Summer Squash Bread Pudding.

Earlier this week, I made Summer Squash Bread. We liked it much better than the cucumber bread. I don't know why, the recipes are near identical, except for the vegetables. We have about half a loaf left, so this morning I whipped up a recipe for Bread Pudding using the Summer Squash bread.

Summer Squash Bread

Ingredients

• 3 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded summer squash

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. In a large bowl, use an electric mixer to beat the eggs until fluffy. Beat in the sugar, oil, and vanilla. Gradually mix in the flour, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Fold in the squash. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
3. Bake 45 minutes in the preheated oven, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

Bread Pudding

Ingredients

• 6 slices day-old bread
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)
• 4 eggs, beaten
• 2 cups milk
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Break bread into small pieces into an 8 inch square baking pan. Drizzle melted butter or margarine over bread. If desired, sprinkle with raisins.
3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine eggs, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and vanilla. Beat until well mixed. Pour over bread, and lightly push down with a fork until bread is covered and soaking up the egg mixture.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until the top springs back when lightly tapped.

The Kitchen is (almost) Finished!

Erica finally finished painting the kitchen this past weekend. It has been a few months since any painting has happened around here.

Left to do:
1. Paint ceiling
2. Paint trim
3. Find and hang a new light fixture

USA Pro Cycling Challenge

This week, the USA Pro Cycling Challenge has brought professional cyclists from all over the world to take a lap around Colorado. The 6th and final stage was today, ending in Denver. Jim joined us as we biked along the course to spectate.

Our first stop was at 29th and Federal. We took pictures and video, not really knowing what we would end up with. Luckily, Erica got this awesome picture of Levi Leipheimer in Yellow with his Radio Shack teammates in front. He went on to win the entire event.

More Spray Paint!

This is our second spray paint project. The first was our dining room chandelier transformation.

The recessed lighting surrounds in our kitchen were gold. You can see them in all of their circa early 90's awesomeness below just before the transformation began:

Satin Nickel spray paint to the rescue! Pam had actually given us this left over can from one of her home projects. Thanks Pam!

And the finished product - 2 even coats of spray later. It is amazing how something so small makes such a big difference. We likey.

2 out of 3 Ain't Bad

Can you see the problem here? I thought we were going to lose one, but they now all have new growth and new buds, which is very good news!

They have been back in the ground for a month now and this picture was taken this past weekend. Gotta love the shrub rose - pretty hard to kill.

Quake!

This week Chris is in Schenectady, NY for training. Today a 5.8 magnitude earthquake originated in northern Virginia and was felt at least as far north as Chris's training class. The building he was in shook for around 20 seconds and had to evacuate until the all-clear was issued. It was pretty crazy!!

New Built in BBQ

Here it is, the long awaited built in grill. Our garage has an incinerator built onto the back of it. It was falling apart and had a big hole in the top of it. It was cheaper to re-build it than to take it down. So, we incorporated our grill into it.

Looking toward the grill from the patio.

In about 3 weeks we are pouring a concrete pad behind the garage in preparation for a garage addition. We are also getting a new stamped patio!

Jelly Cafe

We are at the Jelly Cafe to celebrate Jim's birthday. We recommend the donut bites! We both had the Jelly Burger with cream cheese, sprouts, and jalapeno jelly.

Erica loved the old school cereal boxes on the wall.

Cucumber Bread

I made this zucchini bread recipe, only used cucumbers. Planning to do another batch tomorrow using summer squash.

Ingredients

• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated cucumber
  
• 1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C).
2. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
3. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl. Add sifted ingredients to the creamed mixture, and beat well. Stir in cucumber and nuts until well combined. Pour batter into prepared pans.
4. Bake for 40 to 60 minutes, or until tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan on rack for 20 minutes. Remove bread from pan, and completely cool.

Rhubarb Chicken

I made this for dinner tonight, based loosely on this recipe and this recipe. Served with a side of fresh green beans.

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
salt
pepper
olive oil
~3 cups rhubarb, chopped
nutmeg
ground ginger
3/4 C. sugar
apricot-apple cider
cinnamon

Directions
Place salt and peppered chicken breasts in baking dish. I added a touch of olive oil to the bottom of the dish as well. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Mix Rhubarb, sugar, cider, nutmeg, and ginger in a pan on the stove. Bring to a boil and thicken.

