Mediterranean Chop Salad & Strawberry-Mint Lemonade Slushie

Next to the chocolate mint in the garden is a big patch of lemon mint. The leaves are marbled yellow and green and they smell so refreshing. The kids were asking for popsicles since we had one of our first truly hot days, but we didn't have any, so I told them I'd come up with something. That something turned out to be a strawberry-mint lemonade slushies. We have loads of strawberries in the garden right now so I used the berries, lemons, honey, and several bunches of lemon mint, and ice, of course. I predict my craving for this yummy drink will keep the blender humming all summer long.








Evan is a total strawberry swiper. He can eat nearly as fast as I pick. He doesn't waste time with stem removal either. He takes the meaning of  eating "whole foods" to a new level. And yes, he is wearing a pink sequined shirt. He brought it to me from  Nina's laundry basket and I figured well, why not? 


I love a good chopped salad. This one is similar to a greek salad, but with the addition of romaine and garbanzo beans to make it more of a meal. The other ingredients are red pepper, red onion, basil, cucumber, tomatoes, kalamata olives (I prefer Nicoise, but didn't have any), and feta tossed with a 1:1 ratio of red wine vinegar and olive oil plus a little sea salt. Zig and I had this for dinner with some crusty bread with a smear of fresh pesto.Perfect summer fare.