Week 29, Day 7

breakfast: oatmeal made by me

lunch: tomato sandwiches on sourdough.  so good!

dinner: 

Week 29, Day 6

Breakfast: Oatmeal, made by Daitarih - the kids are getting to be able to actually be quite independent when making food

Lunch: chicken sandwiches at Jack in the Box for Cressida, Katelin Schwab (Daitarih's little friend), and I.  Dai waited until we got home and made a tomato sandwich.  I also got a Diet Dr. Pepper.  Jack in the Box is one f the few places that sells it.  I have been doing only non-diet since shortly before starting my anti-depressants because there are a lot of links between depression and artificial sweeteners.  Wow - it was not good now that I have been away from it so long.

Dinner: church bread (sourdough), baked ziti and a garden salad - same ingredients as last night.  Katelin was so gracious - she said she really liked it.  I also made the pineapple sherbet, strawberries and bananas stuff my dad made when I was a kid.  Jason doesn't like it so I got him coffee ice-cream.  Dai and Phyllis also didn't like so she had a candy.  Cressida and I liked it and Katelin but we are the only ones.  Kind of sad - I know how Mickie must have felt about her cranberry salad.  I liked it but no one else in her family did - though  think Larry ate it, her two boys didn't.  

Week 29, Day 5

Breakfast: Jason made eggs for everyone and either warmed corn tortillas or made toast for each.  He also sliced up the potato wedges I had done with pepper and onions and fried that mix for us, too.  and nectarines from Heather Castro.

Lunch: Jason and I had chicken salad sandwich on church bread.  Di had peanut butter and honey on her sourdough bread.  She seems to like it.  Cress had the green beans with white rice.  Phyllis had a tomato sandwich.

Dinner:  I made a casserole out of bread, zucchini, cheese and eggs.  It only had two eggs - so it isn't really an egg casserole.  We also had a salad with it.  One head of romaine, a head of CSA butter leaf lettuce, cucumbers, radishes, grape tomatoes.

Prep ahead: I made a zucchini carrot curry soup.  It is only okay.  I have made better but the best I ever had was what Ian, Elise's ex-boyfriend made us one time, off the top of his head - no recipe, which is too bad becuase it was the best I ever had.  Even after those two zucchini heavy meals, we have summer squash left.

I found a recipe for a chard rice soup.  But we have so much food right now and we leave Thursday, so we decided to can it.  But you are supposed to add the rice when you reheat it, not before you can it.  So we just cooked the chard in broth and then tried to pressure can that but the canner wouldn't seal.  We tried it again after adding oil to the rim and it did eventually seal.

I also started carrot fennel soup with the intention of canning that up to the point that the wild rice is added, but the chard took so long, we just put it in jars in the fridge to try again later.  

Week 29, Day 4

Breakfast: donuts and breakfast burritos and fruit and other munchies brought for the potluck.

Lunch: officially, a Taco Bell run during Champs but also there was watermelon, nectarines, fruit tart baked by Heather, chips, jello jigglers in Penguin colors, vegetables and dip, pretzels, etc.  We had a ton leftover, too.

Dinner:  I had a chicken salad sandwich, Jason had green beans and potatoes, Dai and Cress had Indian food.  Phyllis ate rice, green beans and they had parathas, too, but it all had to be what was in the house already.  We had gone swimming in the evening and it was late and we were exhausted.

Week 29, Day 3

Breakfast:  This morning Dai woke and I was doing something so I said, "If you want breakfast before swim you should probably make it."  She thought and then said, "Pancakes!"  I said that was fine but she needed to find a recipe.  She went first to the bookshelf where we keep many of our recipe books (at the end of the island) and I suggested she use the one above the stove (meaning the Betty Crocker one) and she looked and fond her kids one and sure enough there was a recipe so she made them - completely alone, except I poured the 2 T of oil to avoid a spill.  They were made with CSA blackberries.  She used apricot syrup but the other two used the pluot - seriously that is so good!

Lunch: Jason came home at lunch to WFH until it was time to set up for Champs.  He had black bean tacos.  Cress had them, too, but she used the two left over hard shells from last night.  Dai had a tomato sandwich and I had a BLT.  Phyllis was at a party for her Primary class and she got an Uncrustables sandwich and raisins (and ice-cream, too).

Dinner:  dark garbanzo beans, CSA green beans and the leftover chunk of a tomato sauteed and then added store bought coconut curry sauce.  Served over white rice with parathas.

