Month: July 2026

Fresh Produce

~ nancyruth ~ Leave a comment

My thoughts from my kitchen this week are about vegetables. I have been dreaming about fresh vegetables. Given that I have been putting off going to the grocery store we have been eating frozen vegetables and canned fruit. We, Hubby and I, tend to over-buy groceries wherever we go. We spend too much on groceries and then find ourselves wanting to go out to eat but cannot justify it. If we spend less on groceries we should be able to go out when we have an urge to do so. We have also been doing this to avoid the contaminated produce amid the Cyclospora outbreak.

We have been housebound by the hazardous air quality in our region. We are “older” so we figure we are in the category of “sensitive individuals” even though we do not (knock on wood) have lung/breathing issues. So one afternoon I feel restless and decide to do the grocery shopping. We diligently make a list and head off to the Walmart. I do not particularly like shopping at the Walmart but the prices are more compelling than shopping at the mainline grocers. Plus we can buy 5 dozen eggs for about $10. It is a weekend afternoon and everyone and their dog is here. The parking lot is filled. We take our list and start walking to the entrance. A woman and her child are heading back to her car. Hubby comments that it looks jamming inside. She reports that the checkout lines are backed up into the aisles. She is glad to be out of there.

Hubby and I think about this. Being retired we have the luxury of not having to run our errands on weekends. He suggests we go get ice cream instead. Good idea. We head back to our car. On the way to the ice cream place I head up the road past a farm market that I know about and have shopped at before. It was on the highway exit on my way home from work so it has been a few years. But it is open. Yay! Local produce is higher priced than at the grocery stores. It’s sort of “boutique-y” around here. But it is most likely not contaminated. The greenhouse that abuts the store entrance is full of planters which have just been watered and we dodge the water dripping from the ceiling. There are herb planters here. Inside we find produce.

Two for one! Basil, chives, parsley, and thyme.

And now the recipe: Summer Squash

Cut squash in half lengthwise. Scrape out seeds. Fill cavity with bits of butter, garlic, onion, and a little parsley. Wrap in foil. Cook on the grill for about 10-15 minutes. Unwrap and enjoy!

Look at all the lovely produce, summer squash, broccoli, and lettuce!

Buttermilk Pecan Pie

~ nancyruth ~ 1 Comment

Hello again! I just paid for this site again so I thought I should write something. When I began writing this blog I had hoped to write about my general rambling thoughts but ended up putting recipes. But first some random thoughts.

I start my day in my kitchen. Hubby and I sit at the kitchen table with our laptops and drink coffee. We call these lazy mornings. He listens to whatever he listens to and I work the NYTimes word puzzles. I work at least six of them starting with Spelling Bee and ending with Wordle. I tell myself that this helps keep my mind sharp and improves my vocabulary. Really I do them because I enjoy word puzzles.

On occasion I sit on the backyard deck with my coffee. There I can watch the birds and squirrels feeding at the bird feeder along with the occasional bunny rabbit.

It is hot here this summer. I roasted vegetables one evening and that heated up the kitchen. But since we eat dinner in front of the TV in the living room it was not a problem. Given this situation I thought I could bake something. But what? I’ve been putting off going to the grocery store so must use what is in the house. There is buttermilk so what can be done with this? I had already made buttermilk pound cake cupcakes so I wanted something different.

I have made this pie before. I like it because it is less sticky sweet than regular pecan pie. You will need the following ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup butter
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 5 eggs
  • 2 Tablespoons flour
  • 2 Tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 unbaked pastry shell

Cream butter and sugar in large mixing bowl. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Blend in the flour, lemon juice and vanilla. Stir in buttermilk and pecans.

Bake at 325 degrees F for 55 minutes or until set. Cool on wire rack. Store in refrigerator.

I found this recipe in one of those women’s magazines that feature home cooks who send in recipes. The magazine then prints them the size of recipe cards that can be cut out and put in a recipe card box. I keep my clippings in notebooks.

Notes: I did not chop the pecans so they did not float nicely to the top of the pie for a pecan crust. Refrigerating the pie will help with cutting into neat slices.