Ok, back in June I was lamenting summer’s busy-ness in contrast to the lazy, slow days of living it is supposed to be (I was reading a lot of Shauna Niequist, who loves summer and spends a month in Michigan on a lake. This post is on how she ranks Fall as her 4th favorite season because it is the end of summer).
Well, since then we have gone to the Cape, had a cookout with friends (so excited to have a visit from my old friend Shannon and her girls), attended a luau party, and had two glorious days of swimming at Grandpa’s beach on Lake Winnisquam (next to Lake Winnipesaukee). And this weekend we are going up for a long stay at our condo in North Conway, NH in the White Mountains, where we will jump off big rocks into the rivers and fish and hike. And before the kids head back to school we will take a long weekend in mid-coast Maine, eating lobsters and swimming in the chilly ocean, so excited.
So I am liking summer at the moment. Especially when THESE bars are around:
Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars.
I spent a slow, lazy morning making 2 batches with the girls, and we brought them to all of our summer events last weekend. They are like Lemon Bars + Cheesecake + Blueberry Pie. Just ridiculously good. My husband tasted one and said, ‘what are these devil bars that you made?’.
They are super easy too. You just take Yellow Cake Mix, add an egg and a melted stick of butter, and stir it together. You lay 2/3 down for the crust and reserve the other 1/3 for the crumb topping. Then you mix 2 packages of cream cheese, the zest and juice of 1 lemon (give or take) another egg and 1/2 c. of sugar. Blend these together and they = Cheesecake. Lay that over the crust, then add 2 1/2 cups of blueberries (or a pint like I did, which is all I had) and then the crumb topping and bake at 350 for almost an hour.
(This was all from memory – like I said, super easy. Here is the printer version of the recipe from Kraft’s Website).
Hope these yummy treats add a nice change to your BBQ/Pot Luck/Picnic Basket rotation.
How do you rank summer on your favorite seasons list? I love fall. It is for sure my 1st favorite season, but I might have to tie it with spring. And I love skiing, so winter and summer might be tied for #2. But the in between times, when the newness of a season edges in on the one that has run its course, might be my favorite times of all.
Happy summer,
xoxo Katie
p.s. Thanks for visiting, Shannon!! We loved hanging with you and your girls!!
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