Cooking Class—Pizza on the BBQ

Cooking Class this month was "Pizza on the Barbie." Jude, our instructor, made a simple dough that can be used immediately, the next day, or frozen. We rolled out the dough and brushed it with olive oil. The parchment paper worked great as it absorbed some of the moistness in the dough and the dough didn't stick to the pizza pan.

We used a roasted red pepper puree instead of tomato sauce (which also can be frozen). This pizza has Canadian bacon, mozzarella cheese and fresh basil on it. Delicious.

Here is Jude busy at the grill. Other toppings included an olive tapenade, roasted Vidalia onions and garlic, and pepperoni and sausage from Charlie's, our local meat market.

Jude's deck is right off her kitchen which is really convenient. In addition to all the pizzas, Jude showed us how to make a classic Caesar salad with garlic-butter croutons. I am not a fan of lots of garlic or anchovies but this salad was so delicious.
Our next class is at the end of August and we will be doing brunch dishes.

Harvesting Begins

Randy picked these vegetables this morning. We are trying to keep up with the zucchini. I am good for one a day. He can eat up to 3 or 4. Randy tried a pickled beet recipe which he says is delicious. I am not fond of beets. He now is trying a pickled turnip recipe. We seem to use turnips more in the winter as we put them in soups and stews.

The tomatoes are coming slowly. We watched a french cooking show with Laura Calder and she had a great recipe for canned tomatoes......pack whole tomatoes into quart jars with a few thyme sprigs, a couple of bay leaves, and an onion slice. We are definitely going to try it when we get more tomatoes.

Misc.

Randy's daughter, Heidi sent us some Walla Walla onions. They are delicious! We wrap them in pantyhose and hang them in a large crawl space under the house. They last a long time. Thanks, Heidi!

This is Cooper's favorite place to sit in Randy's car. We have a cover for the seat which helps keep the dog hair under control. He is on his way to recycle cardboard and paper......and he gets a walk too.

This fella showed up while I was sweeping the front walkway. Cooper is getting very good at staying with me and just watching the elk.

I have been taking it easy lately due to the stress fracture. I have almost had the "boot" on three weeks. I go back to the doctor on the 31st. I hope I can take the darn thing off. I really miss walking/hiking. And I want to sign up for another dog agility class as well as some exercise classes at the community college.
More rain!!!! We had a nice rain yesterday afternoon and evening and there is a chance we will have some rain during the next few days.

Yahoo!! Rain!

 The decks are wet. The plants are happy. It has been drizzling since about 3:00 a.m.

The temperature is 68 degrees at noon time. All of the windows are open and it feels so good!

The birds have been a little scarce with the rain but Randy saw several around a pool in the rocks taking baths. We see White-Winged Doves, hummingbirds (Black-Chinned, Anna's), White-Breasted Nuthatches Western Meadowlarks,  Lesser Goldfinches, House Finches, Song Sparrows, House Sparrows, Black-Throated Sparrows, Spotted Towhees and Dark-Eyed Juncos.  And, of course, we see Turkey Vultures and Red-Tailed Hawks.

Hot and Dry

It's so hot in AZ...........
the birds have to use potholders to pull the worms out of the ground.
the trees are whistling for the dogs.
the best parking space is determined by shade instead of distance.

hot water comes from both taps.
you can make sun tea instantly.
the temperature drops below 90 F and you feel a little chilly.
the cows are giving evaporated milk.
farmers are feeding their chickens crushed ice to keep them from laying boiled eggs.
(for Jake) your biggest motorcycle wreck fear is "What if I get knocked out and end up lying on the pavement and cook to death."

All kidding aside......it is hot and dry. We have been in the 90s for weeks and it just can't seem to rain. Last night we had thunder and lightning and about 102 drops of rain. (Yes, I can count the drops!) The only little bit of relief is that it is cloudy so it feels a little cooler than it actually is. The animals are desperate for water.....neighbors are reporting that elk are drinking bird baths dry. We have a 50% chance of rain on Saturday.......keep your fingers crossed.

Music in the Park

During the months of June and July, the town of Payson sponsors music in Green Valley Park on Saturday nights. The bands are local and range from Country to Rock.

Our local ice cream store, Scoops, sells ice cream. It's just a fun time when the whole town gets together to enjoy a summer night.
Cooper loves watching all the other dogs and lying on the cool green grass.

Stress Fracture

My left foot has been hurting for almost two weeks. Ice and ointment hasn't helped. I went to the doctor today and I have a stress fracture (2nd metatarsal) and have to wear this boot for 4-6 weeks. Needless to say, I am not a happy camper. I am a bit depressed thinking about all the things I can't do for a month or more. In fact, I am downright crabby. Maybe I will be able to see the positive side to this in a few days.