My Little Mermaid

As a little girl I really wanted to be a mermaid. 

I  mean...

It doesn't get any cuter than that!

When life gives you lemons...

My aunt gave me a bag full of fresh lemons from her tree a few days ago so I decided to try out making lemonade.  

• 1 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup sugar with 1 cup water (make into simple syrup)
• 3-4 cups of water

Summer Time

Getting some sun on the bump.
  

I have been getting mixed opinions on this but is baring the bump gross? I don't think so. 

P.S. I love my new Billabong California Love hat :)

Summer BBQ Recipes

I saw these recipes on TV the other day and quickly wrote it all down.  I'm not sure if I got all of the ingredient amounts correct but it turned out great so I guess it doesn't matter.  Here's what I made:

Shrimp Skewers
Marinade:

• 1tbs lemon juice
• 2tbs chili sauce
• 2tbs honey
• 1/3c vegetable oil
• 1/4tsp of Chinese 5 Spice
• 3 shallots, finely chopped
• 2tbs parsley, finely chopped
• 2tbs green onion, finely sliced

Mix all ingredients of the marinade together and stir in peeled and deveined shrimp and let them marinade for an hour or two in the fridge.  Soak wooden skewers in water while shrimp marinade so that they don't burn on the BBQ.  

Throw on the BBQ when you are ready to eat because these cook in about 2 minutes on each side.  Be careful not to overcook because shrimp will get rubbery. 

Corn on the Cob with Ancho Chili Lime Butter
Oil the corn and put directly on the grill.  These take the longest of anything to cook so put them on first.
Ancho Chili Lime Butter:

• 1 stick room temperature butter
• 3 big pinches of Ancho Chili Powder
• a few drizzles of honey
• zest of one lime

Stir together and spread on the warm corn when it is finished cooking.  This is sooo good :)

**I don't have a picture of this one.

Grilled Veggie Salad

Honey Mustard Vinaigrette: 

• equal parts white wine vinegar & olive oil
• about 1 tbs dijon mustard
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• about 1 tbs parsley, finely chopped
• salt and pepper 

Shake together and taste to see if you need to tweek any of the ingredients.

Roughly chop veggies to grill on the BBQ.  I used red onions (cut in discs), asparagus (whole), corn (whole), zucchini (cut in half), red bell pepper (quartered). Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt & pepper and put on the grill.  They cook pretty fast so keep an eye on them.  When they are done, chop into bite size pieces (cut corn off the cob) and add to spring mix greens.  Toss with honey mustard dressing and serve while the veggies are still warm. 

Refreshing Summer Salad

This is the best and easiest go-to summer salad.  It has become a staple at book club c/o Connie.  

• Arugula
• Pomegranate seeds
• Feta Cheese (don't worry I'm always careful to use pasteurized cheese)
• Trader Joe's Goddess dressing