red, white, and blue(berries)

How fun are these watermelon star cut-outs?

They're so fast and easy to make! All you need is . . . 

a ripe watermelon

star-shaped cookie cutter

paper straws

one plastic straw

and blueberries

Slice the watermelon into 1/2-inch thick rounds, and then use cookie cutter to cut star shapes.

Tips of the trade . . .

I use the end of a plastic straw to punch a hole in the center of the stars, so that I can easily snug a blueberry in the center; 

and you can also use the plastic straw to pre-drill a hole for the paper straw. 

It works like a charm!

.     .     .     .     .     .

a fun & patriotic treat for kids

festive garnish for drinks 

fruit kabobs

.     .     .     .     .     .

I'm on the hunt for a crab or lobster shaped cookie cutter.
How cute would it be to cut watermelon into the shapes of crabs & lobsters for Summer entertaining!

Happy Summer, friends!

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home 

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Sharing with . . . .

Thoughts from Alice, DIY Showoff, Stephanie Lynn, It's Overflowing, Twelve O Eight, Carrie This Home, Huckleberry Love, Dwellings, Smart Party Planning,  The Dedicated House, Mod Vintage Life, Lori's Culinary Creations, Home Stories, StoneGable, An Extraordinary Day, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Karen's Up on the Hill, Three Kids and a Fish, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Tumbleweed Contessa, A Stroll Thru Life,, Life With Garnish. Elizabeth & Co, Home Remedies, Time Warp Wife,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, Just a Girl and Her Blog, The Recipe Critic, Janine Huldie, Carolyn's Homework,  Fluster Buster   Designs by Miss Mandee,  Craftie Allie,  Wednesday morning The Blissful Bee,  The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lamberts Lately, Live Laugh Rowe, The Charm of Home, From My Front Porch to ours, Delightsome Life., Posed Perfection, Katherine's Corner,Imparting Grace, Nancherrow, The Freshman Cook,  Jann Olson, Home  Maid Simple, Anderson + Grant,  Rooted in Thyme, Shabby Nest Sunflower Supper Club, Blooming Homestead, The Girl Creative, Reasons to Skip the Housework, View from the Fridge, 3 Little Greenwoods

red tulips . . . Welcome, Summer!

Summer is officially here!

I've been adding a little red, white & blue to our home in preparation for the Fourth of July . . . and had to share these gorgeous red tulips with you!

I've paired them with with many of my seagrass pieces for Summer entertaining . . . and I'm in love.

Please come by and see our Fourth of July 'at home!'

LET'S STAY in touch!

Simply Suzannes at Home 

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chili-lime corn on the cob

Grilled corn is a great Summer side dish!
                                                   . . . . and so are fresh picked garden tomatoes!

I don't know about you, but I've been busy planning our 4th of July menu.

The 4th of July officially kicks off Summer for us! I love this season for its light menus, fruits, and vegetables.

I have fun dolling up Summer favorites, like berries, lemonade, corn, tomatoes and squash (just to name a few).

I've shared a few of my favorite yellow squash recipes recently . . . yellow squash & Parmesan frittata and baked yellow squash rounds . . . and thought I would share a delicious, and easy, corn on the cob recipe too, since we're heading into the grilling season.

And although I'm a big fan of grilled corn with butter, salt & pepper . . . I love treating my friends and family to grilled corn that's dolled up with an incredible creamy chili lime sauce that's a little sweet, spicy, and tart . . . and oh so good!!

 chili lime corn

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

4 limes

6 ears corn

1/4 cup butter, softened

salt & pepper

1 cup mayonnaise

1 8-ounce carton of sour cream

3 Tablespoons grated Pecorino Romano cheese, extra for sprinkling on top too

2 Tablespoons chili powder
2 Tablespoons fresh Italian leaf parsley, chopped *optional

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Preheat grill.

Zest enough peel from limes to equal 2 Tablespoons. Squeeze enough juice to equal 1/4 cup; set aside.

Peel back corn husks to bases of ears but do not remove. Clean silks from the corn. Fold the husks in, toward the center. Using butcher's twine, or strips of dried corn husks, tie together husks to create a handle for each ear.

*Soak the twine in water for several minutes to help prevent burning.

*Soak the twine in water for several minutes to help prevent burning.

 

Rub the corn with butter. Season with salt and pepper.

Whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, cheese, chili powder, lime peel, and lime juice.

Grill corn over medium heat , covered, directly over heat about 20 to 25 minutes or until nicely browned and tender, turning occasionally.

Remove from grill and brush with sour cream mixture; return corn to grill and grill about 5 minutes or until mixture has browned, turning at least once.

Remove and place on a platter. Sprinkle with lots of fresh parsley (and more Parmesan) . . . and enjoy!

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Simply Suzannes at Home 

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blueberry cake with lemon whipped cream frosting

You'll love this Summer-inspired cake!

I made it for my mom's birthday last week. She's a big fan of fruit desserts!

I wanted to make her something special, so I browsed through my personal cookbook and came across a hand-written recipe for blueberry cake.

What makes this cake extraordinary is that it's made with real blueberries . . . 4 cups of pureed blueberries. Yes, 4 cups!

The pureed blueberries give this cake its gorgeous dark blueish purple color.

What makes it so special, besides the blueberries, is that I spread lemon curd on each layer before I frost it, brightening each and every layer with lemon.

And the frosting . . . it's a light and luxurious whipped cream that's flavored with lemon curd.

When I was planning this cake, I wanted to make something that was light and flavorful, since rich desserts can taste too heavy during hot Summer months.

What goes great with the subtle flavor or blueberries . . . lemons, of course! So I paired this wonderfully light blueberry cake with a lemon curd whipped cream.

