In Season Recipes

Teka

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Teka

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Blundin2005

Buon giorno,

We had a wonderful lunch on the lake with my friends this week. I took pics and I'll catch up on posting them in the months to come. The meals were very good, the wine so so, the company was priceless. It was the first day that I dressed in anything but jeans in months. 

This morning the coffee maker gave out. This, I'm sure, is because two days ago I put milk in the water retainer! Oh, yes I did! Not that I'm stress or distracted these days! So it will be italian or turkish coffee until we leave. I couldn't take the machine with me anyway...the electric in US does not support the european appliances.

It's funny too because the refrigerator and one of the bidets broke in the last two weeks. The bidet is repaired. The refrigerator is not. A friend lent us another until we leave.

Our garden is bare and it's difficult not to work on it. I have only a few pots on the balcony...some budding basil, some seeding lettuce and parsley. I'll give them to someone. Standing there the fregrance of orange blossoms and honeysuckle rise from the garden below with swirls of spring in the air and a promise of new beginnings.

We fly to US on the 23rd. Stop in Philly for the night where the family meets us at the airport hotel for hugs and a bite to eat and where we get a good rest before going on to San Francisco the next day. I can't wait to see my sons!

Happy Mother's Day to all who are, to all who have or had one!  I'm spending mine packing.

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn 

Sherryc

Blundin good luck on your move.  What a job you have ahead of you. 

My garden is OUT OF CONTROL in a very good way.  We finally got some rain and boy did my plants love it.  I am harvesting green beans, carrots, zuchini and yellow squash.  I need to find some recipes for Zuchini squash.  I have ton's of tomatoes getting ready to ripen.  Can't wait to be able to eat sliced fresh tomatoes with S&P.

carollynn79

Hello All,

Have not been on for a bit but have been following everyone.  Marilyn may you have a great trip over the pond and to the coast.  I look forward to hearing about your new home!  I am sure your sons are happy to have you closer! Our garden is getting going and we have been enjpying spring onions, asparagus, and rhubarb.  We will have grilled asparagus, grilled pork chops, cooked cabbage and rhubarb upsidedown cake today.  We have most of the garden in just have teh warm weather items such as melons, squash and cucuumbers to put in.  We bought flowers yesterday and will work on putting them in.  It has been a cool spring we will go morel mushroom hunting this week as much as we can!  Hope all is well, and will post some recipes soon!

Sherryc

My Zucchini is really coming along so I made this the other night and it was so good.

 Beef-Stuffed Zucchini 

Serving Size  : 4    

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method

--------  ------------  --------------------------------

  4             medium  zucchini

  1              pound  ground beef

 1/2           cup  onion -- chopped

 3/4           cup  marinara sauce

 1               each  egg -- beaten

 1/4           cup  seasoned bread crumbs

 1/4      teaspoon  salt

 1/4      teaspoon  pepper

  1                cup  Monterey jack cheese -- shredded

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise; cut a thin slice from the bottom of each with a sharp knife to allow zucchini to sit flat.  Scoop out pulp, leaving /4 inch shells. 

Place shells in an ungreased 3 quart microwave safe dish.  Cover and microwave on high for 3 minutes or until crisp and tender; drain and set aside. 

Meanwhile, in a large  skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain.  Remove from the heat; stir in the marinara sauce, egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper and 1/2 cup cheese. 

Spoon about 1/4 cup into each shell.  Bake at 350 degrees, uncovered until zucchini is done.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese and place back in the oven until cheese is melted. 

You can substitute 1/2 BBQ sauce and 1/2 ketchup for marinara sauce.

Description:

  "easy"

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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 565 Calories; 41g Fat (65.8% calories from fat); 32g Protein; 17g Carbohydrate; 4g Dietary Fiber; 175mg Cholesterol; 778mg Sodium.  Exchanges: 1/2 Grain(Starch); 4 Lean Meat; 1 1/2 Vegetable; 6 Fat.

Mandy1313

I do envy those of you with vegetable gardens. I live in the city but having seen the photos of Marilyn's large pots that seem to grow everything, I was inspired. So last summer I tried to grow some veggies in some large pots...they were doing well but some  animal ate my vegetable patch during the night.  It left the basil.  So this summer I am starting more modestly--just some fresh herbs--mint, oregano, parsley.  Wish me luck!

