Summertime...*queue Island in the Sun by Weezer*
Bonus---> Hydration tips, beach friendly snacks, and food safety for the summer and all your 4th of July celebrations.
It’s that time of the year when being stuck in my office makes me irritable, crabby, and a tiny bit sad. All I want to do is soak up some sunlight by the sea, read a good book, and nap to the sound of the waves *so dreamy*. For now, I’ll stay in my little windowless, 4-wall space and pray the weekend comes early.
Summer is a time of fun, of letting loose and relaxing. It is also a time of celebration, with 4th of July right around the corner. My favorite 4th of July was when I went to Cape Cod with my friends Chandler and Liz. We stayed at Chandler’s aunt’s house, showered outdoors, rode bikes around town, camped outside the house, ate good food and had the best of times. We watched the fireworks by the water and talked about life until late at night. It was just, *picture perfect*.
In the spirit of reminiscing on lovely summer memories, there are some things I despise about this time of the year, primarily the unbearable Miami HEAT (no, not the team…). You feel sticky, icky, sweaty, and blasting the A/C sometimes still just doesn’t do it! When trying to stay cool, hydration tends to be my best ally.
4 tips for staying hydrated this summer:
Drink a glass of water upon waking. Starting your day off with water before your daily coffee already ensures you’ve had one glass, cheers! Now roughly 7 more to go!
Use a water bottle that you love, if it has a straw, you get bonus points, so you can carry it with you wherever summer fun takes you and sip as you go!
Try to eat some hydrating fruits and veggies! Cucumber, watermelon, strawberries, cantaloupe, oranges, all help keep you hydrated. Pick out already cut up fruit or cut it right when you get home and store for easy access.
Mix it up! Bored of water? Try infused water, sparkling water and sodas, teas or lemonade to ensure proper hydration.
Drinking while celebrating? For every one beer (or alcoholic drink of choice) follow up with one glass of water (your body will thank you the next day).
My personal favorite summer activity is just laying by the beach as I said (I sigh, as I type in my 4-wall space). There’s nothing like packing a speaker, a cooler and a couple of towels for a nice summer day. But what about snacks? Here are a couple of ideas so you’re not only well hydrated, but also satiated and satisfied as you sprawl on the sand.
5 Beach Friendly Bites for your bag and cooler this summer:
Fruit salad- My favorite mix is kiwi, pineapple, strawberries, blueberries (frankly I think cantaloupe is overrated, but all power to you if you add it in for an extra boost of hydration!)
Sandwiches or wraps- Keep the once with meats, cheeses or tuna in the cooler ‘til you’re ready to dive in (wipe the sand off your hands first, please!). If you want something sweeter, a simple PB&J will also do!
Nuts and seeds- Trailmix! Add some M&Ms, some dried fruit, and you’ve got yourself a sweet & salty snack in a Ziploc bag.
String cheese & fruit- Again, keep in the cooler, but a great hunger-hack combo, I love to have some string cheese with mandarins.
Chips/veggies/pretzels & a dip- Some chips/veggie sticks with hummus, tzatziki or guac is never a bad option to bring along for sharing.
Some of my favorite snacks to haul in my beach bag (not pictured, a side of fresh fruit, yum!).
The not so fun part…let’s talk food safety.
Now, with warm weather comes the desire, no, the need to socialize and get outside. You can find me serving drinks, and my boyfriend eyeing the grill acting like he knows a thing or two. Here are some things to keep in mind when it comes to hosting or attending cookouts.
Have a plan for keeping your hot foods hot (140 °F), and your cold foods cold (40 °F), if the weather or equipment doesn’t allow for this, bring foods like chips, bread, pretzels to munch on.
Sounds like a no-brainer but, don’t cook for others if you are sick and wash your hands often (!!!), especially after safe-handling raw meats/poultry/etc.
Cook foods to the right temperature.
Avoid cross-contaminating! Use separate cutting boards, throw out plates that have touched raw meat juices, and use clean plates or boards for cooked meats.
Refrigerate leftovers ASAP, or within 2hrs of cooking. If the outdoor temperature is >90°F, refrigerate within the hour.
Any fun plans this summer? What are your favorite summer snacks? Have a special burger or grill recipe you’d like to share?
I would love to hear from you.
Stay safe, stay well, and stay hydrated :)
Until next time, keep chewin’!