Prep ahead:  bacon for tomorrow's breakfast burritos (we are making for multiple families).  Kale chips. Kahlan had made them to take camping and she told us that she did them in the microwave and Dai wanted to try it.  At that time, I had to go get Phyllis from her party so I left her alone and she looked it up on-line and did it all by herself - well, she let Cress help, but she figured it out all on her own.   Green beans, garlic and onions cooked in bacon grease and steamed with chicken broth.  I made this to use up CSA green beans.  Roasted and peeled CSA peppers and baked them with potatoes.  Cooked has browns in advance for burritos tomorrow.  We also cored and washed the strawberries for freezing - they were in a bag and we forgot them there all day.  We also washed and froze the remaining blackberries.  Cut up radishes and CSA broccoli for tomorrow's Champs potluck.  

Week 29, Day 2

breakfast: fried eggs, toast, hash with leftover corned beef from New England boiled dinner and some microwaved tator tots.  Dai was not a fan and neither was Cress.  Phyllis said the hash would have been better without the meat - I said "Meat is what makes it hash, otherwise it is just potatoes."

Lunch:  chicken salad sandwiches, peaches, canned pears (total spurge I bought at Walmart today)

Dinner: black bean tacos because Phyllis has been asking for them.  I even did crunchy tacos that were folded and fried.  The kids loved that!

Week 29, Day 1

Breakfast: fried eggs, sourdough toast, tator tots

Lunch: chicken salad sandwiches, peaches or nectarines

Dinner: leftover Chinese chicken napa cabbage salad and leftover New England boiled dinner.  We had only one hunk of meat left.  

Week 28, Day 7

breakfast: cream of wheat - Dai brought some home from her camping trip since they bought a whole box just for their trip.  He bought regular - my mom always bought the quick cooking or instant.  But we spend five minutes cooking oatmeal so 2.5 for another cereal seems very reasonable - just the way one grows up with only one kind and never thinks about it.

Lunch:  cherries, peaches and tomato sandwiches on Cressida's church sourdough.  We had bagged it and saved it.

Dinner: Burritos again.  The beans are almost gone, too!  There is enough for Jason's lunch tomorrow but I am not sure beyond that.  This batch I intentionally made a little spicier.  Last night the girls asked for milk to drink with dinner.  Dai said, "I think I know why milk helps with the spicy.  Spicy is an acid and ilk is a base so it cancels out the spicy."  Jason and I then told her spicy is a base, not an acid and that we were pretty sure milk was neutral pH.  I told her most things we drink are fairly neutral pH, but there is a range.  Phyllis then pointed out that sodas are slightly acidic.  Jason then asked, "It would make sense it would be neutral because what is milk's real purpose?"  A moment of silence and then Dai, said "Cheese!"  We had a good laugh and then Phyllis said for calves.

*  Update later: Milk is actually slightly acidic (6.8 pH) which totally make sense why it helps with spicy foods, which are bases.  However, at 6.8 it is practically neutral - water being the neutral standard at 7 pH.  Kind of cool what kids drive you to learn, right?

Week 28, Day 6

breakfast: Jason was super tired so he got up late so I made him breakfast.  I tried a new recipe - Edna May's Sour Cream pancakes.  Jason and I ate most of them but Daitarih got some (she got up first of the girls) and Phyllis got some (she got up second and there were only two left.)  So, Phyllis made more regular pancakes.  Mostly by herself.

Lunch: Jason is buying lunch today.  It is very unlike him (he usually takes what there is regardless) but he told me he didn't really care for leftover New England boiled dinner.  In fact, I don't think he loves it fresh either, but he eats it and doesn't complain.  Phyllis really loves that dinner - so that is nice.  Maybe I will make him beans to compensate for a less than awesome dinner last night.

Dinner: burritos.  I made 2 pounds worth of gringa beans so we would have plenty for the week as well.  We only had grape tomatoes but I split them in quarters and that worked just fine since they are added on.  I did have to go get lettuce.  I feel like all summer I have had too much lettuce and now all of a sudden - none.  Of course, I intentionally was using up what we had this past week because I felt like we had lettuce overload, so I guess that worked.  When we got lettuce (on foot) we also got ice-cream.  Actually, Daisy and I were on foot and the girls were all on skateboards.  On the way home, I sent Dai ahead with the bag (I had to pay for it because I forgot to bring one of my own!) so the ice-cream didn't melt.  I sliced up the rest of the CSA strawberries to go on top.  Dai doesn't like fruit with her ice-cream so she kind of divided her bowl.  We remembered FHE so that was our FHE treat/dessert.

week 28, day 5

Breakfast: Phyllis had breakfast at the sleep over.  Dai had cream of wheat for her sleepover.  Cress and I had toast and leftover grits - she didn't eat though, maybe a couple bites.

