When you think about summer what thoughts come to your mind? For me I think about sunshine, flowers, farmer’s markets filled with fresh produce and freshly prepared meals. I think about how great it is to sit outside on my patio with my grill going and the smell a delicious meal that is coming my way. These thoughts and reminders of summer were the inspiration behind my Sesame Mango Shrimp Salad that I’m sharing today.

Panzanella, a classic Italian bread salad, gets a down South spin courtesy of my grandma’s sweet cornbread, thick bacon crumbles and Litehouse Food’s popular Homestyle Ranch dressing whipped up with creamy buttermilk and garden-fresh herbs.  Well, I do declare, this salad is at once over-the-top and inherently wholesome – just like the Southern belle that I am!  

If you’re a homeowner like myself then you know exactly how it feels to always have a project. I moved into my house 2 years ago and it seems like we are always making changes here and there to make it more like our dream home. Last summer we started on our backyard by putting in a patio and a fence and with these little steps we started to make it into a sanctuary. This year we have been working on landscaping and gardening and seriously, it is so much work. But rewarding.