Summer, to me, means fruit salad. I look forward to melons, cherries, plums and other lovely things.

This summer has been the summer of the “Berry Bowl.”

Of all my friends, Mr. Dave McCall (aka “McCool”) best understands my eating.  Every time I hang with his awesome family, I learn something new about what I’m eating, and about how it could be better (that’s a compliment – really!).

McCool gave me the base formula for the Berry Bowl.  Last time I saw him, he saved me from the sugar.  While everyone else was having brownies, he made me my first Berry Bowl.  Here’s what’s in the version I’m eating lately:

• Oats – just raw oats – the kind you’d use to slow cook oatmeal

• Watermelon – cube it up and toss it in

• Strawberries – that’s my least favorite part, but if you like ’em, use ’em

• Blueberries – I prefer frozen, and you can get a great deal on some lovely organic ones at New Seasons

• Cinnamon – get the good stuff in bulk (bulk spices rock!)

• Nuts – sliced almonds or chopped walnuts are great

• Agave/honey – McCool uses honey.  I prefer light agave.

• Milk/yogurt – I use soy milk.   If I’m eating it for breakfast, I’ll substitute vanilla yogurt.

Use a big bowl and stir it up.  I didn’t think the watermelon and milk would go at all, but they’re excellent together.  The watermelon is the perfect crunch.  I love the way the soy milk freezes between the blueberries, and makes the oats soft.

Some days I’ll have a Bowl for breakfast and one for dessert after dinner.  I’ll fill up a Tupperware (R) and pack it to work.  It’s a powerful thing to start your day slurping and crunching.  I find it makes my little office a happy place – a sticky place, but a happy place.

Enjoy!

I love food.  I come by it honestly.

When my family gets together, our day will tytpcally go something like this:

“Good morning! Come sit down and eat!  You want cereal?  You want toast?  You want pannetone and jumbalone and turchaneals?  How about rhubarb sauce?  Apple sauce?  Rhubarb sauce in your cereal?  Dunk that in your coffee.   Pass one to me so I can dunk it in my coffee.  I’ll go put more in the toaster.  Where should we go to lunch?”

What’s great is my family is a bunch of really good cooks and bakers.  From Greek and Italian pastries to low-fat masterpieces that came from a need to control my dad’s cholesterol, I grew up eating some amazing home-cooked food.

Over the last couple of years I’ve moved from pasta and bottled sauce to some pretty amazing pasta dishes, salads and my signature agave-sweetened peanut-butter chocolate-chip cookies.

I enjoy cooking and baking, but the best part for me is sharing.  Check back for news and updates on recipes and creations.  I’ll start with that cookie recipe.  I’ve been told it could change the world.  Well, if anyhting can, why not a cookie?