This blog post has been in the works for a long time sitting in my DRAFTS folder for almost a year. Then I realized just because the content is a little dated, the food and photos are still perfect for summer! Enjoy!

I had to figure out how to author content that blended good food, family memories, heart pounding and fulfilling moments, and mountain fresh air. Not so easy to convert into a food blog. But VERY easy to experience.

So, what did I do when I wasn’t holding babies, hugging the stressed out bride-to-be, cutting up enough watermelon to feed 100 people, I did cook! However, it was mostly without my trusty yellow pad. So not all the recipes made it to a recorded version.

I don’t think that means you should miss the recipes, though. I created several really good dishes, making things up along the way, and feeling pretty good about not really creating any structured set of instructions. What you will get in lieu of an itemized recipe list is an overall description of the dishes, and maybe a tip or two about a sauce, about a technique, or about an ingredient that I recommend be included  in your cooking repertoire, so I know we’ve connected.

What you most certainly can count on is a story. I will attempt to spoon-feed you a sense of place along with the narrative. You will see the faces of those who surrounded my table and picked up a fork and thankfully said, “Wowza, this is good!” It is for these people that I have a passion for nourishing others, which reinforced, even away from my own kitchen, that cooking for others makes me feel like every day is part of the best vacation, ever!

Utah and berries are synonymous terms. And the local farmer’s market did not disappoint. Like jewels before a princess, I couldn’t help turn them over in my hands, taking them to my nose, and holding them in the sun as I worked out a plan for menus throughout the visit. I made salads, added them to sauces, dribbled them on top of breakfast casseroles, and popped them in my mouth by the dozens.