10 Recipes I Want To Try

Last night's dinner: strip steak, salad, and grilled zucchini

One of my favorite things about summer is the abundance of flavors that are in season. Everything is so fresh and vibrant! I'm all about cooking with what's in season, and you all know I'm a big foodie. I love to try everything!

Here is what is in season right now:

Vegetables:

- Sweet Corn

- Tomatoes

- Bell Pepper

- Squash/Zucchini

- Green Beans

- Okra 

- Broccoli 

- Cabbage

- Carrots 

Fruit:

- Berries

- Peaches

- Nectarines

- Plums

- Watermelon

- Cantaloupe 

Not to mention, there are many fresh herbs. The act of picking herbs for our dinners in our little garden is pure joy for me! I wanted to share some recipes that I've been bookmarking, featuring flavors of summertime! 

Watermelon Brie Bites

Watermelon and brie, what's not to like?! 

Pickled Peach, Mozzarella, and Prosciutto

After just attending Picklesburgh, a pickle festival here in Pittsburgh, I now know you can pickle just about anything! Pickled peach sounds drool-worthy! 

Italian Lemon Olive Oil Cake with Lemon and Marscapone

I don't bake much, but this sounds so refreshing for the warmer months. 

Spring Burratta with Green Goddess Pesto

Anything with Burrata is good in my book. You can find it almost anywhere nowadays, and it's delicious. I love the idea of using watermelon radish in this dish! 

Arugula Salad with Lemon, Parmesan, and Balsamic

Sometimes, simple dishes are the best. I always have arugula on hand; it is my favorite 'lettuce'. 

Asparagus Soup

I love asparagus, so I'm really excited to try this.

Sweet Potato Crust Quiche

My husband loves sweet potatoes, but they're not my favorite. I am always looking for savory sweet potato recipes because I don't love how sweet they can be! 

Cucumber Salad with Feta, Dill, and Mint

I have a cucumber plant, and it was thriving, but the heat we have had has zapped it. One day I will actually get a cucumber from it and make this, ha! 

Grilled Romaine Salad

We love to grill, so I am surprised we haven't tried a recipe like this yet! 

Baked Asparagus Cannelloni

More asparagus because I can never resist. This is a vegan recipe, but I'd just make it with regular cheese/etc. 

Recent Outfits

Madras Dress// Raffia Sandals// Mini Wicker Bag

I have several outfits to share with you that I've worn recently. It has been SO hot, so I've been trying to wear lightweight and easy, breezy pieces! 

The madras pieces that Tuckernuck has been rolling out over the last few weeks have certainly caught my attention. I was so bummed that I missed the button-down- it sold out so quickly! Anyway, they dropped the Madras Dress and Tuckernuck sent it to me!!! I was floored. I have this dress in white seersucker, and it's one of my favorites because it is so easy to just throw on. The white is beautiful, but the madras is next level 'special'. Madras is the ultimate summer fabric, and it's hard to find these days. I love how Tuckernuck is launching pieces in this classic fabric but with modern, updated twists! I am wearing a size small, and you can use code YOUROCK or YOURULE- that usually works for 20% off. 

Swimsuit coverup// Sandals// Bag

I wore this to our friend's pool party! It was so fun to be with friends, and I love a good dip in the pool on a hot summer day! This swimsuit coverup is lightweight and nice, and oversized so you can just throw it on over your suit. I love the beading at the neckline because it elevates the coverup! 

Linen Shirt// Red Shorts// Sneakers// Mini Tote

I wore this to a festival on Friday, which I'll share more about in this week's Lately post, but it was incredibly hot. Shockingly, you can't see the sweat on my clothes in this photo, as gross as that sounds. We've had quite a few stretches of days where it nears 100 degrees and I am *not* a fan! It's so hard to enjoy anything outdoors when it is that hot! But anyway, this Linen Shirt has served me well- it's so breathable! I actually purposefully wore a long-sleeved shirt to protect my shoulders a bit, since I've been outside so much this summer. Even with sunscreen, I feel I'm getting too much sun. 