Lunch: phyllis and I ate leftover potato soup.  She toasted her church bread sourdough roll.  I toasted my church poppy seed bagel.  Half I did with tomatoes, goat cheese and capers, (so good!) and the other half was for my soup.

Dinner:  New England boiled dinner - I used all the CSA carrots (we had two weeks worth) and the CSA cabbage.  I used two cans of meat.  The first one's key broke off before it was all the way open so I carefully tried to open it to let the meat out - but I cut my finger anyway.  Not terrible but it hurts.  

week 28, day 4

breakfast: breakfast burritos - so grateful Jason makes those before we go to swim.  We ask took our peaches and some waned up meatballs.

lunch: Costco pizza - we went in with some other families, the Buchanans and Castros.   we also had thrifty ice-cream on the way home

dinner: Dai was at her daddy-dauhgter camp out and the girls ate at the overnighter.  I ate some rice and meatballs, a half a PBJ and a beet wrap.  Too much, i know.

Dai had saghetti for dinner on her camp out

Week 28, Day 3

Breakfast: grits, but unfortunately, I stirred them going in and set a time then went to go learn how to scan in a Family History tin print.  Well, apparently that made them lumpy.  There wasn't dry powder in the lumps (like lumpy cream of wheat when i as child), but still wasn't too popular with the kids.

Lunch: cress and phyllis had leftover black bean layers.  dai had pbj. i had beet wrap.  we all ha peaches.  also everyone had one reheated meatball.  heather gave them to us bc she accidentally bought the spci mango ones and her family weren't big fans. the girls like them - granted they had one at a time.  Cress said she would like it if it wasn't too spicy but when Phyllis offered to finish it she shut her down and ate it herself. i am glad my kids know what spicy is but don't let it be a detractor too much.

Dinner: leek potate soup.  CSA leeks, CSA potatoes. Same salad as last night.  CSA lettuce, CSA strawberries, CSA cherry tomatoes, plus goat cheese and toasted pine nuts.  Dai has decided she likes pine nuts after all.

Made another apricot cobbler for dessert.  Used Paula Deen's recipe and it is similar to mom's but more flour than sugar whereas my mom's calls for equal parts sugar nd flour.  Also, my mom's uses bang powder for rising and Paula Deen's uses self-rising flour - which I think it just flour with baking powder mixed in so we added baking flour.  

Week 28, Day 2

Breakfast: pancakes - just dying to try the syrups and show them to Jason so I even got him to eat at home today.  In fact, we ate alone.  The kids got up just as or after he was leaving (I told them they could each have $2 if their room was vacuum ready by 10 AM.)  They each only got two pancakes each because that as all that was left.  Dai, Phyllis and I chose pluot syrup (far more complex a flavor in my mind.)  Dai then had leftover oatmeal afterwards.  Cress tried both and Jason was apricot all the way.

Jason said the apricot was a bit sweet.  He said perhaps if made with fresh apricots it wouldn't be as sweet.  I told him that I understood that and had actually cut back on the sugar from 5 to 6 cups but could look for a lower sugar recipe still.  One could say my logic was that I was using three quarts, each of which had 1/3 cup sugar in it, but this would be bogus since I drained the juice off and some of the sugar would have been there and I only had 5 cups of sugar which really had more to do with how much I was going to cut it back, since I had already planned to cut it back.  I had to go get more before doing the pluot syrup.

Lunch: Dai and Cressida had peanut butter and grape jelly sandwiches - it is the last of my home-canned grape jelly and the girls can hardly wait until concord grapes are in season again.  Phyllis and I had beet wraps.  We all had peanut butter and celery and sliced cucumber.  In a rare turn, Cress ate tomatoes after that, graham crackers next and finally some leftover chicken salad.  Dai ate another half sandwich and Phyllis didn't eat extra.

