Welcome to Summer Fridays! If this is your first time, this is a seasonal series I run every summer Friday. It’s a short roundup of what I’m into right now—favorite foods and drinks, things I’m making or baking, what I’m listening to and reading, and little life updates. Even if your summer looks different this year, I like to treat these posts as a way to hold onto that slow, sunny weekend feeling.
Summer Fridays are all about savoring warm-weather weekends and enjoying the simple pleasures of the season. Here’s what’s happening over here right now.
EATING
I’ve been making my strawberry burrata quinoa salad nonstop now that strawberry season is here. It’s bright, fresh and perfect for warm evenings.
DRINKING
Since strawberries are stealing the show, I’ll be mixing up fresh strawberry margaritas this weekend. For something lighter and refreshing, strawberry-infused water is great for a spa-like vibe. Also, I’ve been drinking a lot of rosé—my rosé guide from last year still has my top picks.
MAKING
I plan to make the ramen noodle crunch salad to go alongside pulled pork. It’s basically a slaw, and I’m seriously tempted to pile it on top of the pork for extra texture and crunch.
BAKING
Strawberry cobbler bars are on repeat. They’re easy to make and taste fantastic—highly recommend baking a pan for the weekend. The original blueberry-peach version of this recipe appears in my cookbook.
CRAVING
I’ve been craving ricotta served in a jar with jam and a side of sourdough crackers. It’s a wonderfully simple snack or light bite for a summer afternoon.
LISTENING
We launched the Summer Fridays 2020 kickoff playlist—each week of the series gets its own playlist, which I add to regularly. If you love light fiction and rom-com vibes, check out the romance storytelling podcast I’ve been obsessed with. I also found a couple of new favorite podcasts: Food Heaven (episode two was a standout) and Gee Thanks, Just Bought It, which recently featured a great conversation with Elin Hilderbrand.
READING
I’m nearly finished with The Knockout Queen and plan to read Clap When You Land next. I’ve compiled a full summer reading list with more picks, and we have a book club if you want to join the conversation.
LOVING
Our cookbook club for The Pretty Dish has been going strong for over two years, and we kicked off a summer challenge. If you own the cookbook, the group is a fun place to share tips and photos from your kitchen experiments.
SHARING
The guide to my favorite kitchen essentials has been popular lately. I love hearing your product recommendations and knowing these tools are helping make cooking easier at home.
WRITING
We put together a summer bucket list that’s a little different this year, but still full of simple activities: mini golf, water balloon fights, s’mores nights and making ice cream with the kids. With Emilia getting a bit more independent, we’ve been enjoying ice cream dates, dinners on the patio and lots of outdoor time. What’s on your summer list?
WEARING
My casual wardrobe has been a mix of leggings and tanks, but I’ve also reached for an easy summer dress that’s lightweight, comes in many colors and can be dressed up or down. It’s become a go-to for warm days when I want something comfortable but put together.
CELEBRATING
We’re celebrating my mom’s birthday this weekend, so there will be food, family time and a little extra joy to mark the day.
xoxoxo