After the kids leave home the house seems unusually quiet for a while. James and family came on Tuesday evening last week just as I came home from band practice. They live in Indiana so had a long day of driving but not tired enough to go to bed early. During the days they were here we often mentioned the time compared to Indiana which is an hour earlier. They were on their way to the Black Hills for a family reunion of Amy’s parents and sisters and their families. They won’t be as many as when the Bloemendaals get together but much younger children. Most of our side were also on vacation or had just been here a few weeks ago so we hadn’t planned anything special to do. We went to the museum which they did enjoy. The girls dressed up in some of the clothing from the 70s and the band uniform. Lots of posing and giggles to think that Grandma and their mother actually wore those styles. James worked in the garage, while the girls went swimming, rearranging “stuff” and putting it in categories so perhaps we can find things easier. Stuff sure seems to have a way of accumulating over the years.
Among the stuff I found some spray for the roses, at least the container said that. Apparently not so. I sprayed them to get rid of any bugs and perhaps some spots and the next morning all the flowers had died. Hopefully, I didn’t kill the plants but so far the leaves for the most part look okay. Since I used all that was left in the container and disposed of it there is no way to determine if that was the problem. A few buds have re-occurred so maybe in time they will be okay. We did get a cucumber, onion and green pepper from the garden for one meal. The rest of the garden looks good and before long we should have more than enough to eat. I saw on facebook some gardens are producing very well. Lots of sunshine and rain with no storms in this area. I feel sorry for those that have had crop damage from the hail to the north of us. Rather late to try and replant any crop this year.
Crumb-coasted Ranch Chicken
2/3 cup ranch salad dressing
2 cups coarsely crushed cornflakes
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (8 ounces each)
Pour salad dressing into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl; combine the corn flake crumbs, Italian seasoning and garlic powder. Dip chicken in dressing, then coat with crumb mixture.
Place in a grease shallow baking pan. Bake at 400º for 30-35 minutes or until juices run clear. Yield: 4 servings
Roasted Potatoes and Peppers
2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
1 medium green pepper, coarsely chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, coarsely chopped
1 medium red onion, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup creamy garlic salad dressing
In a 15 x 10 inch baking pan coated with cooking spray, combine the potatoes, peppers and onion. Drizzle with dressing and toss to coat. Bake at 400º for 40-45 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally. Yield: 8 servings
Peach Crisp
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup crushed corn flakes or other flake cereal
9 fresh peach halves
Heat oven to 350º. Grease 8-inch square pan. In large bowl, beat butter, brown sugar, lemon peel and lemon juice until light and fluffy. Add flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg to butter mixture; beat until well blended. Stir in cereal until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Press half of mixture in bottom of greased pan. Arrange peach halves, cut side down, over crust. Sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake at 350º for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm or cold with cream or whipped cream.
