More peaches....

Once again, in the "cool of the morning," I have baked some more with those peaches The Husband brought in from a local farm. 

Peach Crisp

"Are you SURE this is all you want?" I asked The Husband.

This recipe for Peach Crisp comes from a newspaper clipping sometime ago on the Mini Page.  It is a Rookie Cookie's recipe.:-)

PEACH CRISP
4 cups fresh or canned peaches, sliced
3/4 cup brown sugar
4 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup rolled oats, uncooked
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened

- Place peaches evenly on bottom of a greased 8-by-8-inch baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except butter.  Mix well.
- Add butter.  Mix until crumbly.
- Cover peaches evenly with crumbly mixture.
- Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 30 minutes.  Serves 6.

Well, with The Husband's choice of serving size, this will for sure serve more than 6!:-)

The baking dish is a Longaberger dish of several years ago, discontinued.  The dessert dish is also by Longaberger, and they are still available.

I now know that the record-setting temperature of yesterday broke a record that was set in 1937 for that date - before my lifetime!  We will probably break another record today.  Outside our window, the thermometer already reads 106 degrees!  The "official" reading, though occurs elsewhere, and it may be a bit different.  Wherever you are, if the heat is a factor for you, be sure to take care!

Oh, we have brought in our first ripe tomato of the season!  Of course, we have been picking grape tomatoes for awhile, but they are always first to ripen - for us, anyway.  It made me want to have a BLT for lunch, but I proceeded with my planned salad.:-)  Tomorrow may be a better day for that BLT.  I like to have a slice of avocado to add to it.:-)  That means a stop at the store, something I may be doing in the morning.

Thank you for following along with me.  I really appreciate your comments.

Next post - Are there still more peaches?

About those peaches....

Do you remember the other day when I mentioned that The Husband had brought in a basket of local peaches, freshly picked from a local farm?  Well, those peaches are really good; however, they certainly are not something we can postpone action on for very long!  So - this morning, I did it!  I was up early, while it was still rather cool, and I baked! 

Ready to go into the oven.

Baked, cooled, and turned out on a Susan Branch cake plate!

The slice The Husband said he wanted. (He had seconds.):-)

So - I baked a Peach Pound Cake.  This cake would be good served with whipped cream/topping, but The Husband preferred his without any trimmings.  I followed his instructions for the size of his slice, then he decided he could have seconds after all.:-)

This recipe is from a newspaper clipping of a number of  years ago.

PEACH POUND CAKE
1 cup butter, softened
3 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sour cream
2 cups peeled, chopped fresh peaches
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

- Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan; set aside.
- Beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Combine flour, soda, and salt in separate bowl.  Combine sour cream and peaches.
- Add dry ingredients to butter mixture alternately with sour cream and peaches, beginning and ending with dry ingredients.  Beat well after each addition.  Stir in vanilla and almond extracts.  Turn batter into prepared pan.
- Bake 1 hour and 20 minutes, or until cake tests done.  Cool in pan on rack 10 minutes; turn out of pan onto a cooling rack.

It was good to see that this cake met The Husband's approval!:-)  It will be around awhile, though.  I will store part of it in the freezer for another time.

This was a record-breaking day here as far as temperature goes.  Our high reached 101 degrees F., the highest temperature ever recorded for this day.  Also, today was the hottest day we have had since August of 2007!  I know some of you are having these high temperatures, too, and I hope  you are taking special care to stay as cool as you can and to keep yourselves hydrated.

Our Senior Chorus journeyed to a nearby town today for our last performance for awhile.  We have the month of July off and will begin rehearsals in August for our next program.  Today's performance was well-received, and that is always encouraging.

Next post - More on peaches....

Thank  you for following along.  I really appreciate  your comments.

Through the winter....

Perhaps it will help spread some cool thoughts around to think about something that was happening through the winter here in the garden. :-)

A year ago, The Husband set out some garlic.   It continued to grow through the winter.  Several weeks ago, it was ready to come out of the ground, and it has been drying in the shed.  Here you will see our garlic harvest.

