It is that time of year to take advantage of the abundance of sweet, fresh and juicy watermelon! On a hot summer’s day, there is nothing more satisfying than biting into a chilled piece of this beautiful fruit. Here are my 5 favorite watermelon recipes for you to try.

Skinny Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas

As an avid follower of Ambitious Kitchen, Monique’s recipes are made with fresh, healthy ingredients. These Skinny Watermelon Jalapeño Margaritas are naturally sweetened with watermelon juice and a splash of agave. Sliced jalapeños provide a nice kick for a sweet and spicy summer drink.

Here are the ingredients you will need:

• Silver tequila
• Fresh lime juice
• Watermelon: pick a nice sweet one
• Agave nectar: Agave helps to sweeten them up a bit, but feel free to omit if you find your watermelon sweet enough. Agave can be found here or in grocery stores
• Jalapeño: A few jalapeño slices adds a bit of spice, but you can adjust and/or omit if you’d like.
• Coarse salt & ice (I like to add Tajin to the rim too)

The instructions allow you to make one drink or a pitcher for 8 servings. See the recipe here.

Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing

Here are two salads with completely different flavors. This recipe is a Vietnamese-style salad that makes a refreshing accompaniment to any kind of barbecue meat.  Originally, Cucumber and Watermelon Salad with Hoisin-Lime Dressing,  appeared in Bon Appetit in July 2002 in their Flavors of the World article.

By using 7 simple and fresh ingredients, you can make this simple, yet delicious salad.  Start with cubes of watermelon and English cucumbers. A quick dressing of hoisin sauce and lime juice and top with peanuts, fresh mint and cilantro. You can find hoisin sauce here or in the grocery store’s ethnic aisle.

Avocado, Watermelon & Cucumber Salad

This weekend I made this other fresh salad, again sourced from Ambitious Kitchen. Drizzle avocado, watermelon and cucumbers with olive oil and lime juice and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro. This very refreshing salad could not be easier to make and has amazing flavors and textures.

Isn’t this a visually appealing salad? And it’s healthy too! See recipe here.

Watermelon Gazpacho

My friend, Irma served this at her dinner party and I couldn’t get enough. You can serve this cold soup as a main course or side dish. And this is one recipe that gets even better the next day. See direct link to Taste of Home’s recipe here.

Shrimp, Tomato & Watermelon Salad

I am always looking for dinner salads during the summer months. From the July-August issue of Coastal Living, this “ready in 20 minutes” dinner salad is perfect for as a complete meal. Imagine the combination of fresh large shrimp, vine-ripened tomatoes, sweet watermelon, crisp arugula and a dressing of Dijon mustard, Balsamic vinegar, garlic and spices. See recipe here.

Happy Tuesday and I hope this blog post finds you happy and healthy. We are enjoying all the glorious rain we are getting. A side benefit is the cloudy skies are keeping the heat away ~ it is such joyful weather to be having at the end of July.

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Friday, July 16th is National Cherry Day. Who knew? But one not to miss celebrating any holiday, I am embracing these glorious, ruby red gem in a few different recipes today. There is still time to get your fresh, frozen or canned cherries to whip up one of these easy recipes for your own celebration.

Cherry Options

Right now the grocery stores in my area have fresh cherries from the Pacific Northwest. Safeway, our local grocery store is selling the best cherries ~both red and Rainier (yellowish ones). We prefer to snack on the Rainier cherries and bake with the regular red cherries, but it is of course up to personal taste what you prefer.

If you do not have access to fresh cherries, frozen and canned ones are available. If using canned, I prefer the sweet or tart cherries packed in water vs. the gooey cherry pie filling. In the recipes below, I am using fresh red cherries.

Preparing the Cherries

Before you can use fresh cherries, it is important to remove the pit. This OXO cherry pitter is a handy affordable tool that makes pit removal a breeze. And its plastic guard prevents the juice from spraying on your hands or clothing. There is a small platform where you place the cherry and then you just squeeze the handle. The metal rod pushes the pit out the bottom. Easy peasy. You can find it here. However, whenever pitting cherries, I always wear an apron just in case.

