The Pacific Northwest left a seemingly endless winter just two weeks ago.  Now, thanks to wildfires burning in Canada, we are socked in with smoke.  It’s so thick in Helena that you can’t see the sun.  And in Spokane, while the haze is lighter, it’s over 90-degrees outside.  So no one, including me, feels like cooking.  Luckily, this Mezzo Platter has come to save us from turning on the stove.

Is it an appetizer?  Is it a meal?  The Mezze Platter is whatever you need it to be.  I buy hummus, tzatziki, and tabbouleh from the grocery store.  (This hummus is my favorite.)  And then, I follow Yoga of Cooking’s ideas for how to spruce up the platter with stuffed peppadew peppers, roasted artichoke, and more.  This platter is also a great way to use up leftover produce since almost anything can be added to it.

Need a tray?  This Target has the best serving ware for the money.  I still own most of the pieces I purchased for our first holiday party six years ago.  This stoneware tray has a cool shape.

All I am wearing this summer are gauze shirts with matching pants or denim shorts from the Gap.  Kyle has openly marveled at how many colors of gauze shirt I know own.  But you know what?  It’s cold inside and hot outside, so when I head out for a walk with Sloane, I just switch out the pants for shorts and go on about my life.

I also bought this soft denim button up to wear with twill shorts.  Because a woman needs choices, but choices that aren’t so different she gets overwhelmed by them.  This is a summer of ease, people.

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