Summer Just Isn't Summer Without...

 The beginning of the most Insanely Good Blueberry Muffins

 Homemade Dill Pickles

 Mango Salsa - I used nectarines (instead of peaches) and it was still yummy

 Salsa (this is so close to what you get at a restaurant)

Guacamole - I couldn't get enough of this at the beach!!  Not only was it great with chips, but, it was also awesome on sandwiches!

This isn't really a "summer" recipe, but, for my next meal swap, I made Easy Italian Unstuffed Shells.  The fact that this has no ricotta cheese in it is right up my alley.

And finally, our last CSA box before vacation (most of which was donated to my parents).  I did use the two larger tomatoes and some of the nectarines for the salsa and a friend of mine took the kale to make a pasta dish.

CSA Week 9/10 and Happy July!

I really tried to update this thing on Sunday...I swear!!  But, my iCloud has been acting up and since I take all my pics on my phone and haven't figured out how to upload them without the iCloud, I just had to wait.  I haven't been cooking as much lately....blaming it on the heat!!

Week 9 CSA:  Zucchini, Corn on the Cob, Methley Plums, Apricots, Onion, and Green Beans

The plums were fabulous.  So sweet and juicy, I forgot how delicious they really are.  The apricots were equally sweet and yummy.  L enjoyed eating these as snacks.  The corn is getting better and better each week (although G and I are starting to get sick of it!!).  And the green beans were super fresh. 

For our 4th of July dinner, I whipped up some Low Fat Baked Onion Rings (ignore the slight burn, please!).  You are probably wondering....were they as good as a deep fried onion ring?  The answer is "no".  But...since they were low fat and baked, that just justified eating more :-)

And Zucchini....another veggie that I'm starting to run out of ideas for since Greg doesn't like it.  I made another version of Zucchini Bread and this time added walnuts and raisins.  Yum!



For the record...I did NOT make this cake!  We had a little birthday celebration for me, my dad, and G's dad on the 7th.  My mom brought this cake from one of my favorite bakeries back home- Clay's in Berwyn.  A layer of chocolate cake, a layer of yellow cake, and a whole lot of buttercream.  Ahh!

And finally, our Week 10 CSA box- some more apricots, lettuce, corn, peaches, potatoes, and cucumbers.  I'm planning to throw the potatoes in with a roast on Sunday, the corn is gone, L is enjoying the fruit, I devoured the lettuce, and I think I'm going to have a cucumber snack later on today.  Nothing fancy this week.  My mind is gearing up for vacation!!

The June Edition...

OMG (yes, you know it's bad when you start a post with OMG)...has it really been a MONTH since my last post?!??!  Yeah, well....I've had a good excuse, I think :-)  The little man seems to be bouncing back just fine after our scare and we are working on moving forward, taking one day at a time.  I didn't want you to think that I have been slacking in the kitchen...in fact, I made some things over the past month that were downright yummy.  So instead of me rambling through this post...consider this more of a "let's look at pictures and then click the link below the picture to learn more" kind of post.

Cheeseburger Macaroni (a June dinner for L- this one didn't make my last post)

After getting home from the hospital, L and I needed an outing...so we went and picked 5 lbs of strawberries!!  You will find the Strawberry Bread I made (below).  I also made two Strawberry Pies (but forgot to take a picture)

Here's G's Father's Day gift from me....a 6-pack of his favorite goodies.  Learn how to make one here.  You can tailor it for any occasion.

So with those strawberries, I made mini loaves of Strawberry Bread.  It's a huge hit in our house.

 CSA Week 6:  Lettuce, Kale, Sour Cherries, Pattypan Squash, Broccoli, and Sugar Peas

Not gonna lie...I was kind of getting burned out on all the lettuce and kale lately, so I decided to try something new.  Kale-Apple-Banana Smoothies.  Haven't tried them yet...they are still in the freezer.  L will be the perfect test subject :-)  The recipe is:  Blend 12oz 100% apple juice and 3-4 kale leaves (stems removed) on high for a minute.  Add 3 bananas and 2 cups of ice and blend for another 30 seconds.  So easy!

And...it's really easy to pour into bags if you use a pint glass to hold the bag.  This technique works great for soups too!

Homemade Italian Custard.  That went into the Father's Day cake I made for G.  All the recipes for the cake and the design came from the Baking with the Cake Boss cookbook.  It is definitely a great book to learn from, as it teaches you all the fun techniques that go into making an amazing cake.

And, here's the batter for the cake....it was sinful!

The finished product!!!  I'm just happy it turned out looking like the picture in the cookbook!!

I had a bunch of cherries left to use...

...so for Father's Day dinner, they made the perfect Cherry Vanilla Sauce to go on top of our (aka- my) NY Strip Steak (G is not a big cherry fan)

CSA Week 7:  Lettuce, Zucchini, Onion, Hull Peas, Cabbage, and Sweet Cherries

Blueberry Zucchini Bread (L can't get enough of this!!)

CSA Week 8:  Corn, Lettuce, Sour Cherries, Kohlrabi, Red Potatoes, and Zucchini

These potatoes were to die for and the bonus was that I had all the spices to make them.  G and I could not stop eating them. 

Homemade Peach Ice Cream....yes, please!!!  I nearly died when my Ice Cream Maker wouldn't start up.  G gave it a good whack and it started churning.  Whew!

Zucchini Bread

Mini Raspberry Pies (I made a bunch and threw them in the freezer.  They thaw nicely in the fridge)  The crust is my go-to Williams Sonoma recipe.  The filling is found here.

Cherry Pie- this was given to my parents as a thank you for watching our dogs for a week....although, I don't think the pie was necessary!

The most intimidating, little green vegetable (Kohlrabi)....

Actually makes these awesome Kohlrabi Home Fries

And....now onto L's meals for the month of July....

Mini Frittata.  I put sausage, scallions, and cheese in these.  Make them your own!

Pizza in a Sleeping Bag

Zucchini Bites

 Zucchini Brownies

Creamy Chicken Pockets

Baked Chicken Nuggets.  These are great for adults too!

Sausage Pinwheels

Mini Chocolate Muffins (loaded with broccoli and zucchini).  I tweaked the recipe and used 1 cup of White Whole Wheat Flour.

Pasta in a Vegetable Sauce

So that pretty much sums up June.  I'm exhausted just typing all this out.  Hope everyone is having a Happy 4th of July!!!  My goal is to continue to update on a weekly basis (hopefully Sunday evenings).  But...sometimes life just gets in the way :-)  Until next time...