by Kat | Aug 16, 2016 | General, Words
Hello, 10 on Tuesday fans! Carole, our fearless leader, is having a bit of a vacay this week, but I thought it would be the perfect time to share some ideas for preserving the best tastes of the season to enjoy when summer is gone!
Now, you may notice that tomatoes kind of steal the show, however, there is a reason for that. I am in the TOMATO OVERLOAD ZONE.
Note to self, there is no reason to plant more than one Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato next year. (What on earth was I thinking planting 4!!)
- I am seeing some plums in the markets right now and Plum Butter is so good on toast, or in yogurt with a bit of granola, or swirled through vanilla ice cream (you could make your own, but really store bought is just fine!) and (P.S. The cardamom is such a great addition to the butter!)
- This recipe calls for apricots, but it is so perfect with peaches. It is so good on English Muffins and stirred into yogurt.
- I think that in a few weeks, when the temperatures have cooled off a bit again, you will find good radishes in the markets again and nothing tastes better than Pickled Radishes. Really, I love them and they are a welcome addition to Happy Hour!
- Cucumbers are everywhere at the markets right now, and this Quick Sweet Pickle recipe is my favorite!
- Now, let’s get to the tomato recipes; shall we? I love to have jars of Tomato Basil Sauce in the pantry, and I think I will try this one this year!
- Slow Roasted Cherry Tomatoes are such incredible pops of flavor. They are so easy to do and they last a long time in the refrigerator. I have made one batch, and will be making another soon! (P.S. I cut them in half before roasting)
- Homemade Rotel-Style Tomatoes are so good!
- This recipe for Lazy Cherry Tomato Salsa looks so good!
- Now for the Tomato Jams – I have not made this before, but these recipes look so amazing! And, see above – 4 Sweet 100 Cherry Tomato Plants means I have Cherry Tomatoes in bulk!! I found two versions, and I will be trying both; Tomato Jam and Golden Cherry Tomato and Ginger Jam.
There you have it, Gentle Reader, summer in a jar for you to enjoy when summer is just a fond memory! What is your favorite way to preserve the season’s bounty?
by Kat | Jul 28, 2016 | General
We have some much-needed rain in the forecast today – the skies are cloudy and it smells like rain.
It’s the perfect day to make a batch of Salsa Verde and a jar of Sweet Pickles.
And…by week’s end I think I will have enough little tomatoes to make a batch of Roasted Cherry Tomatoes.
The only other thing on my agenda today is a wee bit of letter writing!
What’s on your agenda today?
by Kat | Jun 20, 2016 | General, Making
Recipe for the Practically Perfect Summer Weekend:
- The best Friday Happy Hour, complete with barbecued shrimp and martini’s.
- Gardening time.
- Strawberry top infused Blushing Mules, oh my was this good! Oh, and both GIN and vodka are spectacular, just sayin’.
- Knitting and spinning. (Another item crossed off my Summer Knit Along list!)
- Moving my blog to a new server. (A million thanks, Steve!!)
This combination makes for a much more palatable Monday.
How was your weekend?
P.S. If you previously subscribed to my blog, you will need to do so again, thank you!
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by Kat | May 31, 2016 | General, Words
Welcome to Tuesday (that really feels like a Monday)!
What could possibly help this dire situation? Reliving the weekend thanks to Carole and her 10 on Tuesday request:
10 Things You Did This Weekend
The weekend arrived a bit early here, Steve only had to work a half a day on Friday. Summer arrived in full force as well, with temperatures into the 90’s here. But, all in all it was a great weekend with a full spectrum of things to do.
We finished a garden bed that we had been working on expanding this month. Whew!
It was also a weekend of discovery – that is discovery in muscles I did not know – or forgot – I had!
There were plenty of cocktails – thank you Blackberry Brambles, Frose’s, Shrubarb (Thanks Vicki for this FANTASTIC new word!!) coolers, and even a beer or two.
The grill got the maximum amount of possible usage for burgers, grilled chicken, and grilled asparagus! There was also Lobster Ravioli, which was not grilled but so delicious!
In moments of respite from the maximum heat and humidity, there was sewing. Specifically, 100 Acts of Sewing, Dress No. 1 in a lovely Robert Kaufman Essex Yarn Dyed Linen that I got from Spool in Pittsburgh. Bonus points were achieved in making and installing the best bias tape I have made and stitched in to date!
There was some spinning – I finished up spinning and plying the ITW batt that I got last year from Maryland Sheep and Wool – I love how it turned out – 400 yards of heavy fingering weight yarn. I almost finished the Shetland done for my sweater project. I just have a tiny bit of spinning to finish and then plying can begin.
There was knitting…I finished sock number one from Carole’s Picot Socks. I LOVE it! Sock number two will be cast on shortly. I also began my Summer Wish List of those WIPs I want to get done this summer – starting with Indigo Cones. Sitting and knitting under the pergola is really lovely, just sayin’.
There was reading – I finished Ann Cleeves White Nights and it was excellent! I thought it was much better than book number one, and I will definitely be continuing with this series this summer! Which is good, because I need a book set in another country for my Book Bingo card! I started The Goldfinch, and within a few pages I was enthralled. This book will be hard to put down – this is a very good thing because as everyone has reminded me this book has over 700 pages!
There was a spectacular Happy Hour under the pergola on Friday!
There was time spent just enjoying that it was the weekend, with deep gratitude that it was not over yet on Sunday night.
There was time spent in meditation and reflection of what the holiday really means, beyond a long holiday weekend, and being filled with profound thankfulness to those willing to serve and give their lives in defense of freedom.
So, tell me – what was your favorite part of your weekend?
by Kat | May 24, 2016 | General, Words
It’s Tuesday, that means that Carole wants to know:
My 10 Favorite Desserts
And, of course, since I am trying NOT to eat desserts right now…because POINTS. I am going to have to list all the things that I am not eating right now.
That’s right, this is the list to avoid if you are on a diet.
- Crème brûlée, perhaps my favorite dessert of all time. If I am getting dessert at a restaurant and they have Crème brûlée on the menu you can be guaranteed I will order it. Every.Single.Time.
- Ice Cream…this is the one I struggle with the most. Really, especially anything with coffee or caramel!
- Cake, any kind at all – with butter cream frosting, and lots of it!
- Martha Stewart’s Almond Tart, to.die.for. Topped with whipped cream, of course.
- Pumpkin pie. Seriously, it is so good.
- Cheesecake…need I say more?
- Brown Sugar Cookies, they are really so easy to make and taste so incredible!
- Smores – with homemade marshmallows, toasted in a bonfire on the beach! Bonus points for not getting sand in them!
- Lemon Cake with icing. Mmmmm.
- Chocolate Budino, pictured below… oh man. So. Good.
And, what is on my “eat” list?
- For the foreseeable future – fresh fruits. Good thing the fresh fruit season is almost upon us!
There you have it – my list of no-no’s. But, I want to know – what is your favorite dessert?
