Summer Squeeze!

I know it's super cliché to say that this summer is flying by too quickly.  It really is, but I'm actually kind of looking forward to fall!  I think summer doesn't technically end until September 21st, but mentally summer ends for me after Labor Day.  (Once football begins, I'm thinking fall!)  So, to really squeeze the most out of this last month of summer Heath and I each made a list of our top 3 things we'd really like to do this month to feel like we've properly enjoyed this season!

Mary Keller's Top 3:

Enjoy a Low Country Boil - I really feel like my summer is incomplete without a good old fashioned casual shrimp boil!  We still haven't taken our annual beach vacation this year and are planning to have a fun shrimp boil while we're at the beach for Labor Day. 

Eat Lots of Fresh Tomatoes - with our kitchen being out of commission for half of the summer, we really haven't taken advantage of the delicious tomatoes (or corn!) that come with summer.  We definitely plan to change that these next few weeks.  (Lot's of tomato recipe ideas here.)

Make a Peach Cobbler - I really hate to think that I could go all summer without homemade peach cobbler.  I'm thinking we may need to try this recipe with blackberries asap!

Heath's Top 3:

Make Homemade Popsicles or Ice Cream - Before the season ends Heath's hoping to make some type of homemade cool treat to enjoy on these last few hot weeks!  These Watermelon Mojito Popsicles look really yummy, and so does this Ultimate Peach Ice Cream recipe.  Smitten Kitchen's also been showing off some really fancy popsicles!

Make Soft Shell Crab Sandwiches - this one may sound tricky, but the fish monger at our local fish market swears these are super easy and sooo amazing!  (If you're local to Charlotte, Clean Catch often has crabs on special.)  This Food&Wine recipe looks really good, and I think Gwyneth Paltrow's first cookbook (my favorite) also has a really good looking crab sandwich recipe. 

Drink More Rose' - as Heath says, this one is self explanatory!  Perfect wine for summer evenings!

Don't you love how all of our remaining summer plans are food related! :)  What does everyone else really want to do these last few weeks of summer?

~ Mary Keller

Images:  Low Country Boil via Coastal Living; Tomatos via Martha Stewart; Peach Cobbler via SundayMorningBananaPancakes; Watermelon Mojito Popsicles via Endless Simmer;  Soft Shell Crab Sandwich via Food & Wine; Rose image by Michael Bullock via Camille Styles