Food

SO LONG, SWEET SUMMER

08/28/2017

You know how Moms are always bestowing little bite-size nuggets of wisdom on you, even when you’re not asking for it? Drink water. Wash your face before bed. Wear clean underwear when you leave the house in case something happens to you. Use vinegar to clean glass- it’s the only thing that doesn’t streak. Always have $20 in your pocket. My Mom is the ring leader of this movement. Truly. And there’s a good reason for it. She’s always right. (In my family, we call that Mommy Magic.)

As I navigate wear I am in my life at the moment- somewhere in the middle of juggling a career, a blog, traveling, and a new marriage- these little life lessons seem to resonate more and more. Is it wisdom coming with age? Maybe. It is me turning into my mother? More than likely (And if I could be so lucky, yay!) But if I really think about the one lesson that’s currently sticking with me the most, it would be “Never go anywhere empty handed.”

As busy as life inevitably gets for all of us, taking the extra minute to grab a hostess gift, or a sweet treat to share when you visit friends, or offering to bring a side to a family dinner does not go unnoticed. I like to think of it as a sweet and easy way to let the folks in your life know you’re thinking about them.

So what do you do when it’s the end of summer, you’ve been invited to a last minute gathering, and you need to whip up a dish to bring along? Buy a pie or a bottle of wine? You can. But if you want to really impress your friends and keep up with the Mom lessons within, grab a few refrigerator staples and make a frozen sweet treat worthy of a summer send-off.