Homemade Coleslaw + Dressing

Coleslaw is one of those summertime comfort foods for me. It's a simple 2-ingredient shredded salad with a dressing. (And, usually, the dressing is what makes or breaks it.) I've had the Carolina vinegar based coleslaw (which will do in a pinch, but it's not the coleslaw I grew up with). There's the vinegar+creamy mix (which isn't bad), but my preference is for that good old, mayonnaise-based, creamy slaw.

You can make it with a few basic ingredients, but if you don't have dried mustard or celery seed in your pantry, you'll wish that you did—just to make this dressing.

Simple Dessert: Granita

Granita is a flavored ice dessert that is super simple to make. It was (and still is) my go-to recipe in the summer months when you want a sweet treat, but are out of ice cream.

The ingredients can vary slightly, but the base ingredients include water and sugar. (simple enough.) To that you can add whatever flavor you like. I like to make it with whatever fresh produce is in season (and on sale) — or whatever I can harvest from my garden.