Summerade

 There is nothing quite like an ice cold drink to bring a sense of refreshment on a three-digit kind of day in Southern California.

Summerade


1 whole lemon, peeled
1 whole orange, peeled
1-2 tablespoons of honey
4 frozen strawberries
5 frozen berries ( ie: raspberries)
LOTS of Ice
1/2 cup of water

Blend and enjoy a guilt free icy refresher on a hot summers day.

Tomazella Salad

Juicy succulent home grown tomatoes layered in between layers of sliced creamy fresh mozzarella and I call it Tomazella. That's right, I've named it!

This past weekend we were attending the "last pre-labor day" BBQ at a friends house. Their garden is blessed with an abundance of fresh tomatoes throughout the summer and we had to make it a part of the dinner course ( though it made an appearance as an appetizer and at breakfast too....)  Luckily, our hostess K happened to have fresh mozzarella in the fridge. Eagerly I asked for basil, hoping it was a member of their herb garden. But alas, the Caprese Salad was not meant to be.

But, when one door closes a window opens, right??

Determined to be resourceful, I found same incredibly fresh green onion and garlic at my disposal and the Tomazella salad was born.

Dressing


2 cloves of garlic, diced
1 stalk of green onion, diced
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar
Fresh sea salt
Fresh cracked pepper

Summer Strawberry Shortcake

Easy, surprisingly low-fat and low-calorie Summer dessert.

I ventured into Whole Foods and found these " dessert cups" which are like mini angel food/pound cakes at only 100 calories each. Conveniently they also had "fat free" aerosol whipped cream. Real dairy-yes; fat- no.
I have to admit, I was a bit worried about the taste but it passed the fiancee test with flying colors :)

Of course, if you want to indulge you can always make homemade whipped cream ( as in the pictures above), but the fat free version was just as scrumptious and very guilt-free. The freshly sliced strawberries are a perfect addition, especially these from local strawberries from Whole Foods were perfectly sweet!!

Photo blog, food blog, or photo food blog???

Some of the above breakfast later became this....

An easy summer smoothie, no juices required thanks to the watermelon. Once blended, it provides enough liquid for the whole drink . Watermelon, honeydew and an array of frozen berries make for a nutrition packed colorful glass.

Another great summer dish is the cabbage salad below:

 Simply layer julienned cabbage with grated carrots, julienned radishes, diced cilantro and sliced red onions until bowl is full.  Dress with the juice of 1 lemon, 2 tablespoons of oilive oil, salt/pepper and 1/2 tsp of dried mint. This is one of those salads that tastes even better the second and third day.