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It's too hot to cook anything stovetop, oven or on grill - tonight will be fresh fruit plates with canteloupe wedges, pineapple chunks, strawberries, bing cherries and cottage cheese with cinnamon toast.
At least I'm not missing my on-the-fritz-oven!

We've already had ham, cheese, artichoke bruschetta, fresh tomatoes, fruit, etc. several times in June...and today for lunch.

What are you preparing in July heat wave?

No heat wave here. I've made pesto sauce to accompany tonight's dinner which will be DH's bbq chicken, steamed artichokes and a bit of pasta.

DH grilled some teriyaki marinated steak and we used that to top "Asian" salads. Made a great 100 degree day dinner!

Martha

Son, GF, and her 3 girlies are here. I made lasagna a couple of weeks ago and froze one. I planned on baking it tonight. Son calls and said they fished in my pond. Well, he fished, 2 caught frogs for bait, 1 held the bait jar, GF made sure no one fell in the pond. So, fried fish for supper. I told him, No...my pond was catch and release...just because I don't fry much any more and had rather eat fish in a restaurant!! So sorry...they're already cleaned. I was amazed at the size of the bass he caught! Two were pan-size. One was large enough that it had to be filleted. The rest were brim. Good eating along with fries. Pound cake and peaches for dessert.

Moderate temps here and rain expected tomorrow. Spaghetti for supper and I have a recipe for chicken chili, either tomorrow or next day.

Also a recipe for French bread stuffed with eggs (this for lunch probably tomorrow)

Or we may eat out tomorrow if restaurants aren't too crowded.

Weather report from Paradise - otherwise known as the Seattle, WA, area:
High of 62 today and low of 50 - no heat wave here YET ...... but we are looking forward to the weekend when temperatures are expected to escalate all the up into the high 70's - and since very few of us have air conditioning - certainly not in older homes like we have - it does get warm inside with huge west-facing windows which bring indoors the gorgeous views we have of green - green - green - trees and the golf course - and my blooming flowers (yes, flowers bloom here in profusion) .... and we sappreciate our weather more and more as we get older.....
My menu for the 4th will be grilled chicken, my bean casserole, corn on the cob, cole slaw, and berry cobbler - our area is famous for a profusion of all kinds of berries: blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries especially.
We even drink "iced tea" when it gets "hot."

Sherry,

LOL at your fish story. Here is another Catch & Release for you. Dson caught this one at our local firehouse pond.

Always love a good fish tale...er tail.

PS. I just made a batch of lobster salad to have for a snack.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Beau's Rose,

Wow! That is one large black bass!!

Seaborne, how are you fixing your beans? Our club is opening for dinner tomorrow night and the Rear Commodore is providing pulled pork. The rest of us are potlucking and I'm bringing the beans.

We had grilled pork chops brushed with a Balsamic glaze, grilled corn salad (corn, red onion, basil and oil and vinegar, salt and pepper) and accordion potatoes with herbs. No dessert -- we're saving up for tomorrow!

Martha

DH and I'm going to our DS's place for the 4th. He is grilling burgers and we will be smoking some pork ribs. I also baked from scratch a Red Velvet Cake. I hope that it taste good.

CA Lori: The beans I make are never exactly the same twice in a row. I begin with bacon, cut up and fried down until crispy - drain the bacon - pour off some of the fat and add a chopped up onion - and saute until soft - then I add a can - or two of canned green chile-seasoned diced tomatoes - and let that cook down for about 5 minutes - then I start adding beans - I prefer pinto beans / drained - or cans of pinto beans in a mild chili sauce - and whatever other kinds of beans I might have on hand - kidney beans, red beans, black beans - whatever - maybe 4 or 5 cans - then I add about one-third cup of barbecue sauce - about an equal amount of chili sauce - some powdered Lipton beef / onion soup mix - lots of chili powder - to taste - black pepper, red pepper flakes, and I add sugar-free maple syrup for addtional sweetness - or 2 TBs of brown sugar - mix together - add the set-aside bacon - and place in an oven-safe casserole and bake in oven at 350 until it's simmering all around the edges - or it's cooked down to a good consistency - and it can keep for hours, turned down to 250 / 200.....

