[chocomouse]

Mike, we don't eat a lot of pickles either, and I finally tossed numerous jars I had in my basement too. But if I make just one quart at a time, and keep it front and center in the fridge, we do eat them. I've been on a kick (don't ask me why this year when I don't even have cukes in the garden!) trying out old recipes. Most of these pickles are different - somewhat mild, not really sweet, but not nearly as tart as dills, although I often include dill seed for flavor. Remember BigLakeJudy from the old, old Baking Circle? She had posted a great recipe that I do really like.

[chocomouse]

Today was a busy day of cooking, as I leave Thursday on a week-long trip. So I made Pasta sauce, Pesto, and Pickles! Pasta sauce to use up most of the ripe tomatoes, pesto to use up the last of the basil, and refrigerator pickles for a potluck tomorrow night, as a side for burgers and dogs. Unfortunately, I had to buy the cucumbers because the plants in my garden have produced only 4 cucumbers this summer. But we've now had a day and a half of gentle rain; I'm not sure how much, since my weather station seems to have stopped tracking rainfall, and it's been too wet to check my rain gauges on the deck!

[chocomouse]

How sad! It was so difficult to read about this in the newspaper. I cannot imagine. It sounds like the community members will provide much needed support for each other. And for that dear mother/wife. Wonky, I'm sure you will feed their hearts and bodies well.

[chocomouse]

I rarely grow eggplant, because my husband doesn't like it. I usually make ratatouille, also. Sometimes I've grilled it -- slice it lengthwise, about 1/2 inch thick and brush lightly with oil, and I sometimes sprinkle with a Penzey's seasoning. Careful -- it does absorb a lot of oil.

[chocomouse]

Today I made mushroom soup. Never mind that it was 93* with high humidity, I needed to use up those mushrooms. I'll have some for my dinner tomorrow night, and freeze the remainder for later.

Dinner tonight was chicken thighs on the smoker, with lots of leftovers from the garden and refrigerator: potato salad, corn on the cob, cucumbers, tomatoes and onions in Italian dressing, and steamed yellow squash.

[chocomouse]

And if you do lose power, is it likely to be for quite a while, not just a couple of hours? No cooling, no sump pumps - not good! Let us know how you are doing when you are able.

[chocomouse]

Yesterday we hosted a large corn roast for family and friends, so my cooking has focused on food for that: baked beans, hot dogs, refrigerator pickles, ingredients for s'mores, and of course - corn, lots of it. And everyone brought potluck dishes, too. Now we are eating leftovers, and freezing leftover corn. Ears that were roasted in the coals are great for corn chowder, the browned/burnt areas give it a nice smoky flavor.

[chocomouse]

Most of our humming birds have headed south, just a few stragglers here now. But in the 2-3 weeks preceding their long journey, they are all busy at the feeders and we have to refill almost daily. It's so sad to see them leave; it means the end of summer. Mike, is the ruby-throat the only variety you have in Nebraska? It's all we have here in Vermont.

[chocomouse]

And don't forget the fruit in the lemon curd!

[chocomouse]

Baker Aunt, I think you already make a lot of substitutions to make your baking more healthy, and your meals seem to be healthy, also, although your adjustments may not be focused on lowering cholesterol. I think a lot, or even most, issues of cholesterol are due to genetics (unscientific thinking!). My Dad ate lots of fat: butter, the thick layer of fat around a steak, etc. My Mother had other health issues and ate no fat. His cholesterol readings were great, her's were always "bad". I inherited my mother's genes - when my readings climbed, I tried to control the levels with diet, and it didn't work. Of course, this was 40 years ago, and the choice of reduced fat foods was minimal, and whoever had heard of quinoa?? I eat much healthier today, but I control my cholesterol with meds. I'm glad you're making some changes, and hope you are successful!

[chocomouse]

Len, I picked tomatoes early this morning and have them in the sink ready to make sauce tomorrow. It will be my second batch this season.

I made a tomato tart for Book Club tonight. It smells wonderful! Tomato wedges, topped with sauteed mushrooms and onion stirred into a mixture of mayo, parm, mozz, and basil. I used a store made rolled out pie crust - first time, never heard of that before! It was a disaster - all shrunk down into the center of the pie plate when I blind-baked it. But I just put the filling over the whole mess, and I know it will taste fine.

[chocomouse]

Today I pulled out a recipe from the 70s which I have not made for over 40 years. It's called Creamy Dutch Apple Dessert. It used a canned Dutch apple pie filling that had raisins in it, which I couldn't find in local stores, so I just added raisins to a can of Lucky Leaf. It has a graham cracker-melted butter base, and then is layers of the pie filling and a mix of sweetened condensed milk, sour cream, and lemon juice. We have not eaten any yet, so I can't say if it tastes as good as it did years ago. Maybe someone here is old enough to remember and has tried that or a similar recipe?

Later: It's OK, not as good as I remembered it. Way too sweet, heavy. I"ll not make it again!

• This reply was modified 7 years ago by chocomouse.

[chocomouse]

Dinner tonight was burgers on Wheat-Oat-Flax buns, and corn on the cob. It was 90* and 86% humidity. We have another 24 hours before the weather turns more typical.

[chocomouse]

BLTs are the menu every night at our house!! Tomorrow I plan to make a big batch of pesto to use up a lot of my basil.

[chocomouse]

It's good to be back and baking! My husband had eaten most of the bread from the freezer, so a priority yesterday was a batch of whole wheat sandwich bread, and today I made 6 hamburger buns and 8 hot dog buns with the Wheat-Oat-Flax recipe. I brought some really nice juicy peaches back from Michigan, so I also made peach muffins.

Len, I agree, and we haven't eaten store-bought buns for years! They have an odd flavor, probably the preservatives.

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