Summer BBQ's, Fresh Berries and Lemonade!!

That sounds yummy.....I'm making zucchini pancakes for dinner...my son has a ton of squash....nothing in my garden!

Chee burger Chee burger....that was my yearly visit...ICK, kids like it though

Never heard of that place.....none around here. I added grated sweet potato to the zuke pancakes....they came out great!

Went to the farm for dinner....Garret made stuffed cabbages from the garden...also used up lots of tomatoes & cukes.....blueberry season has ended ......too short for me!

mmmm, I love stuffed cabbage

made chicken on a stick for b-day party(oven fried chicken, easy to handle for the kiddies)
also had subs for the adults

horse cake, frosting turned out sooooo good!

Needing a dinner without much warning that I was elected to cook, I took out a package of PF Chang's Pepper Beef with Noodles from the fridge and heated it up. With garden veggies, a reasonable emergency meal.

Jen, the cake turned out so nice! I'm sure your daughter loved it.........Don, good work....I haven't been cooking, my niece has though.....I enjoyed someone cooking for me!

Food to make you smarter???

1 beets
2 anchovies
3 eggs
4 berries
5 lard
6 cayenne pepper
7 Brussels sprouts
8 kale
9 pumpkin seeds
10 Apples
11 Dark chocolate

For the reason why... http://www.organicgardening.com/cook/11-foods-that-make-you-smarter?page=0,0&cm_mmc=facebook-_-OrganicGardening-_-Content-Cook-_-smarter

Greek fest!

If I had to rely on Brussel Sprouts to make me smart, I'd be in big trouble! That's the only veggie I have trouble eating......

Had pork chops baked with whole grain mustard, vermouth, & scallions....sister brought a pasta salad, also made broccoli.....I planted purple peacock broccoli in April....sprouts are just forming.....

I love the smaller brussels sprouts

Tomato glut! Have to roast some sauce soon. In the meantime I tried a recipe for no-cook tomato sauce

http://www.chow.com/videos/show/the-easiest-way/122746/how-to-make-easy-no-cook-tomato-sauce

using penne made from sweet potato flour. Turned out pretty well.


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I remember making a stir-fry with shredded brussels sprouts and onions two years ago that turned out pretty well. My BS didn't do well last year so I haven't tried it again.

Trader Joes has shredded brussel sprouts in a bag.

Wish Trader Joes was closer or at least more convenient to me


made chocolate zucchini bread with the monster zucchini my neighbor gave me...YUMMY!!!!

I like marinating the little raw brussel sprouts in Italian salad dressing!

yum

Absolutely Yum!

Went to Trader Joe's for the first time while I was in Pittsford last week....very nice! I picked some of my son's tomatoes yesterday, am hoping they are more flavorful than mine......also picked a monster cabbage....have to do something with that.....

Sauerkraut!

Just went today...not really for everyday type of shopping...good if you're having a party I guess

I like Whole Foods or Wegmans better since you can get everything and lot bigger produce and meat departments
I didn't realize Trader Joes doesn't sell TP, had to stop at Target on the way home, while my ice cream was melting in the car

They do sell TP and paper towels.

Not in this one they didn't, nothing like that, everything was food/liquor/vitamins

I even went back around to make sure I didn't miss it somewhere

That is very disappointing!

Ya it was.

of course their Ultra chocolate ice cream made up for it OH MY GOSH!!!! SOooooooo good!!!! and I'm an ice cream snob...wow, probably 1 of the best chocolate ice creams I ever had

This message was edited Aug 29, 2013 11:19 PM

You know I'm all about making your own food cause they just put too much crap in it nowadays...so glad I found this
Homemade Coffee Creamer – Over 2 Dozen Flavor Varieties!

For whatever flavor of creamer you want, you start off with the same basic ‘base’ recipe.

14oz sweetened condensed milk
1 3/4 cup milk or cream (whole, lowfat, skim, almond, soy, heavy cream, half & half etc – whatever your preference, however the more fat, the more creaminess)

Mix the ingredients together well. Add them to a mason jar and shake it like crazy or you could also opt to use an old (washed) creamer container.