Will this be enough?:-)

We have had some other things come from underground.  This is what The Husband has been working on today. 

Potatoes!

We enjoyed these baked for dinner!

The Husband began digging the potatoes this morning while it was still cool.  He went back after dinner to dig some more, and he has just come in with another full basket!   He says there are still a few more he needs to bring in, but he will not be doing any digging when the temperature is as hot as it is predicted to be in the next few days.

I'm not sure how much baking I will be doing either,  because of the heat, so those recipes for the peaches and the blueberries may not be as forthcoming as I had hoped.  Also, it is time next Tuesday for me to take lunch to the adult day care participants/staff at my church, and I will be sharing some of those preparations with you.

I notice a new follower!  Welcome, and thank you all for coming along.  I really appreciate your comments.

Berries - and more!

Berries - and "more."

This is a picture of some of the berries we have been picking for several days.  In the strainer in the left front are blueberries.  The colander just behind the strainer has thornless blackberries in it, and the stainless steel colander has wild blackberries.  Of course, the oblong container holds green beans, already broken and ready for the next step.  They are the "more" at this point.:-)

For the next few days, I will be trying to post a recipe or two illustrating how we enjoy these wonderful "fruits of the harvest."  There will more than likely be some "off-site" items included.:-) The Husband, after playing 18 holes of golf today, went to a pick-your-own orchard and returned with some wonderful local peaches!:-)  Well, they (just like everything else) won't last forever, so we will be working to use them as well.

This was a most enjoyable day!  I played bridge awhile at the Senior Center, then left there to meet fellow retirees from my school for lunch at a place none of them had tried before.  They all left with a very favorable impression, thankfully.  I had chosen the place from the experience members of our family have had there, so it was good that everyone seemed to like it as well.

It has been nice to have a "cool front" come through today, along with a very nice breeze.  It will be short-lived, however, and I am already trying to come up with ways to keep cool in the heat that is coming all too soon.

I hope each of you has had a good Tuesday.  Thank you for reading, and I hope you will return.  I truly enjoy your comments.

In the heat of the summer....

In the heat of the summer, the garden keeps growing!:-)  We have been enjoying fresh green beans, zucchini, and potatoes.  Surely other "goodies" are not too far behind.  Let's see how some other things look.

The corn has tassels.

Some ears are developing!

Still waiting on these tomatoes to ripen....

....while these have been ripe for awhile.

Another variety of beans.

Is that a melon I see?

Blueberries are ripe!

So, The Husband has been picking green beans this morning.  They are awaiting the next step, so I suppose I need to get busy there.:-) 

I wish everyone a good Monday and hope all is well with you!

Welcome to the new follower!  Thank you for coming along.  I really enjoy your comments.

A bit of beauty....

This is a short post today.  I just want to share a little bit of beauty with you.

A nice refreshing spot for a picnic, from our trip to visit Country Girl.

Flowers from my Mother's Day gift.

A lily from a friend.  

The last picture is of a hostess gift from a friend who came for a meal a couple of years ago.  I took it out of the pot and planted it.  This is the first time there has been a bloom.  I'm not sure what kind of lily it is.  Does anyone out there know?  Anyway, Boy Munchkin recognized its beauty. :-)

We still have high temperatures into the nineties here, and no chance of rain.:-(  The Husband has been watering the garden some for several days now.  The next post will feature something more of the garden progress.   In spite of the weather, we are enjoying a good harvest of green beans.

Thank you for reading.  I truly enjoy your comments.

Still more fun....

I hope everyone is enjoying a good Saturday.  We are busy with the usual.  The Husband is working in the garden, and I have prepared zucchini for the freezer. 

Earlier in the week, when the Munchkins were in town, I have shared some of the fun we had with their aunt and new uncle.  Today, there are a few more pictures to share from that day.

Country Man (New Husband) has staked the green beans.