Dress// Sandals

I changed out of my swimsuit and into this dress at the pool party. It was easy to fold into my tote without wrinkling and throw on to enjoy the delicious dinner! The dress is super lightweight and breezy. I especially like that the smocking goes down further toward the waist. I think it's a truly flattering design decision, and I wish more smocked dresses would adopt this approach! 

Striped Set

This cotton set is an Amazon win. It's lightweight cotton poplin, and there are many color options. You could wear these as pajamas or as a lounge set. The shorts are incredibly comfortable, fully lined, and feature an elastic waist. I sized up to a medium. 

Cotton Cardigan Sweater ($28!!)// Cotton Tank// Linen Shorts

This sweater is of La Ligne quality, and it's currently on major sale for under $30. It's 100% cotton, and I am wearing a size small. It's timeless and something you can wear year-round! 

Red Sweater Tank// Red Shorts// Pearl Necklace// Sandals (a great look for less)

I usually don't think red looks great on me, but in the summertime, when I'm tan, I think it looks a bit better, so I like to lean into it while I can! The sweater tank is available in several colors. 

Striped Tee// Striped Shorts

Are you following me on the LikeToKnowIt app?! You can shop all of my outfits, favorite finds, and more in the app. I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also access all of my posts, here, if you don't use LTK! You can also find me on ShopMy, another shopping platform! 

This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you). 

Weekend Wish List

Madras Dress// Pearl Necklace// Golf Skort

Needlepoint Pillow// Swimsuit// Colorful Jacket

White Top// Silver Slide Sandals// Laptop Cover//  Seersucker Shorts

Some items of note... 

- I just got this Madras Dress and it's even better in person. The fabric is nice and lightweight, too, so it's perfect for the heat! 

- This White Top gives me Doen vibes for way less!

- This Golf Skort is darling, and I love the longer length!

- This Colorful Jacket is SO pretty, you need to click over and look at the other photos to really get the full picture. 

- I love these Needlepoint Pillow and they just gave me a code SYDNEY20 for 20% off!

Cream Jeans// Striped Pajamas// Leather Bag

Hair Dryer// Linen Dress

Navy Cardigan// Dry Shampoo// Striped Dress

Some items of note... 

- I can never resist a good pair of Cream Jeans.

- I caved and ended up ordering this Hair Dryer in the Prime sale! It should arrive today. Can't wait to test it out! 

- Speaking of hair, I just tried this Dry Shampoo and I totally understand the hype. It's incredible. So much better than any other dry shampoo I have ever used before. 

See last week's Weekend Wish List, here!

For your weekend reading, here are blog posts you may have missed from this week:

- Recent Outfits

- Amazon Prime roundup

- Nordstrom Anniversary Sale Picks

- Lately

Are you following me on the LikeToKnowIt app?! You can shop all of my outfits, favorite finds, and more in the app. I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also access all of my posts, here, if you don't use LTK! You can also find me on ShopMy, another shopping platform! 

Sign up here to receive my blog posts delivered right to your email inbox! 

This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you). 

Lately

Parade on the 4th! 

Hen's adorable 4th of July bow from his groomer!

Is this a heron or a crane?! I see it in my neighborhood each summer. No idea if it's the same one year after year, but it's always fun to see and feels so out of place in a suburban neighborhood! I think of herons as birds that you see at the beach/coastal towns. I only ever see one! I used ChatGPT (see below discussion on AI) and it says that it is a heron. 

I hope you are all having a nice week and enjoyed your long holiday weekend. We were busy and had a great time, thanks to my sister and brother-in-law making the trek from North Carolina to spend the long weekend with us! They typically don't come home in July, so this was a nice treat! 

