Summer is a great time for new adventures. Our big adventure this summer has been navigating it as new parents. Now almost 10 months, our son is getting all sorts of new experiences to enjoy and a few he isn’t enjoying too much (teething). Things like swimming, going to the beach, enjoying the outdoors, and getting ready to walk are all things of excitement for him. One of the most exciting things for us has been getting Wyatt in the pool more often and seeing how happy he is in the water. It brings joy not only to his face but also to Tony’s and mine. This adventure of parenting has definitely had ups and downs but seeing the awe and excitement through his eyes makes everything worth it.

With all the summer fun going on meals should get an exciting twist as well. Summer offers some great weather, and seasonal fruits and veggies. Keeping this in mind, here are some tips to add in during the summer to change up your meals.

Add In Some Citrus:

Something so simple and easy, but a lot of the time we don’t even think about it. Finishing a dish with a hit of lemon or lime adds in a freshness. It also can add an additional layer of flavor throughout a meal. Here are some of the things we use it for to add brightness: guacamole, salad dressings, marinades, mango (this one I learned from Tony’s mom, mango with salt and lime), and seafood. The shrimp ceviche pictured above has lemon, lime and orange in it and each of those brings a different flavor to create a delicious and light dish.

Give Dishes a Fruity Twist:

Summer time brings not only the warm weather but also some really great fruit. Adding fruit to a dish can offer a sweet and savory combination that can elevate a meal. We love adding things like fresh strawberries or peaches to our salads. It adds in a layer of complexity that we would otherwise miss. As seen above we have also added fruit into salsas, the one in the picture is pineapple. Next time you are making one of these dishes try adding some fruit and see how it changes things up.

Practice Your Grilling Skills:

Sometimes there is nothing more summer to us as having a barbecue. The weather is great for being outdoors so cooking outside just gives Tony and I the opportunity to enjoy it a bit more. Whether it’s grilling up meats or veggies, the flavor added to these dishes from cooking over a fire is amazing. Whether its wood, charcoal, or propane get your family outdoors this summer and do some outside cooking. Not only does grilling bring flavor to meals, but it gets you outside which can be great for your energy.

Use What’s in Season:

Cooking what is in season means you are getting produce at its highest flavor and quality. We love walking the farmers markets over the weekends to not only get the freshest produce, but also to shop as local as we can. Some of our favorite in season produce right now is nectarines, watermelon, and green beans for me; and figs, cucumbers, and bell peppers for Tony. We try to cook with the season as much as we can so that we are getting great quality produce that is also usually at it’s best price (so shopping seasonally can also save you). Right now is a great time to try out our watermelon salad recipe pictured above.

We hope you enjoyed this post and that you try out at least one of these tips before summer comes to a close.