Refreshing!

Sometimes brewing the single serve of Solar Green Tea is easier!  Before I know it, it will be ready on this HHH day!

I'll Enjoy!
Yummy!

Blueberry Torte

Blueberry Torte

There was one container of local Blueberries sitting on the bottom shelf of our fridge.  There was one container until this past weekend!  It had been too hot to bake!  Now, it was cooler outside & the Blueberries were beckoning me.  Gone was the 8 day heat wave.  Thank goodness!  It's summer, but we do not live in a southern state.  Heat waves that are not as long as that one are much easier to take.

A Blueberry Torte had been on my mind.  This is a great dessert to bake using Marian Burros' & Lois Levine's Plum Torte recipe.  Then, change it a bit.  We like the taste of Blueberries better than Plums, so I bake a Blueberry Torte.   

More of my changes:

• Use 2 Egg Whites + 1 Whole Egg instead of 2 Whole Eggs.
• Add 1 teaspoon Cinnamon into batter.
• Add 1/4 Cup Milk (I use Soy Milk) into batter.
• Sprinkle less Cinnamon/ Sugar on top.  

Ready to place in the oven!

Rather than eat every last piece until the Torte is gone, I cut it into slices.  Who can resist this yummy dessert the day it is baked?  We sure cannot!  But, a little self control is good.  The extra individual slices are packaged in sandwich bags, then into Freezer Bags.  Into the freezer they go.  This Torte is delicious when defrosted, too!

Click here for Blueberry Torte recipe.

If you have 2 Cups of Blueberries, bake this Torte!  If you do not have Blueberries, put them on your grocery list!  It is so good!  Oh, don't forget to add a small scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream on top before serving a slice!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

               

~Colors During Our Heat Wave~

Salmon Daylily

"Ahhh!"  It was a moment of enjoy it now before it is gone!  Yesterday, there were 2 Salmon Daylilies blossoming in our front garden.  They were our last 2 Daylilies of the year.  What a great crop bursting open every morning.  Even during the heat wave of the past 8 days, the garden was bursting with color!

At the same time our side garden is filled with colorful Zinnias!  They grew from seeds saved from last year's colorful crop. 

Zinnias planted with seeds saved from last year's crop!

It's so bright outdoors.  What color these flowers have added to our yard on these days of intense heat!

Enjoy!

Blueberries & Freezer Jam

Local Blueberry Season is here!

B-l-u-e-b-e-r-r-i-e-s!  Oh, yum!  It's the time of year when the local blue sweet pieces of fruit are ripe!  T'was a week of blueberries for me.

Our winter supply is now packed away in the freezer. 

Definitely Blueberry Freezer Jam was on my agenda, too.  On Wednesday afternoon 2 batches were prepared, separately.  The fresh Blueberries double rinsed under cool running water & drained, Certo, Sugar &  Lemon Juice were placed on my counter- ready to use.  The Ziploc Freezer Containers were washed & dried.  It was time to make the yummy homemade jam!  The directions are found inside each box of Certo.   Before I knew it, the containers were filled & the top was popped in place. 

Then, each container was labelled/ dated including the time it was placed in the plastic Ziploc Freezer Container.  The 2 batches of Blueberry Freezer Jam sat on our dining room table making themselves for the 24 hour wait period.  After 24 hours, into the freezer each container was placed.

If you are interested in Blueberry Freezer Jam, click here for my Helpful Hints!  Homemade Jams & Jellies taste so much better than the commercial brands!

Do you prep/ freeze local fresh Blueberries to use the remainder of the year?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

   

Chicken Salad Platter

Chicken Salad Platter

Chunks of Grilled Chicken, juicy Nectarines & creamy Avocado resting on a bed of shredded lettuce!  Add a few whole Pecans, some shredded Red Cabbage & Carrots with Feta Cheese resting on top.  Now that is colorful!  Now that is so nutritious & yummy, too!

Then Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette drizzled on top.  This is definitely my kind of Salad Platter for dinner.  It's been HHH lately, so after enjoying Grilled Chicken, Grilled Zucchini & a microwaved "Baked Potato" one night at dinner, a cold Chicken Salad Platter the next evening is oh so good!

The OXO salad dressing shaker is filled with:

Raspberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

• 1/2 Cup Olive Oil for salads

• 2 teaspoons Raspberry Jam or Jelly

Then, shake, shake, shake & shake that container again!
Repeat & repeat again until the Jam/ Jelly is dissolved.

If I had cold Grilled Zucchini left, I'd add it to the Salad platter, too! This is a great refreshing nutritious dinner on an HHH night!

Yummy!
Enjoy!

3rd Generation Marigolds

Marigold Blossoms!

Saving seeds from Marigold & Zinnia plants is always a FuN thing for me.  Two years ago when my 2 cute little grandsons gave me a beautiful flowering Marigold plant, I KNEW I'd be saving the seeds that Fall.  It would be the plant that kept on growing!

Saved Dried Marigold Seeds
(File Photo)

The saved seeds were planted last spring & guess what?  My new little plants grew & I saved seeds again in the Fall.  This spring the seeds sprouted in a planter & I've been patiently w- a- i- t- i- n- g  for the little plants to g- r- o- w.  Watering, sunshine & patience comes in handy here.  Today the first blossom started to open!
Woohoo!  What cute little plants!

Do you save seeds from annuals to plant the following spring?

I'll be Enjoying these special plants all summer into autumn!

  

Fourth of July

Have a 

Safe & a Happy

4th of July!!!

Enjoy!