Cherry Berry Skillet Crisp

This recipe is from one of my favorite bloggers, Tieghen from Half Baked Harvest. She is an innovative foodie who not only creates delicious recipes, but her pictures are so well done. Since I do not like to share recipes I haven’t personally tried yet, as I am writing this I can smell this skillet crisp baking in the oven. If it tastes as good as it smells, we have a winner.

Chock a block full of cherries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries, this recipe is prepared in one oven safe skillet. Here I am using a 10″ cast iron one (see similar one here).

Melt the butter, add the fruit, mix the topping and spread the crumble on top and bake. Wow. So simple! Click here for the recipe.

A Gluten Free Version

Andrea from Design Morsels shares this gluten free individual serving cherry crisp recipe.

Using almond flour, raw almonds, shredded coconut, coconut sugar and coconut oil, this recipe can be made in 30 minutes or less.

See the recipe here.

Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream

Is there anything better than homemade ice cream on a hot summer’s day? And I’m not sure you can go wrong with cherries and bourbon. Whether you like bourbon or not, this recipe calls for a hint of bourbon with only 1 teaspoon. I am wondering if any more than that would affect the freezing process?

I don’t know much about bourbon but I do know this Basil Hayden is a good one.

With 1 1/2 cups of cherries this is a wonderful combination of vanilla ice cream, fruit and bourbon whiskey. My trusty Cuisinart frozen custard, ice cream and sherbet maker is able to chill this frozen dessert in 20 minutes. It’s a soft version but then you can finish it off in the freezer if you want a harder consistency. Cuisinart ice cream maker here.

Fruit Water

With all the leftover fruit, I am making a large pitcher of fruit water. Strawberries, cherries, cucumbers, and lemon are a few of the things you can add to water for color and flavor. Isn’t it interesting that all the cherries are sinking to the bottom?

Lately, I am not drinking nearly enough water. Ideally, we are supposed to be drinking half our body weight in ounces of water. Especially as we age, being hydrated is VERY important. Who is with me on drinking more water?

Fun Facts about Cherries

These facts are from National Today:

1. The average cherry tree has 7,000 cherries. Cherry trees are so productive, they can yield up to 28 pies.
2. There are two main types. Cherries are either sweet or tart.
3. Michigan is the cherry capital. Around 94% of cherries consumed in the U.S. are grown in Michigan.
4. Pits contain toxins. Don’t chew on cherry pits because they can release toxins.
5. There are more than 1000 different cherry varieties, sweet and tart combined, but only 20% of them are used for commercial purposes.

Happy Wednesday and Happy National Cherry Day this week. Enjoy the delicious, fresh cherries while they are in season!

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There is a plethora of blog posts and magazine articles about getting the “beach” look for the summer.  This time of year, the words summer and beach are synonymous.  However, I would imagine many people alternatively go to the mountains or lake instead of the beach. In Arizona, we are blessed with beautiful mountains within an easy driving distance and with the altitude comes cooler temperatures. So let’s head to the mountains and check out some mountain decor.

Adding some decor touches

When I go on vacation having a completely different decor/scenery helps with the “winding down and being on vacation” mode. Getting out of the daily grind and going on vacation means a slower pace, lowering my shoulders, spending time with family, being subdued and taking in the gorgeous scenery.

Any home can be decorated to feel like it belongs in the mountains with only a few of the right accessories.

My friend, Kristin, from White Arrows Home lives in a gorgeous mountain cabin in Wisconsin year round. She is the expert at decorating her log cabin, fondly known as Camp Paradise in a rustic style. Check out her blog here. She just opened a new store, too, so if you are looking for unique items, she does ship!

