Christmas in July

We went on vacation during the first of July and for the first time I was able to think about what I might like to post about for this Christmas in July post.  I am very excited for Christmas in July.  I plan on trying a couple of recipes tonight night and giving my sweetie a gift.

Crashed Potatoes
I plan on serving these with a steak we will grill but for Christmas I would serve them with a roast.

• 12-15 baby red potatoes
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees (PW said 450 but I used 400). Boil the potatoes for 10-15 minutes or until fork tender. Place on a cooking sheet coated with cooking spray or drizzled with olive oil. Place the potatoes on the baking sheet and with a potato masher, gently smash each potato. Drizzle with olive oil, sea salt and pepper (add a bit of your favorite dry herbs if you like).

and

Caramelized Onion & Spinach Olive Oil Quick Bread
3 tsp olive oil, divided
1 large yellow onion, cut in half through the root, and thinly sliced
1/2 tsp kosher salt
2 cups (packed) fresh spinach leaves
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3/4 cup milk
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 oz. crumbled feta

Butter and flour for pan
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a large skillet set over medium heat. Add the onion to the pan. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook for 10 minutes, reduce the heat to medium-low, and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 10 additional minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon olive oil to the onions, then stir in garlic and spinach leaves. Stir until the spinach is wilted and bright green, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. In a large bowl, combine eggs, lightly beaten, milk, and extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk well until combined.
Pour the flour mixture into the eggs mixture and stir until just combined. Do not overmix or the bread will become tough. Add the spinach mixture and feta cheese, and stir until just combined.
Butter a loaf pan. Spoon 1 tablespoon flour into the pan and tap the flour around the pan. Shake out the excess. Scoop the batter into the pan and smooth the top.
Bake until the top is light golden brown and a wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out dry, 35 to 40 minutes. Cool in pan for 15 minutes, then remove the bread from the pan, and cool on a wire rack. Slice and serve.
Makes 1 loaf of bread.
Bake in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until crisp and golden brown. Eat plain or top with a little sour cream and green onions (my kids loved them this way). Enjoy!

While on vacation, however, I ran into these shops that had Christmas out!  So I snapped a few photos to share with you!













I am a part of a chat group called Girls Like Us and we had a Christmas in July bottle swap.  Here is mine waiting to be opened today as part of the day's fun.

Here is a simple craft you could make for your holiday decor...modified by me.... gather up ping pong balls (duds are perfect!) and draw little snowman faces and fill a crystal jar with them... inexpensive and fast!

Merry Christmas-in-July!