I'm still here.

I have all of these great intentions to blog and teach you about the things I'm learning almost every day. Instead, I think about my list of things to do and then I stop thinking about it and I procrastinate. I fill my days with reading, watching movies, playing words with friends, and cooking. I know that sounds lazy, but I am positive I'm not the only one who wants to have days like that.

I could give you a million reasons for me not wanting to tackle my to do list (Blogging is on there about a hundred times. It's quite the long list.) but at the end of the day, you just don't care and I can't blame you. Life finally calmed down and it's been glorious to get back to sleeping in and waking up in my own bed. I am slowly making my way back into the ranks of the productive people of the world. I made some good strides this week by deep cleaning, planning ways to decorate my new home, and searching for furniture I want to add to our collection.

I am not cooking a lot of new things lately, but I have to tell you about my favorite treat lately. Fruit salad. Oh my goodness. I made one for a family reunion earlier this month and haven't been able to stop. There are a million different ways to create a perfect fruit salad, but the recipe will always be different for everyone. I usually add things like peaches, nectarines, strawberries, blueberries, mangoes, grapes, kiwis, and plums. You can add orange segments, pineapple, banana (I recommend adding this one right before you eat it - it adds a nice texture, but it can get mushy if added and stored with the other fruit.), you could also add different berries and melon. You can always add fresh mint if you have it. If you don't, basil is a GREAT substitute! I like adding thin slices of shallot just for a balance to the sweetness.

Now, you might say, "Gee, thanks for that list of fruit, Kylee. You're such a great food blogger. I like how detailed your recipes are and how much instruction you give with all of your recipes." To that, I say, "You're welcome... and I wasn't done. Stay with me."

When you make a fruit salad (or any salad), there are a couple of tricks and tips.

• The first will always be to try something new! If you had asked my husband if he wanted some nectarines a couple of weeks ago, he would have laughed at you because it was a fruit and probably a gross one. Well, he loves fruit salad as much as I do, so I call that a win. Don't fill your salad with a bunch of new fruit. Try one or two at a time. 
• Next, pick a color palette. Fruit salads are beautiful when you add several different colors, but they can be just as appealing if you stick to a single color. I usually plan my palette around fruits that are in season (and on sale).
• If you want to add a sweetness to your salad, I recommend mixing a little sugar with strawberries. I actually add basil and shallots to this step because strawberries won't lose flavor or texture by mixing them really well.
• Don't be afraid to cut your fruit into different shapes. They don't all have to be diced exactly the same size. You don't have to be crazy and make animal shapes, but you get bonus points if you do!

I am going to start praying for snow soon, so if you want to enjoy the last of summer (or summer/fall in Utah), I suggest you start with this salad. It's sweet and light and a perfect note to end a meal and the hot weather on.