And the result . . . a Summer-inspired cake that is so light and delicious, that you'll find yourself going back for seconds (and maybe even thirds)!

Happy Summer!

blueberry cake
makes 1 (9-inch) 3 layer cake or 2 (6-inch) 2 layer cakes

.     .    .     .     .     .     .

2 cups sugar

1 cup butter, room temperature

4 large eggs, room temperature

3 cups all purpose flour

1 Tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

4 cups frozen blueberries, thawed and pureed
*the longer you blend the blueberries, the darker the puree

1/2 cup sour cream

1 Tablespoon pure vanilla extract
mint leaves for garnish, optional

lemon whipped cream frosting (ingredients & recipe follows)

.     .    .     .     .     .     .

Preparation
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spray 3 9-inch cake pans with nonstick baking spray with flour.

In a large bowl, beat sugar and butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until fluffy.

Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

In a medium bowl, combine sour cream, blueberry puree, and vanilla.

In another medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and baking powder.

Gradually add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with blueberry puree/sour cream mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Beat until well combined.

Spread batter evenly into prepared pans. Bake for 23 to 25 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks.

** For an extra moist and delicious cake, I always slice each layer in half (horizontally), as seen in the photo. Thinner layers of cake mean more frosting between each layer, making every bite that much more delicious, especially when you spread something like lemon curd on top of each layer!

Spread 1 Tablespoon of Lemon Curd on the top of each layer of cake, set aside. Prepare frosting.

Spread Lemon Curd Whipped Cream frosting between layers and on top and sides of cake. Adorn with fresh blueberries and sprigs of fresh mint leaves.

Keep refrigerated until you serve. 

Lemon Whipped Cream frosting

16 ounces of heavy whipping cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup lemon curd 

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

Add whipping cream and confectioners' sugar to an electric mixer. Whisk just until the cream reaches SOFT peaks.

Add lemon curd, continue to whisk until the cream reaches FIRM peaks.

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Simply Suzannes at Home 

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Thank you so much for stopping by!

I love reading your comments and appreciate them so much!

Sharing with . . . .

Thoughts from Alice, DIY Showoff, Stephanie Lynn, It's Overflowing, Twelve O Eight, Carrie This Home, Huckleberry Love, Dwellings, Smart Party Planning,  The Dedicated House, Mod Vintage Life, Lori's Culinary Creations, Home Stories, StoneGable, An Extraordinary Day, I'm Not a Trophy Wife, Karen's Up on the Hill, Three Kids and a Fish, Between Naps on the Front Porch, Tumbleweed Contessa, A Stroll Thru Life,, Life With Garnish. Elizabeth & Co, Home Remedies, Time Warp Wife,  My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia, Savvy Southern Style, Just a Girl and Her Blog, The Recipe Critic, Janine Huldie, Carolyn's Homework,  Fluster Buster   Designs by Miss Mandee,  Craftie Allie,  Wednesday morning The Blissful Bee,  The Newlywed Pilgrimage, Lamberts Lately, Live Laugh Rowe, The Charm of Home, From My Front Porch to ours, Delightsome Life., Posed Perfection, Katherine's Corner,Imparting Grace, Nancherrow, The Freshman Cook,  Jann Olson, Home  Maid Simple, Anderson + Grant,  Rooted in Thyme, Shabby Nest Sunflower Supper Club, Blooming Homestead, The Girl Creative, Reasons to Skip the Housework, View from the Fridge, 3 Little Greenwoods

baked yellow squash rounds . . . a Summer hors d'oeuvre

Sundays are typically a day of rest in our home . . . and after a busy week, I always appreciate a slower paced day.

Sundays are also my favorite day of the week to cook and bake. Since we're not rushing from one errand, or activity, to the next, I feel like I can enjoy whatever I'm preparing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

And since I can almost count on my husband, and maybe a few of our kids, taking a Sunday afternoon nap, I know that I'll have the extra time to make simple and delicious snacks like this one.

Breading and then baking vegetables is one of my favorite ways to share them with my family and friends.

I do this with zucchini, heirloom tomatoes, eggplant, onions, and fennel . . . and they're all delicious. 

It might seem like a lot of work to bread each slice, but my six-year-old loves to help me (and she recently recruited my five-year-old) . . . so I set up the breading station and sheet pans . . . and they go to town.

Before I know it, the kids are done . . . and I'm popping the yellow squash rounds in the oven and heating up my favorite red pasta sauce from Trader Joe's.

The fresh herbs and lemon zest brighten up this beautiful and delicious dish . . . making it a perfect Summer snack or hors d'oeuvre! 

Did you notice the small basil leaves in the photos? They're from my Savour basil tree!

baked yellow squash rounds

.     .     .     .     .     .     .

2 medium yellow Summer squash, cut crosswise into 3/8-inch slices

1 1/2 cups Panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated Parmesan

1 egg, beaten
1 cup flour

Olive oil

salt & pepper

your favorite Marinara, or red sauce

flat leaf parsley, chopped

basil, chopped

Zest of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. I've noticed that this helps give the yellow squash rounds a crispier texture.

Pour the beaten egg in a shallow dish; set aside. Pour the flour in a shallow dish; set aside. Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese, and place in another shallow bowl; set aside.

Lightly flour the rounds with flour, then dip each yellow squash slice in the beaten egg, and then in the bread crumb/cheese mixture.

Arrange breaded squash slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.  Bake for 10 minutes on one side; and then using a fork, or tongs, turn turn the slices over and bake for an additional 8 to 10 minutes.

While the yellow squash slices are baking, heat your favorite Marinara, or red pasta sauce, and then pour into a bowl for dipping. 

Remove rounds from the oven, and sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, basil, and lemon zest. 

Sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy!

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Simply Suzannes at Home 

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