Hi friend!

July showed up fast this year! The kids are out of school, and even though I keep reminding myself to slow down, it's turned into a blur of playdates and trips instead. The rain here in Wisconsin has taken away some of the grilling I usually do this time of year — but somewhere in the chaos, I still managed to get marshmallows made before the holiday weekend!

🤍 Homemade Marshmallows — just live today. Pillowy, fresh, and nothing like the bag. My kids helped make these and started planning the bonfire before they'd even finished setting.

🔥 The S'mores Dessert Board — this is where the marshmallows go next. A whole spread built for s'mores season: dipped marshmallows, different chocolates, a few extras to make it feel like a real moment instead of just graham crackers and a campfire. If you want the easy shopping version of the setup, here's what I used for the platter.

Between the marshmallows and the board, that's the 4th of July dessert table handled.

I've also been leaning on a few salads this month — the kind that come together fast and hold up in the fridge when nobody wants to cook in the heat:

Creamy Dill Pasta Salad — better the next day, great for potlucks
Salmon Salad — my go-to lunch when nobody wants to cook
Asian Cucumber Salad — cold, crunchy, in heavy rotation since the cucumbers showed up
Cowboy Caviar — the one that gets requested at every gathering, so double the batch
Marinated Cherry Tomato & Mozzarella Salad — let it marinate, then just toss with crusty bread

Coming up this month: elote dip, homemade tortilla chips, and my mom's fried chicken — the recipe I grew up eating.

Stay cool out there.

Cheers 🥂,