Utilize your space

What is a vacation getaway without a cozy place to read or nap?  I purchased this day bed years ago in a junk store.  At that time, the chippy paint style was not as popular and the frame is very white and very chippy.  I spray painted it a satin Moss Green from Rust-Oleum which is ideal for both indoor and outdoor use. Plus it blends in nicely with the colors of the forest.

The striped fabric seems fitting for a daybed in the screened-in porch. The bed actually slides out so the bottom cushions sit side by side~making a double size bed.  The pillows were my first attempt at sewing a welt on my own.  Don’t look too closely at my “rustic” mistakes!

Rustic Elements

In the same screened porch, we have a small table with 2 chairs and a vintage wicker lounge chair, perfect for a morning coffee.

Most of the furniture is cobbled together~leftover pieces from our home and garage sale finds.  But it all seems to work as cabin living here is casual and comfortable.

A Place to Gather

There is nothing better than family and friends gathering around a large table. This dining room set is a thrift store find and table leaves slide out to accommodate more seating.  The ladder-back chairs complement the mountains decor.

My friend, Linda Frederick, from Arcadia Design and Stitch made the seat cushions and pillows out of this sweet fabric.

Special Touches

Small accents like these old snowshoes are reminiscent of outdoor winter sports. Just a tip if you are looking for snowshoes~~they were much less expensive here in the Phoenix thrift stores than those in the mountains.

I love anything faux bois (French for false wood) which is the artistic imitation of wood or wood grains in various media. Since last year, I am consistently adding items with a Black forest motif to make the cabin feel more Scandinavian. To see my post about accomplishing that, click here.

This songbird arched mirror comes with a finish which lends to the rustic vibe of the cabin. You can find it here. Not only is it helpful to have a mirror in the front hall by the door, but it pairs nicely with the Black Forest bear and acorn shelf.

This simple, inexpensive bench was found at a junk store and I recovered it myself in cowhide. Situated right in front of the fireplace, it is the perfect place to warm up on a cold evening.

Find it in Nature

Being surrounded by beautiful Ponderosa pine trees, there is an abundance of natural material to use.  

We collect pine cones during our walks and they make the perfect centerpiece in an old dough bowl, or as a place card holder!

Accommodate the Weather

The temperature in the mountains can vary significantly. During the summer it is warm and toasty during the day, but the afternoon storm clouds move in and it can get chilly. As a result we have blankets and quilts scattered throughout the house. This vintage camp blanket was purchased one summer from Camps and Cottages during a trip to Laguna Beach, CA. 

One of my favorite shops in Laguna Beach, the owner, Molly English, is a talented designer. We became fast friends and I have all the books that she has written on camps and cottage decor.   Her latest book, Contemporary Cottages is filled with wonderful inspirational ideas and decor.

Show off your Collections

Collecting quilts over the years, provides each bed with a quilt. And each quilt has its own story.  

This sweet quilt in my daughter’s room was purchased many moons ago (before children) during a cross country trip. Hidden in a corner of an antique store, it was filthy and nearly black but I could tell that by the intricate stitching that it was a keeper.  Hauling it home, the quilt is placed in a bathtub filled with cold water and Ivory Snow. Miraculously, after a long soaking, the dirt floats away and the quilt came to life. You can imagine my delight when it was finally clean!

The maple four poster bed is mine from childhood.  I recall my mother stopping by the roadside and buying it for $2.50.  It was painted a bright red and she lovingly refinished it to its natural wood grain.

The quilt in my son’s room was made by his paternal grandmother.  It’s hard not to admire all the work that goes into these beauties. Does anyone know the name of this pattern?

A simple red and white checkered coverlet is in my other daughter’s room.  It pairs nicely with the Burberry fabric on her side chair and bedskirt.

The guest room has two twin beds and it is very difficult to find matching quilts.  However, a side trip to Bisbee, AZ many years ago yielded these yellow darlings.  The vintage fabric has some wear and tear but they are so sweet with the darker bed frames.

Whether summer means the beach or mountains to you, it is a time to enjoy your surroundings. Or maybe just adding some summery touches around your home is enough to make you feel like you are on vacation. The best part is to just enjoy it all~the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer, as they seem to fly by so quickly.

