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Wake Up to Beach Style: A Coastal-Inspired Bedroom
After a restorative vacation, many of us wonder how to hold onto a relaxed feeling as we settle back into our daily routine. If you’ve vacationed near the coastline yet live farther inland, the contrast can be more than a little jarring. Salty ocean air and wave after wave of every blue imaginable promote calm in a way that many other settings just can’t match. Infusing the bedroom with coastal style goes a long way toward recapturing that vacation feeling, and it doesn’t have to involve a single nautical pattern. Instead of relying on themed accents, focus on updates that play to the senses to bring serenity and beachy vibes…
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Strawberry Muffins
Cherished as a herald of summer, ripe local strawberries have long been a sign of the changing season. Their stains often match the deep pink color of evening sky outside the window while I bake. If you head outside on the right June evening, that sky will also feature the year’s Strawberry Moon, so-named by the Algonquin tribes who used the month’s full moon as a sign to gather plump wild strawberries. Enjoy the spectacle with one of these treats in hand, and eat one again the next morning. Every strawberry season needs a standout recipe that justifies another haul of fresh berries. Ingredients 1 cup chopped fresh strawberries 1…
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Creative Tips for a Culinary Herb Garden
Digital image from The Cloisters Collection, 1925, courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Now is the time when a tiny patch of earth seems most full of potential. Among the ruffled blooms and tasty vegetables that may soon fill your yard or community garden, carve a section for culinary herbs, and you might just transform the scent and flavor of your warm weather cooking. Since herbs grow best when snipped often, the more you use your herb garden, the greater the rewards. Plan a Garden Around Favorite Main Dishes When considering which plants to choose, think about the meals that carry you through the spring and summer.…
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Nectarine Sorbet
At its best, sorbet is simply fruit transformed. Crisp slices and whole berries are perfect in May and June, but by the last stretch of summer, I crave all sorts of icy but melty goodness. Late August calls for a lush cup of sorbet. This no-churn nectarine version will help to stave off the restless feeling that kicks in when we realize the days are getting shorter again. Flavorful and refreshing, it does not require any special equipment other than a blender, which you likely have on the counter already for cocktails (and mocktails!). Eat it icy or let it melt as you join me in an August wish: “If…
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Berry Iced Tea
When you’re headed for the road (beach trip!) or it’s too early in the day for cocktails, you still need something summery in hand. Drinks should be fresh and festive even when they are non-alcoholic. Long, scorching days signal access to ripe berries, making this the perfect time of year for an iced white tea with juicy raspberries and blueberries. White teas have a delicate sweetness that marries well with their flavors. Harvested when the tea leaves are still young, white varieties also are lighter and often more refreshing than green and black teas. I recommend selecting one with fruity notes for this recipe. Grab your muddler and read on.…
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