Around the Campfire (week 33)

Dear Campers:

Happy Sunday! Everyone here is gearing up for 'back-to-school' - you guys ready? Summer should not be over all ready but that's how it feels. I had a blast taking my niece school supply shopping - I love getting my new folders, notebooks, and pencil fix. She asked why I wanted to take her shopping for school supplies since I don't even have a kid? Hello, did she just meet me? I love love love school supplies :).

Here's a 'week in review' recap and some random chitchat about the happenings at 'camp' last week.

Posts you might have missed ~

8/12: around the campfire week 32 summary
8/13: framed travel coins
8/14: make a tissue paper flower gift topper instead of a bow
8/15: zucchini bread, zucchini cake...you choose. Also a recipe for cream cheese frosting
8/16: sloppy joes with a secret ingredient
8/17: morse code bracelets
8/18: scrambled eggs and toast chicks

What's Cooking~

• grilled steak with caesar salad and steamed green beans from the garden (so fresh, yum!)
• baked seasoned salmon (I'm addicted to Paul Prudhommes Magic Salmon Seasoning - so good!), brown rice, roasted green beans from the garden
• pork chops, butternut spiral salad (we are still in love with this amazing salad!)
• grilled tuna steaks, greek salad (roasted garbanzo beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, feta cheese)
• grilled marinated chicken (just pop chicken in a big bag with simple olive oil, vinegar, worcestershire, soy sauce, chicken seasoning), cold salad of leftover rice mixed with black beans, corn, tomatoes and avocado dressed with a little olive oil and seasonings. 
• grilled pizza (store bought pre-baked crust topped with sauce, chopped ham, mushrooms, mozzarella and grilled for a few minutes until the crust is crispy and cheese is melted), caesar salad. 

Miscellaneous stuff keeping me busy but not interesting enough for an entire post ~

• in addition to the 10 strand morse code bracelet I made for my sister, I've made a few more single strands for other people. the others ones I just did a stretchy circle without a clasp. Still obsessed.
• I spent hours helping Dave build a database of charted ukulele chord patterns so he can chart songs for himself and others now. Yes, apparently that's a thing. And it's something he's been nagging asking me to help him with for a while now - it took a long time, was very boring, but it's done. Happy Birthday honey ;)
• we have more tomatoes ripening at the same time then I can keep up with! I love tomatoes but why are they all coming in at the same exact time? A favorite way of mine to eat fresh tomatoes straight off the vine, all warmed up from the sun, is to sprinkle with coarse salt and pepper and either drizzle with a little olive oil or dip into mayo - I know, I know, dipping into mayo is not a healthy choice on my new "common sense" diet so I'm substituting plain greek yogurt and its good. Not mayonnaise good, but good enough and I like it. 
• I read another Diane Mott Davidson "Goldy" mystery book - "Double Shot". The plot is a little dark for a caterer with recipes book, but I enjoyed it. Did I tell you that I've discovered I can borrow books from my library online? If you have a library card go online and see if they have a library app - I have one in both Michigan and Cali and borrow tons of books that way. So easy! I read them on my iPad which isn't my favorite (I love to hold a book) but I'm getting used to the iPad and it's all good. 
• we saw "Crazy Rich Asians" with friends, a funny romantic comedy that we all enjoyed. I read all three books of this trilogy and really enjoyed them. The movie is, naturally, not as good as the book but still fun. 

That's it for this week. Go have a great day, and a great week - my wish for you is the spare time to make something, to be inspired by the blog, and to open your mind and be creative! 

Sincerely, 

Jill - 
your camp counselor :)