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We haven’t had too much summer weather here in Chicago yet, so I’ve not gotten in much patio time since my last post, however fingers crossed for the next 30 days.  What did start in the last month is sailing season here in Chicago, and while it’s still a little chilly out on the lake, it is one of my favorite summer pastimes, and you cannot beat this view! Photo credits on this one go to my friend and co-worker Deena!
In case you missed my first Monthly Musings post last month, this is where I share some of the ideas and thoughts that cross my mind while planning and writing my food & wine related posts.  Hope you find them interesting and helpful!
Things I’m LovingÂ
A couple of months ago I joined a local blogging group called the Windy City Blogger Collective, and just went to my first event a few weeks ago.  The two women who organize this group are absolutely amazing and what a fantastic resource for local bloggers.  They work very hard to support the bloggers in the group, both in terms of networking and education.  This group has become a great resource for me!
Blog Love
So many great blogs out there,  I’d love to list them all however I’m trying to keep it to a few favorites finds each month!  I’m on a bit of a dessert kick this month – and these both look good!  It probably has something to do with the fact that I’m trying to really keep the sugar intake to a minimum these days!
These Double Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies from Love and Olive Oil sound amazing!
I’m just not sure what to say about this S’mores Milkshake from Eat Thrive Grow other than YUM!! Â Loving the photos too.
Blogging Tips
Evernote is one of my favorite blogging tools (not to mention being one of my favorite organizational tools in general). Â I use it to write down all my post ideas, start drafts of posts and collect links to blogs and other interesting things I come across. Â Since it syncs across my Mac, iPhone and iPad I always have access to my notes when an idea strikes, or when I think of something I want to add to a post or recipe in progress. Â It’s a great way to keep your blogging details organized!
Kitchen Tips & TricksÂ
So, I’m on a little bit of a grilling kick right now and came across this Grilling Guidelines article in Real Simple magazine. Â I think it’s really useful if you don’t grill a lot, and even if you do, it’s a great one to bookmark in case you need a refresher on how long to cook something.
I’m not a huge fan of kitchen gadgets, however there are a few that I just love.  In the summer I make tons of salads and you might have noticed that I like to make my own dressing; I think it just tastes so much better than store-bought and it’s really easy to make.  I love the Chef ‘n Emulstir, it’s a great way to mix dressings and store them too.  It also makes it really easy to re-mix the dressing if you’d have it in the refrigerator for a few days.
My Recipe Round-Up
Just in case you missed any of them, here’s the round-up of my recipe posts for the past 30 days.
Glazed Orange Cranberry Scones
Meringue Torte with Lemon Cream
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