So...whats for dinner?

I found a recipe for freezer jam using zucchini. Didn't someone have an abundance of them?

http://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pina-colada-jam

Kinda makes me want to try it but even here in the heat zucchini is high in the grocery. I bought one of the local - like maybe 8 miles - wonderful cantaloupes. Also blueberries to make blueberry sauce for ice cream social tomorrow night.

Bedo - congratulations on your DD's engagement.

Special K - your blackberry sangria sounds yummy as does your entire meal.

Special, that sangria sounds delightfully refreshing! Yum!

Nance, thanks for the invite! I am so envious of you and anyone who is enjoying produce bounty already! Our growing season is extra slow this year in MA and NH. Even beautiful days like today don't qualify for the preferred hot growing weather of tomatoes. Oy! 

So we are at the lake with the family, DS1 and 2, DDIL and the little grands, who are a riit and totally exhausting! 

I had forgotten how much time revolves around food with little kids....so that was how we spent our day, here, at the beach, and in the boat.....pbj's, fruits, nuts, crackers, cheese, avacado/ hummus sandwiches with lettuce and tomato. For dinner, I threw together spaghetti sauce with shrimp (DS1 no longer eats meat) over whole wheat cappelini, my fave spinach salad, and garlic bread. We had watermelon and Trader's coconut cookies for dessert. They were really good!

Tomorrow AM, I hope to get out of the house for my walk while the rest chow down on DH's pancakes since I feel a bit like a sloth after not exercising much for two days.

Congrats Bedo!

SpecialK, that's an interesting idea of something to do with ground turkey--mix with chopped spinach and make meatballs.  But with no oven, I would have to cook the meatballs in a skillet.  Always challenging with a round shape!

Nance, your garden bounty sounds like an earned blessing.  Goodness knows when we will see veggies at the farmers' mkt.  I talked to one fellow Wed. who lamented that his green beans plants hadn't even flowered.  It has been a very cool (and even cold on some days) July.  For us, a comfortable July.   But the gardens should be soaking up the sunshine and heat this weekend as it warms up. 

Dinner's meat will be a couple of pork chops.  The sides are unknowns at this point.  I have carrots.  Two ears of corn.  Potatoes.  Green beans in a microwaveable bag.  Green salad makings.  I will probably bread and pan fry the chops because that's the way dh prefers them.  They're center cut and can be dry cooked on the grill. 

Any inspired ideas on cooking ground turkey?  Without an oven.

Tonight was unstuffed cabbage rolls over brown rice and sliced cucumbers and onions in rice wine vinegar.

Tomorrow is my birthday, so no cooking for me! Dh will do the honors.  we were supposed to go to lunch at a brick oven pizza place in Hannibal but to my disappointment, they are closed on Sunday. I don't know what plan b is.

Ditto to Carole's idea, Nance! Happy Birthday!

Wish I could help with the grnd turkey request. I never buy it, but know lots of people who make skillet turkey  chili, that they love. I'm sure there are lots of recipes for that online. And maybe it s not too hot to cook such a meal?

We had a very long and busy day with the family and another family of friends we have known here for many years...our four boys grew up summering on the lake together. 

First off, DH cooked up pancakes for our family, them he and I took a long walk, after which I went food shopping with DDIL and picked up essentials (carrot cake, and balloons, which our little DGD now pronounces correctly....yay for her advanced speech, but two months ago, "bayoons" was awfully cute!) for a party planned for tonight to celebrate our DS1's birthday, and that of his friend (older son of our friends). Before heading to the beach, I made a salad for tonight, knowing how chaotic it gets in our kitchen on our return from the beach.

We spent most of the afternoon at the beach, during which time neither child sat once, and our little billy goatette climbed every boulder she could at the beach, only falling once. I've learned to stop feeling nervous. Once home, we ordered lots of pizza, since our sons claimed to be famished and we had that, garden salad, and ratatouille. 

At the late hour of almost 8PM for these little kids, we had our friends intergenerational family over for cake and ice cream, and a simple sparkler show which the young fathers put on, on the deck, and the rest of us watched through the LR windows. The kids, who are babies, were thrilled! Then we all had cake and ice cream. But just when I thought things would close up for the night, someone asked my DH to play some dancing music, ( he's an informal DJ) and we had a total dance party. It was a riot and the babies entertained us dancing with each other and dancing with us for over an hour. Such fun! Needless to say, they were revved up...but a good time was had by all...and there is a lot of joy in watching little kids dance and perform with such total joy.   I think their young dads enjoyed their birthday party!

Tomorrow....another beach day, if the weather holds up. Then maybe off to the lobster roll place and the arcade and kiddie rides place next to Winnipesaukee. 

I'd better get some rest for this excursion.

Happy Birthday Nance, I agree - stretch those birthday meals out for at least a week !!

Lacey - sounds like a wonderful way to spend a day.

So my news - I was in my friends truck last week - we got rear ended - stupid woman who was in a bigger truck, didn't even try to stop - according to reports - doing about 70-80 km and bang!  But lucky not in my car cos I think we would've been squished like flies.  Totalled my friends truck.  So had lots of aches and pains from that - yuk!

