Inadvertent Collections

Hi on a hot summer/ autumn Sunday night! Thinking of Fall makes me think of fun outings like leaf peeping, flea markets and pumpkin patches, cider mill visits and apple pies.  My brother has been traveling around the Midwest to some of his favorite flea markets and he sends me photos that turn me green with envy. I love him and his wife for being such diehard collectors, no minimalism or decluttering at their house.

As previously mentioned the little Friday church flea has finished until next April; it's far too hot to even think about the big Sunday flea, so I feel a bit bereft. I am already squirreling away my dollar bills for next year, that worked well and made flea-ing fun and budget friendly, too.

Now, looking over my summer photos I am somewhat amused by seeing the sudden appearance of what I call Inadvertent Collections---things you see and pick up casually, with no intent to accumulate or to curate a true collection. For example here is blog friend Kit's husband's collection of hair ties! He finds them while running [he runs marathons!]. That is some collection! Since Kit mentioned this I have only found one hair tie, in maybe six month; her hubby must put in way more miles than I do.

And here is my funny accumulation of washers and nuts and other mostly metal rings and disks. 

This conglomeration numbers around 40 pieces now, picked up during dog walks beginning last December. I have strung them on an old chain. I even found the tiny key in the  beach alley one spring day.

I don't know why I pick them up, it's like finding worthless treasure.

 The disk on the right is a favorite, a Scotty dog medal? [upside down, sorry]

And a few bits are actually really coins!   $1.52.

At the beach, I am compelled to pick up and pocket beautiful pebbles.

I marvel at the eons of time that went into their rounded perfection.

Another collection recently has been souvenir plates.

I like them, they're fun. Usually cost about one dollar except for special ones like the antique Statue of Liberty plate.

I only buy them if they're predominantly blue, especially if classic Staffordshire transferware blue. And only places I've been or wish to go to someday, somehow.

The details around the edges are always very charming and interesting.

They're really tacky so I mix them in with the more traditional plates.And think maybe no one will notice.

What do you collect? Do you like to find funky things on the street , urban ''coin of the realm''?

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Back home, in a deluded moment of autumnal enthusiasm, I made farro stuffed winter squash. I used Delicata squash but any summer or winter squash would do.  I stuffed the squash ''boats'' with ground beef, onion, garlic, farrow [rice is actually better]; minced dried apples and apricots. seasoned with cumin, cinnamon, caraway and fennel seeds.  Drizzle w olive oil, and add some apple cider for liquid; top with garlicky bread crumbs and parm. 

Delish, if not exactly what we might want on an almost 90* day. Reheats really well too.You can find a number of stuffed squash recipes in my Pinterest ''Food'' board, here.

Happy last day of September, time goes too fast, much too fast.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach.....

No treasure here!

As Summer Lingers

Happy mid-week, friends. As summer maintains its hot greedy grasp we are experiencing such beautiful beach weather here.

This weekend was maybe the best of the summer so far, and October looks to be hot and sunny as well. We'll take it and enjoy each day, it will be icy and dark soon enough.

Look at my lovely almost deserted beach. I counted ten family groups in all. Only a few swimmers and surfers [no lifeguards], big choppy waves , and a mostly shore break.

Gully, my little companion all these years 

A brief fog bank rolling in and out.

I prepped my Year block for September to take to sew on---I did get it together with advice from Penny and Dorothy. Only the main body of the house is sewed.

But it was too windy to work on it. I got a nice section of Bitty accomplished instead, hooray!

Another afternoon as Mo and I were headed to our beach sit-and-drink session [tricks included] we came upon this creature hogging our beach bench.

It was HUGE, those bench slats are about 3" wide; I am guessing he was at least 5" himself. It is a praying mantis, harmless.

Note the looong feelers and scary eyes? No way was I gonna sit with him, and Mo has a thing for eating bugs.

Even though it was a bit creepy I didn't want to harm it or scare it. I coaxed Mo down to the boardwalk instead.

Another day, a quick stop in the little Target over the bridge.  Not very interesting but I loved these garments from Isaac Mizrahi--the sundresses are either faux silk shantung [plaid] or--swoon, the solid sundresses are finest pinwale cotton corduroy, what an inspired idea. [yes, these are adult clothes]

Late delivered Lily Pulitzer muumuus? Even I wasn't feeling that beachy.

