lobster rolls and summer 101

Lobster Rolls: quintessntial summertime-beachy food.

You know how some foods relate to seasons and situations? For instance; pumpkin spice and Fall, peppermint and Winter?

For me; summertime has a slew of flavors , from the sweet summer fruit in season to buttery salty lobster rolls, and refreshing sweet sun tea and lemonade.

The inspiration to make these came from a children’s book, “Night Of The Moonjellies” – it’s a beautifully written memoir of a boy growing up at his family’s seaside restaurant. Decriptive food words fill the book: crispy, crackling, buttery, sweet… just to name a few. It was part of our homeschool Five In A Row curriculum last year and it’s a family favorite we read often now. Unfortunalty it’s out of print, but rumor has it being re- released in the future. I highly reccomend it, especially if you like books that have food, the beach and marine biology in it. 😉

(you can find it on Ebay and amazon, just be prepared to pay $$$$)

So: It’s summer. I had meant to write and share this post a couple weeks ago- at the start of “official” calender summer; but it’s still pretty early in the season- early enough to share some ideas and tips.

First off: let’s face it- it’s bloody hot out, and there are days we avoid the outdoors like the plague. To avoid boredom whines from kids, I gathered up all of the little project kits, craft supplies, and other items that went neglected over the school year. We had a book with science experiments, a bible memory book, and several craft kits that were just taking up space in assorted areas of the house. So, I placed them all into one large tote, naming it “The Summer Fun Tote” . On the outside, I made a list of everything inside, so you can decide what you want without digging through the entire thing. We also joined a group in our county that paints and hides rocks, and shares hints on the whereabouts on social media. So far, our artwork (rock work) has kept us happpily busy. This is what we are ready to hide:

And, better yet: we found a source for more rocks, and got a new bucketful for less than $5. Score.

While I was not busy making a kid summer fun box, or painting rocks with my daughter, I decided to make a box for me, too. Of course mine is filled with assorted food props and projects I have inteded to make and use, and- not everything fits in the box. For instance, my Greek yogurt kit, pasta machine and ice cream maker.

So: back to these lobster rolls: I started with a couple lobster tails (I know, most lobster rolls contain claw meat, also) but: Florida lobster tails were on sale and I was feeling slightly thrifty.