Our Fun Life!

Vintage Orange Mugs

Found these stacking mugs the other day and they have never been used. Cute mugs for chilled fruit soups, autumn soups, and hot chocolate. I love red and orange kitchen stuff!

Back to School

It's the end of my summer break. Heading back to school tomorrow for another year of teaching 9th grade. Lizzie is so sweet. She's helping me make my never ending to-do list. I actually feel more prepared this year than ever since I worked most of the summer on lesson plans. Yeah!

Savory Baked Ham, Tomato, Cheese, and Herb Cups

I have seen quite a few breakfast recipes made with ham and eggs in muffin tins but now that I have a ton of fresh garden produce, I thought that I would use that concept to make a savory dinner.

This morning I picked fresh heirloom tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, sage, and basil from my garden for the recipe below. This is a great recipe that can be served as an appetizer, lunch, or dinner but don't tell anyone that I ate the leftovers for breakfast! Yum! I loved how they were cheesy and fresh tasting. Oh and the little dark tips of the ham slices tasted like well-done bacon. I love well-done bacon!

Savory Baked Ham, Tomato, Cheese, and Herb Cups

24 small ham slices, about 4"x 4" each
2 large ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 Tbsp. minced yellow, red, or white onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 fresh jalapenos, seeded and minced
3/4 c. ricotta cheese
1 1/4 c. shredded cheddar, Colby, Monterey jack, and/or mozzarella cheese
1 egg
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh sage, minced
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/4 c. butter, melted
12 Ritz crackers, crushed

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375*
2. Grease two 12 cup muffin tins with non-stick spray
3. Line each cup with a slice of ham
4. Place a few pieces of chopped tomato in each cup
5. In a medium bowl, mix together the onion, garlic, jalapenos, ricotta cheese, shredded cheese,  egg, basil, sage, cayenne pepper, kosher salt, and black pepper
6. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the cheese mixture in each cup
7. In a small bowl stir together the melted butter and crushed crackers
8. Sprinkle topping on the cheese mixture
9. Bake for 20 minutes
10. Remove from oven and let sit a few minutes before removing from the muffin cups

Makes 24

Gidget's Ear

This is Gidget's "What's goin' on?" look...

Fried Zucchini Blossoms + Garden Veggies w/ Jalapeno Goat Cheese Cream

Jalapeno Goat Cheese Cream

2 Tbsp. goat cheese
2 Tbsp. sour cream
3 Tbsp. buttermilk
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
Kosher salt to taste

Directions:

1. In a small bowl, mash the goat cheese and sour cream together
2. Stir in the remaining ingredients until smooth

Fried Garden Veggies

Male zucchini blossoms, washed and dried
Zucchini, quartered lengthwise
Whole okra
Jalapenos, seeded and quartered lengthwise into strips
1 1/2 c. Buttermilk
1 c. Flour
1 c. Cornmeal
1 tsp. Garlic powder
1 tsp. Hot paprika

Directions:

1. Pour buttermilk into a bowl
2. On a large plate, stir flour, cornmeal, garlic powder, and paprika together
3. Heat vegetable oil in a fryer to 365*
4. In batches, place like vegetables into buttermilk and shake off excess
5. Toss in flour mixture and shake off excess
6. Fry in this order- blossoms, zucchini strips, okra, and jalapenos until golden
7. Remove and drain on paper towels
8. Sprinkle with salt
9. Serve with jalapeno goat cheese cream

Baked Heirloom Tomatoes with Goat Cheese

Place fresh garden tomato slices on parchment paper
Drizzle with olive oil
Top with fresh chunks of goat cheese
Sprinkle with basil and dill
Bake 350* for 10 minutes or until warmed through

Lizzie takes a shower

Lizzie is nuts. She loves water and taking showers. She'll even try to jump into your bath. If she hears water being turned on she will trot into the room and try to drink it.

The other day the glass shower door was open a bit as I was warming up the water. Of course she had to explore. I put her up on the ledge while I showered and then picked her up and bathed her with the warm water. She holds on to you like a koala bear. Afterwards she wouldn't get out.

I wrapped her up in a towel and then gave her a blow dry.

This is the spot that she always sits at when I blow my hair. She wants you to blow hers too but you have to be 4 feet away. She waits every morning for her blow dry even though she isn't wet.
What a cutie!

Creamy Blackberry Soup

Creamy Blackberry Soup

4 c. fresh blackberries
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. water
1 - 2 c. vanilla yogurt or 1 c. half & half

Directions:

1. In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil
2. When the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and chill
3. Place blackberries and sugar syrup in a food processor
4. Pulse until blackberries are broken down
5. Press and scrape mixture in a fine wire mesh strainer over a bowl
6. Stir yogurt or half & half into the mixture and serve chilled

I made this with the half & half but I think it would be better with vanilla yogurt

Blackberry Picking Adventures

Helen and I went to a local farm that is only 10 minutes from our house to go blackberry picking. On the way there a white crane flew right in front of our car and then we saw a huge buzzard on the side of the road. I stopped to get a photo but it flew off too fast. Up the road a bit we saw two beautiful horses on the top of a hill by the road. I wanted their picture.

We got to the farm, picked up our berry basket and went to the rows they told us that had the ripe berries. The farm had thousands of berry bushes in multiple rows that were extremely long. It was so cool to see. I had no idea that unripe blackberries were red. I ate one and promptly spit it out~ whew~ sour.

I took a few pictures and Helen filmed a video of me talking about blackberries that I will show my foods students. We picked and picked and ate and ate. Good thing I brought damp washcloths with us to wipe away the sticky juice.

On the way out we got some fresh peach ice cream that we gobbled up. As we drove home I stopped the car on the side of the road, climbed the hill and took some pictures of the horses. The spotted one kept snorting at me to go away while the brown one came right up to me. Beautiful- love his eye lashes.

 

One year ago...

I adopted the best kitty in the world from the shelter. Here's Lizzie waking up from a cozy nap.