Wednesday, August 01, 2012

Progress Inside and Out



Hi Knitters,
Progress is being made on the second baby cardigan for the Vogue Knitting Live Class I am teaching on October 28th in Chicago. I am using these tiny cardigans as my class samples and also for my project for the Itty-Bitty Knits Ravellenic Team for my Ravelry Group. The green stripes are fresh and fun. This little version is going to have short sleeves  and maybe a hood or a matching hat. This class is all about options and making the cardigan you want.




We are loving our garden this summer. Everyday we are bringing in fresh vegetables that quickly vanish. Cucumbers are winning the production rate so far this summer. I can't believe how fast cucumbers grow. When we bring them inside, they get sliced up and thrown in salads or dipped in Trader Joe's Cilantro Dressing (click here for the link to this dressing) for a speedy snack. This dressing is delicious and by far my favorite. I like it on everything.

The kids started snacking like crazy on peppers last spring and haven't quit. They love them. I was even slicing them up and putting them in baggies to bring to school for a snack. We have been buying large numbers of red, green and yellow peppers. We'll see if that continues this school year. I love them, too, they are so crunchy.


One of my favorite things in the summer is to slice up a garden tomato and sprinkle it with a little bit of sea salt and ground pepper. That's it. It's the best snack around. Our tomato plants are bursting with tomatoes this summer. I am so excited for them to all start turning red. I check a couple times a day and usually come in with a handful or two.


I have had two huge zucchinis a couple of weeks ago but the plants haven't produced any more yet. In case I get asked, the chicken platter was a gift from my sister a few years back and it is in constant use. I just leave it out on the kitchen counter and something always ends up on it.

Yesterday I cooked up some corn on the cob. I cut the corn off and made this yummy salad, Corn and Blueberry Salad, click here for the recipe link. It seems like a strange combination but it is fantastic. I think the texture of the blueberries and the corn together really works well. And throw in that lime juice? It's incredibly fresh tasting. I used a cucumber from our garden in here, too. It was so delicious. This is a summery salad and the kids loved it. I am going to make it again very soon.

How are your gardens growing this summer and what are your favorite summer recipes? I'd love to hear.

I'll be back soon with a giveaway and review!
best, susie

12 comments:

Suze said...

We had a huge eggplant in our CSA box this week, so I made Nick Stellino's eggplant parmesan (http://www.nickstellino.com/recipes_display.asp?ind=622) with it, and my husband made homemade noodles. Delicious!
It's not been an easy year for gardens, but at least the rain of the last week or two has provided some relief. happy eating!

Brandi Schoch said...

I can't wait to try that salad!

Anonymous said...

The yarns on the baby cardigan WIP are beautiful - what are you using?
Andrea

Deborah said...

Hi.
Our garden is doing great. I just picked a large handful of green beans, very tasty. I make an awesome zucchini relish with zucchini, onions and pepers from the garden. The cucumbers will become bread and butter pickles. I cann't wait for the corn to be ready.

Anonymous said...

I second that. The yarns are beautiful and the cardigan is so cute. Can't wait to see the finished product!
Carol

Suzanne said...

That TJ's salad dressing is a huge favorite in our house. Unfortunately we live two hours from the nearest store so we have to stock up when we are there. I'm trying to find a recipe for a close substitute to make at home. :-)

Thanks for the link to the salad. It sounds delish as well.

cockney blonde said...

Yummy veggies. We've not planted anything this year as we're in the process of moving house. So its only the perennial strawberries which surprisingly are doing well considering all our wet weather.
Love the cardi

Zenitude said...

On sliced tomatoes I like to drizzle tiny amount of olive oil, sprinkle on sea salt, fresh basil and crumbled goats cheese. Yum!

Laurie B. said...

The abundance of heat and the lack of rain this year has been very hard on the garden, even with frequent watering. We lost a lot of tomatoes and peppers to blossom end rot, but what we do get is yummy. There's just nothimg better than fresh veggies that you've grown yourself!

Toni said...

Thanks for the link to the recipe! I need a side dish to take to a cook out on Sunday and this sounds great!

Sandie said...

Slice some cucumbers and put them in your water pitcher. It's the best!! So fresh!

Jenee said...

Thanks for sharing the vogue knitting live cardigan. I was already in your morning class and after seeing today's post, I had to sign up for the afternoon class too. I'm really looking forward to it!