Summer Bucket List

This was the first “grown up” summer I’ve ever experienced, meaning it wasn’t spent just watching movies, drinking lemonade, and going to the pool for three months. Instead it was waking up before sunrise and sitting in front of a computer in a freezing office all day. But STILL, I’ve been trying to hang on to those moments where it really feels like summer.

And I realized in the past week or so that there are some things I just have to do before this summer flies me by. My actual list is very long and unrealistic, but I’ve narrowed it down to things I actually hope I can accomplish.

• Go to the beach– I mean, really, how can I let summer go by without ever seeing the ocean???
• Bake a fresh peach cobbler– Not sure how this hasn’t happened yet, but it needs to happen ASAP.
• Visit the aquarium– My hubster and little sister have never been, and that needs to change because Atlanta now has the largest aquarium in the country!
• Transfer family photos and videos onto computer– I have been meaning to do this for ages, and if I don’t do it soon I’m afraid it won’t ever happen!
• Visit (ambush) the health food store– We’re lucky to have several wonderful health food stores in the Atlanta area. In Virginia? Not so much. And least not in the half of the state where we live. I need to stock up on supplements and other goodies before we leave Georgia.
• Go to Sweet Auburn Market– This is a historic and special place that I was recently reminded of by some family friends, and now I must go before the summer is over.
• Make some homemade ice cream- We have an ice cream maker that we used to break out every summer, but it hasn’t made an appearance in far too long!

You think I can do it? We’re going back to Virginia in just 3 weeks! :0

Now, about that cocktail.

I love making refreshing drinks in the summer, and not nearly enough have happened this year so fajita night was the perfect time to break this baby out.

Strawberry Margarita Spritzer (from Southern Living Magazine, recipe here):

It was the perfect accompaniment to our steak and chicken fajitas.

I’ve told you all before that this is one of my favorite meals to make, but back when I did that post my photography skills were not quite up to par. And by that I mean that those pictures look like crap. This food deserves to be shown off for how beautiful and delicious it actually is. I can’t do it perfectly, but at least I can do it a heck of a lot better than I used to be able to.

Tyler Florence is a genius. That, and I’ve had a huge crush on him since I was like 14. But that’s unrelated to how awesome his fajita recipe is.

THIS feels like summer.

Thanks for reading!

-Lauren