That's a lot of corn!

Meet Strawberry and Olaf!

Star is late for the picture.

The dogs were not in the mood for picture-taking.:-) 

The Country Couple will really be busy with their garden this year.  The soil is very good, and there is no red clay to bother them.:-)

Thank you for reading along.  I really appreciate your comments.

Have a great week-end!

The fun continues....

Happy Friday to everyone!  Are you looking forward to a good week-end?

My last post wrote of the carriage ride we enjoyed earlier in the week with the Munchkins.  There are a few more pictures I want to share with you.

Along the trail, the property owner has planted this grove of walnut trees!

Lovely pastoral scene.

Original home on the property.

Other horses waiting at the stable for someone to ride them.

We were lucky that the temperatures were not too terribly uncomfortable, and the trail went through several nicely shaded areas.   The Munchkins took turns sitting up front with New Husband and helped hold the reins.:-)

I recognize new followers!  Welcome!  Thanks to all of you who are reading along.  I really enjoy your comments.

More in the next post!  I hope you return.

Week of fun....

Happy Thursday evening to you who are following along!  It has been several days since I last posted.  Munchomom and the two Munchkins came on Monday, so we have been out and about having fun.:-)  I took LOTS of pictures!:-)  As I loaded them onto the computer, I realized there are about 25 of them!  No worries, though.  I won't be posting all of them at once.:-)

As I said, they came on Monday, and we went to meet them at Country Girl's for a picnic and other explorations.  Country Girl lives in a small town near the mountains, and there are some special summer tourist attractions.  We took time to take a little walk across a swinging bridge that spans the Little River.

We had to go in two separate groups across the bridge.

There were several people out enjoying rafting on the water.

Rafts left on the bank.

Do you see several in the distance?

The buses and trailers that come to pick up everyone and the rafts.

New Husband manages a riding stable, so we had a special treat!  The pictures below will show you.

Are you able to guess what we did?

This was the perfect horse for the job!

Now, do you know?

We went on a carriage ride!  It was the first time the Munchkins had been on a carriage ride, and they really enjoyed it.  Thankfully the trail went through some shady areas.  It was a very hot day!

It has been a wonderful week having them visit.  They have enjoyed helping The Husband with the garden, plus playing in the sand box.  They left today to return to their home, and the house already feels like it is missing something.:-(

Is it hot where you are?  Let me know how your week has been.  The Husband has been watering the garden, particularly the blueberry bushes and the tomato plants.  We could really use some rain, but I don't know when that will come. 

I really appreciate those of you who are following along, and I enjoy reading your comments.

Come again!

Vintage?

Good Monday morning to everyone!  This will be a quick post, probably a little short.  Things are busy around here as we are preparing for a visit from Munchomom and the Munchkins!:-)  It will be fun!  We will work in a picnic at Country Girl's today, so I need to get up and moving!

These pictures show something that I have had for a very long time.  They were part of some linens that Mother passed along to me from my grandmother.  My sister, who follows this blog, will remember that they were never used in our house, and I don't really remember them being used on anything that my grandmother had that was visible.

Two pillow covers.

Another view, with both folded.

The neat thing about these pillow covers (at least, I assume that's what purpose they served) is that they are completely hand made.  There is no machine stitching anywhere on them.  It is puzzling what they might have covered, as the measurements don't seem to allow for much to go inside them.  My grandmother was born in 1888, so it is very possible that these covers could be at least 75 years old, if not older!

Well, they have been unused for many years, and I have decided to find something that they will fit and put them to use!  Whatever I find cannot be any larger than 12 x 12, or even smaller than that!  My first effort wasn't very good, so I am going to have to keep at it to find the right insert.

I am a bit behind in some of my blog commenting, and I'll try to catch up on that as time permits.  We have made some technological changes around here, and it is taking some time to reset everything.:-)

Thank you so much for reading.  I truly enjoy your comments.

Missed opportunity....

