In Oklahoma we are having beautiful June weather with lots of sunshine and moderate temperatures yet we are in full swing with all of the activities that make summertime so relaxing and enjoyable. If I could choose one word to describe the feeling of this season it would be “fresh.”

Each day feels so new, bright and full of promise especially as we harvest, prepare and enjoy so many foods fresh from the garden. Succulent tomatoes, cucumbers and asparagus have been center stage at our family table. Adding smoked and grilled meats that my husband prepares makes for a well-rounded and delicious day.

Of course summer would not be complete unless you go to “Camp.” In a few weeks it will be time to make our way to our traditional summer camp location with families from our church. We all go as families but the kids (of all ages) escape into the rustic scenery without phones or electronic devise until the dinner bell rings! My husband and I do the cooking and we love it. Our motto is “fresh is first and from scratch is best” so we load up of seasonal fruits and veggies and go armed to bake bread, biscuits and of course cinnamon rolls.

After camp it is back to business as usual and for us that means, SHAVED ICE, and lots of it! We have a shaved ice establishment –i.e. snow cone hut, which our family runs during the summer months. The shaved ice business parallels the art of cooking in many ways. Learning to shave ice off of a solid block takes practice, time and instruction just like cooking. Good home cooking is a developed skill that grows with information, experience and of course tried and true recipes from Taste of Home. That is why we are busy preparing for the fall Taste of Home Cooking school season. Of course I can’t share our tasty line-up just yet but the flavors are fabulous and the recipes are so interesting and innovative.

Enjoy the summer and plan to join us soon for a live Taste of Home Cooking School, but until then as always tasteofhome.com is the place to be for all of the great recipes of the season and for the upcoming holiday’s like 4th of July. Check out the recipes for Father’s Day too!