It’s Friday – hooray! I hope you’ve had a wonderful week and are looking forward to a weekend of whatever you need, be it fun, relaxation, productivity, or some combination of the three. 🙂 And as we wrap up the week, I like to take a little bit of time to reflect on some of the things that made it a good one. Let’s be clear that I’ve enjoyed a lot of things this week, from long walks with my mom and dog to evenings watching Orange is the New Black (almost done with season 3!) with my parents to texting the friends I can’t quite find time to see. However, I think this is going to be heavy on the foodie favorites. Ready? Cool.
- Steak and corn on the cob
Last night, my dad got home in pretty decent time and took care of dinner for us. He made what I consider the perfect summer meal: grilled steak and crunchy, sweet corn on the cob.
- Seasonal Chobani
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I generally enjoy plain Greek yogurt more than flavored, but I still like to try out new flavors when I see them. I did not expect much from watermelon-flavored yogurt, but I actually really enjoyed it. I have yet to try the plum flavor, but I’ve liked all of the seasonal Chobani flavors in the past, so I have high hopes.
- Trader Joe’s Salted Almond Butter
I tend to stick to unsalted or sweet-flavored nut butters, but I got this salted jar to give it a try. I used part of it to make these cookies a couple weeks ago.
I’ve since been eating it and all its salty deliciousness with a spoon. Both ways are pretty fantastic.
It’s moist and sweet and super banana-y. I highly recommend making it with really black, gross-looking bananas. I love baking (if you hadn’t heard), but I usually grow tired of whatever baked goods I make after one or two days. I’ve had this since last Saturday and I’m still loving it. Make it! (And maybe smear it with salted almond butter. That’s really good, too.)
- Menu planning
Before we go grocery shopping, we plan out a menu for the next couple of weeks. Sometimes I’m tired and stressed and no food really sounds good, but since I got back in the kitchen this week, I’m excited to plan out some of our dinners for the next few weeks. Also, it means I get to go grocery shopping and I love that 🙂
Have a great weekend, everyone!
What is your perfect summer meal?
Any fun plans for the weekend?
What are you loving this week?
I am going to use my “gross” bananas to make this yummy looking bread. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Of course! I hope you like it!
Seasonal Chobani cups are a hit or miss for me. I loved the pumpkin spice but I couldn’t stand the concord grape. I’m going to have to find the watermelon and taste it myself! Have a lovely weekend, Ellen!
I hope they bring back pumpkin spice in the fall; it was my favorite. Thanks, Alison! I hope you have a fabulous weekend, as well 🙂
Good call on the meal planning! I keep saying I want to start again because I tend to get a little crazy overbuying all the fresh produce now without any set recipes to use it for. A recipe for desaster.
Oh and long walks with your mum sound great. I’ve been going on a few longer bikes rides with mine these past weeks and enjoy it so much.
I hope you’ll have a great weekend!
We do sometimes end up with too much produce, but the plan limits it a bit 🙂 Glad you’ve enjoyed some time with your mom! Have a wonderful weekend!
Perfect summer meal? I really like grilled chicken wraps, watermelon, and pie and icecream! 🙂 Those seasonal chobanis look really good. Can you find them at just any grocery store?
Any meal that ends in ice cream is pretty freaking amazing, if you ask me 😉 And, yeah, you should be able to find the seasonal Chobanis any where you find regular ones!
Corn on the cob is positively one of my favorite foods ever. I hardly ever express love for vegetables, but I will never stay silent about how much I love corn on the cob. so. dang. good.
Have a great holiday weekend, Ellen!
I only really eat it in the summer (when it’s best!) and I always forget how delicious it is! I’m absolutely planning on enjoying quite a bit of it now that I remember, though.
Thanks, Julia! I hope you have an amazing holiday weekend, too!
Now I REALLY want steak. I love when my mom grills steak and a bunch of vegetables. And yes, TJ’s almond butter (salted or not) is the best. Have a great weekend!
Mmm that sounds delicious! Thanks, Emily 🙂 I hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend, too!
That yogurt looks amazing! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Of course! Thanks for reading, Emma 🙂 Have a lovely weekend!
We’re having a quiet Fourth, too!! My mom and I are staying home with the dogs, though I may hop on down to the park to watch “our” show tomorrow evening.
I wouldn’t be able to decide on a perfect summer meal, though I usually look forward all winter (and sometimes just cave and have it in the cold weather anyway! 😛 ) to our recipe for Chinese Chicken Salad.