Good Thursday afternoon to you!  Have you had a good day?  It has been a good one here, albeit a little hot.  The present temperature is 87 degrees F! 

If you have been following this blog for awhile,  you will notice that there just hasn't been much at all about any remodeling projects at our house.  The Husband did take up the carpet in the hall and put down hardwood after Thanksgiving, and I included that on the blog back in December.  Well, there has been another project underway, and I was just not thinking about how it would have been good to photograph and include in the blog. 

So, there are just a couple of pictures now that it is finished, and a bit of a background story.

Country Girl hasn't had too many moves since she completed college and began working.  She worked at a church camp for 11 years and lived in a small house there.  It came unfurnished, and that was when we began to help with that need.  We found an old iron bed which we had redone and painted white.  That took care of one bedroom.  She took her bed from home for the other bedroom.

When she left that place of employment four years ago to begin another job, she moved to a very small furnished cabin.  Consequently, all her excess furniture came back "home."  She was there two years, and then moved into the farm house where she and New Husband now live.  That meant the furniture was "on the move again!":-)  

We like to be able to have places for everyone (all the family) to sleep should they decide to come for an overnight visit, so we embarked on a project to see that happen.  Two years ago, when the furniture moved back with Country Girl, I had bought something at a local antique store that I thought might be of service to us.  It was actually on the order of a bench, with the former headboard of a bed as the back, and the footboard, cut in two, attached as the arms.  The Husband added an extra support, and we put the crib mattress on it for Little Munchkin to use for her bed - until she would become too long for it.:-)  It worked very nicely for her during the past year or so.  

Well, the plan had been to take the "bench" apart at some point and reconstruct everything as a double bed.  That is what The Husband has been working on for the past two or three weeks.  Taking it apart was quite a challenge!  Whoever put it together the first time really intended it to stay!:-)

This is the headboard.

After taking the "bench" apart, it was discovered that the footboard had not been cut completely in half; rather, it had been trimmed to satisfy the desired measurements of the "bench."  So, that presented the challenge of piecing the wood to bring the foot of the bed to match the headboard measurements! 

One side of the footboard.

Well, The Husband was successful in piecing the footboard, but oops!  What about side rails?!?  A trip to a couple of Goodwill stores resulted in a real find!  Metal side rails that fit into the slits in the bed frame!  After locating some wood pieces to serve as slats, it was on to the hunt for a new mattress and foundation.  That was our accomplishment last week-end! 

Are you still with me?  This is a long post!  Once I get started sometimes, it is difficult for me to stop.:-)

Thank you for reading.  I truly enjoy your comments.

Next post - Vintage?

Cookies!!

Happy Tuesday to everyone!  Didn't I promise you a "zucchini surprise" today?  Well, here is another tasty way to work in your veggies.  Of course, it will be more difficult to convince children there is nothing green in these.  The strands of zucchini are sometimes noticeable in the cookies.  Not so with the chocolate cake or the bread from previous postings.

Served on a Susan Branch plate!

This recipe comes from a cookbook with a very long title - "Too Many Tomatoes, Squash, Beans, and Other Good Things - a Cookbook for When Your Garden Explodes."  Now, isn't that some title?!?  Compiled by Lois Landau and published in 1976, it has been the source of several answers to the dilemma of "What do I do with all this?"

ZUCCHINI DROP COOKIES

1 cup grated zucchini
1 teaspoon soda
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter or shortening
1 egg, beaten

- Mix the above together in a large bowl.

2 cups flour (I used half whole wheat.)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt

- Sift in, and stir to blend.

1 cup chopped nuts
1 cup raisins

- Stir in, then drop by teaspoonfuls on greased cookie sheet.  (I used a Silpat.)
- Bake 12 to 15 minutes at 375 degrees.  Yield: 3 dozen

The Husband quickly consumed four of these after his dinner last night, so I'd say they are a hit!:-)

In past years, our zucchini harvest has not been very plentiful at all, and it is refreshing to be able to say that this year is making up for those years!:-)  However, lest you think all I know is zucchini, this will be it for that particular vegetable.  You will be spared the Stuffed Zucchini and the Summer Squash Casserole.:-)  UNLESS, of course, you send word you are interested, and I will see about those recipes as well.

