A Picnic Celebration

Thursday night we celebrated Joseph's birthday by throwing him a little picnic party in the living room. Gabe and I spent the entire day running around gathering supplies and making lots of finger foods to nosh on. We made these cute little caprese salad bites, toasted ravioli with marinara sauce, coconut shrimp, bacon wrapped shrimp, beef skewers, cheese and crackers, and strawberry margaritas. We moved the furniture out of the way and layed everything out on a big blanket and set to work devouring as much as we could. Later we cleared the way for cake and games. The cake was yummy, but the games were the highlight of the night. We had a little baby pinata and we let Gabe take the first few swings and we nearly fell on the floor laughing because of how cute he looked. I was really amazed by how well he could hit that swinging hat full of candy. I was also delighted by his reaction to Joseph breaking it open and seeing snickers bars fly out of it. He started laughing and he actually ran to collect candy, which was sooo funny.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade Dipping Sauce
1 lb peeled and deveined shrimp
1/2 c flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c shredded coconut (I ran this through the food processor to make it a little finer.)

Dust shrimp with flour. Dip each shrimp in the beaten egg and then dip into the coconut. Fry in small batches in peanut oil heated to 375 degrees.

Marmalade Sauce

5 T orange marmalade
1 T Grey Poupoun Harvest Coarse Ground Mustard
1 T Horseradish Sauce

Mix all ingredients and serve with coconut shrimp.

Bushels of Tomatoes

We are a couple weeks into tomato season and I am starting to feel the weight of all of those beautiful tomatoes. I knew I planted far too many...but how could I stop myself? I wanted a variety and each variety came in a four pack! I ended up planting over a dozen plants in my garden and another handful by the side of the house. I was so excited when the first ripe tomatoes started showing up but I am drowning in them now. Last week I canned 19 jars of

whole peeled tomatoes, 2 jars of sauce, and a couple jars of juice. Now I have just as many tomatoes as I did last week and I need to repeat the whole process (not to mention buy more canning jars) to use them up. I know I will be thrilled with jars and jars of fresh tomatoes this

winter, but I have to tell you all of that work is a little daunting right now.

During the process, Gabe and took a little time out to make some fresh pasta to enjoy with our homemade sauce. We needed a shortcut so we threw everything in the food processor and let it rip. He helped me roll it out and then we topped it with some sauce and a few wonderful little meatballs.

Oven Roasted Tomato Sauce

2-3 lbs plum tomatoes, peeled and seeded

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp dry basil

salt

pepper

olive oil

balsamic vinegar

Lay tomato halves cut side up on a large sheet pan. Sprinkle garlic and herbs over tomatoes.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper as well. Drizzle a little olive oil and a little balsamic vinegar over the tomatoes. Roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until tender and the edges are slightly browned. Remove from oven and mash with a fork or potato masher. (I also tried the food processor but decided on a chunkier sauce.)

Wild Canadian Walleye Shoreside

It has been over a week since returning home, however I am just now getting back into the swing of things. After much vacationing and traveling I am craving some time to relax. This summer has been so packed with weddings, showers, trips, and outings that I am truly looking forward to fall and all it has to offer.

This simple lunch of fried potatoes, baked beans, and freshly caught walleye was one of the highlights of our Canadian fishing experience. Everyone gets excited about the prospect of catching fish, cleaning them riverside, and cooking them up for lunch. I think it makes us feel like pioneers living off of the land. That is a good thing in our book!

The one gripe that I have with our annual shore lunch is that my father, a lovable guy - always insists that I be the one to cook everything...yet he directs my every move. "Get the fire started." "That's not enough wood." "You need more oil in there." "I like my potatoes crispy." "Flip those fish." "Move that pan over to the other side."
He claims to love shore lunches...somehow I think that he loves giving me a hard time even more!