Because recipes of this type will transport well, it is good to include in your summer entertaining whether it includes beach, picnic, vacation, hiking, camping, SUP, fishing, tubing, or July 4th plans. Since many of us try to jam all the things we love into every day while the summer sun is high in the sky.

Take along New Fresh Potato Salad Recipe

The fun days of summer include all of the things that we love. While your making plans for the day, include something new for you and  yours to do. It will add to the bonding of your group and keep everyone interested.

Step outside of your comfort zone and plan to learn a new activity.  Because it is good for us on so many levels to learn and attempt something different. Maybe even if we are not good at the new activity, it’s better that we attempt to learn and demonstrate a “can do attitude”. While repetition is comforting or easy it may also turn into boring. Monotony is not fun and  it’s unhealthy to our overall growth. Teenagers and young adults detest boring. Engage your inner child and just do it.

List of Activities to keep Family Engaged at Beach

Here are a couple of suggestions for your family:

1. Kayak or Paddle board rentals or lessons
2. Contest for Beach shells prettiest, largest, ugliest and unusual
3. Go Deep Sea Fishing– Charter a boat or join one of the party boats.
4. Rent Jet Skis or go Parasailing
5. Plan an evening of cards, board games or charades. Balderdash’s word game is my personal favorite. I promise you will laugh like never before.
6. Plan a beach scavenger hunt and split up into teams.  This site has a multitude of options for you depending on the age of your family or create your own list.  This type of activity is good for all age groups.

   

7. Divide your group in half and have a cooking competition. Plus this will split up the work duties in the kitchen.
8. Plan wine walk on the beach and watch the sun set on the water
9. At dinner, have everyone tell a favorite childhood memory or favorite story about their parents. Best story wins.

On any family vacation I would add in a good supply of your favorite libations. At some point, libations will be needed and wine is always good for what ails you. Yet, if you are more inclined to a cocktail, try one of my favorites.

Favorite Cocktails and Sorbet

Summer Rebellion Watermelon Martini

Good Intentions and Vodka Infused Kumquats

Country eggs raised in a Condo (sorbet drenched in vodka)

Most of all, time spent with family should be wrapped in love, surrounded with good food, drenched in fun and memories to last a lifetime. Unless your from that “one perfect family” members may challenge us like no other. Develop a couple of new choices to keep your crew busy and entertained. Especially important, bring along a dose of patience, kindness and remember to pack the libations. In conclusion, don’t forget the New Fresh Potato Salad Recipe for your time at the beach.

Alexa Shout Out to DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince for “Summertime”.
Take me to the beach, please.

The post Beach Ready? New Fresh Potato Salad Recipe appeared first on Dining With Mimi.

My need for a quick appetizer plus craft beer runs the gambit and includes  having  a loved one  that may experience a bad case of “h-angry”? H-angry is a special kind of “I am so hungry that I am angry”. H-angry is something that I try to avoid at all costs. Grill-Man’s hypoglycemia kicks h-angry into overdrive. Let’s just say that it is not a pretty thing to watch.

First Quick  Appetizer plus craft beer now and later?

No matter the reason, it is good to have a meal trick up your sleeve. Pesto, Sausage, Zucchini, Cheese and Green Onion Pizza will do nicely. Because variations on this recipe are endless, it is easy to select your toppings that you may want.

Most of these ingredients, I always have on hand and could be changed based on pantry inventory. In this recipe I have chosen to use store-bought pie shell in lieu of pizza crust. Before you get your panties in an uproar, here’s why:

• pie crust is always on hand
• easy to use pie crust unrolls easily and allows for time savings
• it allows for a thinner crust which I prefer
• fewer calories per slice

If you’re a traditionalist and want to replace with pizza dough, please do so. The internet will yield lots of homemade crusts. This option will not be as quick unless you opt for the store-bought crust which requires a grocery store trip. Or plan in advance and have dough on hand or in the freezer which requires time to thaw.

