portobello burgers and roasted yams*.

1) yams*:

wash

slice + half (skin optional, usually preferred, and recommended)

tossed in evoo, s + p

minced garlic^

roasted at 350 until done (about 20 minutes)

*can be substituted for sweet potatoes. the grocery store just didn't have any so yams, it was.

^maybe a bit of cinnamon & sugar would be nice in it's place.

2) grill the burger and the bun:

toss mushrooms in evoo and s & p first!

3) the fixings:

.baby spinach

.red onions

.provolone

.lemon honey mustard

.and the yams that were originally thought of as a side dish

.herd butter on the bun tops (that simply means "some rosemary and thyme or parsley or something like that...")

.avocados very suggested but not shown here

honey lemon mustard.

*this photo does not do any justice.

this mustard spread can be used as a dressing or as a condiment... or for some thing more creative if you can muster one up. (ehhhh. sorry!)

and, you have to leave a lot of this one up to chance. *may be hard for the unintuitive. ;)

what you need, which most people probably have:

mustard (preferably spicy and seedy.)

lemon juice and pulp and guts (no seeds..)

balsamic vinegar

honey (preferably local and raw)

salt + pep

extra virgin olive oil

keep adding listed ingredients until it is to your taste and consistency preference. stir/whisk/fork in any type of bowl. use pointer finger to see "when it's ready..." (off the record). if you end up with a lot of honey lemon mustard because of this technique... well, put it in a jar and use it again when you feel the need. it lasts forever.

note: the best part about this spread is that everyone usually has these ingredients, but no one ever has all the same kinds. so this inevitably comes out different each time it is made.

mangos.

here's how:

slice

eat

enjoy

sorry. had to.

concoction inspirations.

this is a more complicated but equally simple recipe for summertime drinks that can be altered severely due to individual taste but still not loose a bit of flavor.

this specific drink:

1 part limeade

1 part water

sliced cucumber

fresh lemon wedges

fresh grapefruit wedges

muddled strawberries

ice cubes

cap. shake. serve with a lemon balm/mint leaf if you have them in the garden. ;)

optional suggestions:

hendricks gin or st. germain or both

also:

switch fruit juice to just water or use any fruit compilation you can imagine. if it's fresh, and you put it in a mason jar and you shake it and you serve it cold, it will probably taste good in the summertime. especially with some hendricks or st. germain....

cool cucumber water.

this one is easy.

slice some strips of cucumber with a carrot/potato peeler.

put it in a mason jar.

fill it up with water and ice cubes.

shake.

serve cold on a hot day.