WOW What a pond fish!!

We have a small spring-fed pond and with last year's drought, I was extremely surprised at the size of the three bass...while the pond did not dry up, it did get awful low. Brim were exactly what I would expect from my pond.

This is Serenity with the afternoon's catch. The girlies were really impressed with Ducky (what they call my DS) catching our dinner.

DS and guests went to the state park for the day yesterday. Walked the nature trail, swam, and wanted paddle boats but were unable to rent them because the rental is closed Monday and Tuesday...and no one was at the main gate. When I got home, they'd been back to the pond for catch AND RELEASE! LOL

We finally had the lasagna. With salad. Then threw the dishes in the dishwasher and went to the theater to see Madasgascar 3. Homemade icecream and fruit for after the movie dessert.

This morning we had bacon and homemade waffles. We are now sitting around listening to a Darius Rucker CD. The girls have been cutting, gluing, and coloring. I have refrigerator art again!

We'll be joining our neighbors here in the RV park for dinner tonight. We'll be doing grilled chicken, grilled veggies, salad from garden fresh lettuce and peach cobbler for dessert. All this while sitting beside this gorgeous river (which serves as our backyard these days).

Thanks, Seaborne, your beans sound good but maybe a little too spicey for my gringo taste buds. I'm sure DH would love it!

I'm going to try Lurah's recipe this afternoon. She posted it several weeks ago. Her recipe contains brown sugar, molasses, catsup, bacon, onions, mustard, vinegar, and canned pork and beans.

I'm preparing to stay in the house where is air-conditioned! LOL!

DH is cooking some ribeyes today over charcoal in the outdoor kitchen...at least there's a ceiling fan out there. I'm making a nice romaine,tomato,cucumber, walnut salad with raspberry/balsamic and EVOO.

I don't use canned pork and beans anymore - and the seasonings, of course, can always be adjusted to suit individual tastes. For example, one doesn't have to use the green chili seasoned canned tomatoes - just plain can be used - but I'm most careful of not using too much sugar as my husband has Type 2 diabetes - thus, I don't use the prepared pork & beans anymore - too sweet - and I do use just a tad of barbecue sauce and/or chili sauce that adds a lot of sweetening....anyway - enjoy - I'm not making them today - I'm having fresh green beans, corn on the cob, grilled chicken pieces, blueberry/raspberry crumb-topped deep dish pie and cantaloupe/watermelon with iced tea....before the fireworks...

We went to a potluck picnic at a friends 1857 house (for your NEasterners that's not old -- but it IS for Kansas -- for Kansas WASN'T a state in 1857!)

It was a fun time. Since our last name begins with "S" -- I was on the dessert side of what to bring.

I brought these -- jello "watermelons"!

Martha

And these -- raspberry almond white chocolate bars -- brought home an empty plate!

Martha

O me O my, Martha:
Those raspberry almond white chocolate bars look so yummy! C'mon now. You can't post pics wo the recipe...please!
And what are jello watermelons? they look interesting. How are they made?

Here is the recipe for the bars:


Raspberry Almond Bars

1/2 cup butter
1-12 oz. package vanilla or white chips, divided
2 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam
1/4 cup sliced almonds (I don't use these)

In a saucepan, melt butter. Remove from the heat; add 1 cup of the chips (do not stir).

In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs until foamy; gradually add sugar. Stir in chip mixture and almond extract.

Combine flour and salt; add to egg mixture just until combined. Spread half of the batter into a greased 9-inch square baking pan.

Bake at 325 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.