Have had friends staying with us as there is a forest fire (under control for the time being) and they were evacuated.   Now gone to their parents - hopefully they'll be able to get back home tonight or tomorrow.  No homes lost in this one - thank goodness.

DH golfing this afternoon so dinner will likely be toast

Hugs and thoughts to all xxxxx

I remember that day 45 years ago - I was 9.   I said to my Mum that I wanted to be an astronaught.... she said 'well lets just see how you do at school'.... needless to say I didn't make it !   Wow though 45 years ago ?!

I remember that day well too, I was 21 that day!

tonight's dinner. 5 bean casserole with ground meat and bacon over baked potato. Doesn't look like much but tastes pretty good. Lots of fiber....LOL

Hi all just stopped in for a quick hello, glad to see every one is doing OK!
Nance, Happy birthday to you,  hope your having a great fun day!!

Bedo, congrats to your dd I was worried about you and her since your last post was that she was in the hospital. Good to see she is fine and getting married Yay!!

Congrats Deb on your new grand child what a cutie Pie!

Tazzy, love the new avatar you have now, with hair!! ha! You looked darling both ways!  Glad your weren't hurt in the rear end. Stupid people anyways why don't they look where there going, she was probably texting!!

A quick run down on what's been going on with me (if that's possible) HA! We went to see my brother in our RV on July 2nd in the middle of the night I had dropped my oxygen finger thingy and got up to get it on the floor, some how twisted my back and spent the next 7 days there in pain,  couldn't lay on either sides, only sitting up on pillows, which I hate sleeping on my back or straight up! Every breath I took hurt OMG the pain was terrible, thought I had cracked a rib but couldn't even get dressed to go to the ER. We finally made it home and spent the next several days in bed, with Chuck doing everything but at least while visiting my brother he got to play golf everyday and had a good time even if it was without me. Finally went to ER  a few days ago even though I was getting better it still hurt to breathe, no fractured ribs thank goodness, he said there was a little collapse of the spine and some arthritis but most likely the pain was just due to me twisting my back. Glad to hear it wasn't anything real serious. I feel much better now and am able to sleep on my side! YAY!

My brother has been here the last couple of days so we have been on the go a lot and finally taking some time to check up on all of you.

Funny on the rice dishes you have all been eating, we have been eating rice until it has been coming out our ears. ha! I know the ratio of rice and water and how much you get, but last week I wasn't thinking when I made rice, I was thinking one cup of rice was not enough for a few meals so I put in 8 cups of rice with 8 cups of water, omg! What was I thinking, it was all the way to the top of the pot. I totally was not thinking clearly that it expands and one cup of rice is not one cup of rice.haha! So the first few days we ate Pork fried rice, then I made just regular rice with butter. Then I made portuguse sausage with rice, pineapple, coconut, green onions and eggs (delish) Then I made flour tortillas with beans and rice. I still have tons left so since it is cheap I might just toss it now. ha! But it was funny after all the rice we ate I come on here and read your all eating RICE!! LOL!

HUgs to everyone!!

moon - lol on the excessive fiber!

I remember going out in the driveway when they landed on the moon to see if I could see them - they didn't really seem that far away.  My dad was an aerospace engineer and actually did some of the work connected to the lunar lander.  He predominantly worked on satellites, and also helped with development of GPS, which everyone uses these days - thanks dad!  I drove back from the east coast this evening by myself after visiting and helping my DH arrange inpatient hospice for our friend.  I no sooner got in the house and my DD (there with DH) called me to say our friend had passed away.  We brought his beloved dog in this morning so he could see and cuddle her, and many friends came by.  I am sad tonight but glad that he is suffering no more.

SK, Oh I am so very sorry about your friend. Sending lots of love and hugs your way. Prayers too for all of his family and friends.

Special K and family, I am sorry for your loss.

Prayers being sent to all.

V

SpecialK, your friend sounds like a wonderful man.  You and your dh were very good friends to him. 

Debbie, as Rosanna Dana said, It's always SOMETHING!  Glad your back injury wasn't lasting even though it caused you severe pain for days.

Lacey, what a fun-packed day at the beach you had with your family. 

Nance, glad you enjoyed your birthday.

Eric, I remember the moon landing very well.  I recall gazing up at a beautiful full moon and trying to imagine what was happening up there!

Our beautiful cool weather has turned humid and warm for a few days but by Wed. it's supposed to be comfortable again.  We turned on the a/c yesterday afternoon.

When at a loss for what to cook--have pasta for dinner!  We had a home-made tomato sauce with Ital. sausage and wheat spaghetti for dinner last night.  Grated Asiago cheese on the pasta.  A delicious green salad with avocado.  And leftovers for another meal.

Tonight's dinner may be the leftover pasta.  Too soon to tell! 

Today we'll do some biking on another segment of paved bike trail.

SK, sorry about your friend. You and your family did a lot for him. Tell your DH that his just being there meant so much.prayers. and my FI didn't work on the Moon landing but he helped developed the radar systems for the airports.

Debbie I hope your back gets better fast. 

Eric, I remember the Moon landing. I was in 9th grade. 

Carole I'm with you on the pasta! Yum

Nance, so glad you had a great plan B! Sounds like fun. 

Much love to all.