Mmmm....

Made Lemony Goat Cheese Zucchini Pizza for dinner (finally! I've been planning to make it since I made the grilled pizzas). Delicious (and if I made it about 10 more times, we might use up all the squash we have)!

Earlier today I went to the Steam Threshing Jamboree at Prairie Village with my Dad. He was on a mission to find a few house things at the flea market, and I just wanted to take some pictures.



A portrait in the Wentworth Hotel (love, LOVE the wallpaper!)



Rolling pins in the Old Madison Hotel--I'd been in both these buildings before, but more of the Madison Hotel was open to walk through. Very neat to see!

We also went to a few garage sales (mark that one off the list!)...didn't find anything that I had to have, but it was still fun (and Dad got me a mini Blizzard at DQ)

Something new (and old)

I've been looking at and reading about using expired film/polaroids/toy cameras to get some interesting pictures and wanted to try it out.

Luckily, I never took the last Polaroid (back in May 2004 when I last used that camera) - so here's my first attempt at using expired film.

Buying more film for the Polaroid may have to wait (it's a little $$)--but it turns out I have 4 rolls of expired 35mm AND 8 rolls of undeveloped film from 6 years ago. I have NO idea what's on the film and can't wait to get it developed (may go drop it off this afternoon--I'm actually not even sure if the drugstore here will develop film...)

I also busted out both of my SLRs--I'd forgotten all the fun stuff I had to go along with my AE-1 (filters, shutter lock, macro lens and wide-angles that won't get eaten up by being digital). I'd really like to load it up with film and head out, but the battery is pretty much dead...so I'll go with the A2-E for now.

Fun!

Pictures from this morning

Sunflowers from the Farmers' Market (there was NO way I was going to bring any more veggies into our house--not until we dig out from under the pile in the kitchen). I think this may be my best $2 purchase ever!



Cooper chilling on the couch

Not sure what my plans are today--feeling like knitting or reading. I need to mow the front yard (but maybe I'll just wait until it gets MUCH hotter to do that) and I already did some dishes, so I'm feeling pretty accomplished.

And another one...

because I used my fire ring tonight =) Would've been a little easier if the dogs hadn't kept stealing my sticks...and now I totally smell like bug spray and campfire (so I really need a shower before bed). There's just something about a campfire though...

I ALSO made grilled pizza for the first time (and I used all veggies and herbs from our garden - zucchini, yellow squash, orange and yellow tomatoes, onion, banana peppers, parsley, and basil) - so, SO delicious. Now if there were just a pizza recipe that called for pickling cucumbers...



A couple websites I used to make sure I didn't mess up too much ;)
http://annies-eats.com/2010/06/24/grilled-pizza/
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/grilled-veggie-pizza-recipe/index.html
http://smittenkitchen.com/2009/08/grilled-eggplant-and-olive-pizza/

Cross another one off the list...

because yesterday we went to the Palisades!! We took the backroad/scenic route, but once we got there, WOW! It was beautiful, pink cliffs rising up from the river - totally not what you'd expect for Southeastern South Dakota.



Yes, that's John...

Does this make anyone else a little nervous? Just me? (At the time, I was also thinking, "not enough life insurance not enough life insurance not enough...")



John and his friend Peter on more solid ground



Wildflowers growing up through the pink rocks

Definitely going back--I'm thinking a picnic or a camping trip would be perfect!

More pictures from today

Pimm's and Lemonade with the smell of BBQ ribs on the grill behind me. Peter is here visiting and John's got ribs, german potato salad, more of our green beans (eat them so we don't have to find a place to put them!!), and beer/cocktails ready for dinner tonight.



(Soon to be) Pickles and peppers...we're getting buried in pickling cucumbers



Yep, turns out they're supposed to be orange...couldn't let them sit on the vine any longer...might turn some into an spaghetti sauce (orange sauce?)...or else I better get busy eating them as snacks and putting them on salads

Another update

Our first yellow pear tomato harvest from earlier this week

The garden is doing good - John has two Brandywines turning red, and I'm starting to think my cherry tomatoes are supposed to be orange....hmmm

Still getting yellow squash and the zucchinis are still growing

Garden update

Whew - crazy week with John's birthday and my first Achievement Days here(it went great, and I totally caught a greased pig - 3rd place for adult women! =)).

Got some pictures of the garden yesterday evening...



An overall picture - the Brussel Sprouts got eaten up, so we're not sure they're going to work out, and something has eaten/killed the base of the zucchini plant (so we may only get one zucchini).

Otherwise everything else it doing its thing. We haven't been home to cook so there's a pile of veggies on the counter inside (and a huge amount waiting to be picked and brought in). I looked at the green beans, but decided I didn't even want to go there (guess I'll have to today)



Not red yet - but close. John also has a habenero that's finally turning orange (one of the million that we have growing!) and two red cayennes.



He also got stakes for the tomatoes - so now they're not quite so tangled up and crazy.

John's 27th birthday

We celebrated with dinner at Rumors Bar (John, me, Mom, Dad, and Erin). They have a new cook and the "best chinese in the area" so we tried the Chicken Lo Mein (not bad!)



After dinner, we came back to our house for presents, cake, and chocolate ice cream (homemade by me!). John got coffee-related gifts (and Scheel's gift cards).



Cake and ice cream--you guys can forget about my first ice cream success--this is it! I've learned my lesson-when in doubt, use an Alton Brown recipe...

Garden - end of July

Still waiting on tomatoes





My second ever harvested squash



The first two banana peppers of the summer

We're starting to have more veggies than we know what to do with - cucumbers and green beans coming out of our ears, beets and squash waiting to be cooked...John's already canned one set of pickles, some pickled beets, and made refrigerator pickles (with green beans, carrots, and one or two cayenne peppers - which he accidentally gave my dad thinking it was a green bean - oops!)