And I picked up some very on sale Halloween candy for when I redo the house for Fall in a week or two. These are Cadbury ''eggs'' for Fall. I LOVE Cadbury eggs, another inspired idea to have them in Fall colors, isn't it.

And we can blame blog friend Kit in Montana for this choice. I always get candy corn, love candy corn, and I had never seen, or not noticed, this Fall Mix til she showed it on her blog. It has little pumpkins mixed in, how adorable. It can fill my candy jars through Thanksgiving, or be bagged up for trick or treaters too. Or--you can use them in a Fall Party Mix like this  , bagged up pretty for Thanksgiving table favors---or fill a big bowl to set out during all those football games. Just do a search for Fall Party Mix on Pinterest. So fun.  HERE

And last---the local end of summer fair, sigh. I love a Ferris wheel and hotdogs and fuzzy toy prizes. My friends' little girl won a stuffed toy Pug. Oh my I was jealous, wasn't I.

have a good week.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

"Bugs are yummy, mommy! Flies are FUN!"

Something for the Weekend ~ Savory Zucchini Muffins

Hi! Something delicious for us to make this weekend---if you go to the farmers market, or your garden is overloaded with summer squashes, this is the recipe for you.

Now don't sigh and think Same/ Old--these are different. These are savory muffins, ''savory'' in cooking means  ''salty or spicy rather than sweet.''  They are more like mini fritatas or soufflees, not sweet cake-like muffins. The recipe comes from my friend B, and from her mother-in-law. B only calls them muffins because she makes them in a muffin tin.

B is very slim these days, she follows what she calls a Mediterranean diet, but lemme tell you, there's no spaghetti and meatballs in her world. She does lactose-free, dairy-free, gluten free, soy-free, sugar-free; organic; no red meats; more fruits than veggies [?]; no wine, no seafood, no breads or cakes; no starches or carbs except a few ''ancient'' grains such as quinoa. I know I couldn't follow her regimen [all that fruit, ew.] and I will never be a size zero [I wasn't a size zero in third grade,lol], but I find I am loving some of her recipes. Try her ''muffins''!

Here are her original recipes cards:

Note the use of matzoh,suggested instead of flour. The muffins are a delicious side dish, and I am sure graced many a Passover dinner over the years.
And here are B's updated notes. Be sure to note the cooking time and temp of 375 for 45 minutes, maybe a bit longer, esp if your oven, like mine runs a bit cool. [click for full screen and much larger size image to read.

I was so excited to have a fun first project for my pink Cuisinart chopper.

I put the shredded squash in a colander to drain for 15 minutes then pressed out as much liquid as possible.

I used the flour I had, next time I will use rice flour, as they wre a smidge smooshy inside.

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Muffin tin with foil inserts or use aluminum disposable muffin tins. Spray with olive oil.

I have never liked PAM spray---it smells awful when cooking with it, things stick----so I was pleasantly surprised by the very nice aroma and taste, plus convenience of the olive oil cooking spray.

My first try made more than 12. We ate them all right up in a few days. Great for breakfast lunch or snack, even at room temp. [but store in fridge!]

I am picturing the muffins also delicious with roast turkey or chicken, or brisket and gravy. Yum! Or for a lighter meal  with a nice thick soup.

I picture the serving size as two muffins but truly could have eaten four, with a green salad, the day I made them.

I hope you'll try them and that you like them.

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From Trader Joe's: new to me Baby cauliflower.

I roasted them with a spray of olive oil and some minced garlic. Lovely. Don't over cook. [400*/ 30 minutes?]

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And if all this is too much effort, you went to the farmers market and now you just want to put your feet up and sip some wine this weekend, here is a suggestion from another friend of mine, who texted me the other evening to come over to try her caprese salad . Heirloom tomatoes, dark red and bright yellow, fresh mozzarella, fresh basil, drizzled with lemon juice, olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Salt and pepper. Be sure to serve at room temp. My friend served her caprese with farmers market artisan lemon /olive oil bread that she warmed on the grill and served hot. Summer on a platter, delish, fast, easy.

Have good weekend, the last of summer 2019, so sad...

love 

lizzy 

gone to the beach...

as the boardwalk is less and less traveled by humans, other residents of the beach and dunes take over and use it too. Who? What? Never seen, just footprints in the sand.