Friday, June 15, 2012

Binging on Slurpees

What does summer mean to you?  To me, summer is a time to head to the Cape, eat ice cream and enjoy fresh produce.  I love fresh strawberries and blueberries - our fridge has a quart and pint respectively of each right now.  One of the local farmer's markets in town sees me every Friday at a minimum - sometimes I'm there more than once a week.  We've gone through at least 20 ears of corn, 8 quarts of strawberries and 6 pints of blueberries since May and there's only 2 of us.  Impressive and yet indulgent isn't it?

Needless to say, the foods of summer make me happy!  I love a good cookout - burgers, hotdogs, potato salad, sliced tomatoes, corn on the cob and strawberry shortcake - one of my favorite menus.  If I have room in the freezer and that's a big IF (that's another story), I'll make homemade ice cream; it's one of my favorite things.  In fact,  were having a cookout this weekend at my parents' home for Father's Day - see menu above!  Culinary school be damned.  The comfort foods of summer rule. 

Remember back when you were a kid and the Good Humor man drove through the neighborhood?  I still love that man.  We have a version of that here in town that rolls through the 'hood once in a while.  B and I are usually standing out there with whatever kids are around.  We'll never grow up. 

I love summer things like going to baseball games, getting an ice cream on a hot day and going for a walk with the bubbies at 8:30 at night and feeling like it's only 6.   Mind you, the heat down here in NC is brutal.  I'm an air conditioning girl once June hits, pretty much around the clock.  I layer up like it's fall because I freeze at work and then shed layers when I hit the car at the end of the day.   It's just a way of life here.  That's exactly why we head north for our summer vacations.  It's much cooler on the Cape and therefore more fun to play outside.

Traditionally when we're at the Cape we go for ice cream every night at the Sundae School - just awesome homemade ice cream.  When we're home we go out for ice cream every once in while, but not often.  There just aren't many ice cream places nearby.  There's something to be said about going to an ice cream parlor, picking out your flavor and then eating it before it melts.  It's not quite the same when you're home is it?

Not sure what we're doing for the 4th, but I have high hopes that we will have our own 7-11 by then!  We don't have them in Charlotte right now, but all of our Shell station convenience stores are converting to 7-11s!! WOOHOO!  (Sorry Chevron)  I'm really excited about the option of a Slurpee now and again.  I haven't had one for years - I know it's not ice cream, but they sure do taste good on a really hot day!

Maybe that's what we'll do over the 4th weekend - binge on Slurpees!  I'd love to go see some fireworks, drink my Slurpee and get a brain freeze, and just pretend I'm a kid again.   I need to go see some stars and be outside for a while too - my country girl roots are screaming at me right now. 

Here's to Slurpees, the Good Humor man, stars and fireworks.  We all need to focus on the simple things a bit more and just enjoy being.  In the meantime, I'll watch for progress on our 7-11 and keep an ear out for the Good Humor man.

Happy Friday Ya'll!

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