July WrapUp and A Taste of Summer

On By Suzanne@PictureRetirementIn Food, recipes

July is just the beginning of what promises to be a hot and humid summer, and while many of our Snowbirds fly north to escape the heat, we tend to stay close to home for most of hurricane season. We adapt to conditions by wearing lighter clothes, drinking plenty of fluids, retreating indoors, wearing hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen, eating lighter meals, adjusting our exercise routine, and minimizing time in a hot kitchen.

Light Meals

Most of our summer meals consist of chicken, meat, or fish cooked outside on the grill, and a flavor-packed salad. If you are craving comfort food, this is not the dish for you, but if you need a quick, refreshing salad or side dish, see the recipe below.

I modified this recipe to suit our taste from something I found online. It is a flavorful, make-ahead salad, easy to assemble, and requires no cooking. (Microwave doesn’t count) Win!

Edamame Bean Salad

1 ½ cup Edamame beans (I used frozen, defrosted, microwaved for 1 min.)

1 cup chopped cucumber

2 green onions, plus greens, chopped

1 cup green or purple cabbage, chopped

Steam edamame beans in a microwave for one minute or more for desired doneness.

Dressing

1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce, or to taste

1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced

Mix and toss with salad. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Optional: sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds or toasted almonds.

More summer favorites:

1)Black beans, fresh corn, edamame beans, cilantro, and red onion tossed with lime juice and olive oil. 2)Salmon with a side of zucchini spaghetti 3) Arugula topped with summer fruit

Thirst Quinching Drinks

I love water and drink lots of it, but sometimes pure water isn’t enough. My go-to brand of fortified water is Bodyarmor Lyte, which is chock-full of vitamins, minerals, and electrolytes. It tastes great too. But, so does a cold beer or a rum cocktail…..just sayin’.

Fitness Adjustments

Hitting a tennis ball in the comfort of an air-conditioned studio, walking on a treadmill, and chilling in the pool – antidotes to summer’s oppressive heat.

Cool Games

Malcolm and I eat most of our meals at the kitchen counter, while the dining table is perpetually set for Mahjongg during the summer months. One of us is likely to suggest a game during the lull of an afternoon (after errands and morning activities) and just before dinner prep. It’s either that, or succumb to a power nap – also good for brain activity.

Hot Projects

While it wasn’t the coolest of things to do, it needed to be done, so we did it – paint the garage floor, that is. The cement floor in the twenty-five-year-old house we inherited was showing its age, with stains and distress, and didn’t present well to prospective buyers. After considering some expensive options, we elected to paint with an epoxy fortified garage-grade paint. The project took about 3 hours from start to finish. Lots of cold water and frequent dunks into the air conditioning got us through the morning.

Celebrating our Nation’s 249th Birthday

Summer storms nearly always wreak havoc on Fourth of July fireworks displays in our area, so we kept the day low-key and stayed at home. We made barbeque ribs and corn on the cob – an All-American 4th of July meal. Just the two of us. God Bless America!

New Discoveries

Malcolm and I drove to St. Augustine (about 3 hours north) for a two-night stay in our nation’s oldest city. It was fun revisiting familiar sights and walking along historic streets, but the goal was to explore a couple of communities and tour a few homes we’d seen advertised on the internet. Nothing lit us up, but the trip wasn’t a total bust since we discovered Buc-ee’s. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, let me show you. Nothing says summer like a big, messy barbecue brisket sandwich. The store is like a mix of Cracker Barrel, Wawa, and Walmart (some of you will get this) and sells everything but the kitchen sink. I can see the appeal to travelers and locals alike. Fill up your car with gas, grab a gift or souvenir, and have lunch, all in one stop.

July Smiles from the Garden

Hibiscus blooms all year round in South Florida, but is especially prolific in summer months. These are just outside our front door.

