{pretty, happy, funny, real} - vol. 85ish

Except that apparently there's no {phfr} today?  But this post is already written so
I'm just gonna pop in for a quick {phfr} check in anyway.  I'll write something with actual words maybe - just maybe - even featuring such things as complete sentences and grammar and thought processes...umm...soon. 

We moved our coneflower to outside our garden and it's starting to bloom.

My boys toiling the land

Skinny boy potato hoein' 

The briefest of showers over the weekend.  It's been such a dry summer!

Someone was more than happy to finally pull out that first loose tooth.  Good thing because the new ones are already growing in behind!

His favorite spot.  He adores crawling around on and near plunging off of the couch.

His other favorite place.  His last one is now the cat's food and water bowls...

Y'all will be so proud of me!  I made zoodles and everyone actually liked them!  Thanks for all the suggestions on that last post!

Seen on the way home from Mass...  It'd be funny except it's {real}.

Happy Thursday!


  1. love this update...

    and that sign is perfect

  2. I never tried zoodles. I'll have to give it a try... and get one of those signs! ;-)

  3. Me too! I just made my first zoodles too! Sadly I don't think it is something that will be practical for us as zucchini's are $1.70 ea here in my part of Australia (and 9 to feed). We'd have to grow them ourselves. I'm very inspired by your vege garden. Can I ask how much is a zucchini in the US?

    1. It depends where you live and the season of the year. Right now you can probably find them for 2 or 3 for a dollar or so. During the winter they are usually $1-2 a piece, I think? We don't buy them much in the winter either. Not as fresh and more expensive :)

  4. Mmm. Not too different. If I remember rightly I think I can buy them for around a $1 each in summer, maybe less when on special. I thought they'd be cheaper in the US. Fruit and veg is very expensive where I am. Time for my family to become farmers I think ;)

  5. Your zoodles look great! And I found the zucchini bread with carrots and apples recipe - made it this morning before mass and was welcomed by the warm-spice smell when we got home:
    I also (re)found a recipe for cheesy zucchini enchiladas that I had forgotten about:
    For the record, we don't do reduced-fat anything in this house - no sir-ee bob. We like our cheese fat-ful, thank you. :)

    1. Oh, us too. Definitely. Thank you so much for the recipes! They look so good!

  6. I was going to go back and find the post where you asked for suggestions for using squash, but apparently, as my mom would say, I'm not a good 'looker' this morning, as I just couldn't find it. So I'll just comment here. Here are a few ways I've found squash to be quite palatable for the whole family (most of them I've used this year, but some of them are from last summer or from my childhood).

    Grill it! Slice lengthwise, brush with oil, grill for a couple minutes each side, serve with salt and pepper.

    Zucchini bread! Basically a spice cake, this is a lovely addition to breakfasts, teas, etc. I can give a recipe if desired, but I'm sure they abound in every corner of the internet. Squash can be shredded and frozen in easy-to-use portions.

    Zucchini pancakes! A bit more savory than one usually thinks with the name, but a lovely change. Again, uses shredded squash, fresh or frozen. Joy the Baker has a recipe for these I keep meaning to try out.

    Soup! Okay, not really always the greatest idea for summer, but it gives some variety. I like it in tortellini soup or in a basic chicken soup served with lemon and Parmesan cheese. Add the sliced squash just three minutes before finishing the simmer so that they'll still be firm, although tender.

    Veggie casserole! Okay, this is comfort food, and so easy. Butter a casserole dish and layer your veggies (which can sliced, set out on paper towels, salted, allowed to rest for half an hour, then patted dry, if you prefer to keep the juices in the casserole to a minimum), salting and drizzling with melted butter after each layer, and ending with a layer of sliced or shredded potatoes (likewise salted and buttered). Bake at 425°F until potatoes start to get crispy and butter and juices are bubbling. Sprinkle with cheese and return to oven until cheese is melted. You can do this with just potatoes and squash, but beets or tomatoes can add great color and flavor, and I'm sure a ton of other veggies would work, too. Experiment and enjoy! This can be a good single-dish Friday supper, too.

    Eggplant Parmesan alla Scalini's! Google it. It's a lot of work, but you won't be disappointed. I prefer the tenderness of zucchini to eggplant, which gets tough in leftovers. Also, just to warn you, the breaded fried zucchini is addictive. You may have to make double just so enough gets into the dish. Which brings me to...

    Breaded fried squash! Either following the directions from Scalini's or simply dipping in egg and then flour mixed with salt, pepper, and thyme before frying, this makes a yummy side dish.

    Pickles! I didn't have enough cucumbers when making my little brother's amazing refrigerator sweet pickles, so I substituted with some squash. Obviously not the same exact flavor and everything as cucumber pickles, but still yummy.

    1. Wow, thanks Hannah! That casserole sounds awesome...I've never tried to make anything like that before!

