I think my husband is part fish. When the temperatures begin to increase, he craaaaaves water. Not to drink, but to swim and frolic. Well, I should clarify…he doesn’t really frolic, but he does squeel…a manly squeel and dance…a manly dance.  It’s a good squeel…like a kid discovering a never-ending stash of gummy bears…or me discovering a never ending stash of kale. Don’t judge.

He scoured the web for swimming pools in KC as the temperatures climbed higher and higher, topping at 107 F over the weekend. Luckily a friend allowed us to crash her apartment pool this weekend, quenching his need to be submerged in liquid. It was wonderful. I had forgotten how luxruious it feels to lay by a quiet pool sipping a cocktail, wearing big Jackie-O sunglasses, and munching on snacks.  

This weekend has solidified that my next purchase will be a kiddie pool to place in my tiny tiny tiny yard…Oh and to get some tiny unbrellas for my cocktails. Every girl deserves these two things! Wait..we also deserve pedicures…and great friends….and brunch…and…ok, ladies deserve a lot.

For a pool-side snack, I whipped up an easy dairy-free dip that gets its creaminess from pureed raw cashews. I made the dip dairy-free for two reasons: (1) dairy and the hot afternoon sun do not play well together and (2) my cute manly-squeeling-non-frolicing husband does not consume dairy. 

The dip is basically a vegan ranch dip that can be served with veggie sticks (or crudites for all you unbrella-adorned-cocktail-drinking Jackie-O glass-wearing ladies) or crackers or spread on a sandwich or even watered down and added to KALE as a dressing. It also would be great with these easy homemade beet chips from Meg at My Whole Food Romance, which was this weeks recipe for the Food Matters Project. Mmmmm…

Creamy Herb Cashew Dip (dairy free, gluten free, grain free, paleo, vegan, vegetarian)

Makes 1 1/4 cups

Ingredients

• 1 cup raw cashews
• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup unsweetened coconut milk or almond milk
• 2 to 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons each of fresh dill, parsley, and chives (save a little bit to sprinkle on top)
• 1 to 2 cloves of garlic, sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions

1. Add all ingredients to the bowl of a powerful food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 2 minutes or until smooth.
2. Refrigerate until chilled (about an hour). Sprinkle with fresh dill and chives. Serve with plenty of veggies for dipping!