Summer Kitchen

 First, I want to pass on this tip I found when I needed to have softened butter.

(I only had cold butter)

If you need softened butter quicker than the "leave on the counter for hours" way,

 

Place a stick of butter between

2 pieces of wax paper

and roll it out.

 

That's it!

Then, just spatula it off into whatever you are using it for!

I love Google.

 

We baked cookies today to take to the lake tomorrow!

Here's the recipe!

 

 

 

View of my kitchen

(as bare as it looks here)

(this is house-selling bare)

(even though our house is not selling)

 

It all happens in the kitchen.

I love my kitchen.



 A good friend has so generously given us a ton of cucumbers and zucchini!!

This makes me very happy!

 

A few favorite things I've been making with zucchini

is:

-Cut up raw with veggie dip

-Sliced and sautéed with a little olive oil, salt and pepper,

topped with fresh parmesan cheese

-Zucchini bread

 

Not my picture, got it HERE

 

And this delicious Chocolate Lover's Zucchini Cake

HERE

I made this tonite and will frost it for dessert tomorrow night.

 

 Now onto cucumbers!

When I was a kid,

 We would get cucumbers from my Grandpa

and I'd slice them and put them in vinegar and water. 

 

Refrigerator Cucumbers in Vinegar and Water

(original from me!)

 

Slice many cucumbers and put into an ice cream pail

fill with about two-thirds water

and one-third vinegar.

slice an onion...any way you like, smaller might be better.

Salt and pepper.

Lots of salt and pepper.

 

Here's the hard part:

Refrigerate for at least an hour.

(or hide it in the garage fridge until the next day like I did)

This will stay good for days.

If they last that long!

 

Optional: Add more salt and pepper to your bowl of these amazing cucumbers!

Here's a recipe from a fellow homeschooler.

I used a Strawberry Vinaigrette and it was too sweet, next time

I'd probably use a more mild vinaigrette.

 

Chopped Romaine Lettuce

(sometimes I add regular lettuce to make it go farther)

1 cup quinoa, cooked

(after it's cooked, there will be a lot more than 1 cup--use it all!)

Sliced strawberries

slivered almonds (I made this part up)

(I think maybe sliced almonds would be better...but whatever you have is fine)

Vinaigrette dressing (fruity or whatever!)

 

 

 And we can't forget summer mud-pies

 They're always happening around here

Enjoy!