a taste of summer

The weather here in the northwest has been so nice lately. Everyone has been coming out of their little houses in swarms & flocking to downtown, the waterfront, parks - basically anywhere the sun shines. It's as if we all forgot what the sun feels like, & we're just experiencing it for the first time. 

& with all of the warm weather comes the startup of one of my favorite family traditions:: porch dinners. Yesterday, we had our first outdoor dinner of the year. Of course, we had burgers. [what else would we have eaten to kick this off?] & let's just put it this way:: when the Koehlers do burgers, we do it right. 

Here's 2 really good reasons why::

a). We raise our own beef. So it's organic, healthy, and delicious. There's no hormones or chemicals that are snuck into it. Plus, it's delicious. When I was younger, I used to be really against the idea of us raising our own beef. I think I tried going vegetarian for about 2 weeks when I was 13, but my parents wouldn't let me leave the table til I ate my meat. So that kind of failed. Thank goodness it did, because, now, I love our beef. Seriously, it's so good. I guess I always took it for granted. But now I know that the best hamburger on earth is made right in my kitchen. & next year's hamburger is out in the field, grazing on some grass, blissfully ignorant that he will be in my tummy next year. 

Yum. 

b). The second reason that are burgers are the best is quite simple really::

Sauteed mushrooms.

Need I say more?

My mom also makes the best fresh juices to go with whatever we're having. They're always fresh & tart, just like summer. This time it was an iced strawberry lemonade. Mmmm.

 

I loved yesterday. It was so nice to sit down & relax & talk with my family, together. We haven't all been together for a family dinner in ages, & I really missed that. It's important to regroup & catch up once in awhile, you know?

What's one of your favorite family traditions that summer brings?