Can someone please help me convince BigBear that we need a pool? I don’t really have a permanent place for one, but I want one badly.
Honestly, we could train the big dogs to stay away from it, right? I don’t use the backyard for much besides letting the dogs run, so a pool could sit smack in the middle and serve its purpose. At this point I’d even set it up in the driveway if it meant I could swim whenever I wanted.
I’m not begging for a pool just because it’s hot — although we are in the middle of a brutal heat wave on the East Coast — I’m actually okay because we have air conditioning now. I’m not roasting in the living room anymore (no shame in cranking the air). The real reason I want a pool is that I love the water. I love to swim. I love the beach, but after gaining weight since getting married I’ve avoided bathing-suit situations for a while. I’ve missed being in the water.
This year I finally found a bathing suit I feel comfortable in: a black-and-white tank-style top with a black skirt over the bottoms. I adore it and it makes me feel confident enough to brave the pool even though I don’t have my twenty-one-year-old body back. That little boost of confidence counts for a lot.
Instead of having my own pool, I’ve been using a friend’s pool for my swim time. I treat those swims as my workouts — leg lifts, gentle laps, and steady movement. For me, pool time doubles as exercise and relaxation: a cool-down and a chance to decompress. And yes, there may have been one or two frozen drinks involved on occasion.
I also wanted to share some of the things I’ve been loving lately around the web and in my kitchen.
On Sunday evening we had friends over and BigBear made a Low Country Boil for dinner. He followed a recipe idea from Cook the Story but skipped the dill and improvised a bit since he wasn’t exactly following the recipe line by line. Even with those tweaks it turned out fantastic. If you haven’t tried a Low Country Boil — sometimes called a shrimp boil — it’s one of the easiest, most satisfying meals for a crowd: simple to prepare, hearty, and perfect for summer dinners.
Peaches have taken over my kitchen lately. I’m seriously obsessed with peaches — I keep saying it out loud. I recently posted about Blueberry Peach Bread and a Gluten-Free Peach Cobbler, and I’ve been using a peach-peeling technique I learned from a cooking blog that makes peeling peaches fast and foolproof. That simple method has become my go-to.
My goddaughter Alyssa suggested I make fresh peach ice cream for the blog and top it with ripe peach slices for the photo. I plan to work on that this weekend, along with a few pasta salad ideas and a small celebration post for my friend Susan’s new cookbook, The S’mores Cookbook — congratulations, Susan!
There are a few other favorites I’ve bookmarked and want to try: Easy Strawberry Napoleon, No-Bake Cookie Dough S’mores, Salted Caramel Cheesecake with Chocolate Ganache, Pizza Roll Ups, and Honey Walnut Shrimp. All of these scream summer entertaining to me — great for potlucks, backyard dinners, and lazy weekends by the pool.
Between dreaming of a backyard pool, wearing my new swimsuit with confidence, swimming as my summer workout, and cooking with peaches, I’ve been feeling particularly content and motivated. Pools are more than just a way to beat the heat; they’re a place to move, relax, entertain, and enjoy simple pleasures like frozen drinks and family dinners.
So tell me — what are you loving this week? Are you cooking with summer fruit, testing a new dessert, or daydreaming about adding a pool to your yard?
