Waffling

For breakfast this morning, I made President Kennedy's Favorite Waffles.  I recently read that the lovely Jackie O. fixed this recipe on a regular basis for JFK, and what's good enough for the President is good enough for my family.

These waffles were AMAZING!  They are melt in your mouth light, but crispy on the outside.  You should definitely give this recipe a try:

The President's Favorite Waffles

1/2 cup butter

1 T sugar

2 eggs, separated

1 c buttermilk

1 c + 1 T cake flour

1/4 t salt

4 t baking powder

- Beat egg whites until stiff.

- Stir together flour, salt and baking powder.

- Cream butter and sugar, and then add egg yolks.

- Gradually add dry ingredients to butter mixture, alternating with buttermilk.

- Gently fold in egg whites.

- Cook in well greased waffle iron until golden and crispy.

Blooming Now...

It is typically Calla Lily season in July, but for some reason, I don't have as many as normal this year.  This bouquet features several different Callas, Russian Sage, Butterfly Bush, Purple Coneflower, Black-Eyed Susan's and Cosmos.  I also have some Bee Balm and Balloon Flower blooming, but they don't make for good bouquets.

More Summer

J has spent the last week at Myrtle Beach with a friend, she had quite an uneventful trip home on Allegiant Air into Clarksburg, WV, as compared to the relatively awful trip there.  She was supposed to ride down to SC with her friend's family, leaving last Friday at 5:30 AM.  They decided to leave Thursday night, and drive through the night in order to have an extra day at the beach.  J called home Friday morning, and reported that they had been camped out in a parking lot about an hour from home the entire night, with a flat tire.  They finally got repairs and headed south by 9:30 Friday morning, but lost their "extra day."

On the way home from the airport, we stopped at a little restaurant that we were told had amazing desserts, for dinner and amazing desserts.  Lauren got a slice of "mile high pie" to go, as she wasn't feeling great.  This is what JP, Jenna and I got:

Yes, these milkshakes are in quart jars.  Yes, mine actually has an entire slice of pie on top AND a sparkler.  Yes, they were a bit pricey...but oh, so worth it!

On the home front, the blueberries are still producing, although we are down to the last few pickings...I think.  I have frozen some more, and made syrup and another cobbler, including some wild blackberries that I picked out back, plus peaches.  On the docket after I pick today:  blueberry pie.

I will bake said pie in my new oven.  My top oven died a couple of weeks ago, and after the headache of it croaking and having to be home between 10 and 2 for the repair men on 6 separate occasions before it was finally repaired last summer, we decided to just get a new one.  Although JP ordered one that was 1) on sale, and 2) supposed to be the same size, it was not.  He and my dad worked for the better part of Wednesday getting the cupboard renovated to install the new ovens, and actually getting them in.  I did try them out right away by baking my friend, T's, amazing molasses/ginger cookies, and a batch of dark chocolate/peanut granola.  It works just fine!

During all that renovation on Wednesday, L had a friend over for the afternoon.  They spent most of their time in the pool, which JP finally finished working on.  He has now surrounded the pool with netting in order to keep balls and assorted pool toys IN, and a gate to keep various and sundry random people/children OUT.  I think it is very innovative, and looks great.

I'm sure we will need to get in to cool off after picking those blueberries this afternoon!

I hope you all are staying cool this summer!

Back to Work

As I said, we've been back to work this week.  JP, J and I have been at our jobs, and L was at Basketball Camp.  It has been a super hot week - until things cooled off this weekend (we even had our windows open all day yesterday!)

The blueberries have been producing for the past couple of weeks.  I think that I picked about 7 1/2 gallons myself this week, and several friends and neighbors picked last week and this weekend as well.  I have frozen over 4 gallons of berries, dried about 1 1/2 gallons, made jam, blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler, blueberry cheesecake and blueberry pancakes, and eaten them with my yogurt every day!  I think they are starting to finally slow down!

I managed to get 2 beds of corn planted before vacation, and it looks like it might be starting to come up!  I spent a couple of hours in the garden yesterday, just weeding the paths, and it is STARTING to look better.

My herb garden is looking good.

Clockwise from front:  Purple Basil, Oregano, Sweet Basil

Chives, Parsley, Thai Basil & Rosemary (center)

John built a shade structure for the chickens so that we could move the electric fencing for their yard.

As you can see, they completely denuded the ground behind the fencing.  They seem to be enjoying their access to greens!

That's about the extent of work at the farm in the past couple of weeks!  How does your garden grow?

Back From the Beach

We actually got back from the beach about a week ago, but I have had problems transferring photos from my phone to the computer.  JP finally moved them all for me this AM, so I am FINALLY posting about our wonderfully relaxing vacation in Erie, PA.

We stayed in a great Airbnb house about a mile and a half from Presque Isle, that was completely tricked out with screens in every room and fancy lighting.  There was even this guy in the garage (with 2 screens of it's own.)

We rode bikes on Presque Isle a couple of times.

The water was cold, but the sun was warm, and the beach had lots of flat rocks that were perfect for skipping.

One day we took a day trip up to Ontario, so that the girls could visit Canada and Niagara Falls for the first time.  We rode a boat down under the falls, decked out in red ponchos.

This is where our boat sailed...

J was completely closed up in her poncho!

This is what it looked like up under the Horseshoe Falls

We had a really great vacation.  Due to his new job, JP did not spend the entire time working.  We came home refreshed and (for a change) not exhausted.

This past week has been spent getting caught up around Poplar Ridge, and heading back to work.  L spent the week at Basketball Camp at the new Rec Center in town.