After the chicken has baked for 30 minutes, pour rhubarb sauce over the top. Sprinkle cinnamon on top of everything and bake in the oven for 20 additional minutes.

The Elusive Salmon-Pink-Peach-Tan Tile

Remember this glorious day when we proclaimed the bathroom upgrade had begun? We are sad to report this is where we are today - missing tiles and a lot of dust. To be honest, after the first couple days into the project, we got discouraged and have kind of given up, keeping the door closed - out of sight out of mind.

We damaged surrounding tiles trying to remove the soap & toothbrush holder as carefully as we could which was very frustrating. We attempted to chip out replacement tiles below this area where the vanity is going to be without much success. We were even using tools the guy who was doing our brick lent us.

Then, Erica found B&W Tile in California. They still produce tiles in colors from the 1920-1950's. They shipped us some samples in our color range. Our tile is at the very top - the closest is the far right sample tile. It is not a perfect match, although it is close and there is some lighter variation throughout the tiles, especially around the tub for some reason.

Today we went to Bud's Warehouse. They have a lot of old and rare color tiles, but no match. Nothing even close. We were able to donate 2 ceiling fans, all of the sconces we have replaced, and finials and curtain rods we have taken down since we have moved in while we were there at least.

Second stop of the day was Ann Sacks Tile. They carry some vintage colors, but they also didn't have a match and they have a $500 minimum purchase requirement. Bummer.

We might try to get out some whole tiles yet, even cutting out the plaster wall to ensure intact tiles. Or, we might just go with the close match at B&W. Either way, something has to give soon, the bathroom situation is driving Erica CRAZY!

Peach Gazpacho

We have been getting a half peck of peaches each week for the past few weeks. We have been mostly eating them plain or with granola and yogurt. Time to spice things up a little.

We had this with dinner last night with side salads, french bread, and tofu baked in spicy BBQ sauce. It was good, although Erica got a little food processor happy and wished it were a tad bit chunkier. The peaches were so juicy, the water was omitted.

1/2 to 3/4 cup water

6 ripe peaches (about 2 1/2 pounds), peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into chunks

1/2 medium cucumber, peeled, seeded, and cut into chunks

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tbs champagne vinegar, plus more to taste

2 tbs extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tbs coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro

Garnish: finely chopped red bell pepper and Haas avocado

Pulse 1/2 cup water, the peaches, cucumber, garlic, vinegar, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in a food processor until coarsely pureed. Thin with more water if desired. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Season with vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir in herbs. Garnish with bell pepper and avocado. Drizzle with oil, and sprinkle with salt.

All Lit Up

Erica plugged in the accent lights last week, but didn't set them and they were coming on at 2am. We know this because one of them was shining right into our bedroom window. We finally set them tonight for normal hours. The light in the middle of the rose bed isn't working - we will have to investigate this weekend. Not half bad for a cell phone picture! It looks much better in person, of course.

Roasted Beets with Feta

We made this tonight and it was REALLY good.

Ingredients

• 4 beets, trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached
• 1/4 cup minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Wrap each beet individually in aluminum foil, and place onto a baking sheet.
2. Bake beets in preheated oven until easily pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once done, remove from oven, and allow to cool until you can handle them. Peel beets, and cut into 1/4 inch slices.
3. While the beets are roasting, whisk together shallot, parsley, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and red wine vinegar in a bowl until blended; season to taste with salt and pepper, and set aside.
4. To assemble the dish, place the warm, sliced beets onto a serving dish, pour vinaigrette over the beets, and sprinkle with feta cheese before serving.

Recovering in Steamboat

Keeping it classy with $2 PBRs at Creekside Cafe and Grill.

We did it again.

We ran the Wild West Relay again.  We were not as prepared this year and are feeling it a little right now.

Pie in the Sky

Every airline publishes a magazine for your reading pleasure while in the air. I think my favorite is Southwest Airlines Spirit Magazine. While flying back from Virginia, I read the August magazine which is all about pie. They published this summer squash custard pie, and as luck would have it, we had summer squash in the fridge that needed to be used up. Perfect.

