Best of Summer 2012

It’s hard to believe that summer is coming to a close.  Soon my days will be filled with alarm clocks, packing lunches, 5 am calls from sub-finder, and endless trips back and forth to the high school.  It’ll be a good year, I know, but it seems too soon.  I just want to hold on to my lazy summer mornings just a little longer…

It’s been a great summer here at Down-Home South Jersey.  I’ve enjoyed growing my garden, experimenting with new recipes, and tasting wine – lots of wine!  Here’s a look back at the Best of Summer 2012:

20 ways to prepare zucchini

By far the most popular post I’ve ever written!  I guess everyone needs a few ideas when it comes to this prolific vegetable.

Guiseppe’s Italian Market in Buena

This new market in Buena caught the attention of many of my readers.  Besides, how can you miss that Italian flag on the roof!

Spotlight on Julie Myers of JLM Art

The Reader Spotlight was a popular feature this summer, and my high school friend Julie was definitely an interesting subject.  Check out the links in this post to her website and Etsy page.  She has some great things coming out for Halloween!

Spotlight on Arden Amos of Sharrott Winery

You also enjoyed reading about fellow wine lover Arden Amos and her awesome job working for Sharrott Winery.  Arden was my very first blog subscriber, so she’s quite special to me, too!

Sunday Salad Recipe

I can take absolutely no credit for this great guest post by Natalie Parker.  She usually writes about scrapbooking over at Almost Never Clever, but when I wrote a post about trying to incorporate more veggies into my diet, she came forward with this great idea.  I loved it, and so did you!

Father’s Day Barbecue:  Menu and shopping list included!

A round-up of some of my favorite recipes – perfect for Father’s Day or anytime.

The Mad Batter Restaurant & Bar in Cape May

Summer isn’t complete without a trip to the Jersey Shore.  I enjoyed a Sunday getaway with my family to Cape May and finally got to try this restaurant!

And here are a few of my favorite summer posts by other bloggers:

1.  Basil Mint Ice Cream from Savory Simple.  No one makes frozen treats look as delectable as Jen at Savory Simple!

2.  Copenhagen Part II from Danny’s Kitchen.  The best part about reading other blogs is seeing the world through another writer’s eyes.  I couldn’t get away this summer, but Danny took me to some beautiful locations with his wonderful video logs.

3.  TWD – Semolina Bread from The Double Trouble Kitchen.  I know Marlise from our South Jersey Food Swaps, so it’s a safe bet that her recipes are always good!  But what I like about this post is how it chronicles the devastating Derecho that we suffered at the end of June.  So many bloggers touched on this event and how the aftermath affected their daily lives.

4.  June Recipe Rewind from South Jersey Swappers.  Two of my favorite recipes from the June Food Swap are revealed here:  Kale Chips and Strawberry Lemonade concentrate.

5.  Summer Manifesto from Ali Edwards.  Scrapbooker extraordinaire Ali Edwards encouraged her readers to make a list of things to do this summer.  Not really a to-do list, but an intention to have some full-on fun.  Many bloggers, including me, made their own manifestos for summer 2012.

In the end, it really was a great summer!