Out of the Kitchen July 2020

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We’re back with another out of the kitchen post – here’s what we’ve been up to for the month of July!

A plate with grilled zucchini, herbed chicken, and pesto pasta with cherry tomatoes sits next to a baked quiche with a golden-brown cheese topping on a granite countertop.

We’ve been making good food this summer! Pesto pasta with tomatoes, and grilled zucchini & chicken is one of our favorite dinners. Ryan is now a master of making quiche – this time he even made the crust from scratch!

Side-by-side images: left shows two plates of pie and chocolates arranged on a marble slab; right shows a camera on a tripod photographing a bowl of soup with props, reflectors, and a paper towel roll on the floor.

I worked on getting 2 new no bake pie recipes on the site – no bake peanut butter pie and chocolate pudding pie. You can never have enough no bake options during the summer. I also added a recipe for cherry dump cake and peach dump cake, which will be coming soon!

A smiling couple holds tools and wall putty on the left; on the right, a tidy, beige room with three small plants on the wall, a window, and tools and greenery scattered on the floor.

We spackled nail holes and did paint touch ups around the house. It’s one of those minor projects that sits for a long time, but it feels good now that it’s done. We also hung up these modern metal hoops with some greenery in our bedroom.

A smiling couple stands outdoors in front of greenery; next to them is a floral napkin with Emily & Bryan, July 11, 2020 written in script.

My brother, Bryan, and his now wife Emily got married in Madison in July! It was great to get out of town, see family and celebrate with them, even if it was social distance style.

On the left, a black cat lies on a carpet with toys. On the right, a plate with scrambled eggs, avocado toast, cherries, English muffins, and avocado slices sits on a wooden table.

Salsa is cute 😻 The second photo – I celebrated my 31st birthday in July. Ryan surprised me with breakfast in bed with all my favorite breakfast options!

Split image: Left side shows two homemade pizzas cooking on a grill outdoors. Right side shows a smiling woman indoors, next to a 33rd birthday dessert with a candle, cupcake, and macaron on a kitchen counter.

For my birthday dinner we grilled pizza (our new favorite thing to make on the grill!) and my sweet friend Kirstin bought me gluten free dessert, which Ryan put candles in – a number 3 candle and a single candle for 31 🎉

Left: A smiling woman sits cross-legged on a couch holding playing cards, mid-card game. Right: A black cat rests on a person lying under a red plaid blanket on a couch.

We had card night, where we played crazy 8s, go fish and war. Yes we are adults and still play go fish and war! We also like to do puzzles, crosswords and sudoku together 😂 The second photo, getting in my mid day Salsa snuggles!

Left: A woman rollerblades on a sidewalk beside a grassy area and road. Right: The same woman and a man smile at the camera while holding cups of ice cream, sitting outside a brick building.

I’ve been talking about buying roller blades for a few months and I just happened to find a pair that was my size at Goodwill for $4.99! I’m not fast at all, but it’s fun! I avoid any type of down hill and those detectable warning surfaces like the plague. The first time on my roller blades we went up to the local ice cream place about a mile from our house. Ryan walked, I need to see if I can find his size at Goodwill, although he would cruise past me!

Split image: left side shows a person measuring a white stone slab with a ruler; right side shows a person holding a tray of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies on a baking mat.

We picked out a white quartz countertop for the bathroom vanity we’re having replaced. We decided to go with gold / bronze hardware and faucet. Hopefully middle of August it will be fully done! The second photo – my nephew celebrated his 14th birthday and he choose oreo cookies. So I baked those and mailed them, which is my tradition with my nieces and nephews!

Split image: On the left, a smiling man and woman sit outdoors on a sunny day with trees behind them; the woman holds a wrapped snack. On the right, the same woman smiles, holding a baby in a floral outfit.

I started brainstorming and testing fall recipes at the end of July. It’s crazy to be ahead of the season, it happens every year and every year it still feels weird to be coming up with apple and pumpkin recipes in July! I’m super excited to be sharing 2 new sugar cookies coming in September and October!

We walked around downtown Bay City and had a Jimmy John’s picnic for lunch by the water. It was nice to get out of the house and do something “normal”. The second photo – I got to spend so much time with my friend Kirstin and her two kiddos this month. They are moving soon, so we took advantage of the nice weather and went to the park, splash park, went on walks. It’s been a blessing to have her in my life and watch her kids grow – love you friend!