Fall was always my favorite season.  Maybe it will be again but when I became a parent I realized the freedom of summer.  Do my kids miss homework?  They do not but I believe I miss it even less than they do.   I fit my work in where I can all year-round but in these warm days I want only pick berries with my kids, see them tear around the yard, come home from the beach with sand in their hair (sand that seems to stay no matter how many washings), and dinners that start late and linger on the porch.

Last summer I had an intense book tour with a group of authors.  We formed a little pack of creative misfits and wandered a new town each day, shuttled from one plane to another, events and bookstores and little to no sleep, always in search of good food.  We found great stuff, including wonderful labneh in Kansas.

My kids love the creamy texture and the salty spread as a dip for carrots or cucumbers slices.  I’ve written about labneh before but I do so again to encourage you to try it.  If you don’t feel like letting the Greek yogurt drain overnight, don’t do it – it’s still thick.  See if your kids can make the whole thing start to finish while you memorize the feel of bare feet on the porch or the pleasure of summer’s last few days.