Dinner: We had black bean layers again.  Dai invited the Castro family - all but Sergio and Lucas came because they had scouts tonight.  IN addition I made a salad using the new CSA lettuce, some CSA orange cherry tomatoes, CSA strawberries, regular grape tomatoes, toasted pine nuts and crumbled goat cheese.  We offered vinaigrette but Phyllis got out Italian for her.  Anyway it was not only delicious but quite beautiful.  I meant to take a picture in was so lovely.  Heather brought jello for dessert.  We had lemon iced-tea which isn't as popular as the peach but I am out of peach.  

Old Wives' Tale Wisdom

Today Cressida brought me a new jar of apricots to open for her.  She asked why it didn't have more pits in it.  I told hr you only put one in.  She asked why and I said, "That's just the way Grandma Mickie did it.  I think her mom did it."

But it got me to thinking and looking on the Internet and I found this:

Apricot kernels are a good source of amygdaline. This controversial compound helps prevent cancer. It's also known as vitamin B17 and laetrile.
My mother always puts a few apricot pits into her preserves for, she said, "The flavor."   As a child, her logic was beyond my ken as apricot kernels are nastily bitter. Today, I take my hat off to mom and the perennial kitchen wisdom she still serves up. According to both Oriental Medicine and alternative medicine, these kernels are anti-carcinogenic.
In Chinese pharmacology, the pits are classified as a drug rather than as a food as they contain cyanide (hydrocyanic acid).   They're used medicinally to combat cancer, stimulate respiration, improve digestion, help reduce blood pressure and arthritic pain and give a sense of well-being.
Amygdaline is commercially available as vitamin B17 and it continues to be used in cancer clinics outside of the United States. The Food and Drug Administration, however, maintains that there is no scientifically accepted evidence of its efficacy. The amygdaline content in apricots is chemically identical to that in bitter almonds.
Mom also told us kids that we could taste an apricot kernel but never eat them as, in quantity, they could be poisonous. Of course we tasted them, but they were so bitter we spit them out. When cooked or fermented, apricot kernel toxicity is reduced.
Consumption of 10 or more wild apricot kernels for children and 40 or more for adults may cause adverse reaction, even death.  Yet, bitter almonds or apricot pits are a small but essential ingredient in authentic marzipan and amaretto.
Using a nut cracker, crack open the apricot pits and extract their inner nutmeat. Use judiciously.   

http://thefruitstand.net/facts/

Interesting.  Also while searching, I found that you can add chipotles in adobo to make your apricot jam a little more interesting.  So going to try that!  I guess, though that you would want to have a lot of apricots to tone it down.  Have to research this more.

I also found this:

Add a handful of pits to the pot. Don't ask why, it is just one of those things you don't question, it is just always done that way:) At least that is what I was told, Oma did it that way, mom does it that way, so I do it that way...is that a good enough reason, I sure hope so. Actually I think it adds to the natural flavor.  (I am told it is a natural pectin).

Another person who does it because that is how it was passed down.  Of course, hers is jam and I am sure she strains them out before canning them, but it doesn't actually say and maybe she doesn't.

I also found a comic article on canning as I remember it when I was a kid.  Except the husband's reaction, this is almost exactly my recollection.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19810822&id=iUxTAAAAIBAJ&sjid=X4MDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6898,6350045
  

Week 28, Day 1

Seriously - over half way and I can hardly wait until the year is over.  I said I would do a year and so I will (missing only one day I think...), but then I am going to STOP.  It is a bit tedious.  Will I ever enjoy reflecting back on this?  I have no idea.

Breakfast: pancakes (from the leftover we froze after CampFIRE - we had pancakes the last day but didn't eat them all so we put them in a Ziplock and took them home and froze them and forgot about them), a fried egg for those who wished it (Phyllis and I) and a half a fried brat for those who wished it (me).  We are out of syrup so I took some frozen strawberries out of the freezer, added water and sugar and blended.  The girls loved it and I am cooking down the leftover to a more syrup like consistency.

Lunch: Chicken salad sandwiches and ants on the log.  Cress was at Heather Castro's and Lucas was here.  I made his sandwich with no mayo on the bread and before I added the mandarin orange segments - per his request again.  He was still pokey slow eating.  His mom makes it with apples and Craisins.  Another example of how our mother's cooking influences us - though he is a pretty picky eater.