Thank you so much for reading.  I truly appreciate your comments.

Next post - Missed opportunity....

Progress with the garden....

Do you see our first red cherry tomato?

The cantaloupe is blooming.

Green beans already?!?

The asparagus patch has really done well this year.

This onion looks about ready to come out of the ground.

Taking a break in the zucchini posts, I thought you might enjoy seeing the garden's progress.  The Husband works very hard in it to keep the weeds at bay.

One practice we follow is to use no pesticides at all.  This is truly an organic garden, with the soil enriched only by our compost. 

We did enjoy those green beans for dinner while City Girl was here over the week-end.  There are more to come, as well as more zucchini!  Aren't you excited?  The next post just may return to something tasty with zucchini!  Always looking for sneaky ways to get vegetables into our diet.:-)

Thank you for reading, and your comments are appreciated!

Tune in again for the next zucchini treat!:-)

Still more zucchini....

Oops!  No picture with this one.  As soon as I had this ready and served it up in a bowl, those eating here had already taken a turn with it.:-)  This was the first time I've made this, and I must say it will not be the last!  It was very well-received, and it is tasty!  It is a good side dish for just about any meal, and is another from that wonderful cookbook, The Table at Grey Gables.

RICE EXTRAORDINAIRE

1 cup rice (I used brown rice.)
2 cups chicken broth (I used vegetable broth, in case the vegetarians in the family appeared.)
1/4 cup butter (I used half butter and half olive oil.)
2 medium zucchini, washed and diced (Do not peel.)
1 large onion, diced
1 4-ounce jar pimiento, chopped, drained
1 small can green chilies
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese (or Swiss cheese), if desired

- In a saucepan cook the rice in the broth according to package directions.  In a large skillet, melt the butter with the olive oil and saute the zucchini and onion just until tender.  Add the pimiento and green chilies.  Stir in the hot cooked rice.  Add the cheese.  Place in a serving bowl.  Makes 6 to 8 servings.

As I mentioned, this was really good, and we had very few leftovers!:-)

We have had some slow showers earlier this morning, and the sky is still overcast.  Rain is in our forecast for the next few days. 

City Girl came by on her way back to her place, and we had our first green beans from the garden for our dinner, along with some Swiss chard, also from the garden. 

There is still more to do with zucchini, but I will take a break with the next post and show you our latest progress in the garden.

Our morning was spent at Sunday School and worship.  Two babies were baptized.  That is always such a special, meaningful time.  I hope you have had a blessed Sunday, too.

I appreciate those of you who are following along, and I love reading your comments.

Next post - Garden update!

More zucchini.....

I'll guarantee you this is one way you will be able to get children to eat vegetables!  It is virtually impossible to see any traces of green in this fantastic way to serve zucchini!

Are you really sure this is a vegetable?

Today's recipe once again comes from The Table at Grey Gables.  Grey Gables is a bed and breakfast in Rugby, Tennessee.  We have never stayed there, and I hope it is still in operation.  Rugby is a very interesting little place to visit.

DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ZUCCHINI CAKE

1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat).
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 medium zucchini, shredded (about 2 cups)
1 6-ounce package semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup walnuts, chopped (or pecans)
Confectioners' sugar

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9 x 13-inch baking pan.  In a large mixing bowl combine the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla.  Using an electric mixer blend the ingredients at low speed.  Increase the speed to high and beat until light and fluffy, about five minutes.  Turn the mixer to low speed and add the sour cream, flour, cocoa, soda, and salt.  Mix until well blended.  Increase the speed to medium and beat one minute. 
- With a rubber spatula, fold in the zucchini, chocolate chips, and nuts.  The batter will be thick.
- Spread the batter in the prepared pan.  Bake for 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
- Cool the cake on a wire rack.  Sprinkle the top of the cake with confectioners' sugar.
NOTE:  This cake may be frosted with a cream cheese frosting or a chocolate frosting, if desired.
Makes 12 to 15 servings.  I actually was able to cut it into 24 servings.  The portions are not as large, but it seems to be quite an adequate size for those here who are eating it.

