Savvy Summer Hacks

2023

Happy Summer! I love this photo. It reminds me of my family’s summer vacations to South Hampton. Our family of eight, plus Nana Flo, would all pile into the giant Country Squire wagon and off we’d go on the eight-hour drive from Vermont to visit our cousins. Our car looked a lot like this one with kids sprawled in the back playing monopoly, snacking, no seat belts, and Dad stopping for a pee break only when we all begged in unison. Good times, and kinda crazy as I look back remembering how much fun we had, how dear the summer memories are.

My parents were master hackers long before the phrase was coined. They always had clever ways to corral their six-pack of kids and make life fun. The Japanese have a word ‘otaku’ which means when one becomes obsessed with an idea, product, or hobby they simply must tell their friends all about it. Well, SpiritScouts, this is what I’m excited about right now, so I’m sharing this éclat of hacks with you to inspire some summer fun!

Yuka App

If you are wondering about the quality of the products you consume, simply hit the barcode on the package with this app and you’ll find out everything you need to know about nutrition and chemical safety. As savvy shoppers scan the aisles, they can maximize their purchase power and health benefits while sailing through their shopping list. I’m doing an audit of everything I use with Yuka, and I’m learning a shocking amount in the process. (Thanks, JV!)

Maple Magic Coffee

There are few drinks more refreshing and simpler than my Maple Magic Iced Coffee. It’s sooooo satisfying­­—like a maple creemee and tiramisu had a baby—and my daily dose slays those pesky dessert cravings. It makes me swoon every afternoon when I play Wordle and sip this summer treat. Start with room temperature coffee (left over from your morning pot is fine). I like to use decaf for this afternoon hit. I’m currently savoring the coffee from Maine’s 44 North Coffee. It’s the same brand that Chef Erin French* of the delectable Lost Kitchen, serves her guests. The freshly ground beans taste robust, smooth, and deeply complex. I love that they sell a ‘half-caf’ bag of beans, too.

Here’s my recipe for Maple Magic Iced Coffee : pour cool coffee over lots of ice packed into a tall glass. Add cream or half & half to taste. Stir. Add 2-t of pure VT maple syrup (or to taste). Stir, sip, and swoon.  

Fast Food

My mom swears by the fresh veggie hash in the produce section of Trader Joe’s. She showed up the other evening to the lake cottage armed with it. She added some pre-cooked orzo, plucked fresh basil from the garden, added a few glugs of Nudo olive oil, a big pinch of Maldon salt, and before I knew it, a delicious, cool salad was ready for dinner. Mom served it alongside some of the Phillips brand frozen crab cakes that were thawed, then seared on oiled cast iron on a hot grill. What a meal—at 90% humidity it was the perfect summer feast. (Thanks, Pat!)

 Olive Oil Wisdom

This olive oil comes in a variety of blends but the lemon is my favorite!

Summer is the perfect time for a lifestyle flex. Nudo Adopt is hands down the best olive oil I’ve ever tasted and I encourage you to indulge it as a finishing oil. Salther on fresh tomatoes with salt, or simply dress lettuce fresh from the garden with a few glugs of Nudo, a few glugs of balsamic vinegar, toss with tongs, fresh pepper and maldon salt, and et voilà—easy peasy dressing. It also comes in a lemon-flavored blend that is my go-to flavor bomb. What I love most about this company is that you can adopt one of their ancient olive trees in Sicily to support the small grove farmers there. I chose my farmer, Nicola, from Il Fico (village of Fico). She sends me crop and production updates on my direct-to-consumer oil subscription twice a year. It’s such a cool company. I have purchased adoptions for friends as hostess gifts when I travel, and they invariably love this useful, delicious addition to their lives.

 Quick Pickled Onions

This is my cold sweet potato salad with green beans and honey pecans. Notice how the pickled onions make this dish pop.

I think pretty, pink pickled onions are the pièce de résistance on any summer salad. So easy, too! Simply slice a red onion in half. Remove skins and place flat of onion on a cutting board. With a sharp knife, slice as thinly as possible. Place onion in a glass jar. Add  ½-c red wine vinegar, ½-c water, a glug of maple syrup and, if possible, 1-T beet juice or a piece of beet. Cover and shake well. Let set for two hours. Onions will be prime for three days—if they last that long!

Sex on the Grill

I steamed a 3 pound piece of salmon in a sealed envelope of foil on the grill for 12 minutes while the lemons charred. Sunday Summer Lunch for the gang!

A fast and functional addition to every summer meal is a grilled lemon. Simply slice lemons in half and place face down on the grill for ten minutes. For your efforts you will receive beautifully charred lemon bombs just waiting to be squeezed on veg, salads and dessert. Something magical happens to the lemons with the heat, they plump up , and with a simple squeeze ooze juicy flavored pulp.

Party Pop Up

We did a hot dog pop up party on that weird, rainy Saturday of the 4th of July weekend, and it was a hit. We had a package of the large Hebrew National Beef Dogs and some rolls in the fridge, along with beer, fresh cucumbers, and freshly picked strawberries. Literally, that was it. So I texted a few pals that afternoon and posed this invitation:

‘Come for a hot dog pop up. You may only bring along something that is already in your fridge.’ We ended up with a potato salad, a cuke salad, green salad, chips, condiments, freshly baked chocolate chip cookies (frozen dough) and the berries. It was a total blast and took about ten minutes of my time to prepare and host—living proof that boundaries will set you free. I made ‘Smashed Cukes’, which I hammered with a glass bottom, then slathered with Nudo Lemon Oil, sesame seeds, Maldon salt and Aleppo pepper. The giant grilled hot dogs were a decadent treat for everyone—this is definitely a hosting hack I’ll repeat.

 Bugs & Ticks Be Gone!

To combat my dismay over the rampant tick infestation, I made a visit to my local apothecary, Lunaroma, for solace. They handcraft clean, organic tick and bug sprays ‘Bugs Be Gone’ and ‘Ticks Be Gone’. The reason I find these products so effective is because I apply them religiously. They smell so good and are so clean, I want to use them every day. These handcrafted summer wonders are made with organic coconut oil, organic pure grain alcohol, and a medicinal combination of essential oils. I spray myself, and my pup’s legs, with the tick spray and then the bug spray around my neck. So far, so good this summer­­­­—no ticks or pesky insects!  Call the wonderful Lunaroma Witches at 802-951-9714; you must place your order over the phone, and shipping is free.

 
*PS @ Erin French: I am such a girl fan of Erin French. I love her cookbooks—a new one is about to drop, wheeee! Her memoir, ‘Finding Freedom’, is one of my all time favorites, and her TV show on Magnolia is a delight to veg out to after a long day. Every year I send my postcard to Freedom, ME hoping it will be chosen in the lottery to receive a dinner reservation. I struck out again this summer, but my hope is eternal. I think Erin’s story and grit and creativity are incredibly inspiring. Check out the show or read one of her books to see what the fuss is all about.  

 I’d love to hear from you—feel free to send your comments to me. I do not receive any compensation from the products mentioned in my blog, I just love them!