August Recap 2022

August wizzed by. We celebrated C’s 4th birthday, went on vacation to the beach, juggled no-camp weeks, and were hotter than we’d like.

In the kitchen, I loved these savory waffles with hashbrowns, sausage, egg, and cheese and will 100% make them again soon. They were the best one-handed breakfast for on-the-go mornings.

The Three Bite Rule - Savory Waffle

These Peach Tea Cocktails were SO good for a light summer drink.

The Three Bite Rule - Peach Tea Cocktail

I made some apps – phyllo cups with ricotta, peach, and basil.

The Three Bite Rule - Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups

One last drink – cherry lime refreshers have some sweet cherries, tart lime, and finish with bubbles!

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

Plus, I rounded up some no-cook/low-cook Summer dinner ideas.

I have some September recipes in the works – a lemon one and something corny.

The Little Girl:
She’s 4! She loved her birthday of swimming, a unicorn cake, and fun presents. A cold worked it’s way through her (and some of us) a few times but wasn’t Covid so that’s all we can ask for. She’s in her Elsa costume all the time and had her last ballet class. She loved corn on the cob.

The Big Guy:
He loved all the summer camps and wrapped up the summer with 2 weeks of time with the grandparents and home. August had one camp at Mass Audubon Society where he spent all day in the woods or making art – he came home sweaty, dirty, and happy. He’s ready for 2nd grade and for soccer to start. Packing camp lunches was only moderately successful so we’ll all be glad for school lunch again.

Goals:
Year of nail polish! I got a pale pink one
More international food inspiration: do lettuce cups served with sesame noodles count?
More soups/salads: maybe one salad bar night
More apps: Yes! Phyllo cups were fun as the rest of dinner came together
More fun drinks: Yes x2: cherry lime refreshers & peach tea cocktail.
Updating photos: nope
What I’m reading: I read Portrait of a Thief which was ok- kind of a bumbling college student art heist. I was totally enchanted by The Reading List. I listened to A Long Petal of the Sea for bookclub – I learned a ton about the Spanish Civil War, and Cover Story was such a fun non-murdery mystery that left me with lots of questions.
What I’m watching: Renovation Island is back, America’s Got Talent
What I’m listening to: Sounds Like a Cult

Peach & Ricotta in Phyllo Cups

Phyllo cups + cheese + fruit + herb = perfection. Last time I did brie & cranberry & rosemary and now this got a summery twist with ricotta & peach & basil. My peach could have been more ripe, but I was excited and gave it the benefit of the doubt. 

The Three Bite Rule - Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups

Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups
Ingredients: (serves ~6)

1 package of phyllo cups (usually ~15 per pkg)
1 peach (or plum or cherry)
1/4 cup ricotta cheese
~6 basil leaves
1-2 tbs olive oil

Directions: 
Crisp the phyllo cups according to the package (~4 minutes @ 350 degrees, I used the toaster oven)
Chop the peach into small cubes, chiffonade the basil (roll & slice into ribbons) and toss together with a little olive oil and a dash of pepper
Spoon ricotta into each cup and top with the peach & basil mixture. 
Enjoy! 

The Three Bite Rule - Peach & Ricotta Phyllo Cups

I do wish the peach were more ripe – I mistook ripeness on one side with a bruise. This combo was light and was great together. I threw a few tomatoes & basil into a few too. The kids ate them but might not request them specifically. I honestly thought they’d go more for the tomato but both ate the peach ones. 

It could also go onto a crostini – toast & assemble by the grill! Phyllo cups (freezer section, by pie crust & puff pastry) are just such a perfect bite and take zero effort so my loyalty lies there.

Leftover ricotta? (Freeze it if you’ll cook it) Or use it for: 
a summery pasta with zucchini & mint

tomato ricotta pie

chicken parm turnovers

I often have it on toast/bagels in place of cream cheese!

Cherry Lime Refresher

Bottoms up – cherry season is short so let’s have them every way possible – drinks included! I didn’t spike this one but go for it! This was a perfect mid-afternoon drink to sip while getting some stuff done. I can see this being ideal by the pool or for happy hour.

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

This one features some lime juice & simple syrup (or limeade), dark cherries, and topped with a few bubbles.

