Our favorite lunch

During the summer months, Brian often enjoys a big, juicy BLT for lunch. I, on the other hand, am not fond of tomatoes. I try to like them, really I do. At least once a year, I force myself to take a bite of one, hoping that this time it will taste good. As of yet, it has never happened. So, while Brian has his BLT, I usually have an ABC sandwich. ABC stands for apples, bacon, and cheese. Mmmm! Make a couple slices of toast, put some mayo on there, and layer up the apples, bacon, and cheese. You've got to try it. Yumm-o!

Fruit of his labor

Brian is the gardener in our family. He has planted, watered, and tended our garden all summer long. I have a few planters and flower pots on the deck, but other than that, Brian takes care of everything that is green and growing on our premise. His big success this year has been okra. We love it fried but are hoping to pickle some too. The tomatoes have done alright, and last week we accumulated enough to can some salsa. I shouldn't say "we" because once again, Brian handled that chore from beginning to end. Daniel and I were running some errands in town, and when we got home Brian was putting the lids on 11 pints of salsa. We have already downed one jar, and I must say, it is very tasty! Thank you, hubby!

Homemade chocolate chips

Since Daniel is allergic to milk, eggs, and nuts, I have had to learn some things about making meals from scratch. Practically everything prepackaged from a loaf of bread to a can of soup contains something that Daniel cannot have. We have a health food store nearby that sells many allergen-free products, but they are quite expensive. So, I have found recipes to make many items that I would have never dreamed of making before our food allergy escapades. The most recent thing I have tried is homemade chocolate chips. Most store-bought chocolate chips contain milk, but I found a recipe here for ones without it. Making these chocolate chips was actually pretty easy. First, you combine sugar, coconut oil, and cocoa in a mason jar.

Then, you place the jar in a pan of water on the stove. Cook and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add vanilla and pour the mixture into a 9 x 13 lined with wax paper.

Refrigerate until hardened and then break into small chunks. I guess these are actually chocolate chunks, not chips. But close enough, right?

I wish I would have cooked and stirred my chocolate mixture longer, because the sugar did not fully dissolve, so the chips were a little grainy. I used them in a recipe for allergen-free chocolate banana cake, and they still tasted great! I have devoured several pieces of the cake already, but wouldn't you know that the little man who I actually baked it for will not eat a single bite. He prefers Oreos. Sigh.

At least he shares...

Corn Party

We had a corn party at our house on Sunday afternoon! What, you might ask, is a corn party? Well, my dad had planted sweet corn in part of one field. It has just ripened, so he picked 6 feed sacks full. He and my brother shucked it and cut off the ends. Then, they brought it to our house where Brian and I helped to wash it, blanch it, cut it off the cob, bag it, and freeze it. We put up 60 pints on Sunday and another 26 pints on Monday. That's a lot of corn!






My mom had perhaps the most important job...babysitting Daniel!