the friday feed: zucchini rollups

When you're retired, one of life's little luxuries is having the freedom to call a neighbor and say, "Hey, Happy Hour on our front porch at 4:00?"

My neighbor's garden is producing zucchini at its usual lightning-fast pace, and she's generously shared the bounty with me. Three beautiful zucchini were sitting on my counter, and Happy Hour called for a fun little nibble. Zucchini roll-ups it was.

There are a few steps, but these roll-ups are easy to make. For this batch, I used three zucchini, olive oil, goat cheese, tomato pesto, and fresh basil from my garden.

The recipe in a nutshell: Using a mandolin, slice the zucchini lengthwise into 1/8-inch strips. Brush both sides lightly with olive oil and grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, until tender. Let the slices cool, then spread each one with softened goat cheese, followed by a thin layer of tomato pesto. Add a couple of basil leaves, roll the zucchini up, and secure with a toothpick.

Voila! Fun, easy finger food.

Sitting on the porch with friends, Scotch for the guys, wine for the girls, watching the world go by and chatting about whatever comes up...that's the good stuff life is made of.

 

it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood

A couple of days ago, I took a walk around the neighborhood to clear my head, gather my thoughts, and get some little fresh air.

Sometimes a walk is just a walk. I put one foot in front of the other, drift into my thoughts, and before I know it, I'm back home.

Other times, a walk becomes a noticing walk.

This time, it was white flowers.

I saw the first one and then they seemed to appear everywhere. 

Once again a walk made me appreciate how much beauty exists around us every day. Sometimes what's restorative or inspiring is right there, blooming in plain sight.

When we give ourselves permission to slow down, the world has a remarkable way of revealing its quiet gifts.

This wild potato vine is the first white flower that caught my eye. Look closely for the five-pointed star.

The common white clover. Pollinators love these flowers.

Make a wish or two...

 

Queen Anne's Lace...seen on a piece of land that was once an open field and now a building site for a large home.

Begonias

I don't know what this but it fits the white flower theme and I like the shadows it makes on the street.

Hibiscus. This is the size of a dinner plate. I don't go into peoples' yards to take photos but a woman was mowing her lawn and I asked her if she minded me taking a picture of her beautiful flower.

Sweet daisies...I remember making daisy chain necklaces in my much younger days. I'll have to plant some daisies at my son and daughter-in-law's house so the grandkids and I can make daisy crowns and daisy necklaces.

I don't know what this is but it was in a field. Look at the little star in the center...how perfect is that?

wednesday's words and wanderings and wonderings

Day by day, more and more sunflowers are filling the field at the farm. This is the first planting, with bright yellow faces reaching toward the sky and spreading seeds of happiness. Two more plantings are coming along behind this one, and the hope is that the fields will be blooming with sunflowers through mid-September.

Right now the biggest question we get at the farm is, "Do you have lettuce?"

We do not.

Lettuce is a spring and fall crop. Summer heat makes it bitter and tough, so it's just not at its best this time of year.

One day a young man came in looking for lettuce.

"Do you have lettuce? If anyone has lettuce, you guys will."

"Sorry, we don't."

Then the drama began.

"My wife and I are missing our lettuce salads. We like to have a salad every day, and we're going nuts without lettuce!"

"It sounds like you probably have plenty of vegetables at home," I said. "Have you ever tried chopping up a variety of fresh vegetables and marinating them in an oil and vinegar dressing? We carry Garlic Expressions, and it's a delicious dressing. Add some fresh sweet corn kernels to the mix. They're a wonderful addition."

The young man left with a bottle of Garlic Expressions and a couple ears of sweet corn.

Crisis averted. Salad saved.

My neighbor has a fully loaded elderberry tree and invited me over to pick some berries. I've never harvested elderberries before, so she gave me a quick lesson. First, cut the clusters (called drupes) from the tree and place them in a bucket. Swish them around to loosen any debris, strip the berries from their stems, and pack them into freezer bags.

They're tucked away in my freezer now, waiting for cooler weather. When cold and flu season arrives, I'll turn them into homemade elderberry syrup.

We've had a couple of rainy days. I love this bee at the top of its coneflower mountain, with raindrops still clinging to the base of the flower's spiky cone.

pumpkin vine, part 2

You/ve seen the photos of the pumpkin vine taking over my patio. There's another one just around the corner that's now covering a dead bush. We've watched it grow and grow, gradually hiding the bush from view. Even our neighbors are enjoying the Great Pumpkin Adventure. It's not something you see every day in a quiet suburban neighborhood. 

monday's mulling: cyclosporiasis

Cyclosporiasis, an intestinal infection caused by a microscopic parasite, has recently broken out in five states: Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Kentucky, and West Virginia. People can become infected by eating contaminated raw fruits and vegetables, making it especially important to be cautious when purchasing and preparing fresh produce. Health officials have traced the source of this outbreak to a lettuce supplier, Taylor Farms de Mexico.

This summer, I have been working at a family-owned fresh produce market, where many of our customers have expressed concerns about the safety of fresh fruits and vegetables. A local news station recently interviewed Stephanie Treadway, one of the owners of Treadway Gardens, about the outbreak. She stated that she would eat any of the produce sold at her market because she knows exactly where it comes from. The vegetables are grown either on local Treadway family farms or in a Mennonite community about an hour from Dayton. She has personal relationships with the farmers who supply the market, and she has confidence in their growing and handling practices.

This situation has highlighted the importance of knowing where our food comes from. While outbreaks linked to large-scale suppliers can affect many people across multiple states, buying produce from trusted local farmers can provide greater transparency and peace of mind. Although no food is completely risk-free, supporting local growers who follow safe farming practices can help reduce the risk of food-borne illness while also benefiting the local community.

holy smoke!

Yesterday morning, we woke up to hazy skies and the smell of smoke from the Canadian wildfires. The Ohio EPA issued a statewide Air Quality Advisory, and air quality in our area reached the "Very Unhealthy" category with a score of 300. The Miami Valley is expected to see relief beginning Monday.

 

the friday feed: oreo milkshakes

Many years ago, when my house was full of kids, both my own and a steady stream of their friends, Oreo milkshakes were a regular favorite. My blender got quite a workout in those days, churning out those treats for whomever happened to be gathered in the kitchen...like the time the dryer repairman got one! The years passed, the kids left for college, started lives of their own, and those Oreo milkshakes became a memory.

That is, until last week, when the grandchildren came to visit.

To celebrate their trip to Didi and Grandpa's house, I decided it was the perfect time to bring back the tradition. Owen told me he'd already had an Oreo milkshake. "It was from Chick-fil-A." I smiled and told him that Didi's milkshakes were better, especially because he was going to help make them.

I put a handful of Oreos into a zip-top bag and showed him how to crush them with a rolling pin. It was his first time using one, and if he'd had his way, the entire package would have ended up as a pile of crunched up cookies! His enthusiasm and excitement made the whole process just as much fun as the milkshakes themselves.

Needless to say, Owen absolutely loved the cookie shakes, and so did the rest of us. They were the perfect treat on a hot summer day.

Old family traditions bring such joy. A blender, a few Oreos, and little hands eager to help were all it took to bring a family favorite back to life. Judging by the smiles around the table, I have a feeling Didi's Oreo milkshakes will be making many more appearances in the years ahead.