Aunt Marian’s Summer Squash Custard Pie

From Southern Pies: A Gracious Plenty of Pie Recipes, From Lemon Chess To Chocolate Pecan, by Nancie McDermott

INGREDIENTS

1 pastry for a 9-inch single-crust pie

6 medium zucchini or yellow squash (about 1 ½ pounds)

¾ cup sugar

1 tablespoon cornstarch

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup heavy cream

3 eggs, beaten well

¼ cup butter, melted

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

½ teaspoon white vinegar

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a 9-inch pie pan with crust and then crimp the edges decoratively.

Trim ends of the zucchini and cut each squash lengthwise into quarters, turning each into four long strips. Cut away the pointed edge of each strip, removing and discarding seeds. Line up strips and cut each one crosswise into ½-inch chunks. You should have about 6 cups of chopped zucchini.

In a medium saucepan with a tight-fitting lid, bring ¾ cup water to a rolling boil. Add chopped zucchini, cover, and cook until zucchini is tender and bright green, softened, but still holding its shape without turning to mush, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and drain well.

In a small bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, nutmeg, and salt. Stir with a fork to mix everything well. In a medium bowl, combine cream, eggs, butter, vanilla, and vinegar. Using a whisk or a fork, stir to combine well. Add sugar mixture and stir to dissolve the dry ingredients and mix together into a thick, smooth filling.

Transfer the zucchini back to empty saucepan and mash it to make it as soft and smooth as possible. Drain any extra liquid the zucchini releases. Measure out so that you have about 2 ½ cups. Fold mashed, drained zucchini into filling and stir to mix together well.

Pour filling into the piecrust. Place pie on the middle shelf of oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 325 degrees, and bake until the filling is firm and nicely browned, and a knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.

Place the pie on a cooling rack or a folded kitchen towel. Let cool to room temperature. Serve at room temperature or slightly chilled.

Kohlrabi Slaw

Erica whipped this up this morning. It was easy enough to make and it used up a bunch of our cabbage and kohlrabi.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chopped cabbage
• 4 kohlrabi bulbs, peeled and grated
• 2 stalks celery, sliced thin
• 2 carrots, sliced thin
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh onion
• 1/3 cup white sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 4 1/2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Directions

1. Toss the cabbage, kohlrabi, celery, carrot, and onion together in a large bowl.
2. Whisk the sugar, salt, pepper, celery seed, mayonnaise, and vinegar together in a separate bowl until smooth; pour over the cabbage mixture and stir to coat evenly. Chill in refrigerator 1 hour before serving.

We're Baaack!

We flew home from our Virginia vacation yesterday, arriving back home last night. We had a great week - it went by way too fast. Pete and Judy were excellent hosts.

We didn't do a super job of blogging while we were away. There are some additional pictures on AGPERP's blog. There are a few more pics floating around out there that were not taken by us, but I am hoping we can get our hands on and get posted soon.

We also got to spend time with the VA gang. The gang consists of a group of transplants to the VA area who all met while they worked at GE. All 10 of us met up for dinner at a new restaurant in Salem called the Blue Apron on Friday evening. It is pretty cutting edge for the Salem/Roanoke area and the food was excellent.

We are glad we have a day to get back in the swing of things. We are catching up on laundry and making food for the week. Thanks to Cori & Bob for picking up our vegetables last Monday - we are glad you were able to use some of them up while we were gone! Our neighbors watered our flowers for us each day we were gone and Erica is going to make them a rhubarb pie to say thanks.

This evening we are heading to the Colorado Shakespeare Festival with the Hamill's. We are going to be seeing The Comedy of Errors.

Chateau Morrisette

We had a great lunch and wine tasting today at Chateau Morrisette.

Kayaking

Off the Grid

We are on vacation with AGPERP at Smith Mountain Lake. We are staying with AGP's parents. We are having a very nice time. On Sunday, our friends Hannah & Ed, and Will stopped by for some lake time. Erica also got to meet Andy's sister and her husband for the first time.

Here is a little video of Wicket "swimming".