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Originally, this post was going to be about recipes I wanted to try this summer. There is one issue with that topic, however, and it is that everyone who knows me knows that I am not the chef in my household. That job sits comfortably with my husband. So, if I were to go with that topic, it would be titled, The Biggest Hint I’ve Ever Dropped Elliot: Recipes I Want To Try. For obvious reasons, I’m not taking that route today. Instead, I’ll be sharing some of my favorite summer recipes. Because there are just foods that taste better in summer. Like fresh tomatoes from my backyard and grilled chicken.

As far as “summer recipes” go, I’m a big fan of quick and easy, light and cool. Here are some of my favorites!

pasta salad.

I LOVE pasta or quinoa salads in the summertime. When I was pregnant last summer, we always had a container of this quinoa salad in the fridge for me. It’s perfect as a light lunch or snack, great as a side for dinner, and full of protein and antioxidants. I liked that I had a light and healthy snack whenever I got hungry (which was often), and kept something nutritious on my stomach that wasn’t straight carbs. Here’s a pasta salad recipe I can’t wait to try.

overnight oats.

While our normal routine is eggs every morning for breakfast, I really love prepping a couple jars of oats each week. It’s super helpful if one of us has an early morning or we’re up early getting ready for church on Sunday. They’re healthy, super customizable, very filling and probably one of the cheapest breakfasts we have. My favorites are banana + peanut butter and blueberries + cream. I use a bit of vanilla protein powder, almond milk and and greek yogurt as the base and add my toppings at the end. Elliot likes his on the more decadent side, with peanut butter + chocolate protein powder. Here are a few more flavor ideas!

blt chicken salad.

When we were dating, Elliot would make a huge batch of this blt chicken salad when we went to the beach for the week. It was perfect to pack for lunch on the beach, or throw in a wrap for a meal on the go. It’s got bacon and avocado and everything dreams are made of.

Here’s the recipe, although please note - Elliot cubed the avocado and mixed it right in, and he used mayo, not cottage cheese, just a little less, since the avocado is mixed in.

Okay, maybe this one IS a hint. A tiny one.

eclair cake.

I’m a dessert lady. I love to bake cakes and all the things, but when it’s 95 degrees out and humid, the LAST thing I want to do is use my oven. Enter: eclair cake. My mom used to make eclair cake for every church event when I was a kid and it’s still just as good as I remember. It’s super easy - basically layering a pudding mixture with graham crackers and topping with chocolate frosting. I made it not too long ago and it was such a nice, cool treat for a summer day. And I didn’t use my oven. Win-win.

If you have any favorite summer recipes, drop them in the comments below! I’d love to send them to Elliot - HA.

Love you, honey!