So, there you have it!  A nutritious dessert that is just as healthy as Carrot Cake!:-)

This has been a good Saturday here, although I fear the heat has returned.  We have had to close our doors today.:( 

We're set to watch the Belmont, although it would have been more interesting with I'll Have Another in the race.  It is good to know that the owners are taking proper precautions with their wonderful horse.

I have done a bit more today besides work with zucchini.:-)  We have been working on Country Girl's bedroom.  There was only a twin-size bed in there, and it needed to be replaced now that New Husband will be with her should there ever be an occasion for staying overnight.  So, we've been busy with finding another bed - and bedding - for that room.  It is ready now, should it be needed.

I appreciate those of you who are following along, and I'd love to read your comments!

Next post - Still more zucchini!

About that zucchini....

Good Friday evening to you!  I hope this has been a good day where you are.  For many people, Friday becomes the beginning of the week-end, giving a change of pace for a couple of days.  Hopefully you expect a week-end that will be restful and relaxing.

We are still enjoying a good harvest of our zucchini, and there are a number of ways we like to eat it.  I am sharing a recipe for Zucchini Bread with you today.   This recipe comes from The Table at Grey Gables, a cookbook published in 1998. 

Enjoyable with a cup of tea.

ZUCCHINI BREAD

3 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup oil
1 Tablespoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 Tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups all-purpose flour (I used half whole wheat).
2 cups grated zucchini
2 cups coarsely chopped nuts

- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan or two 5 x 3-inch loaf pans. (I used two 8 x 4 pans). 
- In a large bowl beat the eggs.  Add the sugar and the oil, mixing well after each addition.  Stir in the remaining ingredients except the nuts and blend well.  Fold in the nuts.  Pour the batter into the prepared pan(s).   Bake for 1 hour.

This is good for an afternoon snack.  In the above picture, some of you may recognize the design of the teapot/cup.  It was a gift from Munchomom for Mother's Day a few years ago, and is designed by Susan Branch. 

This has been a full day here.  There is a Second Friday Bridge group at my church, and I am part of the 24 total who are signed on to play once a month.  It is always good fellowship, whether the cards are good or not.:-)  Mine were just mediocre today.

Our temperature is higher today, yet we are still able to enjoy a nice breeze. 

If you keep up with horse racing in the spring, you will have heard that I'll Have Another will not be racing this week-end due to injury, so there will be no Triple Crown winner this year.   I still plan to watch the race, though.

Thank you for following along, and I really enjoy your comments.

Next post - More zucchini....

That chicken salad....

Happy Thursday to everyone!  We again have a very comfortable morning, and have the doors open for the cool breeze.  Humidity levels are expected to rise, however, so I doubt if this pleasantness lasts the entire day.

This is the final recipe from the lunch I provided our adult day care on Tuesday.   Preparations for this lunch are made on Monday, so what I plan is something that can be done ahead of time.  Often, final cooking is done at the church by one of the staff members for the day care.  On this past Tuesday, however, I knew I would have to really do advance planning since I was out of town from Thursday-Saturday of the preceding week.  That meant I had to do the necessary shopping before I left town in order to be able to have Monday for working on the meal.  Everything went smoothly, even though Monday had no idle times.:-)  Monday night was also my Circle meeting time, and that was our annual covered-dish dinner before our break for the summer.  I made an extra dish of Lemon Lush to take there.