I do chicken salad with celery and mandarin orange segments.  Jason thought it was weird at first, I guess, too, but now it is just what we do to him.  I wonder how he had it as a kid.  I should ask.  (I asked and he didn't have chicken salad as a kid and I am not sure that  did either.)

Dinner: Black bean layers.  We used to eat that often and Dai was so happy because she loves it.  We also had a salad and had toasted pine nuts again - we haven't been doing them for awhile and they are so good.  Made apricot cobbler for dinner.  Turns out Paula Deen's recipe is very similar to my moms - so we are giving that a try tonight.  Peach iced-tea.  I haven't done it in a while and Dai was so bummed when it was all gone so I gave her some of mine.  I really am glad they like it.

So many people drink those 5 calorie Crystal Light packets because "they just want a little flavor to their water."  Some do it with a squeeze of lemon and others with mint leaves but I know many who like the Crystal Light ones.  Iced herbal tea is zero calories lightly flavored water and I am glad my kids drink it.

Prep Ahead: Canned 2 pints of pluot jam and 5 pints of apricot jam and the strawberry effort turned more into a half a cup of strawberry jam.

Canning

So, some of this will be a repeat.  I know that and can only conclude it is because that was a big deal to me.  My mom canned when I was a child and she cans still today.  I think she said she did an inventory and found she had something like four years worth of food put away.  I assume some of it is dried goods - like wheat and beans, but I know for a fact that a lot of it is home-canned goods.  There is nothing wrong with home-canned - that is what I am about to talk about me doing, after all, but I just think there needs to be reason.

My mom canned when I was a kid.  I know that for some time, that got us through some tough periods - or at least greatly subsidized it so the limited budget could go to milk, eggs, etc.  She canned anything she could get her hands on - often helping people harvest their trees since they wouldn't be able to do it all themselves.  She canned peaches, pears, apricots, cherries.  I really liked the pears and still to this day like canned pears a lot.  The peaches that I remember were overcooked - which is totally easy to do, I get that.  I really only recall her doing fruit when I was a kid.  I recall at some point that she had canned potatoes and gave us some and we couldn't stomach them - but of course, we had other options.

Now she cans meats, vegetables and, I assume, fruit.  She cans chicken and beef, I am pretty sure that she has talked to me about both.  She has indicated that because Brent took early retirement and they can't touch his 401k yet, or IRA, or some retirement source of funds, that she thinks they may have to live on that food for awhile.  I am not in close communication with her - our relationship remains less than great - but I get the impression that they are okay - maybe needing a budget but not really hurting because she buys whimsy stuff.  But she will say what a good deal it was at the garage sale or whatever - but generally it isn't what I would call a necessity - which is fine because I, too, spend money on stupid stuff.  Anyway, I am really digressing.

I can for two main reasons and one kind of secondary reason.  First I can to use up what I have. Today, for example, I realized we were out of syrup and we were having pancakes.  I knew we had some frozen strawberries so I pulled them out, put them in a pan with some sugar and water.  I used the immersion blender once they got soft enough and spooned that on the girls' pancakes.  I had some leftover.  So, I boiled it down into a thicker consistency - going for syrup but it is more like jam.

I know Jason like apricot jam and syrup.  So, today, I took some of Larry's canned apricots and made syrup.  We get so many of these every year.  Larry likes canning - I think maybe it made him think of Mickie originally, but maybe now he just enjoys it.  We have, in the past, just mashed them up on our pancakes which is also good.  I used three quarts and made 5 pints of syrup.  I intend to give one back to Larry.  I hope hen likes it.  It is still warm, but I am hopeful that it isn't as thick.

On our way home from our camping trip with Tervalons, we stopped in Dixon at my Aunt Dori's.  She said, "Do you want a few plums?" We said yes and she went to her yard and picked more than 20 yellow plums and pluots.  Phyllis had a plum and Cress started with a pluot.  After Cress tried a yellow plum, she didn't eat any more pluots.  I ate one, but found a bit too tart.  So, today I made syrup with the remaining 2.33 pounds of pluots.  I was debating to make it into jam, but one taste told me that tartness belonged more in a syrup.  And it is still tart, but very good.  It made 2 pints of syrup.  So, now I have no intention of buying syrup until all my homemade syrup is gone.  And, likely, I will just make more apricot since we have so many still and it is time for Larry to can more apricots.

In the past I learned to can orange marmalade and concord grapes to use up produce we had.