Wishing you a summer filled with rest and relaxation!

I hope everyone enjoyed the nice, long holiday weekend. Each year we head to the mountains where the July 4th holiday is extra special. Everyone’s cabin and golf cart is adorned in red, white and blue and there is a strong sentiment of patriotism and love for our country. And, I do feel like I got some relaxing in! Welcome to this week’s Saturday Meanderings, where we just chat about all good things.

I am always amazed at the energy and creativity residents put into decorating their homes and participating in the parade. From highly decorated trucks and trailers to innovate dance routines, the Bull Frog Loop parade doesn’t disappoint. And I think this year’s parade is extra special after a year of lockdowns.

Hosting a Brunch

Since our cabin is on the parade route, we always host a pre-parade brunch. With about 30 guests, I did rely on the same menu that I do every year. My egg casserole (here) and a blueberry coffee cake (here). Since we have a large rectangular wooden surface, I made this fruit/croissant board. Mimosas and bloody Mary’s add to the festivities.

Bringing the Dogs

This trip we did bring Cooper and Sox up to the mountains, and of course, it takes a few days for them to adjust to all the activity. But as you can see, it didn’t take Cooper long to dominate the sofa.

Our pocket beagle, Sox did celebrate his 14th birthday. Our sweet old guy can’t hear as well and his eyes are getting cloudy with cataracts, but he still has puppy moments.

New Baby Birds

Last Saturday, I did share this picture of a nest found in one of the large geranium planters. It’s been hard not to peek but I just couldn’t resist and yes, the birds have arrived!

Each morning, I sit on the front deck with my coffee and watch the parent birds fly back and forth with food for their babies. The marvels of nature.

Using Puff Pastry

Pepperidge Farm puff pastry is a staple in my freezer as there are so many easy recipes you can whip up at the last minute. This week I did try a tomato tart from Twigg Studio. With caramelized onions, goat cheese, thyme and lots of lovely tomatoes in a puff pastry, isn’t this tart beautiful? Click here for the recipe.

Having an additional puff pastry sheet, I did use up the rest of the goat cheese, sweetened with honey, and ripe apricots for this tart. Drizzle a bit of honey on the top and bake. Since I did this on the fly, I didn’t measure anything but in retrospect, I would add more honey as the apricots are a bit tart. 400 degrees for 30 minutes (but note: this is high altitude cooking here).

Personal Gourmet

For many years I use the services of Personal Gourmet. Locally, Chef Jimmy Watters delivers restaurant grade protein to our home. This service has been a life saver with being able to have chicken, salmon, steaks, fish, meatballs, shrimp and similar proteins always on hand. Individually shrink wrapped and stored in the freezer, I cook up what we need and only have to make a salad or provide a vegetable side dish for a complete meal.

This is such a convenient service, especially with our growing family or even now, just for the two of us. Before leaving for the cabin, I placed a large order with Jimmy and now I have both freezers filled with things to eat. Since I prefer to cook at home vs. going out to eat, I know we are getting high quality choices for lunch and dinner.

It appears that Personal Gourmet may be located in Californa, Texas and North Carolina, in addition to Arizona. For more information about this convenient and delicious service, contact Chef Watters at 602 -339-2059.

Finally Painting again

I haven’t picked up a paintbrush since my Christmas painting of our cat, Donovan. Yikes. For something that I enjoy doing, I cannot seem to be disciplined enough to make time for it. But, being at our cabin with a more relaxed schedule, I am able to start a new painting! This painting’s inspiration is actually an arrangement of wisteria and lilacs done by my friend, Barbara from Mantel and Table.

It is not done yet, but it does feel good to put brush to canvas.

Watercolor Tutorial

Danielle from Finding Silver Pennies is a talented artist and designer. In one of her latest blog posts, she has a tutorial on painting mini watercolor seascapes. The video is 6 minutes long, and it is a fun way to experiment with watercolor paints.