CHERRY-CHICKEN SALAD

2 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast
2/3 cup dried cherries
1/3 cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped tart apple
1/3 cup chopped pecans, toasted
1/2 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons buttermilk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
7 croissants, split

- In a large bowl, combine the chicken, cherries, celery, apple, and pecans.  In another bowl, combine the mayonnaise, buttermilk, salt and pepper;  add to chicken mixture and mix well.  Spoon 1/2 cup chicken salad onto each croissant.  Yield: 7 servings

This recipe comes from a Taste of Home publication, probably as long ago as 2008, but I cannot be sure of the month.  When it was published, Martha Goodrich of Wilmington, Delaware was recognized as the contributor.

I will mention that, for the first time ever, I purchased already cooked, diced chicken breast from the frozen foods section of the supermarket.  I thawed it in the refrigerator, then gave it a little whirl in the food processor to break up the chunks just a bit, and I was pleased with the results.   I don't intend this to become part of my usual habit, however.  As the chicken had already been seasoned, I omitted the salt from the recipe. 

We expect to see City Girl for a short while today as she comes through town for a gathering of high school friends.  Then, we will be her last stop as she returns home at the end of the week-end.

I really appreciate you who are following along, and I enjoy reading your comments.

Next post - What about that zucchini?

The rest of the menu....

Yesterday was the day I provided lunch for the adult day care participants and staff at my church.   I featured the recipe for the dessert I served - Lemon Lush.  The rest of the menu included: Chicken Salad on a Croissant, lettuce and tomato, and Apricot-Pineapple Congealed Salad.  This is the plate as it was served:

A place was set for me.

I deliver the food by 9:00 in the morning, then go on to play bridge and come back to eat lunch with the group.  Today's recipe is for the salad, a long-standing popular choice at OUR house when the grandson comes visiting.:-)  I have had the recipe for many years, given to me by a friend.

APRICOT-PINEAPPLE CONGEALED SALAD

1 small can crushed pineapple with juice
1 small package apricot gelatin
1 cup buttermilk
1/2 of an eight ounce container of Cool Whip (I used Free)

- Place the pineapple, with juice, in a saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  Stir in dry gelatin to dissolve.  Remove from heat; let cool.  Do not let it set, or it will be difficult to add the other ingredients. 
- When cool, add buttermilk, mixing well.  Then, add the Cool Whip.  This will require some careful mixing in order to completely blend in the Cool Whip.
- Pour gelatin into a square pan, 8 x 8.  Refrigerate until set.

We have had an extremely pleasant day here.  There has been a nice, cool breeze for most of the day, not usual for the sixth of June.  We have had our doors open, and the air feels really good.  The forecast indicates that this is short-lived, however, and we will have temps near 90 degrees F by the week-end.  Also, the official report from the National Weather Service states that we have had the warmest spring on record! 

Thank you to those of you who are following along.  I really enjoy your comments.

Next post - One last thing for lunch....

As promised....

As promised, I will be sharing some recipes with you the next few days. Today was the day for me to provide lunch for the adult day care program at our church.  I will begin with dessert.

Lemon Lush

This is actually a variation of a recipe that has been around a long time.  In fact, I posted something similar, in which I used fresh strawberries, a couple of weeks ago.  I'm sure many of you will have ideas about making this basic recipe your own.

LEMON LUSH

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup flour
1 cup chopped pecans
- Mix and spread evenly in bottom of large glass baking dish (9x12).  Bake at 300 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.  Cool.  (You can see that I altered this step due to time restraints.  I used prepared shortbread crusts and made the recipe as a pie to simplify serving).
1 pkg. (8-oz.) cream cheese, softened  (I used 1/3 reduced fat).
1 cup powdered sugar
1 cup Cool Whip (I used Cool Whip Free).
- Blend and pour over above crust.
2 small pkgs. instant lemon pudding
1 3/4 cups milk
- Mix and let stand 2 minutes.  Pour over cream cheese layer.
1 13-oz. carton Cool Whip
- Spread over the pudding layer.  Chill six hours before serving.  Refrigerate leftovers.  12 servings

Variations:  Instant chocolate pudding can be substituted.  When I do this, I combine one package of vanilla and one of chocolate.  Sprinkle slivered almonds over the top.  Butterscotch pudding  can be used as well, with chopped pecans sprinkled over the top.  I know you will be able to come up with your own personal variations, depending on your favorite pudding flavors.  This is a really refreshing dessert for a summer day.

