While it doesn't quite feel like Summer with the Bay Area's cool weather, I still want to enjoy a simple yet delectable salad. Tossing a mildly spicy ginger dressing over grilled flank steak with sweet pineapple, peppery radishes, and refreshing cucumbers proved to be a great sweet-and-salty combination.

The preparation is easy, with only a bit of chopping, a quick dressing, and flank steak that takes no time on grill. Next time, I'll make the dressing spicier by adding more pepper flakes, or take it to the next heat level with some finely chopped jalapeño. Also, I'd throw the pineapple on the barbecue to caramelize some of the sugar, creating even more complexity.  If you're salivating over this salad, get the recipe here!

I am always tempted by cocktails with cucumber in them but often disappointed. Aside from the classically refreshing Pimm's Cup, the cucumber-based recipes I've tried have either been too sweet, not sweet enough, or way too much trouble.

The Gordon's Cup, however, made me giddy, and it wasn't just the 1/4 cup of gin. This cooling Summer cocktail is easy to make: simply muddle lime and cucumber in a shaker, toss the other goods on top, give it a few shimmies, and dump everything out in your cup — no straining required. Shake up your Summer and get the recipe.

From drinking less bottled water to making more educated seafood choices, I've been all about adopting a greener lifestyle. But simple as it sounds, the one thing I could never quite nail down was bringing reusable totebags to the grocery store.

Every Sunday, without fail, I'd pull into my local Trader Joe's, and catch the "Don't forget to bring your reusable bags!" sign in the parking lot, only to realize that I'd left all of my totebags at home. After repeating this mistake too many times to count, I finally collected all of my market totes and put them in the trunk of my car. Now, I have an array of bag sizes that come in handy not just for my weekly groceries, but also for takeout, dinner party leftovers, and anything else you can imagine.

Where do you keep your reusable bags, so you don't forget them?