1. Bring water. In a bottle. To drink.

2. Bring more water for your other child, who will want some too.

3. Make sure that the umbrella chairs in your trunk are accessible.

4. Camera? Definitely ok. Cell phone? Totally okay too.

5. He will beam when you tell him he did a great job. Tell him again and again.

6. The uniform really was optional. And good thing. This outfit was so much better.

7. It’s okay to be a little envious of the girl with the shiny pink soccer ball.

8. The pro-mom (you know, the one who’s done this half a dozen times) will work the field of parents. That’s okay.

9. Bring something for the little one to do … otherwise she will spend an hour ripping grass out of the ground. That’s messy.

10. Follow pro-mom’s lead and talk to anyone and everyone. That one is harder than it sounds.

Sometimes, things don’t need to be complicated to be fantastic. A peach, pealed and sliced. An apple dipped in honey. A slice of bread spread with a thin layer of hummus.

Or, in this case, a simple salad. Sungold cherry tomatoes, tiny balls of fresh mozzarella, freshly torn basil, a swig of olive oil and a sprinkle of kosher salt (I was all out of sea salt). It’s simple as can be and takes just a few moments to pull together … and yet, this is something that the kids and I just devour.

Sometimes, simplicity really is the best thing.

What’s your favorite simple dish?

Months and months ago, I made this shrimp dish. Then I made it again for a dinner party. Then I promptly misplaced the recipe, so I was unable to share it. So, these darned photos have been teasing me all along as I tried and tried to remember what the heck was in the dish.

A spate of cleaning this weekend cleared all that up. I found the recipe — and about a dozen other things that I thought were lost forever. Behold the power of decluttering.

Without further ado … this tasty shrimp dish is both sweet and a little spicy. Perfect for an appetizer (think toothpicks!)  or served over rice noodles, it’s a great combination of flavors — and the chipotle pepper powder (I use Penzey’s brand) packs quite a punch.

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Ever since hearing my cousin talk about grilling pizza recently, I have been somewhat obsessed with doing it myself. I consulted with her on technique (she grills first, tops and then broils to melt the cheese), I set about to grill a pizza from start to finish. I really want to avoid that added step of transferring to the oven, if possible.

So far, we’ve loved the toppings (pesto, fresh mozzarella, sungold tomatoes, prosciutto) but the bottom of the crust is just getting too done (read: burnt) while the cheese melts. Fortunately, the toppings have made up for the over-done crust.

Anyway, I am still working out the technique. I am thinking a mid-cook flip might solve the problem (obviously topping the pizza right after flipping), but I haven’t tested that yet.

Any hints, tips or tricks to share?

It all started with the cabbage I’ve been growing. It was taunting me and I knew it was time to finally — finally — use it. Then the beets in the back of my fridge gave me a nudge. Before I knew it, I was writing a list of ingredients and trying to figure out how much dressing I would really need.

The result was the salad you see above. It’s light and refreshing, unexpected but delicious. The raw beets add a nice punch of color, flavor and snap. The vinaigrette is neither too acidic nor too meek. It adds just the right balance to the other flavors.

When I made this, it was to share. I intended it for our camping trip, another family’s camping trip and my newest neighbor. The recipe made plenty, and since it wasn’t a mayo-based dressing, this slaw stood up better to the challenges of chilling in a cooler. It remained crisp and perfect. I imagine this would be great for a backyard barbecue too (Labor Day is coming!).

Perhaps the greatest endorsement though? I gave Will and Paige each a taste before packing up our portion of the slaw. Paige stood next to me, chewing and then opening her mouth to demand more on repeat until I finally laughed and said we really needed to go. She just couldn’t get enough.

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