I survived the 5k! It was brutal! It was both easier and harder than I expected. SO many hills!!! I enjoyed it - there were thousands of people running, and since there was a parade afterward, people lined the route cheering on the runners. The energy was fun! With that said, I'm going to keep running outside just once a year like this, ha! It is SO not my thing. The heat! The bugs! The terrain! The sun! I have the utmost respect for all of you runners. I will gladly stick to my Orange Theory tread, complete with a built-in fan, in a dark room, and also, walking and Pilates! 

You all might think I'm nuts for even bringing this up, but I'm considering ordering a new Christmas tree. If you follow me on Instagram, then you know I had a whole debacle about the lights going out on my tree. I love the look of the actual tree, though, so that's why I'm torn. Someone said I can cut the lights off, but that it's a lot of effort. Last year, I put lights over the other lights, and it was OK, but it bothered me in the back of my mind. Of course, they no longer make my tree! Anyway, I bring this up in the heat of summer because I feel like there may be some Christmas in July sales that pop up, and I am going to keep an eye out for them. If you have a particular tree you'd recommend, let me know. 

Workout Dress// Athletic Socks (on sale)

Top (use code SYDNEY15)// Shorts// Canvas Bag

Wearing: I shared some recent outfits earlier this week. Here are two more simple outfits I've worn lately!

Are you following me on the LikeToKnowIt app?! You can shop all of my outfits, favorite finds, and more in the app. I am constantly updating it with the latest! You can also access all of my posts, here, if you don't use LTK! You can also find me on ShopMy, another shopping platform! 

Eating: We went to Costco on Sunday, which was our first trip in quite a while. I snagged these Amylu Breakfast sausages made from chicken, and they are SO good. They're very flavorful, and they taste less like a breakfast sausage and almost like a good hot dog! I love hot dogs, so this was a pleasant surprise. After eating them the first time, I cut them up into bite-sized pieces and ate them with ketchup and pickles the next time. Delish and such an easy thing to have on hand for a quick meal. 

Drinking: Watermelon cocktails were had this weekend! 

Reading: This is a longer article about how AI is impacting our society and the human brain. It's an interesting read and one that brings up many points to consider. My quick thoughts on this are that as a society, AI is here and widely available. So, if you want to 'keep up' in many industries, it's essential that you use AI, so you know how to use it and don't fall behind. That said, I think part of learning how to leverage AI to benefit your career and industry is understanding how to utilize it in ways that support your work but that do not necessarily replace it. For example, I use an AI spellcheck service called Grammarly. It acts like Microsoft Word spellcheck, but more advanced. It's great for me as it cuts down on the editing I have to do, as I am a one-woman show. But it can be annoying because it fails often and won't catch things or catch things that don't need fixing. But anyway, it helps me manage my time. But my content and what I write and create are unique to who I am as a person. Who I am as an individual sets me apart from other influencers you may follow, and that's important. I think you can liken AI to social media. Social media can rot your brain and be used in unproductive ways. However, social media can also be used in ways that are incredibly helpful and positive, and connect people across the globe. You just have to learn how to use social media in a way that best suits you, your brain, and your job/business. I know if I am on social media for too long, it is bad for my mental health. The same goes for AI. If I spend too much time on something like ChatGPT or rely too heavily on AI to do tasks, I'm essentially 'hurting' my brain. It's crucial for us as humans to be able to recognize that threshold. 

My sale snag: theses gorgeous black ballet flats. I don't wear a lot of black in the summertime so I am styling them here for fall/winter. More sizes available on sale here. 

Sale: SO many sales this week! Here is my Amazon Prime roundup and my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale roundup! 

Baublebar is 20% off all week long! They sent me a fun surprise package with their new 'waterproof' jewelry, which you can wear while swimming. I'm not a big novelty jewelry gal like this, but I think these pieces are fun for a vacation, and the initial bracelet and name bracelet would be adorable to gift a preteen! The gold bangles, though, are perfect. They are the exact type of thing I'd travel with since they are simple and can be layered with other things and are not valuable! 

Bose is having a flash sale! 

