Last Day of Farmers on Summer Vacation

This is the last vacation post.....I promise you.  I bet you've been wondering where we were on vacation. 

What?

No?

Well, I can't tell you anyway.  It's a secret.  All I can tell you is that we were in the middle of a forest somewhere in northern, CA.  A friend's private family vacation cabin....actually, cabins. 

On our trip we had a whole lot of food time.

Lots of silly time.

Beach time everyday, along the lazy river nearby.

Can't go camping without smore time.

Double-fisted smore time.

Bryce just wanted to burn things.

 

Lots of Daddy time. 

 

Water fight time.

Pal time.

More food.  Frying bacon for breakfast every morning, Bryce was the first in line everyday.

This was the cabin Dominic and I slept in.  The windows were just screens so it felt as though we were sleeping outside.  It got down to the 40's every night....I need a warmer sleeping bag.

The view out the back window of our cabin.

Redneck Lounge....we will miss you.

Gigantic Redwoods.

I'm not sure what these are, but I loved them.

Our last day, Bryce got control of the camera for a while.  Until next time.

Happy Tuesday! Pin It

Food of a Farmer's Summer Vacation

What is it about vacation that makes you hungry enough to eat ALL of this?!  This was Dominic's first helping....YIKES! 

We normally don't eat a whole lot of fried food but this is what was on the menu for one of the nights on vacation.  A whole lot of onion rings, fries, Talapia and chicken was fried up.  I have to say, there is something about a freshly fried onion ring that is extremely enjoyable. Dipped in some ranch dip....Oh Boy!

It was our friend's, Mark & Cindy's night to cook and they brought their new, deep, outdoor fryer to use.

And let me tell you, they've got the entire frying thing down.

Everything dipped into a tempura batter,

deep fried in fresh oil,

creates pure yumminess.  Everyone enjoyed, except for my Bryce, who is my 'caveman' and only eats raw veggies, fruit, and beef or venison, oh, and candy.  He had a veggie platter on this night instead.

We did counter the fried food with some veggies and dip......a perfect compliment to the fried feast. 

This was my plate....tilapia, one chicken nugget, onion rings and fries, BBQ sauce for dipping and some veggies and grapes.

After that big dinner, it was time to fry up some dessert.  Yep, I said fry.

Take a guess at what this is.....

If you guessed Twinkie, you are correct.

It had been SO long since I had eaten a Twinkie and never a fried one.  This was my first.  It actually tasted very similar to a donut.

If you try this at home, make sure you freeze the twinkies before frying so they don't melt.

Thankfully I remembered to pack the Tums.  They were definitely needed.

Happy Monday!

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Farmers on Summer Vacation

Sometimes when farmers go on vacation, they work really hard at unwinding and forget what should be worn to the beach.  But no worries, it all works out no matter what you wear.

Because you're on vacation!

And boots can dry.

And life is slow, relaxing and entertaining.  As our friend, Rich, aka 'Farms' is demonstrating.

When on vacation, one tends to spend some time in a little room like this...

Who's sole purpose is to house this...........

and this...........But after drinking a few of these,

You end up looking like this........

BUT,

Because you're on vacation.

Happy Sunday!

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Zucchini Parmesan Cakes

If you've planted squash or zucchini in your garden, you are most likely at capacity right now with production. What to do with all that zucchini and squash?! I had to search and find some ideas other than the roasted dish and zucchini bread that I normally cook and bake.

I checked out Eating Well as I normally do for some inspiration. And don't these look good? Well, let me tell you, they are! Of course I changed up the recipe a little and we all loved it!

When you are making these, it's really important that you squeeze out as much of the water from the squash/zucchini as you can....otherwise you may end up with soggy cakes. Great way to get a veggie into your kid as well.

Zucchini Parmesan Cakes

Grate squash or zucchini...3 or 4 of them.  Squeeze out as much of the water as you possibly can.

Chop parsley and shallots and grate parmesan cheese.

Combine zucchini with the rest of the ingredients.

Pack a 1/3 cup measuring cup with the mixture and plop it in a heated, oiled skillet and flatten out a little.

Brown both sides....about 3-4 minutes.

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.

I really liked this recipe.  Almost anything with parmesan is good in my book :)

4 servings

Active Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Ingredients
1 large egg
2/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 tablespoon chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/4 teaspoon salt - I used Kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 cups shredded seeded summer squash or zucchini, (2-3 medium, about 1 pound; see Tip) I used zucchini
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup bread crumbs..I like Panko - I added this to the recipe

Preparation
1.Preheat oven to 400°F.

2.Beat egg in a large bowl. Stir in shallots, parsley, salt and pepper. Place shredded squash in the center of a clean kitchen towel; gather up the ends and twist to squeeze out any liquid. Add the squash and cheese to the bowl; stir to combine.

3.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pack a 1/3-cup measuring cup with the squash mixture and unmold it into the pan; gently pat it down to form a 3-inch cake. Repeat, making 4 squash cakes. Cook until browned and crispy on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes. Gently turn the cakes over and transfer the pan to the oven. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve immediately.


Tips & Notes
Tip: To remove the seeds from summer squash, cut the squash in half lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with a spoon. To shred the squash, use the large-holed side of a box grater. Make sure water is squeezed out as much as possible.

Nutrition
Per serving: 130 calories; 8 g fat (3 g sat, 4 g mono); 62 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrates; 7 g protein; 1 g fiber; 322 mg sodium; 406 mg potassium.


Happy Saturday! Pin It