Seasonal Sundays (Week 24) Mid June

A summer's worth of cold drinks plus ideas in and out of the kitchen and ... in the streets.

~ Skip Straight to the Good Stuff ~

Welcome to Seasonal Sundays ...

Thank you for peeking in, for following Kitchen Parade, for counting on me.

A week of enormity is now past. A week of ... ... ... what? ... ... ... lies ahead.

In books, in movies, in tv shows, we rarely see that fundamental life activity, the care and feeding (and cleanup, so much cleanup! and laundry!) of those we love.

This week? I'm focusing on summer drinks. If ever there were a time to stay cool, stay hydrated ... it's now.

C'mon in, sit awhile, take a sip ...

About the Photo By Popular Request, a Little Insight into the Top Image, What I've Mentally Titled, What Does My Sign Say?: This week has me all twisted up but leaning in too. These things I know. Systemic Racism is Real. Police Violence Against Black People Is Real. Black Lives Matter. But what is the right thing to think? say? do? For days, I've watched the signs our protesters carry. The fightin' words. Fighting for justice, for fairness. Fighting for very breath, for very life. If my feet were in the streets where my heart and the grandchildren are, what would my sign say? How do I earn the right to be recognized as an ally, an advocate, an admirer? How do I stand tall and clear-eyed, my sign in hand, come what may? These are questions of courage we must challenge ourselves to answer, as individuals, as families, as communities, as a nation, as humanity.

And Then? I Found My Sign

I wrote what's above on Saturday. At the same time:

• The people of my old St. Louis town of Kirkwood, Missouri marched en masse between two schools, filling a street with thousands of peaceful, mask-wearing folks of all colors, all ages: such a moment of determined unity for a town which grapples hard-hard-hard with race issues, especially after tragedy pushed us into the headlines, Tonight, in One Small Town Called Kirkwood.
• Yesterday's TV covered the hundreds and hundreds of protests across the country and across the world. It all made my tough-guy husband a tiny bit teary. "The protestors make me proud to be an American."
• The mayor of DC unleashed moxie, volunteers and buckets of yellow paint to proclaim to all the world, Black Lives Matter.

This morning I jumped out of bed, went straight to the basement for paint. I'd found my sign.

It's a journey, my friends. If you're looking, I hope you'll find your sign too.

Love to all ... hang in there.

Recommended Listening

From NPR's It's Been a Minute on June 5th's program, a conversation with a mom of three black boys and how "the talk" has changed over the years. It starts about 26:30. The real gold, however? Near the very end, wow, it gets real: grab a tissue.

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PICK ONE

Pick One is for those of us overwhelmed by life's unending choices. If that resonates, then check out this one recipe and then call it a day. It's one that I think could make the most difference, the one I hope will become a regular in your kitchen, as it is in mine.

• THE RECIPE Cold-Brewed Coffee Low-acid cold-brewed coffee makes perfect iced coffee for hot summers.

Seasonal Showcase: Cold Drinks for Summer Heat

• THE RECIPE Thirst-Quenching, Low-Cal, Low-Alcohol Drinks Better stock up on ginger ale.

• THE RECIPE Hibiscus Tea with Ginger & Vanilla

• THE RECIPE Old-Fashioned Homemade Lemonade How to make real lemonade with a simple technique that extracts extra flavor from the lemon peels.

• THE RECIPE Cucumber Lemonade, refreshing plus such pretty color

• THE RECIPE Bloody Caesar Canada's Bloody Mary

• THE RECIPE Jealous Marys, not bloody, but green with envy

• THE RECIPE My Perfect (Unsweet, Unboozy) Sangria A dry sangria that's fruity and refreshing, not cloyingly sweet and dizzyingly boozy.

What's New!

• THE RECIPE Vegetables 101: How to Revive Fresh Greens

Just Updated!

• THE RECIPE Juicy Pork Chops, a Quick Supper, for moisture and flavor, the chops are brined first, then grilled.

• THE RECIPE Leek Sauce for Pasta, a Quick Supper, pasta hugged by a gentle leek sauce

• THE RECIPE Zucchini Spiral "Noodle" Salad

• THE RECIPE Homemade Fresh Basil Pesto Without Cheese Lets the basil shine in a new way.

• THE RECIPE Zucchini Bread with Carrot & Candied Ginger A classic quick bread, streaked with carrot and studded with candied ginger.

• THE RECIPE Rhubarb Cake Simple and rustic, less sweet to taste rhubarb's wonderful "sour".

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Kitchen Parade is written by second-generation food columnist Alanna Kellogg and features fresh, seasonal dishes for every-day healthful eating and occasional indulgences. Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.

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