Yay for Fridays!! My favorites this week:
1) Shopping with my mom. I used to go out with her all the time, but rarely get to anymore other than grocery shopping, as we’re both so busy. 🙁 But the rest of my family is helping set up for a fireworks show at a local park, so Mom and I decided to make a Girls’ Day of it, and had a day on the town! It was so much fun, and just like old times. Ever since you mentioned/recommended Potbelly, I’ve been wanting to try it out, so we went there for lunch (thanks for tip…so yummy!!). We did some fun clothes shopping, went to a Whole Foods basically for my first time ever (and I was a supremely-weird-touristy customer, taking pictures and pretty much grinning ear-to-ear the entire time! 😛 ) and ran into our old neighbors along the way! We had a blast!
2) Mushrooms. I love their earthiness when they’re raw, their tender juiciness partially cooked, and the addictive almost-nuttiness when sautéed. I also discovered this week that salads aren’t the same without them. 😐
3) My Merrell shoes. (I think I may have done this one before, but it is worth doing again!) I wasn’t sure about spending so much money on a pair of shoes I might not actually run in, but I found out they are phenomenal for everyday wear, not just for hiking or intense workouts! My feet would be in constant pain if not for these shoes. Problem comes in summer, when I really don’t want to wear shoes… 😛
4) New workouts. I’ve become increasingly dissatisfied with how my current exercise plan wasn’t working me very hard, and when I started gaining unhealthy weight, I decided to try changing it up. I did my first different workout this morning and I felt terrific afterwards!! I am really loving the mix of cardio and strength training…even though I was so out-of-shape on the cardio parts that I totally FAILED a couple of times, I am looking forward to trying again!
5) Holding down the fort here at home by myself for a few hours. I don’t particularly like staying home alone, but thankfully, I almost never have to. But when I do, that makes it kind of fun. I got out speakers and turned up the music while belting it out for all I was worth. And since I was the was the only one working in the kitchen, I could spread my mess out over the whole island without bothering to clean up as I went along. 😛 Pretty fun. But I was also glad to see the others when they came home. 🙂
Have a wonderful Independence Day, Ellen!!
Ooh that Chinese chicken salad sounds yummy.
1.) Shopping with moms is the best. I may’ve done the same thing this evening…
2.) Yeah! Someone else likes mushrooms raw AND cooked, too! Most people I know are grossed out by the fact that I eat raw mushrooms, but I love them both ways.
3.) I’ve learned recently that buying good shoes is SO worth it. My feet totally feel it when I wear unsupportive/no shoes.
4.) New workouts are fabulous! I’m so glad the new routine is making you feel good, Hannah!
5.) I don’t like to be home alone for long, either, but I love cooking and cleaning with the music up when no one is home. 🙂
Thanks so much! Have a great Independence Day weekend!
Rib-eye steak on the grill, corn on the cob, a good salad and top it off with strawberry pie.
Exciting fourth planned as we will harvest a lot from community garden and do some weeding. It has been way too wet to do that.
Would love to go to Ashland as they celebrate 200th year plus their usual 4th activities. 25th year with balloon fest. It is really neat. The Clydesdales are in town also. Problem is that there will be a bazillion people, traffic, no parking, etc., etc.
We do have neighborhood cookout on the 5th. Know that some have other plans on the 4th, and we do a lot of our activities on Sundays.
Sounds like a great meal 🙂 Your fresh produce is always tasty and it’s nice that the weather is starting to cooperate. I totally understand about the crowds… definitely not my thing.
Have fun on Sunday!
Why can’t I find that yogurt?! Ugh! Lately I’m loving baking. In fact, I’m waiting on a layer cake in the oven right now. Happy 4th!
I found it at ONE store… and I probably frequent about 5 grocery stores. Good luck on the hunt 🙂 Baking is so fun – enjoy that cake Thanks, Laura! Have a great 4th!
Funny you mentioned Averie’s banana bread. I literally made it yesterday for my husbands breakfast throughout the week. It’s delicious!
What a coincidence 🙂 I love it! Have an amazing weekend, Jessie!
Please share some of those amazing looking cookies- I can never say no to anything chocolate related. I see you have also jumped on the watermelon chobani bandwagon. It seems as if every blogger is in love with them, I have to give it a try!
They’re super easy to make if you want to do some baking 🙂 And, sure, try it out – what’s the worst that can happen? 😉
Watermelon yogurt? Yum! I’m going to have to ,are that bread too.
It’s delicious and super easy to make! Have a great day 🙂