I have found the perfect heat wave survival food

[Siwsan]

I made a HUGE fruit salad with strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, and a HEAVY dose of watermelon. Also tossed in some Mandarin Oranges. Served with a few slices of Monterey cheese and a nice glass of a delightfully light and fruity sparkling white wine, it is divinely tasty.

[purple_haze]

1. That looks great

Mine is ice cold pickle juice.

[niyad]

2. yyummmmmm. I should have thought of that this past weekend. 95+.

Keeping in mind for next weekend.

Is that Merlin just above the upper left corner of the table?

[Siwsan]

6. Probably

He is here, there, and EVERYWHERE1

[Walleye]

3. Tigger is flaked out, but not panting. I slid a small ice pack into his cabin. I hope that helps.

[MiHale]

4. We had crab salad on lettuce leaves as a wrap.

Wish we had that watermelon it looks delicious.

[hlthe2b]

5. Yes, that is perfect...I love love love fruit with cheese and wine in the summertime!

My other standby is my homemade yogurt fruit smoothies--an entire meal in the yogurt, frozen fruit (mixed beries, or mango plus other melon, grapes, apples, kiwi, or strawberries + natural peanut butter), some ground flaxseed, a little benefiber (to increase the fiber and reduce the blood sugar hit from all the fruit), ice cubes, and either sugar-free DaVinci peanut butter syrup for the strawberry, or Torani sugar-free mango or vanilla syrup otherwise. Occasionally, I'll spike the protein even a tad bit higher, if not including peanut butter, with some protein powder.

I'll usually make a double batch and freeze half of it in a couple of reusable Talenti gelato jars...

In the summer, my VitaMix blender gets a heck of a workout. Who wants to cook?

[Traildogbob]

7. Ooooh. So good

From farm to table, everything there was produced harvested and got there thanks to hardworking immigrants.
I gotta get to the store and make that image happen. God bless those that work in those fields and HEAT to get it to the stores for us all to enjoy.
Great combos, I have 3 big blueberry bushes that last year provided me 9 gallons of berries.
This year the damn birds are determined to eat them all. And I just allowed two different Robin moms to keep theirs nests on my decks and shit all over them, and I just cleaned it up, and wished them well. But now those feathered beasts and robbing me blind this year. And shitting blue all over the decks.
As a lib, I will share with the birds. I am Way out numbered.
And, migrants will get many berries to my stores.
Cheese farms and vineyards all worked by those same people.

[calimary]

8. Looks gooooooooood to me!

[Ocelot II]

9. Fruit salad is great in hot weather.

Or maybe just some cold watermelon. I don't have much appetite in hot weather but that sort of food is more appealing than something like mashed potatoes. The heat wave is finally over here, mid '70s and breezy, just went for a nice walk (which would have done me in yesterday).

Another observation about hot weather: I was invited to a potluck yesterday, which would have been outside on a patio in normal weather, but we stayed inside with the AC - leaving the host to cook the brats outside in the heat. Anyhow, what was interesting that all the women, included me, showed up in loose dresses instead of jeans or shorts as we probably would have on a normal day. They, and I, almost never wear dresses. But when the heat index is up around 100F it sure feels good to have a little air circulation around your body, while you enjoy your cold beer and watch the men sweat in their polyester Hawaiian shirts.

[Siwsan]

24. I haven't had much of an appetite, at all, since about last September

That's when I got a feeling that November was going to be a disaster. It's just my reaction to stress and extreme anxiety. Even medication doesn't help with it. This isn't my first experience. My last year in the Navy, I lost about 25 lbs. I had gently rebuffed the affection of a 'superior' NCO, who was in charge of the clinic where I worked, and he made my last year a living hell. I tried to get help but, naturally, I was just being a silly woman.

I try to eat a muffin or bagel and coffee for breakfast and something else around 3 or 4pm. Lately that has been fruit salad. I set aside some of the blueberries so I could make blueberry pancakes, my favorite, but no appetite has shown up. Fortunately I still have 1/2 of the watermelon left to dice and eat.

On the bright side, I am fitting in to clothes I haven't been able to wear in about 5 or so years. I've long been a fan of a loose dress or a long gauze skirt with a tank top. Unfortunately I have to put on jeans and a shirt when I go to the stores because the AC is just far too freezing for me. Mine is set at 78 and I'm perfectly comfortable.

[wendyb-NC]

10. That looks divine

It is so hard to find something to eat that's not too heavy in this heat. 100 today heat index 107.

[Jerry2144]

11. We like freezing the berries

Then dropping them in the wind as ice cubes. Cool it down without watering it down

[Trueblue Texan]

16. I also like to freeze thick slices of oranges...

Drop them in sparkling wine to keep it colder.

[get the red out]

12. YUM!!!

I was lazy, I just bought a couple of gallons of ice cream on Saturday, it might last a week since I live alone.

That salad looks glorious!

[Ocelot II]

18. I don't think that ice cream would last a week at my house

even though I also live alone.

[diane in sf]

13. I make watermelon blueberry mint popsicles to beat the heat.

[lark]

14. Sounds divine and a great summer meal!

[Trueblue Texan]

15. My kind of meal! nt

[pansypoo53219]

17. i prefer a pineapple sorbet i discovered on a trip. criushed pineapple + buttermilk, sugar to taste + freeze.

[Zackzzzz]

20. I eat frozen crushed pineapple out of the can.

I put it on the counter for 5 min or so then dig in.

[Unwind Your Mind]

19. A favorite of mine

For two of us, I go get a half pound of bay shrimp, mix with cocktail sauce and serve on top of a salad of romaine, tomato and cucumber, yummy

Cold sourdough bread and butter on the side 😋

[Duncanpup]

21. Enjoy

[eppur_se_muova]

22. Fresh fruit w/mascarpone and orange zest also a good choice. nt

[mwmisses4289]

23. Looks delicious.

[debm55]

25. That looks real good and refreshing. Thank you very much Siwsan.

[Diamond_Dog]

26. That looks really really delicious Siwsan!

I actually crave cold watermelon all summer long.

My go-to is cottage cheese and peaches or melon or both.