With limited supplies, I did Danielle’s video this week. I do not use watercolors very often but practicing with her guidance is a good start! See Danielle’s post and video here. Danielle and her son (a young and inspiring artist) sell their artwork and various items on the Finding Silver Pennies website. Check it out here.

If you are in need of a watercolor set, there is a nice selection here. It helps to paint on watercolor paper. And don’t forget watercolor paint brushes here. Happy painting!

Laughter Therapy

It’s fun to share a good laugh, but did you know it can actually improve your health? After a very long and challenging year, it’s more important than ever to laugh and be happy.

It is true: laughter is strong medicine. It draws people together in ways that trigger healthy physical and emotional changes in the body. Laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress. Nothing works faster or more dependably to bring your mind and body back into balance than a good laugh. Humor lightens your burdens, inspires hope, connects you to others, and keeps you grounded, focused, and alert. It also helps you release anger and forgive sooner.

As children, we used to laugh hundreds of times a day, but as adults, life tends to be more serious and laughter more infrequent. But by seeking out more opportunities for humor and laughter, you can improve your emotional health, strengthen your relationships, find greater happiness—and even add years to your life.

So go out there and laugh! It will make your face look younger too!

Cheers to you from the White Mountains of Arizona! Have a wonderful rest of the weekend.

If you missed my blog posts this week, see them below.

It is time again for our monthly blog hop where my fellow gardening buddies share news from their gardens. Most gardens around the country are now abundant with fruits and vegetables. But in USDA Hardiness zone 9B (Phoenix, Arizona), my garden is past its prime. Since it is difficult to do a great deal of summer gardening in our triple digit temperatures, I just let the garden go. A few plants manage to make it through to fall, but not many. Actually, it is a time I start collecting and gathering seeds.

In February I received seeds from Floret Farm. This is my first time ordering from them and my yield was less than expected. I place the blame on very hungry birds who were successful in pulling out the fragile shoots, which I should have covered. But the sunflowers that did make it, are just beautiful. Even though I did hope to cut armloads of them, the birds seem to be enjoying them even more.

Look how these sunflowers attract a flock of peach faced lovebirds! Seeing these stunning birds in the garden frequently is rewarding.

Now the sunflowers are past their prime. The petals are dry and falling off and the stems are leaning over as if they are ready to go to sleep. Since this is my first time harvesting the sunflower seeds to use at a later date for planting, or sprinkling with salt for eating, I need to do some research.

Prior to harvesting the seeds, you need to look for a few clues that it is time to harvest. You can let the flower dry on or off the stem until the back of the head turns brown, the foliage turns yellow, the petals die down, the seeds look plump and somewhat loose.

From what I gather from the internet, there are two ways to harvest the seeds from a sunflower.

Cut off the Head

Since I did this just before leaving town, I put all the dried sunflower heads into a paper bag. When I get home, I will remove the seeds using a fork or just rubbing my hands over the head. These flower heads may have been left on the plant a bit too long, as they look incredibly dry to me.

Leave the Heads on

Experimenting with the second option, I leave the sunflower heads on the plants. By wrapping the heads in tulle and securing with ribbon, hopefully the seeds will dislodge and fall within the netting bag. Can you see the “face” in the above photo? A bit creepy, right?

There is joy in growing sunflowers, as it is fun to watch the stages of growth. They are fast growing and are so pretty in the garden. Not to mention all the birds and bees they attract too. Hopefully I will get viable seeds and grow them again next season.

Wish me luck!

Hollyhocks

Our property has an abundance of hollyhocks as they grow like weeds in multiple beds. I love these plants because there are many different colors option and petal formations. When they are in full bloom, these flowers make a grand statement. Gathering hollyhock seeds is VERY easy.

Like most plants, as they are dying, hollyhocks are not very attractive. Their flowers fall off, and their tall stalks wither and tip over. But that is all for a purpose. As the stalks hit the ground, the seeds fall out and the propagation process begins all over again.

