There are 94 days of summer this year. Because I'm a weird, obsessive compulsive freak about lists, here's a list of summery things to eat, drink, do, and wear, one for each day of the season, in no particular order.
Lies. Of course they're in order. You just don't know what that order it is.
Get crackin'. There are only {xo} days of summer left.
EAT
01. Backyard BBQ Burgers
02. Birthday Cake
03. Watermelon
- Watermelon Cobb Salad {how-to}
- Watermelon Feta Watercress Salad with Green Olive Vinaigrette
- Watermelon Soda {recipe}
- Watermelon Juice and Suzanne Goin's Watermelon Vinaingrette {recipes}
04. "Classic" BBQ Side Dishes
- 4a. Pasta Salad
- 4b. Potato Salad
05. Beachside Fish Tacos
06. Farmers' Market Fresh Buddha Bowl
07. Sunday Funday Brunch, all day long. Or Saturday Faturday, whichever works.
08. Grilled Salmon
09. Pie. Any Kind. Bonus if you bake it even when it's 100+º outside.
10. Salad Every Day
11. Strawberries — It is a shame to do anything to farmers market fresh, summer ripe strawberries — or any fruit for that matter — other than simply rinsing them off before eating them straight out of hand, but sometimes, when in a moment of desperation you've bought too many strawberries ("no such thing" blah blah blah I know) or worse, you shamefully bought white-on-the-inside cottonmouth strawberries in the plastic clamshell, you have to do something to/with them, so:
- the best strawberries in the world: Harry's Berries, southern California certified farmers' markets
- Simple Strawberry Bread {recipe}
- Strawberry Buttermilk Banana Bread {recipe}
- Strawberry Sorbet {recipe}
- Double Double Chocolate Pavlova with Ice Cream and Fresh Strawberries {recipe}
12. Blackberries
- Murray Family Farms has Kiowa blackberries (huge berries with huge, shiny bumps), marionberries, and other blackberry-looking berries
- Basic Buttermilk Pancakes with Blackberries
13. Blueberries
14. Raspberries
15. Cherries
16. Nectarines and Peaches
17. Plums
18. Figs: ok, so basically ALL THE FRUITS
- Arugula Fig Salad with Humboldt Fog, Prosciutto, and Pistachios AND
- Arugula Fig Salad with Feta, Olives, Pickled Onions and Pistachios
- Fresh Fig Ice Cream {recipe}
19. Chia Seeds
20. Avocado
21. Tomatoes
22. Corn
23. Okra
24. Zucchini
25. Eggplant
26. Shell Beans
27. Homemade Pesto, best with Home Grown Herbs (see below #68)
28. Green Goddess Dressing
29. Gazpacho
30. Soupe au Pistou
31. Naeng-myun | Korean Buckwheat Noodles in Chilled Broth
32. Cold Soba
33. Summer Rolls
34. BBQ Ribs, in the backyard
35. Beer Can Grilled Chicken
36. Grilled Shrimp
37. Ceviche/Poké
38. Clambake or Crab Boil
39. Lobster Roll
40. Ballpark Hot Dogs
41. Funnel Cake
42. Shaved Ice/Sno-Cones/Pat Bing Soo
43. Ice Cream Made in Two Coffee Cans
44. S'mores
45. Ice Cream from a Truck
46. Popsicles
47. Aïoli (the French "no cook" spread of aïoli served with vegetables and baguette)
48. Jams and Jellies You Preserve Yourself
49. Pickles You Ferment Yourself
50. Oysters, straight out of the ocean if possible
DRINK
51. Rosé Wine
52. Chilled Red Wine (previously: Lambrusco)
53. Prosecco
54. Water
55. Cold Brew Coffee
- Fairly easy (but a long wait time) to cold brew your own coffee at home
56. Iced Tea
57. Lemonade from a Roadside Stand
58. Date Shake
59. Strawberry Almond Milk
60. Agua Fresca
61. Home Squozen Green Juice
- Ultimate Green Juice {recipe}
62. Bellini with farmers’ market fresh white peach puree
63. Wine Spritzer
64. Tropical Fruit Frozen Blended Cocktails with Tiny Umbrellas
65. Beer with ginger ale or fruit in it
66. Mojitos Made with Backyard Garden Mint and Limes
67. Sangria
- Sparkling Melon Sangria {recipe} Summer 2015
- How to Make Any Sangria
DO
68. Grow a Vegetable Garden or Herb Garden or any garden hell drop an avocado pit into a glass half full of water and just watch it grow