Since, Pizza is food that most anyone will eat. This recipe will allow you to hide the zucchini. A sneaky way to introduce a veggie is to place the zucchini on first, then add cheese and other items on top. Mom  may have to get creative when introducing veggies to any meal.  The earlier you work in the vegetables  the better. This does not work for everyone. I am aware that some people just “do not like vegetables”. If that is the case, leave them off  or replace with another item.

Check Quick Appetizer, Plus Craft Beer from Fairhope Brewing Company

Enjoy this pizza recipe and it will pair well with beer. In Fairhope, we are lucky to have the first production craft brewery in Lower Alabama since prohibition. In order to make this happen, a ton of beer lovers near and far had to unite for a common goal to change Alabama law. For more information on this subject visit Free The Hops.

Due to the the hard work and constant beer drinking, Fairhope Brewing Company celebrated their Fourth Anniversary  this year.  The story behind the crafted beer is a story in itself. Visit the taproom soon and discover what makes FBC special.

Since Fairhope Brewing Company has a notable offering and distributes to Alabama, parts of Mississippi and Florida you’re in luck. If your around those parts of the world visiting our sandy beaches check ’em out. They are very clever with the naming of their beers and flavors.  Just to name a few:

Everyday Ale
S’wheat Home
Judge Roy Bean
I Drink Therefore I Amber
(take The) Causeway IPA
Along Came A Cider
Tarts and Crafts
Rescue Dog Red Ale
Coffee Stout

Shout out to Alexa for a song to pair with quick appetizer plus craft beer or pizza. Alexa delivered up some poetry about Cold Pizza and Warm beer. This was not what I had in mind so I resorted to you-tube. Never does it disappoint to give some type of entertainment. Check the version out on you-tube by Small Boys.

Now it’s time for the quick appetizer plus craft beer. I think a tall  frosty mug of I Drink Therefore I Amber. Nite Y’all!

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I am always happy to return to my little slice of joy, my home. Home is, truly where the heart is. The kitchen is the heart of a home. In my kitchen, I also long for those exotic big city flavors.

Big city traffic, is something to endure. The non-stop pace in a large city is electric and exciting. After several days of the frenetic pace, I am missing our quiet hideaway. I love to travel and get-a-way to foreign destinations. I have been fortunate to travel throughout the US and witness the beauty of our land.

The excitement of trying new foods and touring through food markets is a delight. Shopping in grocery stores in foreign locals, is always a treat for me. Each city,  state, region, cultures and countries all over, offering their own spin on cuisine. The spices, fruits and vegetables are blended to offer an entirely different flavor combination.

While traveling in foreign food markets, it doesn’t take me long before I want to fill up a basket of the unique items and run to a kitchen to begin cooking. The endless supply of flavorful cheese and breads.  The variation in dried meats. The exquisite beauty of the fancy chocolatier. The eye-popping color of the bulk spices and sauces they create make my mouth water.

Using these ingredients to cook , is not an option if your staying in hotels. Imagine a knock at the door, upon opening,  a happy and crazy female carrying a basket loaded with food. Hello, It’s Mimi.  It might help you gain entrance, if your also bringing wine.

I wonder how many doors you would have to knock on before you could gain entrance and be allowed to cook in their kitchen. I haven’t had the nerve to actually put this into action, yet. It’s still in fantasy mode.

Spices are a food item that you may easily bring back from your travels. It is lightweight, economical and makes a great souvenir for friends that enjoy cooking.

Select a spice or sauce, and then start incorporating it into your recipes. Or choose a chef that you like and see if they offer an opportunity to use the spice in their recipes. Spices add flavor that may allow you to cut the items that may make our foods high in calories.

In this recipe, I added chipotle in adobo sauce. I am a big fan of this item. It will bring a flavor all its own to your dish. I love the flavor of it and have added to the following:

• Barbecue
• Chili
• Sauces

The Chipotle Sauce in an egg pie, was bound to happen. In this version, I chose not to add crème or cheese to cut calories and fat content.

Shout out to Alexa for Miles Davis for a music to greet the morning.

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