(As a total side, my mom used t make fake maple syrup using sugar and water and sure enough, on the Internet today I ran across a recipe for fake maple syrup that was very similar to that.)

I also can to have the convenience of quick meals with the health and whole foods of home cooking.  I have canned pinto beans in the past.  They were quite tasty and it was almost as easy as opening a can of Rosarita refried beans, though more whole bean that Rosarita refried beans.  I hope to can soups, too, but need a seal for my pressure canner.  Jason ordered it today.  It has probably been on his to-do for two years.  He has been carrying around (or had in his phone) the specs all that time.  Beaker soup?  Split pea?  Potato?  I do not imagine any of them will have a long shelf like, but it is not my intention to leave them for storage anyway.  Similarly, I also do applesauce because I like mine better - it is sweetened so one could argue it isn't healthier but I know everything that is in it.

Finally, I can because people are always shocked and impressed.  Usually I can with Jason.  I like his attention to detail but I did it today and it all went fine.

I did not make my kids help, although Dai did fetch me a jar and watch as I wiped the rims but then she left.  My mom made it such an ordeal when I was a kid.  I want my kids to think of it as doable, maybe even normal, but not have the hatred f being made to do it that I had until Mickie showed me the light.  (I won't go into that since I am pretty sure I have recorded it elsewhere.) The girls like to do the applesauce (mostly the grinding.) We haven't the last two years because we made so much a couple years ago.  But I know at least Dai is looking forward to doing it again this year.  See, doable, but not an ordeal?

Week 27, Day 7

breakfast: oatmeal with all the fixings.  We have almond milk in the house because Jason seems to have more acne when he drinks milk.  But, Cress prefers it to milk, too, so she gets that.

Lunch: top ramen with strawberries (the girls asked and I was feeling uber-lazy)

Dinner: grilled zucchini and grilled brats and hot links.  The brats are not much more exciting than hot dogs so we served them on a piece of bread with mustard.  When we were kids that was what we did because bread was cheaper than buns.

I also made apricot cobbler tonight.  My mom made the kind where you put batter in the melted butter and then dump fruit on top of that.  Jason's mom made the kind that is a bottomless pie.  There is also another variety that puts biscuits on top.  I guess there is quite a bit out there about buckles, crumbles, and cobblers.  And, in fact, when Dai saw it she said, "I don't recognize that.  It isn't like Heather (Castro) makes it." But it is the way my mom made it and I love it (I actually called her several years ago to get it for my own book).  She always made it using home canned pechs and i am using home canned apricots - so we shall see how that goes.  Seeing it come out of the oven all warm makes me wish we had vanilla ice-cream.

Prep ahead: used last night's black beans to make beans for black bean layers.  It used to be Dai's favorite dinner so I told her and Cressida cheered.  When I asked if that was her or Dai she said her "because I like them, too"

Week 27, Day 6

breakfast: oatmeal with all the fixings

lunch: ramen and peaches and nectarines

dinner: Taco salad but this time I put some corn from our corn on the cob in it.  We had five missionaries, two sisters, two elders and one mini-missionary.  After they left, we split a cantaloupe in four for dessert.

I had started beans cooking in my pressure cooker before I took Cressida to the birthday party.  But when I got home, it had an error and the beans weren't cooked and dinner was due soon!  So, Jason went to the store and got canned beans.  I also thought I had green chiles but apparently I was out so I used some CSA salsa in lie of toamtoes and green chiles.  It was okay.  I restarted the beans to use tomorrow.  

Week 27, Day 5

FAST SUNDAY

Breakfast: Cress and Jason were on their daddy-daughter trip so they had oatmeal

Lunch: Cress and Jason were on their daddy-daughter trip so they had PBJ's

Dinner: pressure cooker risotto with onions, celery and chicken - it was kind of bland.  Also peaches and nectarines

prep ahead: steamed the corn

Week 27, Day 4

breakfast: fried eggs, toast and the last of the leftover cantaloupe.  Larry also got donuts.

lunch: Larry, Cress and Jason had PBJ's.  Phyllis and I had the rest of the leftover bean and sausage stew.  Finished the CSA red plums, now we only have pluots left - except Larry bought more produce - ill he take it with him when he leaves tomorrow?  I am not sure.

dinner: taco salad.  Jason and Cress are gone on their camping trip so I made too much.  I think it will save until dinner tomorrow okay.  Larry got ice-cream which he served with sliced strawberries - so good.