Marilyn, I wish you a wonderful trip to the West coast and much happiness in your new home.

Hugs to all.

Mandy

Teka

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Teka

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Mandy1313

Blunden, how is the move going?

Everyone, have a great weekend.

Blundin2005

Hello all from Medford Oregon! I guess I need to change my profile here now. 

I have a long way to catch up on our thread. 

Our travels were long to arrive here. It was so beautiful driving down from Mt. Shasta into the Rogue Valley. My son picked us and the dogs up near San Francisco airport after a night's rest. He did the 7 hr. drive to Medford. We arrived the 25th. Jet lag is just beginning to get under control. We've been busy every day with 'checking in' to the USA while setting up home and office. My cousin and her partner live 45 minutes north and provided camping type bed, dishes, table and chairs along with cozy bath towels and soaps to hold us over for a bit. Our new bed arrived so we were on an air mattress only a short time. The new washer and dryer was installed too. Our furniture shipment arrives from Italy around the first week of July. Before my son returned to San Jose, he tightened faucets, replaced light bulbs, escorted DH to stores for supplies and...he bought us a house warming gift...a gas bbq grill   He's a good man!

The dogs had a bad case of kennel cough so we arrived to the vet within a couple of days here. I learned that we need a prescription for their food that previously we simply bought at our local agricultural store in Italy...a hypo allergy recipe. And so the change begins. The dogs are loving the back yard and walks in the neighborhood.

We are now card carrying Costco members, Albertson and Fred Myers grocery and other things stores. A friend gave me a tour of discount shops (electrical items need to be replaced), good places to eat and food shop. We also went to the original shop of Harry and David. I loved everything in there! We met with the contruction man who was tweaking the house needs before we arrived and went over the list of things to come. We thought we had a problem with raccoons moving in to our crawl space, but we were glad to be wrong.

This week is more follow up to finish paper work. I have a doctor appointment at the end of the week--I need to translate my reports. DH begins a clinical trial soon--his reports need translating too. Ahhh, retirement! This will be a nice place to live through the events of every day living. 

As for the food, we found a great little pizza shop on our travels. I bought some familiar items at Harry and David's. Then there is Trader Joe's and another all natural shop near there. And we've only scratched the surface. The co-op in Ashland is on our radar screen.

Thanks for thinking of me. I miss you all too. It will be some time before I can get pictures posted...but I will eventually. 

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn

Sherryc

Marilyn so glad you made it and are getting settled in.  Can't wait to see photos

Teka

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Mandy1313

Welcome back to the USA Marilyn!!!  Wishing you and DH much happiness in your new home.

Teka

*Rhubarb Dump Cake Recipe*

4 cups raw rhubarb (cut into 1/4 inch pieces)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 (3 ounce) package regular strawberry flavor jell-o mix

1 (16.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix

1/4 cup butter

1 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350*

Butter a 9X13 inch baking dish.

Spread the raw rhubarb evenly in the bottom of the buttered baking dish.

Sprinkle the sugar evenly over the rhubarb, followed by the dry jell-o mix, and finally the dry cake mix.

I melt the butter in the warm water, then pour evenly over the top.

Do not stir!!!

Bake for 45 minutes in the preheated oven or until the rhubarb is tender.

Top individual servings with a dollop of whip cream.

Blundin2005

Buon giorno! 

We are two weeks in our new surroundings that don't look too unfamiliar. The Umbria region of Italy comes to mind often. We've ticked so many details off our list. Notify each country of our change of residence, check. Switch banks and deposits, check. Replace electrical items unable to bring to US, check. Go to introductory doctor appointments, check. Get insurance in place, check. Take dogs to vet and sooth their worries, check. Buy a car, check. Take a driver's test, check.

Today we invited my cousin and her partner to have lunch with us. They live up the road and a mountain a bit. DH made pasta and a salad...we found a favorite brand of pasta at Costco...made near Naples. What a surprise! We'll return to stock up as the shipment doesn't come often we are told. Same for some wines.

There is so much work to do on the garden from the irrigation system up. This year will be lost but next year will be very nice...and manageable. Tomorrow we go to the farmer's market and over the weekend is a co-op yard sale. Gotta love those yard sales and the money we save replacing 'stuff'.   

