Summer Loving

Joining Jacqui at the Barefoot Crofter today to reflect on all that we love about summer...

Little toes splashing in sprinklers

 Warm summer breezes

Homemade strawberry shortcake shared with friends in the backyard 

 Buzzing bees and blooming cosmos (I know I know...I've been posting way too many insect-plant photos lately...but can you blame me? They're so amazing! And this one was taken by my husband, so maybe it doesn't count.)

 Morning sun through kitchen windows (and time enough to finish one more placemat!)

 And my favorite of all, a surprise bouquet left on the front stoop by a new neighbor friend--a friend made over a front yard pea patch (read more of that story here.)

And a few other random delights discovered this week:

~The Putumayo Kids Picnic Playground CD, especially the song Eat Like a Rainbow by Jay Mankita.  

~Heidi Swanson's cookbook  Super Natural Every Day. So far we've tried the spinach strata, baked oatmeal, white bean spread, and ginger cookies (ginger with a capital G--whew!). All delicious. It's a little more fussy and gourmet than I find I have time for, but I just simplify things a bit and the recipes still turn out great. Gorgeous photography, too!

Wishing you a lovely week ahead!