Summertime

Summer is the worst time in the realm of make-ahead meals.  The concept of make ahead lends itself beautifully to casseroles, roasts, and other heavier, comfort-type foods, not the lighter, quicker-cooked fare that is desired in hot weather.  Who wants to turn on an oven when it's 95 degrees outside, even if the house IS air conditioned???

It's during heat waves like the one we're having now that our menus get pretty boring.  This week, I've been lucky to have some leftovers from our 4th of July weekend of play that have gotten me through.  Tonight we had our old standby, taco salad.  I know that there will be a few times in the coming months that I'll be able to get away with a dinner salad, or a chicken pasta salad, but with my picky eater, not every week!

So, it's time to pull out the cookbooks and last year's summer menus to figure out what we'll be eating in the coming weeks.  We're fortunate to have a great garden this year, so fresh produce is right at hand. 

Stay tuned for details - and I'm open to suggestions if anyone has any!