Birthday Boy

We have two boys in this household with August birthdays... happy birthday, Doug!

Your quote from the other night still has me laughing: "Do you realize we're closer to 40 than we are to 25?"

Weekly meals

• FRI steak panzanella (yes, we still have that many tomatoes growing in the garden...)
• SAT ricotta and spinach stuffed squash (yes, the squash is still growing, too!)
• SUN penne with meat sauce (still working on sauce from the freezer; you've got to love big batch cooking sometimes), green beans
• MON grilled chicken mediterranean plate
• TUE meatloaf, brussels sprouts, redskin potatoes
• WED black bean and tomato quinoa, chicken sausage
• THR pizza

Tree of Life

Amazing detail work in this Tree of Life print. Note to self: buy this, frame it beautifully and admire often.

Colorful carrots

The rainbow assortment of carrot seeds we planted early this season did not disappoint.

Weekly Meals

• FRI steak, sweet potatoes, grilled romaine
• SAT grilled chicken, quinoa with chickpeas and tomatoes
• SUN penne with meat sauce, grilled squash & zucchini, leftover romaine
• MON open-face roast vegetable sandwiches with provolone on foccacia
• TUE rice, chicken sausage, asparagus, peas skillet
• WED bean and cheese quesadillas, tomatoes, salsa, sour cream
• THR breakfast dinner*

* Breakfast dinner is becoming our Thursday night go-to. It's the end of my work week and always seems to be the day I walk in the door the latest and most physically and mentally exhausted. Dinner could be as simple as scrambled eggs and toast, or slightly more complicated pancakes and bacon, but it's a relief to know it's a pre-planned and stress-free meal night. Plus, I drink smoothies nearly every morning, so enjoying a "real" breakfast is a treat.

Grilled Steak Panzanella

We made the initial batch with shrimp, but substituted steak the second time around and loved it even more. It's a great recipe for using up the garden's bounty of tomatoes and basil.

Grilled Steak Panzanella With Basil
1-2 cloves garlic
3 Tbsp. olive oil
steak of choice
1 small baguette, split lengthwise
2 1/2 lbs. heirloom or beefsteak tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 cups fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
kosher salt and black pepper

Smash the garlic cloves and place in a small bowl; add olive oil. Heat grill or grill pan to medium-high. Grill steak and set aside to rest. Brush the baguette with 1 Tbsp. of oil. Grill the baguette until golden and crisp, and cut into bite-size pieces. Thinly slice the steak. In a large bowl, toss the steak, baguette, tomatoes, and basil with the lemon juice, the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and salt and pepper, to taste.

Weekly Meals

• FRI pasta bake with spinach, butternut squash, cream cheese, cranberries
• SAT August's birthday party BBQ
• SUN grilled steak panzanella
• MON grilled chicken mediterranean plate
• TUE vegetable pizza, spicy cucumber salad
• WED grilled mozzarella, tomato, basil and garden pesto sandwiches
• THR breakfast dinner

One

One year ago today, sweet August entered our lives. Happy birthday to our jolly little buddy.

Hemming jeans

A nice tutorial for those of us on the short side.

Weekly Meals

• FRI meat, cheese & homemade pesto lasagna
• SAT rice, chicken sausage and asparagus skillet
• SUN homemade pizza (garden tomato, fresh mozzarella, basil, mushroom)
• MON turkey burgers with grilled squash & sweet potato coins
• TUE lemon chicken, squash & zucchini over cous cous
• WED pasta with julienned zucchini and roasted tomatoes
• THR breakfast dinner

Benched

We're still a ways off from replacing the family room furniture, but often need extra seating when entertaining guests. In the meantime, I'm eyeing the addition of a bench for the seating group in the 'upper' family room. A low profile to maintain the sight lines, and room for two... could be a solution?