veggies - cut the corn off 2-3 cobs, dice a couple small sweet peppers, slice a few grape tomatoes, shred some red cabbage, chop cilantro.
Let the hot stuff cool, then toss it all together with pumpkin seeds.
Make a big batch of MAGICAL dressing and keep it in a separate jar: one diced orange and its juice (key ingredient - don’t skip!), olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lots of lime, a little honey, minced shallot and garlic, paprika, chili powder, salt, pepper.
Other variations: eat it on top of a big bowl of arugula; warm it up and add chicken; serve with tortilla chips; add other in-season veggies like zucchini, avocado, or radishes.

Have fun and be well this summer!