My Week

 Next weekend is the unofficial end of summer here in the US.  I enjoy Summer and always have.  I wouldn't have survived 20 years in SW Florida if I didn't.  I love all the fresh herbs, veggies and flowers.  I've been watching so many hummingbirds zipping around the feeder and flowers.  I've spent a lot of time sitting outside reading which has been a tradition since I was a kid.  However, since moving back to the Midwest, I always look forward to Fall.  The triple digit heat is still here so it will be awhile before it feels like Fall.

I have been busy putting up veggies and drying herbs and probably will be for the next three weeks or so. The garden has done amazingly well this year.  You know it is late summer when my prep table looks like this.

The doctors I work for always spoil me throughout the year.  One came back from Poland with this amazing box of candy for me.  They are SO good. Apparently this brand is their 'national' chocolate company and a local favorite.  I can see why. Plus they came in a beautiful tin that I can keep and use for something when it is empty.  There are two layers of these beauties. The card said "You need something sweet for all the sh*t you put up with." Gotta love her.

I finished reading Coming to My Senses by Alice Waters this week.  I really enjoyed it.  Going against my no more cookbooks rule I ordered The Making of a Cook by Madeleine Kamman.  It should be here this week.  This will be my long winter read.  It is a monstrous book. I actually picked it up from the library and when I started to read it I knew I wanted it for my collection.

Meals this week were all veggie focused and fairly light.  BIG salad times 2, BLT, Veggie Pizza, Pesto pasta with grilled chicken. Tonight I am making egg rolls and rice. I will miss my BLT's but I'm kind of looking forward to fall and winter dishes and soups.  

I am a list maker.  The beginning of each month I make a list of activities I'd like to do that month. Since Covid these lists have been very short.  Yesterday I made my short list for September which includes: 1. Ice cream at Yellin Helens. It will be closing for the season soon. 2. Trip to Harlows Pumpkin Patch. 3. Apple Orchard. 4. Brunch outside at Firefly. 5. Cedarhurst Craft Festival. 6. Local Fall Festival.  I'm thinking the first 4 are doable even with Covid.  The last two I still need to think about.  They are outdoor activities but both are very crowded.

Things that have been weighing on my mind this week were the situation in Afghanistan, Covid and Louisiana. Also my Father. Yesterday would have been his birthday.  He died 29 years ago from crohns disease at the age of 44. It still breaks my heart and now with my Mothers situation, I need him more than ever.

I'm off to start my Sunday.  I need to do a few things to get ready for the work week.  I hope everyone stays safe and has a wonderful week.

Are you looking forward to Fall?

I finally got all my ducks in a row

                                                             At least right outside the fence.

My Week

The work week was a bit chaotic.  The hospital is operating at max capacity due to staffing. People are waiting hours to be admitted as every department is short staffed especially nursing.  Our covid numbers here are equal to the highs we experienced last November thru January.  Our community is only at 35% vaccinated. Even if you're someone that doesn't believe Covid is 'that bad' think about if you were to have any serious health scare and needed hospitalization.  Enough with that.

We were able to take an hour Wednesday to have a quick lunch together to say good bye to one of the doctors that has been there for the last 7 years. I found a couple of trays at Hobby Lobby that I love.  They are a lightweight metal but have a coating on top and they hold a lot.  I will get a lot of use out of them and they were only 4 bucks a piece. Score!

 It was a very hot and humid week with heat indexes in the triple digits.  Thankfully Friday evening things cooled off and humidity is a lot lower.  Yesterday we spent half the day in the back yard, trimming branches, clearing weeds out of the flower beds and cleaning up the gardens.  I planted more basil, lettuce and arugula.  I'm happy to see the pepper plants are all loaded with peppers and I will be eating salads or salsa all week I have so many different tomatoes.  Herbs and a large variety of peppers and tomatoes are my favorite things to grow. The firecracker tomatoes I tried this year are SO good.  I'm saving some seeds to grow again next year. Now to tackle the front yard. I know we will have more hot days but it does feel like Fall is on the way.

I finished  reading All Gone by Alex Witchel. It is a memoir of her mothers dementia.  It hit close to home.  I also finished when French Women Cook by Madeleine Kamman.  I really enjoyed it and added two of her other books to my reading list.

Our meals this week were much of the same summer dinners.  Lots of salads, a BLT, Chicken nachos, and meatball subs.  Every meal was full of veggies. Today I need to make zucchini bread and a batch of chocolate chip cookies.  Zucchini bread freezes so well and is nice to have in the fall or winter.

How was your week?  Stay safe!

My Week

I don't know whether it is everything going on in the US, well frankly most of the world, effects from the last 19 months of COVID chaos or just a case of the blahs, but my week was a little blue.  Usually I'm a very positive, glass is half full person but this week I was down right irritable. I'm determined not to let this coming week be the same.  Even if I have to fake it to make it so.

We've been in our house for 9 years and I don't know who planted these but I always look forward to them the first week of August.  Every year they appear out of nowhere, almost overnight and they only last about a week.  My family calls them paper lilies, but I've heard them called many things.  They are popular in this area.

Between the garden and the farmers market we have been enjoying all that summer in the Midwest offers.  The farmer I buy from had his corn $4.00 a dozen.  I bought two dozen and blanched and froze the majority for later in the fall.  It is so tender and sweet.  I may get another dozen this week.

Our peppers are huge this year.  And the Jalapenos are HOT!  

This weeks dinners:

Grilled ribs, potato salad, deviled eggs and cheese stuffed jalapenos.

BLT's and chips

Meatball subs. I used the hamburger bun recipe that I've posted before and made 4 buns and 1 footlong sub roll.  The fresh homemade roll made these subs even better.

Egg and cheese on an English muffin.

Lamb burgers

BIG salad

Today I'm going to clean up the garden a bit.  Tuesday and Wednesday are good planting days so I am going to start some more lettuce and basil and see what else I have room for.  The weather last week was so nice.  A couple of mornings were in the 50's so I was able to air out the house.  This week though we are going to be in the high 90's with heat index up to 106.  Compared to many other states, we've actually had a pretty nice summer.  The heat waves never lasted too long without a cool front giving us a break in the heat.  My heart goes out to all those with the high temps and the smoky air from all the fires.  

Well I'm off to start my day.  I'm making pancakes and bacon for breakfast to start my day right.

Stay Safe!!

Things That Make Me Smile

A thank you from one of the doctors.  I don't have much of a sweet tooth but I have to say these are very good. Lindt milk and dark chocolate pralines.