Breakfast at Wimbledon – a summer tradition

I easily logged more hours on the couch than on the court during this two-week tournament hosted at The All England Club in London. An American woman (Amanda Anisimova) made it to the final this year by upsetting the first seed in the tournament. Unfortunately, that’s where her bid for the prestigious title ended. The outcome of the Gentlemen’s final was not as predictable, with Carlos Alcaraz and Yonik Sinner (world #1 and #2) battling it out in a four-set match. I watched every glorious moment. Strawberries and cream, anyone?

Planning a Cool Getaway

Nothing beats the heat like a cool escape. We are currently in north-eastern Canada, where we will spend one week exploring the area and enjoying cooler temps. We didn’t put a lot of thought into the plan (beyond reserving a hotel and rental car), but generally, the path on the map below is within our scope of interest. I will record our every move and provide a thorough report later this month.

This is us, still pondering ‘what next’, but enjoying the ride….Photo credit: our friend David, who caught us in a genuinely candid moment.

Sharing with Sunday Stills – A Taste of Summer

What’s On Your Calendar – July, Donna, Deb, Sue, Jo

31 thoughts on “July WrapUp and A Taste of Summer”

  1. Your garage floor project turned out perfect. It looks great. Enjoy the cooler Canadian temps because New England has sure not been cool this summer. Hot and humid has reigned supreme here. Whatever needs to be done outside has to be completed before eleven in the morning or it’s like an oven out there. I love the last photo. 🙂 Enjoy this first week of August as you contemplate what’s next. 🙂

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    1. Judy, it sounds like you are having similar weather to Florida. We hit 113°F last week, and it was even warmer on our West Coast. These last few days in Canada have been considerably better. Malcolm and I started the garage project at 7:30 a.m. to beat the heat. I liked the way it turned out. Maybe August will give us all some relief. Take care.

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  2. Hi Suzanne – it sounds like you’re surviving summer quite well – and throwing in a nice cooler break for a week sounds like the perfect escape. I can certainly relate to sweltering heat (our Western Australian summers are always scorchers) and I can imagine how nice it is to have a few days away from it all. Loved all your photos and feeling warmer just looking at them while it’s been raining here all day.

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  3. Hi Suzanne, Your summer favourites look yummy. You did a great job painting the garage. I hope you’re enjoying exploring my corner of the world. If you stop in Toronto and have free time for a meet up, please feel free to reach me via my Contact form. Keep cool and carry on 🙂

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    1. Hi Natalie, I thought of you yesterday when we took the Ferry to the Toronto Islands. I remember when you wrote about bike riding there. I apologize for not connecting, but we didn’t want to impose, given our free-form schedule. Waking up and deciding what to do has been the norm this week. I have enjoyed not having a plan. BTW, we loved exploring the island. What a special place.

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  4. Sounds like a very good, if hot, month. I’m glad you enjoyed watching Wimbledon. We didn’t manage to get tickets this year so like you I watched on TV a lot. I really liked Anisimova but the final was a step too far for her – this year!

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    1. Sarah, Wimbledon is my favorite tournament to watch on TV. I’d love to see the event one day, but I know getting tickets is nearly impossible. We’ve been to the Open in New York, but it isn’t the same – the fans are too rowdy. Thanks for stopping by. Have a great week.

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  5. Trying again to comment…

    Thanks for linking (my post is live now).

    I’m impressed with how you handle the heat and humidity, Suzanne! I love all your food pics and wonderful recipe. Congrats on finishing the garage floor as well. I also love how you have your mahjong board at the ready. I hope you are enjoying Canada. July certainly kept you busy!

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    1. Hi Donna, the WP Grimlins seem to be attacking everyone today. Thanks for being persistent.

      We considered booking a cruise to Alaska, with extra time in Vancouver and other Northwest destinations, but our ideas piled up quickly, and that trip took on a life of its own. We will eventually make it a priority.

      Next up is Christmas in Scotland and France, followed by New Zealand in the spring. Have a great week.

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      1. Hi, Suzanne – When I opened this post this morning, and again this evening, both times a boxed notification popped up saying this site was unsafe. I persisted anyway.
        I am glad to hear that Vancouver is on your travel list. The seed is planted!