Jason has the knives and can opener still in the camping stuff which he took with him on his daddy-daughter with Cress.  Luckily at CampFIRE we had forgotten it and he had used his Swiss army knife.  I got it and Larry showed me how to do it.  He offered to but I actually wanted to now for myself.  I used CSA canned tomatoes in the beans and CSA salsa for with the salads.

week 27, day 3

breakfast: 4th of July breakfast at the church and I ate strawberries at home

lunch: leftover pork burritos for Jason, Phyllis and Cress had ramen and strawberries - we have so much fruit - the girls ate a ton coming home (when we stopped in Dixon Dori gave me a bag of plums and pluots) and then we got our CSA, too.  I had leftover baked ziti and cantaloupe left from camping.

dinner: Larry took us to Sweet Tomatoes where I ate too much

prep ahead: Jason washed, cored and froze strawberries, pressure cooked the beets

CAMPING Week 26, Day 4 - Week 27, Day 2

Saturday

Dinner only as was arrival day: taco salads by the Tervalons with corn muffins

Sunday

breakfast: Hansen day. Scrambled eggs, sausage, summer sausage, papaya and home fried potatoes

lunch: sandwiches, apples and carrots, Nutter Butters for dessert

dinner: Hansen night.  Hamburgers, coleslaw and potato chips - note to self 3 pounds was not enough for our group - well, maybe just barely.  I also totally cheated and bought packages of coleslaw that included the dressing to make there.  I was afraid the dressing would be mayonnaise-y but it was decent actually.

Monday

breakfast: Tervalon day.  Pancakes.  Cress didn't like them because they were burned but that is camping.  I don't usually make it as a camping breakfast because it is too hard to get it just right, but I know lots of people do it.  Also, they used a mix and I refer a from scratch recipe - which makes it just a tiny bit harder and so I rarely do it.  Casaba, cantaloupe, remaining papaya (Jason learned yesterday that he actually does like it but only he and I and one of our daughters do - and Al.) Bacon.

lunch: sandwiches, dried apricots, peanuts (my girls complained about the apricots) and more Nutter Butters

dinner: Hansen night.  Burritos for which there was pork or beans or both plus all the fixings.  Kahlan is a very picky eater but she is largely a meat eater so I thought she would like it - but no, she didn't.  So much so that her mother had to spoon feed her and she still ended up spitting it out again.  Though, she did eventually eat it.

Tuesday

breakfast: Tervalon day.  Grits, sausage, pineapple, cantaloupe and eggs scrambled with or without onions.

lunch: same as day before - still got grumbling about the apricots.  The Tervalons brought fresh apricots and Kahlan was heard to say more than once, "Fresh apricots are better than dried apricots."  Oh, well.  Jason loves them and I really got them for that reason.

dinner: Hansen night.  Bean and sausage stew in the Dutch oven.  But we got a late start and it was almost 9 by the time we ate.  Al seemed to really like it, but it came out drier than last time.  I doubled it and wonder if that was a factor.  We also did butternut squash in the coals which came out really well.

Wednesday

breakfast: Tervalon day.  Cream of wheat, honey dew, cantaloupe, sausage, eggs (for Nicole and Jason primarily but there was a little left for someone) and some leftover grits that were kind of stir fried to warm up.

lunch: same, except we ate more of the Tervalons fresh fruits and veggies - I had been having my kids hold back since we didn't bring it, but I guess I just need to adjust because I bring all the soda and marshmallows and s'mores stuff.  Oh, and we did a chocolate mint cookie instead of Nutter Butters.

dinner: Tervalon night.  Pasta with meat sauce and steamed carrots.

Thursday

Breakfast: Hansen day.  Breakfast burritos using leftover sausage, bacon that we precooked and brought, salsa, cheese and avocados as wanted.  Cantaloupe - there was some left and the Tervalons sent it home with us.

lunch: sandwiches.  We actually packed them before heading out but made them with only meat and cheese and then sliced the produce and put it in the cooler.  We added that when we stopped in Tahoe to drop off Dai.  That was when we ate.  Kind of proud that we didn't eat out.  The girls ate a lot of peanuts on the way home and some Oreos when they finished their sandwiches.

Dinner: Got home about 6 and were done unpacking by about 7. Had egg burritos because we are low on food and it was late and that is easy.  Just wiped out so we did what was easy and well received.