Picnic by the Pond: Crab Melt Loaf

(Photo by Taste of Home)

We had another picnic by the pond last night. No special occasion, but it was a nice evening and our meal was easily transportable.  I have been making this Crab Melt Loaf for years.  The original recipe states it can be made with tuna instead of crab and with a variety of cheeses.  Cheddar, Swiss and Monterey Jack are all good.  It also can be made using sandwich rolls or hamburger buns rather than with the loaf.  Last night I used some Portuguese rolls I had in the freezer, along with imitation crab and shredded cheddar for the seafood and cheese options.

I had also made a Rainbow Salad, which is easy enough to just describe.  You mix coleslaw dressing to taste, a bag of rainbow slaw mix, a can of pineapple chunks, drained, some sunflower seeds or sliced almonds, raisins or craisins, and, if you like, some chopped apple or pears.  I have also added blueberries and that is good too.

With a few potato chips and some cookies and freshly filled water bottles, we had our picnic.  It was sunny, cool and refreshing by the pond.  We are so blessed to have this little spot only five minutes from home!

Citrus Coasters

Here is a fun little summer project I found at the Purl Bee:  Citrus Coasters.  I have made two sets of these delightful little coasters as gifts; just couldn't resist making these.  In addition, my 8-year-old granddaughter made a set of them for her mom's birthday and is now making a set for me.  These are so easy, and so summery and cute!

lemon and lime

pink grapefruit and tangerine

orange and lemon

This is the packaging I devised for the coasters as gifts.

 

Aren't these fun?  Hope someone else will enjoy this project as much as we have!

After the storm

Photo by Photos Public Domain

Well, tropical storm Irene is history.  Our area has experienced lots of flooding and washed-out roads, etc. but here at our home we fared well.  We did have some fairly heavy wind and rain here last night, but nothing earth-shattering.  The biggest casualty (that I know of) was that our clothesline came down.  Apparently when the wind blew really hard, it blew the tree the clothesline was hooked to, in the opposite direction and it pulled the hook on the other end right out of the house!  But it was easily fixed, and Mr. T managed to do so before he left for work.


Today is beautiful, sunny and breezy, and just warm enough.  We're so thankful for the wonderful way God brought us through the storm, and of course we're continuing to pray for those who've been severely affected by it.

Weathering Irene

Photo by Photos Public Domain

So far it has been rain, rain and more rain, and yet Irene, now a tropical storm, has not even officially arrived in northern New England yet.  This morning we lost power for about an hour and a half, and were so thankful when it was restored.  We've had some wind, but it could be (and may yet be) much worse.  It's felt like a different Sunday, as the decision was prayerfully made to cancel our church services for the day, but we are thankful for the safety we've had so far.  Only a little bit of water in the cellar!

Great garden veggies

Photo by Taste of Home

Here is a new-to-me recipe which I recently tried from an older Quick Cooking magazine:  Great Garden Veggies.  It's a simple but very tasty skillet side dish that makes wonderful use of fresh garden produce and is so easy to prepare.   Our zucchini didn't come up, so I bought squash at the grocery store for this, but it still came out very good.  If your garden is producing more zucchini than you know what to do with, give this a try!

Chicken in Lime Butter

(Recipe from Taste of Home)

I promised to post some of the recipes I've been trying lately (or old ones that I use a lot but haven't posted before).  This is a new one I recently tried:  Chicken in Lime Butter.  I had some chicken tenders and was looking for a good and easy way to prepare them that might be a bit different.  This was easy and very flavorful.  I changed just a couple of things.  I used olive oil to cook the chicken in, and I used only about half the butter called for in the recipe -- that is, I used 2 Tblsp. as opposed to 1/4 cup.  Also, I used fresh chives from the garden.  I had cut a handful of them not realizing that the recipe called for 1/4 teaspoon!  I used them all and it still came out very good.  Life has been so busy and hectic lately that I can't even remember what I served with this, but I think it was leftover yellow rice and some steamed Swiss chard.

Lemon Artichoke Romaine Salad

I don't think I've posted this recipe before, but it is a real favorite of mine.  Here's the link:  Lemon Artichoke Romaine Salad.

(Photo by Taste of Home)

I found it in a Light and Tasty magazine some years ago, and we really enjoy it.  The flavors are perfect with any Italian-type main dish.  I have served it to company with lasagna (or even pizza many times).  If you are looking for a side dish to perk up spaghetti, pizza, calzone, or any Italian meal, give this a try.  You may find it perks up your old standard Italian style menus.  Enjoy!