French Vanilla Creamer
2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR vanilla coffee syrup

Vanilla Bean Coffee Creamer
2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste

Chocolate
2-3 tablespoons chocolate syrup
(1 tsp vanilla extract, optional)

Chocolate Almond
1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1 teaspoon almond extract

Strudel
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Vanilla Caramel
2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Chocolate Raspberry
2 teaspoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons raspberry syrup

Irish Cream
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon instant coffee
1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract

Coconut
2 teaspoons coconut extract

Samoa (like the Girl Scout Cookies)
2 teaspoons coconut extract (or sub coconut milk or cream of coconut, heated & strained, for the milk/cream)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping

Peppermint Patty
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

Cinnamon Vanilla
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Pumpkin Spice
3 tablespoons pureed pumpkin
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
4 tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Honey Vanilla
1/4 cup honey
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Almond Joy
1-2 teaspoons coconut extract (or sub coconut milk or cream of coconut if you heat it first, strained, in place of the milk & extract)
1 teaspoon almond extract
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

Sweet Cream
Use 1 3/4 cups of heavy cream instead of the milk in the base recipe
2 teaspoons vanilla extract OR the inside of a vanilla bean, scraped
1 teaspoon almond extract

Chocolate Orange
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
1-2 teaspoons orange extract

Hazelnut
2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

Chocolate Hazelnut
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup
2 teaspoons hazelnut extract

Cinnamon Cake
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Salted Caramel
2-3 tablespoons caramel ice cream topping
1/2 teaspoon salt

Eggnog
replace milk in base recipe with equal amount of heavy cream
1 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 teaspoons rum extract
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Toasted Almond
2 teaspoons almond extract

Directions & Tips:
In all these recipes, anything that has a dry or thick ingredient (like cinnamon, honey, etc..) should be heated up with a small amount of your milk/cream from the base recipe so it can dissolve properly. You don’t want grainy creamer! Then, add the rest of the milk/cream along with the sweetened condensed milk.

If you want really creamy creamer, use heavy cream instead of milk in your base recipe.

You'll want to stick a piece of tape on they mason jar lid with the expiration date from the milk used. Use this as a guideline as to when the creamer should be used by.

Please feel free to play around with amounts of extracts and other ingredients used if you like stronger or less intense flavors!! And, let your imagination turn, and make up your own combinations. Use this as inspiration to create your very own perfect homemade flavored creamer!

OOh....that sounds good. Today's Hartford paper had a write up on a dairy in Bantam......they were the ones who picked blueberries at Old Barn Farm last year, but couldn't come up with an intense enough flavored ice cream that would be all natural......anyway, the food writer had sour cherry chocolate chunk....am thinking about a ride this afternoon! Those creamers sound better than coffee!

This message was edited Aug 30, 2013 9:30 AM

Delish sounding creamer ideas, Jen! Makes me want to have a coffee event and serve a variety.

that's a great idea! dessert and coffee bar

Wow on the creamers.
You can't beat Wegmans.
I haven't gone to trader joes
Enjoying some homemade caramel cashew ice cream right now

Yum, Deb! Trader's Joe was a small store, but they had some nice things....my brother bought a mini rose there......

Great idea for the creamers. Need to try that!!

Had our family picnic today......ate too much! Had a peach for supper, that was plenty.....

Made Eggplant-Pepper-Tomato Sauce (everything from the garden except Oregano!) and had it over spaghetti with Swedish meatballs. Yum. Lots of sauce left over so will be looking for other ways to use it.

Sounds wonderful! You can probably use it for a chili base, Don.

On a roll this week. Just made a Cassoulet with Italian sausage, cherry tomatoes, onion, peppers and white and black beans. Delish (as one of my favorite authors used to say.)

(And the Eggplant sauce from last week was great over hamburger or baked potato, too!)

You inspire me, Don.....I need to cook more, have been very lazy......thinking about chicken for tonight.....

YUMMMMM!!!!! I made a pork cassoulet once and it was wonderful. Need to do that again.