69. Throw a Pool Party, even if you have to use an inflatable kiddie pool
70. Play Tennis. (ok, ok, watch tennis. twice.)
71. Celebrate All the Summer Holidays: Father's Day June 19, Summer Solstice June 20, MY BIRTHDAY June 21, Independence Day on July 4, Bastille Day on July 14
72. Go to a Baseball Game
73. Picnic at the Beach (Just kidding. Picnic in the backyard. Ok, maybe just in the dining room)
74. Concert at the Hollywood Bowl
75. Outdoor Movie Night/Drive-In
76. Rooftop Cocktail Party
77. Go to the County Fair
78. Go on a Road Trip and Eat Junky Road Trip Foods with No Guilt
WEAR
79. Sunscreen. Every. Day. Moisturizer with SPF, straight-up sunscreen, makeup with SPF, that's right, NEVER leave your house without protection, and LAYER IT to be safe, though abstinence is always the best.
80. Bare Nails. Ok, you're right, I'd never go bare nails. At the very least Nude Nails
81. French Manicure
82. Neon Mani/Pedi
83. New Flip Flops
84. Espadrilles
85. Cheap Sunglasses
86. Bikini
87. Beach Wavy Hair without Going to the Beach
88. Cutoffs
89. Romper
90. Hats
91. Beach Tote as a Your Every Day Tote
92. The Perfect Little Summer Dress, Floral, White or Otherwise
93. White Jeans
Afterthoughts
I'd be living in a fantasy world if I thought I could write a blog post about a different one of these every day of this summer, especially since we're already a few days into the season.
We've also seen how (un)successful I've been trying to write a 100 Posts in 100 Days, which, after successive post-less weeks, I had to downgrade to 40 Posts Before 40. Eventually, I just wanted to squeeze out one post. Can I just write one?! I did. One in 40. Chrise.
Clearly, posting daily, even weekly, is a pipe dream, especially since the whole point of this list is to do something this summer besides sit in front of a computer inside for 18 hours a day blogging about doing things outside. So at the very least I am going to try to eat, drink, or do one of these 93 things each day (except eat grilled shrimp, to which I am allergic), whether I actually write something meaningful about it here.
And hell, if I drink a glass of rosé every day for 94 days, I'll consider that winning summer.
(Do you want to do some of these things, too? Let me know. Maybe we can do some together! I'm keeping track by tagging #summerlicious here, there, and everywhere)
bhsportsguy says
I remember those days of somewhat daily posts and exchanging comments which was the only way to communicate, good times.
DHo says
LOVE this. Let's pick a day for all-day Sunday Funday, and, well, all-day Saturday Funday too.
sweetsociety says
Love this! I'm gonna try to eat, drink, do, and wear as many as these as I can.
Foodie Louie says
The old 100 posts in 100 days. If I had a failed website for every time I tried that. Wait. I do. Ten so far.
Liked this on my Facebook page. Nice website.
Scott says
Is it too far-fetched to add a 95th under wear? "Nothing"... welcome to summer!
Kathryn @ thescratchartist.com says
I look forward to reading what you write and I love your sense of humor. Whether it's one a day or one a month, or year, or decade...I'm in. I almost had to stop reading when you said you didn't like lobster...say what?! I love that you listed it though...somewhere you knew, lobster = essential summer goodness!
Ryan | A Polished Palate says
This is a great list! Love the humor and truthfulness in your afterthoughts. I can relate!
Rocky Tsung says
impressive list of drinks and beverages you have.. Love this.. i like cucake muffins most as they often looks cool when placed in ferris wheel cupcake holder amazon.