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  8. It sounds like in spite of the heat, you are doing quite well. I am impressed that you adapt to the heat using your smarts and are doing just fine. Your garage floor looks very nice. Hope your time in Canada is great! I look forward to your next post!

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  9. Down here in the southwest corner of the US, we’ve had a glorious, relatively cool, summer so far. After reading of the heat, humidity, and excess rainfall others are experiencing, I feel so grateful that we have been spared (so far 🙂 ). Your trip to Canada looks like just the right antidote to Florida’s heat and humidity.

    I am definitely going to try your Edamame Bean Salad recipe, it looks like the perfect summer lunch.

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  10. Love your approach to the heat of Florida summer. We too don’t tend to fly north. I did book us a quick trip to Washington DC for a museums and monuments visit. I had not been there since I was 7, thought I’d get a super cheap flight (didn’t pan out quite as cheap as expected), and it would be a nice BD present to myself. Many are saying, “it’s so hot there in August” and I’m “and Florida in August?” I’m not sure if posting concrete monuments will rival others northern posts of greenery and waterfalls, though. Enjoy the cool weather!

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  11. Pat, I would love to visit DC. It can’t possibly be hotter than So Florida. I’m sure you will have a great time. We have enjoyed cooler temps, but the smoke from recent Canadian fires blankets the sky, causing every day to look overcast. It isn’t affecting our health, but it looks nasty. Have a great week.

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  12. We finally got a break from the heat in East Tennessee–temps dropped from the 90s to the low 80s. It’s been delightful, but your Canadian trip with no fixed schedule sounds so much better. I’m looking forward to the recap. Malcolm should take a bow for the garage floor paint job. Have a great week and a safe trip home. P.S. A Buc-ee’s sweatshirt is one of my most prized possessions.

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  13. I love the pondering photo. I feel that’s so timely and timeless! Well done on the garage floor painting and beautiful, healthy summer meals. I’d love to make your edamame salad, but there’s no way we’d find all those ingredients here. Plus, we don’t have a microwave. That being said, we did finally find rice vinegar in Paraguay and Mark brought rice paper back from the US, so we are ready to prepare some easy and cold Asian meals as well.

    St. Augustine is my favorite city in Florida. Once, we kept an eye on homes for sale there as well, when Mark was offered a year-long consulting job. And then, COVID happened. On hindsight, I’m not sure if we could actually live in Florida.

    Enjoy your Canadian cool break!

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  14. Hi Liesbet, I get that Florida isn’t for everyone, but it has been my home since birth and I’m kinda fond of it – even the rough edges. Housing has become incredibly expensive, like most of the country. But, the thing that has me pondering is the extreme summer heat. Short of Australia, there isn’t an escape.

    I’d love to read a post from you about staying fit and healthy. How do you adapt to the ingredients available in each destination? I imagine you have to get creative. Good to hear from you. Have a great week.

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  15. I hope you enjoyed your trip to Canada! I look forward to hearing about it in a future post. I loved Nova Scotia, and I would like to go back there again. There are so many places in Canada that I would like to visit. Your Hibiscus flowers are lovely. I have several Hibiscus plants on my deck, but it is seasonal here. I would have to take them in before it gets cold… Wonderful photos!!! (St, Augustine is such a beautiful place!!!)

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  16. Hi Linda, I’ll post about the trip in a couple of weeks. It was short, but sweet. I’m glad you enjoyed the photos in this post. We had a strange few weeks, but did the best we could to beat the heat. Unfortunately, there is more of that to come, which has prompted us to consider an alternative for next summer. Thanks for stopping by. Hope you are having a good week.

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  17. How fun to plan a trip but not where and when to stop – just to go with the flow. I like the idea of an edamame salad, but hubby never eats salad so if it is salad it is only me and the adult children when they are eating here.

    I also like your idea of stimulating your brain in the late afternoon before dinner prep. I might just adopt that idea too!

    Stay cool!

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