Cherry Lime Refresher
Ingredients: (for 2 drinks)

~3/4 cup cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
1 lime, juiced
2 teaspoons simple syrup
1 1/2 cup ice
1/2 cup bubbles (tonic, soda water, sparkling water, sprite, or soda)

Directions:
Chop the cherries and add to a glass with the lime juice & simple syrup and stir.

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

Add in the ice and top with bubbles. Enjoy!

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Lime Refresher

I loved this. The cherries are great and so sweet so the lime fits perfectly.

The cherry pitting trick is to push the pit through with a metal straw or a wooden skewer or a chopstick since I never want to track down a 1-task tool. I find dark cherries in the freezer section too.

Summer Dinner Round Up

It is just so hot and the end-of-summer motivation is a bit lacking, am I right? Here are my dinner ideas when it it is too hot to cook or when you just need to shake it up without too much effort. .

One:
Sandwiches definitely should be on your radar for a no-cook dinner. Pulled pesto chicken caprese sandwiches use rotisserie chicken, fresh mozzarella & tomato. Add some caesar on the side for a quick, cool meal. Or go for a loaded veggie & hummus sandwich.

The Three Bite Rule - Pulled Pesto Chicken Sandwiches

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Two:
Tuna and White Bean Salad gives you definite dinner-vibes. The tuna and beans provide a serious protein punch.

The Three Bite Rule - Tuna & White Bean Protein Salad

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Three:
Apps for dinner is a great option – for lots of reasons. A charcuterie board (tips: here) and some deviled eggs (like these Italian deviled egg ones) and lemon fruit dip. This definitely takes more ingredients & work, but so fun.

The Three Bite Rule - Lemon Fruit Dip

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Four:
To not cook, think fancy brunch: unusual toast like peach & pistachio toast and a smoothie (maybe this mojito smoothie or chocolate almond smoothie).

The Three Bite Rule - Cherry Basil Toast

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Five: Some cheaters with some cooking
Some quick pastas which would mean you would need to boil the pasta BUT this zucchini and ricotta pasta has a no-cook sauce that is great warm or cool!

The Three Bite Rule - Zucchini, Herb, & Ricotta Pasta

Also, some crostini – like mushroom toasts pair well with anything.

The Three Bite Rule - Marsala Mushroom Toasts

What’d I miss? What’s for dinner when it is so hot?

Loaded Savory Waffle

These waffles have everything: sausage, eggs, cheese, hash browns, and everything bagel seasoning- all wafflized! They’re fluffy and filling with a nice crunch.

The Three Bite Rule - Savory Waffle

I wake up first wanting coffee, then ready for a savory breakfast. I don’t usually want pastries or anything sweet. I loaded up these waffles with the savory elements I love and made them a handheld form for an on-the-go breakfast that eggs and hash browns don’t usually lend to.

Loaded Savory Waffles
Ingredients: (makes 3 waffles, 6 servings)
waffle mix
4 sausage links
2 eggs
2 hash brown patties (or ~1 1/2 cups tots)
~4 slices of cheese (I used half American, half white Cheddar)
everything bagel seasoning

Directions:
Preheat waffle iron and mix up waffle batter according to package. Cook the hash browns, eggs, and sausages and chop everything.

The Three Bite Rule - Savory Waffle

Spray the waffle iron and sprinkle in everything bagel seasoning, then ladle just enough waffle batter to fill the wells halfway. Working quickly, top with 1/3 of the sausage pieces, 1/3 of the hash brown pieces, 1/3 of the eggs, and 1/3 of the cheese.
Spoon on another ladle of batter just to cover the fillings. Sprinkle with everything bagel seasoning and close and flip to cook. Mine takes 4 minutes to cook.

The Three Bite Rule - Savory Waffle

Slice in half and enjoy!

These are so good. They freeze well and are perfect to pop in the toaster for a weekday breakfast!

Savory waffles are fluffy with great bites of hash browns and juicy sausage bits and melty cheese. There’s a slight saltiness and I loved every bite. These are nicely filling but not over the top – 2 eggs, 2 hash browns, 4 sausages, 4 slices of cheese becomes 6 servings.

The Three Bite Rule - Savory Waffle