July 2021. The amount of laughter in our house has increased immensely, due to the addition of two kittens. Our dog Sauk has anxiety issues. He was in need of a buddy, and when my sister’s cat charlotte had kittens – we had the kids pick two as playmates for Sauk. So far, a week later, we have no regrets. Addy (withthe mustache) and Marilyn are 10 weeks old this week, and they are settling in quite nicely into our family. Addy is the mustache cat, she is very inquisitive and loves to be wherever you are. Marilyn is a little bit more independent, but she loves to snuggle up to Sauk when she first wakes up. The adventures of these two are going to be inspiration for my blog and beyond for years to come!
I must admit,
I’ve not been cooking or reading too much lately. We went thru a heatwave that made eating hot food undesirable. Now that we're back to our normal July weather - I'm ready to dive in to some creative dishes! As far as reading goes, I did sign up for Kindle Unlimited, but feel
that I just don’t have time to sit and read and do nothing else. My time lately is filled with constant
cleaning, organizing – both inside and outside. I did finish the a new Nora Roberts - which felt great to read and relax. My goal for the rest of July is to take at least a few hours each week and sit and read something. It may be a magazine or a book, but it helps ease my mind from all the jumbled thoughts in my head.
Outside, the
garden was planted late due to the greenhouse construction. It’s still not fully done, but it’s done for
now and thus the plants are growing at a wonderful rate! We have tons of squash planted, tomatoes,
cukes, greens, garlic, onions, peppers and herbs. I have a few more late season items to
plant, re-do the outter fence to keep the chickens out, and plant fall flower
seeds.
We did loose one of our beloved hens due to the end of June heatwave. It was 113 degrees, and the humidity was so high it was hard to breathe. The hens were brought inside for a day, and one of our girls has yet to being laying again as she was on the verge of death herself. Violet was our best layer, and she is missed much by the remaining three (picutre left to right is Biggie, Sweet Pea and Milly) We are looking towards the fall when it's our plan to get a few pullets to add to the flock. These ladies do more than just lay eggs -they are our natural pest control, fertilizers, and compost makers.
We had a family visit over Independence day weekend, and the weekend after. This visit was put off last year due to Covid-19. We had a blast, and ended up doing a full seafood spread with local oysters, clams and a seafood chowder. We had so many oysters leftover that I made a spread for the 5th of July bbq. I must say I did it pretty well and I feel it will be a crowd pleaser for those that enjoy oysters! I didn't get picture of the spread, so you'll have to use your imagination.
Oyster Spread
Courses:
Condiments and sauces
Ingredients
1 cup
Cooked Oysters
1/2
cup Cooked Steamer
clam meat
8
oz cream cheese, softened
1/3
cup sour cream 1/3
cup parmesan cheese
- shredded or
grated
1/2
tsp marinated garlic
Salt
Pepper
Worstershire Sauce
2
TBSP chopped Green Onion
1 TBSP Olive Oil
Milk
or half and
half (to thin)
Optional:
Hot Sauce
Directions
Rinse
clams and Oysters
to remove any
grit
Add
to food processor:
seafood, cream cheese,
parm, sour cream,
olive oil, and
garlic
Pulse
a few times
to combines
Add
a few shakes
of worstershire sauce,
green onions, pulse
again
Check
for consistency -
if too thick,
add a splash
of milk
Process
on low for
30 seconds
Add
salt and pepper
to taste
Taste
test again -
adjust seasonings to
your preference. If
too thick, add
another splash of milk.
Process
another 15 to
30 seconds until
smooth. Do not
overmix.
Transfer
to a bowl.
Cover
and chill for
30 minutes to
an hour. Serve cool
with crackers, crudités,
or pita chips
Notes
Will
keep in fridge
for up to
3 days
Cook
Oysters on the
grill a day
before for the
best flavor. Ok
to substitute them
for jarred (glass or
plastic) oysters.
Use
extra small, small,
or medium sized
oysters.
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