Maybe in the next week I'll get to the photos I've taken. I was much relieved today to pass my driver's exam..next onto the driver's test behind the wheel. I'm not as concerned for that one. It will be another reason so celebrate.

In the meantime, I'll look for ideas to meals here.

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn

Teka

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Mandy1313

Marilyn if you have been driving in Italy, you should be fine in Oregon. Still there may be slightly different rules so you might want to go out just once with someone familiar with the test so that you are sure to pass (things such as parallel parking, which we have in Pennsylvania too), or whether they will try to get you to turn right on red where it is not permitted (you tell the tester, it is not permitted in that case).  I am sure you will easily get through.

By the way I am hoping you will share what your favorite brand of Italian pasta is. 

Congrats on the move!

And thanks for the rhubarb cake recipe Teka!

Happy father's day!

Mandy

Teka

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Teka

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Blundin2005

Happy 4th of July! Hope all are well.

We are taking the day to rest a bit as we put the house together. Our belongings arrive from Italy very soon now. They've made it to the port in Portland and now clear customs before trucking to our home. We've been exploring the food shopping an enjoying what we find. We're working on the garden...probably won't see harvest this year, but we'll be ready for next year.

Our favorite spaghetti that we found in Costco is Garafalo made near Naples. We've since found others made here in the valley.

It took weeks of daily attention to details but we have most of our paperwork resolved. I even have an Oregon driver's license. DH passed his written test and will schedule the drive test soon. We've had our doctor appointments and all is in order to move forward. 

Lunch was simple pasta in red sauce cooked with pork. Dinner will be seafood. There is much to select from here. Fresh wild salmon is seen in most of the stores. But for tonight we thawed lobster tails and shrimp. Stella and Napo are having Lamb and Rice...again. 

Best wishes to all as always,

Marilyn

Blundin2005

Update Buon giorno!

Happy 4th tutti! We watched fireworks from our living room bow window between roof top and trees. The dogs alerted us that the display began. But this year, they were not stressed so much...our neighborhood was quiet. I made broiled lobster tail and shrimp, steamed artichoke and potato turned in the pan with oil and garlic, served with a Pinot Grigio from Eugene OR. We may have started a tradition.

Teka

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Mandy1313

Wow Marilyn, your meals always sound like feasts to me!!!  And Teka, how wonderful that yur hubby brought you a tasty meal. 

Happy 4th, a day late. Well have a happy year, everyone! I am at 5 years now so it is a good day for me too!

Hugs

Mandy

Teka

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Blundin2005

Teka, I know what you mean...I thought the same.

Mandy1313, congrats and wallow in the joy of that!

I'm +7.5 yrs. out for breast cancer.

big hugs to you both and ....

best wishes to all as always...

M

Sherryc

congrats Teka

Marilyn your food does always sounds wonderful. 

made a beef vegetable soup last night and just put a little of everything from my garden in it.  It was yummy and then of course I had to made some southern sweet cornbread.

Teka

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Blundin2005

Buon giorno!

Good news! The moving company arrives this Saturday with our belongings! We needed to find kennels and made a visit to one today...way out in the country.

The kennel is conveniently located just beyond Rogue Creamery http://www.roguecreamery.com/store/ where we stopped on the way home. It was heaven. We even got cheese for the dogs. We found Stella in the driver's seat when we came out of the store. They love the new car. I think we'll take them to the lake just below Ashland one day -- http://www.southernoregon.com/emigrantlake/index.html. I think my brother will like it there too...probably camp there a bit. He's making a road trip from the East coast for the visit.

 

Another item on the check list this week is a PET/CT for the lungs on Thursday...a three month check on the exams done in Italy just before we left.  

  

Here's hoping to have a big exhale next week when all of the 'chores' are done...or at least a good bottle of wine to go with the cheese we just brought home. I need to find a good coffee bean grinder...for the espresso. The one I have isn't doing the trick...the flavor was a bit light for the beans. The steamed milk was a good foam though. I found a place to buy dark chocolate powder from France. It was near heaven on the peak of the foam. I'm open to suggestions for grinders.

 

Best wishes to all as always,

M 

Teka

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