This has been a busy day here.  I delivered the food to church early this morning, then went on my way to the Senior Center to play bridge.  At lunchtime I returned to church to eat lunch with the participants and staff.  A couple of other errands filled the day.

I notice new followers!  Welcome!  Thank you so much for following along.  I truly enjoy reading your comments.

Next post - What else was on the menu?

King of our castle....

For some of you, your pets have played a big part of your blog.  I haven't said a lot about ours, so I want to introduce you to the character who thinks he is "King of our castle."

Never knew he was camera shy!

The best he could do to show his "best side."

Our Shadow is not a house cat, never has spent much time in the house.  It is surprising to many when they learn that he is 20 years old!  His birthday is April 24.  On the day I was taking pictures, he was not in a cooperative mood at all.:-)  His domain is actually the garage, and he enjoys the pass through that is in the door so he is able to go outside when he wishes.  As older cats begin to do, he spends much of his time asleep, venturing outside only when the temperature and sun are just right for him.:-)  When we moved eight years ago, he still had energy to follow The Husband as he went down to the garden and the building in the back of the property.  As Shadow has become older, he seems to gaze wistfully as The Husband heads out back.  I think he may have some arthritis that keeps him from walking longer distances now.

That's about it for us today.  I have spent my entire morning in the kitchen, preparing for the Adult Day Care lunch that I provide on the first Tuesday.  That will be the focus for the next few posts.  I have a recipe or two to share with you, and I will try to get a picture of the plate as lunch is served.

I welcome a new follower, and thank you for coming along!  I truly enjoy your comments.

"Feeding the Multitude"

Those of you who have followed this blog for awhile have seen a few posts regarding my participation in the United Methodist Women of my church.  I presently hold an office in my local Unit, as well as an office for my District.

Well, I've been away a few days for a UMW event that occurs only every four years - the Southeastern Jurisdiction Quadrennial Meeting for the UMW.  It was held in Birmingham, Alabama this year, with the theme of "Feeding the Multitude."  Those who attended had been asked to bring along non-perishable food items that would be given to those who serve the hungry in Birmingham.  There were large baskets in the center of the tables at Friday evening's dinner.  This is where the donations were placed, creating a most meaningful centerpiece!

There were five to six hundred attending, and we were blessed to hear the message given by Bishop Violet Fisher.  She challenged us to "add another leaf to the table!"  The scripture passage came from John 6:1-14, which tells the story of the loaves and fishes.  In fact, this story appears in all the gospels.

What are WE doing to "feed the multitude?"  Have we "added another leaf to the table?"

On Friday there was time to venture out on the trolley.  We passed some picture-worthy locations, and I tried to take this one of the beautiful park.

From the moving bus.

As you can see, it is not the best picture around.:-)  It would have been good to be able to get off the bus and walk through this park for better pictures of several other areas.

Program book.

The Program Book contained the order we would follow for the meeting, plus bios of those who were participating in parts of the service.  Also included were copies of the songs we sang.  I was pleased to be part of the Quadrennial Choir as I was able to arrive in time for the scheduled rehearsal.:-) 

Oddly enough, Internet access was not a "given" in the hotel where we were staying and meeting.  So - I have become a bit behind with my usual "blog business."  I'll try to catch up with those of you whose blogs I have been following in the next few days.

Now, I know this is not the topic I had announced for the next blog post, so that will come up next.  Also, that first Tuesday date is coming around again, and I am cooking for the Adult Day Care of my church.  There will be some recipes in the near future as well. 

Today is absolutely gorgeous here, and we are enjoying the day.  I hope that is true for you where you are!

Thank you for following along.  I really enjoy your comments.