Summer Fun 2011:

I started this list last summer and thought it would be fun to look at again this year.  So, I updated and reflected on all the fun we have already had and the things I would like to do in these (hate to say it) end-of-summer days.

X-camp at Branbury   

__-bake bread

X-July 4th parade and festivities

__-family parties—including Nora’s 85th

  __-try fishing

__-make a book with J

__-see a Circus

__-start losing weight instead of gaining it

XXXX-SWIM SWIM SWIM (lake, river, pool, pond; anywhere and everywhere; as much as possible)

X-swim lessons for J

__-a class for me? sewing?

X-Addison County Field Days

__-make something out of wood 

X-summer soccer for J

__-new, healthy foods

X-pick strawberries, raspberries, and blue berries

X-BEACH!!!!! (I wrote this at the beach actually ;-)

__-put food by—freeze and can fruit and veggies

X-veggie garden

__-ORGANIZE HOUSE!!

X-donate lots ’o stuff

X-hike (here behind our house and other places)

__-read my own books

X-festival-on-the-green

X-boat ride

X-Selma visit

__-Visit museums (Shelburne, Rokeby, Echo)

__-Invite more people over here

__-crafty projects

__-less TV (which means ending my habit of turning the TV on for J while I take my shower . . . yikes)

__-go to a baseball game 

X-hang out with J and friends at his school

__ -visit state parks and historic sites

X-stay home and do “nothing”

X-girls night out

__-Echo lake?

X-craft nights with my crafty ladies

X-catch up with old friends

X-plant some flowers 

__-ride a horse

__- PROJECTS with J: crafts, learning, nature . . .

X-read lots with J, and visit the library every week

Pancakes!

Sundays around here mean pancakes or french toast, and as I was cooking this morning I realized pancakes are another every day, yummy, easy, recipe. AND you can sneak in veggies! Basically, you can put anything in them. I throw it all together, do something different every time, and never measure. I also plan to try freezing some so we have a good easy week-day breakfast, but so far I haven't had any leftovers.

Basic recipe:

1 1/2 C Bisquick
1/2 C whole wheat flour
1 C milk
2 eggs
(I like to add little bit of sugar, baking powder, and vanilla)

Add ins:

• pureed cooked squash, pumpkin, or sweet potato, cinnamon, and nutmeg

This is what I have been doing a lot lately. I roasted my squash from the garden a couple weeks ago (end of the growing season) then pureed it in the food processor and froze it in 4 oz glass canning jars. Now I have a nice healthy and easy add in I can grab and sneak in to all sorts of dishes. I have a couple pumpkins I plan to cook up soon.

• blueberries
• mini chocolate chips
• raisins
• grated apple and cinnamon
• mashed banana and walnuts
• oatmeal
• wheat germ
• flax seeds

I don't get creative with the topping--we always stick to good ol' maple syrup. Joseph will even tell you that maple syrup comes from maple trees!

Go-to, fast, easy, not-to-many-ingredients, kind-of-healthy recipes

My very favorite recipes are the kind that really serve as guidelines for creating quick¸ easy, somewhat healthy meals. I take the general idea and then add a little of this seasoning, some of that produce, etc . . . And it doesn’t take long, I don’t have to make a special trip to the store¸ and hopefully Brad and Joseph actually eat it, and even get some veggies in their veggie-phobic tummies. So, I thought I would share one of my favorite such “recipes” and hope I could persuade you, the reader, to share some of yours with me! I always enjoy new kitchen inspiration and thought this might be a fun blog experiment as well. So, leave a recipe as a comment, or email it to me at ruthbernstein@shoreham.net. If I get a few I will post them.

Super-Easy, Everyday Chili
Cook ground beef, onion, and garlic (add any colored pepper here if you like). When cooked, stir in canned kidney beans (drained and rinsed), canned diced tomatoes un-drained, canned tomato sauce, chili powder, basil, salt, and pepper. Add other seasonings, such as paprika, cayenne pepper, garlic powder etc, other beans (I usually add black beans or whatever else I have), other vegetables such as corn (Brad much prefers it with corn). Simmer for a bit and then serve. Can be topped with cheddar cheese and sour cream and great served with cornbread, if you have time to whip that up. Enjoy!

All these ingredients are ones I keep on hand, so this is a great recipe for when I look at the time and start to panic because I have no time. It freezes well and it has veggies that even Joseph will eat. Serve the next day on hotdogs. This is adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book Special Edition (thanks Debbie!).

It only took a year and a half

But, I finally finished my first sweater! Yay! And it even fits him (which is lucky since he wasn't even walking yet when I started it). Working on my second one now (my goal is to finish by early winter) . . .