Seven Summer Favorites

There's still a week left to go before school starts, but already the back-t0-the-grind jitters are creeping into our last few vacations days at the beach. The girls' class schedules arrived yesterday by email -- this is when I long for the days of snail mail notification -- and now, when I close my eyes, all I seem to see on the back of my eyelids are calendars and meetings, sports schedules and to-do lists. It's all good -- there's richness in the chaos, etc etc -- but I'd be lying if I said we weren't all sleeping a little more restlessly. As usual, to deal with this, I turn to the age-old "Distract-Don't-React" strategy (also known as denial): We asked the girls to pick their most favorite dinners to ride out the rest of the season. Here’s what we’ll be weeping into/dining on as we head into the final week of summer.

Saturday: Salad Pizza (or Taco Pizza, which is in the new book -- stay tuned!) Why? “It's fun because it's a mix of two things that normally don't go together -- salad and pizza and tacos and pizza." --Abby. (Plus, you can grill the dough on the Weber — just grill one side, flip over, add toppings and cover with the grill lid.)

Sunday: Tomato Sandwiches on Grilled Bread with Fennel & Apple Slaw Why? "It's August and we need to eat as many tomatoes as possible before they run out." -Phoebe

Monday: Shrimp Rolls (in the new book -- my pick as well) "It's my favorite. Plus, we always have it in South Carolina because the shrimp is really fresh down here." -Abby

Tuesday: Tony's Steak with Double Mustard Potato Salad and Something with Beets Why? In Abby's words 'I don't even need to give you a quote.'" (I think she means that steak speaks for itself; see my instagram feed last night.)

Wednesday: Picnic Chicken with Crispy Chick Peas Why? "They are so much more appetizing than regular chick peas. And the chicken is soooo good for lunch the next day.” -Phoebe

Thursday: Grilled Tuna Sandwiches with Salsa Fresca (or, for Abby, with a side of sushi rice) "I like it because it's not fully cooked so it reminds me of going out for sushi."

Friday: Salmon Salad Why: Me: “We have this one so much, though.” Phoebe: “Well, do it again.” (This is in my first book, but there's a version here.)

Saturday: Grilled Duck with Macerated Cherries (What can I say, the girl has taste -- and she’s lucky we have a farmer’s market that sells the good stuff.) Why: "Just kind of melts in your mouth."

PS: **CASTING CALL*** Who needs a little hand-holding when it comes to back-to-school dinners?? I'm teaming up with K.J. Dell'Antonia over at New York Times' excellent Motherlode blog to help a family through a week of new meals using recipes from Dinner: The Playbook, the Times, and Bon Appetit. Head over there to read my piece and enter.