At the base of the flower, the seed head exists. Stacked up like little dominos, the flat black seeds are numerous.

Using small paper envelopes, I tap the seed head and let the seeds fall in.

With a marker, I label the hollyhocks based on color of flower, or number of clusters of blooms. The first time I planted hollyhocks, nothing happened the first year. I nearly forgot about them and then lo and behold, I now have hollyhocks everywhere. The birds must play a role in spreading them too.

It is tempting to cut down a plant when it is dying, but letting it go through the entire process helps provide the most nutrients back to the seeds. I am always tempted to pull tulips and daffodils after their prime, but the energy does go back into the bulb for the next season.

Whatever stage your garden is at currently, please consider saving seeds. They make excellent gifts and there is something satisfying about growing generation after generation of plants.

The Monthly Gardening Blog

Now let’s see what my fellow gardening bloggers are featuring this month.

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations shows us some easy DIY Garden Plant Care here.

Stacy from Bricks ‘n Blooms gives us an early summer garden tour here.

Kim from Shiplap and Shells has 9 ways to protect your garden from extreme heat (geez, I need to read this one!). You can see it here.

Gardening is so rewarding wherever you live. From lowering blood pressure to providing food, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.

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Thanks for joining me today for our DIY Monthly Blog hop. This month our focus is something to do with seating. Over four years ago, I did a DIY project where I repainted our outdoor furniture. Fast forward to today, and the pieces look as new as ever! Here in the Arizona sun, our outdoor furniture takes a beating. It is rewarding to know that this technique is still producing gorgeous results. Let me share how easy it is to refinish outdoor furniture.

The Before

Here you can see the metal frame of the lounge chair in its oxidized condition. Instead of being a dark, rich brown, the finish almost looks purple.

The pieces that need work are a lounge chair, a regular chair, a large ottoman and a round table. All these pieces are on our deck outside the master bedroom. The seating is rubber straps that do not require any work.

Supplies

I purchase 5 cans of Metallic Oil-Rubbed Bronze spray paint from Rust-oleum. There is something about the depth of this color that I love for outdoor furniture. You can find it here

If you have ever done a lot of spray painting, you will know how challenging and tiring it is on your index finger. With this handy attachment, spraying is so much easier.

The Comfort Grip attaches to the top of the can and the handle helps to apply the paint evenly. It is so inexpensive and well worth it! You can find it here.

After wiping down the seating frames with a damp cloth, I am ready to paint. Using large drop cloths, I lay the furniture down and spray the bottom sections first. I tend to spray paint my feet (or socks) so be aware of where the paint is landing!

You can see in this photo the huge improvement from a new coat of paint.

Since the stone top of the table is not removable, I carefully tape the edges with painter’s tape and make sure not to overspray the top.

Allow to dry according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Also make sure you look around the furniture for missed painting spots.

The After

Here is the furniture 4 years ago. Doesn’t it look clean and new?

Now here is the same furniture today. We did move the pieces to a different location on the covered portion of the deck. But even after 4 years of being outdoors in the Arizona weather, all the seating pieces still look good!

The spray paint did hold up beautifully. Actually, the only thing that has changed is the pillows are a bit faded now from the sun.

Outdoor furniture can be pricey but with a bit of maintenance they can last you a long time.

Now onto the DIY Blog Hop

Thanks for joining me today. Now onto the other bloggers who will share their seating projects!

Andrea from Design Morsels shows how to cover your office chair here. I need to check this out as my office chair is looking a bit skanky.

Allison from Darling and Dapper Life creates a DIY Farmhouse Bench here.

Chas from Chas Crazy Creations gives us a great tutorial on How to Clean a Sofa.

Tarah from my Grandmas House DIY has two favorite rocking chairs that she has updated. You can see it here.

If you enjoy this post, please feel free to share on Pinterest.

This post shared with Between Naps on the Porch Metamorphosis Monday #649.