In a small saucepan over low heat, melt jam; spread over warm crust. Stir remaining chips into the remaining batter; drop by teaspoonfuls over the jam layer. Sprinkle with almonds.

Bake 30-35 minutes longer or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Cool on a wire rack. Cut into bars. Yield: 1 dozen

Martha

The "watermelons" are strawberry jello in hollowed out lime halves which once set you quarter and then sprinkle with black sesame seeds. You CAN add vodka to the jello but there were children at the event and it looks like something a child would like so I didn't.

Martha

Last week our heat index was any place from 105º to 130º....so....
ham salad
chef salad
chicken salad
DH is "cooking" tonight...Wendy's taco salad!

Our "heat wave" out in the Seattle area is beginning today with temperatures up in the high 70's - which takes some acclimating for us wimps - since we're not used to anything much over 75...so today, I've already prepared a Greek pasta salad - and I will grill fresh Copper River Salmon to go with fresh green beans.

It's hot on the prairie and we're enjoying "cooler" meals -- asian grilled salmon on top of mixed baby greens with a vinaigrette.

Martha

Seaborne - Just to be fair to those of us who are suffering from HEAT, please enjoy your mild temps for us in our absence.

No heat wave near me. Thunder, lightning, and downpours last night. Cool, and somewhat sunny today.

Last night I grilled some salmon with lemon and parsley, and then made new potatoes and a crunchy green salad. I love simple dinners like that.

Heat wave still continues on the prairie -- DH grilled pork chops and we had wonderful fresh sliced tomatoes, cucumber and onions in vinegar, and coleslaw. And easy and cool dinner!

Martha

quote:

asian grilled salmon

would love to know how you your asian grilled salmon. It sounds so yummy. I have a recipe using maple syrup and soy sauce.

thank you for posting recipes for the bars and watermelon thingies. The vodka sounds like a good "additive." How much vodka would you add to a small package of jello? (Jello shots and lime)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: nance425,

Yes, and the heat wave has been relentless in the vast Midwest.
But I now understand those of you who mentioned heating up the kitchen with the oven.
I had the occasion to take and bake a large oven dinner to my in-laws earlier this summer and she has a gas range.
WOW, no wonder you gals don't use the oven in summer.
Hers is new, but I could look right through the corners, bottom and back cracks of her oven and see the kitchen wall, flooring and cupboard bases.
Are all gas ranges built like this?

I've never owned a gas range or had experience baking in one ever. I thought it took forever to get my dinner done to my liking and then the meatloaf was still a sickly pale.

quote:

Originally posted by nance425:

quote:

asian grilled salmon

would love to know how you your asian grilled salmon. It sounds so yummy. I have a recipe using maple syrup and soy sauce.

thank you for posting recipes for the bars and watermelon thingies. The vodka sounds like a good "additive." How much vodka would you add to a small package of jello? (Jello shots and lime)

Never having made jello shots, I'm not really sure -- it may be most of the liquid is vodka -- or it may be half water and half vodka.

The Asian grilled same uses this for a marinade:

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons good soy sauce
6 tablespoons good olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Mis all together and then I marinate the salmon in most of this for 10 to 15 minutes and then grill -- either inside or out. I do save out a bit to spoon over the top once done. (For you should never use marinade from raw meat on cooked meat!)

I will try your maple syrup and soy sauce next time I make salmons -- assume it's 50/50?

Martha

Lurah -- I've had more gas than electric ranges in my life and in none of them could I see the wall or floor from the inside of the oven. They are "tight".

And although I've baked with both gas and electric, I chose when I bought my new Thermador to get a gas oven rather than an electric one.

But that's me -- everyone has their own preference as to gas or electric for both the cook top and the oven.

I must admit when we lived in England last spring and I had an electric range, it seemed to take forever to cook the food when I used the stovetop because the burner had to heat up -- I'm used to instant gas! It took me a while of adjustment and realizing that I had to start cooking vegetables way before I did when I cooked at home!


Martha