What to eat to beat the heat

Yesterday was the hottest day of a four day heatwave assailing the Bay Area. I knew it was going to get stay hot so I planned ahead and came up with some cool things to eat to beat the heat.

Instead of a hot breakfast this morning I decided to have cereal and soy milk with freshly picked blueberries.

They were almost too pretty to eat but somehow I managed.

Yesterday for lunch and dinner I chowed down from the big bow of macaroni salad I made the night before the heatwave started. I know I've blogged about it before... It's one of my most favorite comfort foods.

 Want my recipe? You can adjust the amounts but I typically use:

INGREDIENTS

1 package of Ditalini (aka short salad macaroni) pasta

4 stalks of celery - diced

I use at least 1/4 cup (but usually more) of diced Bubbies Bread and Butter Chip pickles. It has to be Bubbies. They really are the best. My mom didn't believe me they were that much better than regular pickles until she did a blind taste test. Since then she'll only buy Bubbies. If your store has them they'll be in a refrigerated case, not in the normal pickle aisle.

4 hard boiled eggs - diced

2 tbs of finely diced sweet onion - I always test a piece to make sure it isn't bitter because if it is it'll ruin the dish

2 TBS Best Food mayonnaise -  Enough to coat the salad but that's all

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

HOW TO:

1. Prepare all of the diced and minced ingredients

2. Boil the pasta and drain in a colander while cooling down with cold water from the faucet. Allow to drain.

3. Put cooked pasta in a large bowl and stir in all of the other ingredients

4. Cover and put in refrigerator to chill

For dessert there's pinkberry frozen yogurt. I ordered juice filled strawberry and mango juice pearls that burst in your mouth and some soft mochi bites to complement my mango frozen yogurt.

I also picked up a pint of my all time favorite Jeni's Splendid Salty Caramel ice cream at the Safeway in Los Gatos. Which makes my count of where to find Jeni's three: Zanotto's, New Leaf, and now Safeway.

Or if you're in Petaluma you can pop over to Lala's for an old fashioned 50/50 orange and vanilla float. I swear. It's been so many decades since I'd had a float I can't even remember when the last time was. It was delicious and nostalgic and I swore I won't wait decades again before having another.

I'm thinking tonight I'll have another big bowl of the macaroni salad for dinner. It's such a simple pleasure that reminds me of summertime, picnics, and watching my mom cook in the kitchen on warm summer days. If you try the recipe let me know if you liked it or if you have any suggestions of how to update it with a twist or two.