Doen is having their warehouse sale, and I was pleasantly surprised to see such a huge selection. I love some Doen pieces, and then sometimes it skews a touch too bohemian for my personal taste. Anyway, it's worth browsing as the prices are deeply marked down. This cotton sweater is a year-round staple. I love these classic gold ballet flats under $100. Butter yellow is the color of the moment, and this coat is chic! 

Watching: As I'm sure most of you saw the news in Texas this past weekend about the horrific flooding. Absolutely tragic. I cannot wrap my mind around all of it. I've been thinking of you all in Texas, and I am sending you love and prayers! I saw this interview circulating on social media with Scott Ruskan, a true hero rescuing children from the disaster, and it reminded me of that Mr. Rogers quote that says, 'look for the helpers'. He, along with his crew, saved lives and provided comfort and safety to many children in a terrifying situation. In the interview, he remains humble, calm, and collected. He is just 26 years old, and that was his first mission. I love how he named his fellow coastguard crew members who were also part of the rescue. His professionalism was both remarkable and admirable. 

Wanting: My favorite lip liner (in Beverly Hills) is back in stock! Love to see this shift-style dress come in new colors, fabrics, and prints every few months! A bride needs to get this dress and wear it for a shower or rehearsal! Love these embroidered white jeans. A gorgeous and timeless caftan. A fun little 'bag charm' (aka key chain) for your martini-loving friend! I love and want this bag in red or green- I can't decide. I love that it can be monogrammed! It reminds me of the Hermes Picotin, just 1/10 of the price! Love this Staub set, and it's a great price since the bowls alone are usually $99! I'm normally not super into slip dresses as they give me flashbacks to 1998, but this one is tasteful, like something CBK would have worn. This is a lovely skirt, and the color combo is unexpected but works so well. If you are an office gal, I think these have the potential to be the perfect work pant. Love this shade of pink! These cocktail napkins are adorable, a great price, and claim they are waterproof?! A chic and timeless little black dress. Love these double old-fashioned glasses on major sale! Have you all heard of this watch brand? They create timeless watches with a Cartier vibe for a fraction of the cost. I have a Cartier tank watch and don't wear it as much as I used to, but watches seem to be having a moment again! I don't know what is up with me, but I am very into green bags lately. A timeless denim jacket with a subtle twist. I really love the Heaven Mayhem leather laptop cases, but I don't like that they say 'Heaven Mayhem.' I've found an option on Etsy that I'm considering. A good Hillhouse look for less! I just got a Fubrish discount code, SYDNEY20, and I love this new needlepoint pillow! 

Pittsburgh: We went to Chengdu Gourmet in Squirrel Hill this past weekend, and it was SO good. No wonder it wins so many awards. They had two menus, a more authentic Chinese menu and an Americanized menu. We ordered only from the 'authentic' menu. It was all just next-level flavorful! It's BYOB, and the interior is no frills at all! We then walked up the street to Vendor Bender, which is something I've wanted to check out for a while. It's just a room filled with vending machines. The machines have snacks from all over the world. Each snack is labeled with the country from which it is. The photo above is my loot! I haven't tried any of it yet since it's been such a busy week, but I am looking forward to it. One of my favorite things to do is try different foods from around the world, but particularly chip flavors. Has anyone tried any of these snacks?! 

Amazon Rec: The Amazon Prime roundup went up on Tuesday. It's still going on through tomorrow, so check it out if it's something you are interested in. 

You can find more of my Amazon favorites, here on my Amazon page where I am constantly updating it with all of my finds and top picks from home, beauty, fashion, and more!

Traveling: We are staying put for the next several weeks, and then we have our typical time at the lake, and then off to Portugal to close out summer. I cannot believe we are already 1/3 of the way through July. Despite the raging heat, I am actually enjoying summer more than I typically do- no rhyme or reason why, just am! 

Quoting: 'Enthusiasm is common, endurance is rare.' - Angela Duckworth // See more of my favorites, here.

This content may contain affiliate links; when you click the link and make a purchase, I may receive a commission (at no cost to you).