End of summer weekend wrapup

I have a library book that I need to return. The Allergen Free Baker's Handbook seemed like a good resource but the first recipe I made, Morning Glory Muffins, was NOT good. Before returning it, I wanted to try at least one more recipe. I decided to try another recipe that had her "flour mix" in it: blondies.

her photo and my blondies

The chocolate chunks definitely made them tasty. I would use Enjoy Life mega chunks instead of cutting up 4 Choco-boom bars next time. I thought they were more like bar cookies than brownies. Mick did not care for them. Because they weren't brownies. Or something like that.

 

Next, I made Apple Buckwheat muffins, which use buckwheat flour instead of flour mix. They smell fantastic. They taste edible. I would not make them again.

Apple Buckwheat muffins

So just for the record, that cookbook was one for three. There was some good information about substitutions in the front but I can't see paying for so much hit and miss. Maybe I'm doing something wrong but I think baking just sucks when everything is adjusted to me.
 

One of our neighbors had an end of summer pool party. I am not so bright and wore my swimsuit and almost no one was wearing swim suits. Because the pool was too cold to swim. And the party started in the evening.

Party cake

I feel that sun's pain. My right eye (not the more common left eye) was dripping and watering and giving me grief all night. Terrible. But I had leftover brisket and mashed potatoes. And Tito's and lemonade. And a blondie.

On Sunday, we were going to run some errands so, before we left, Mick took some photos of Teka in the grass and on the patio.

My personal photographer capturing Teka

So we went to the home show, which was much smaller than usual, with his parents. We listened to the gardening seminar, checked out the nurseries, and talked to the sales guy at Arizona Ironworks Furniture. We'll need to go into one of the locations for our order though. (Add it to the to-do list!)

Sunrise something or something....

 

Love purple and yellow together!

Next we went to Fajitas for a late lunch. But I made requested that Mick stop at Sprouts (the closest grocery store to the freeway) so I could get chips to eat with the salsa. I'm pretty unreasonable like that anymore. I also order the grilled vegetables (the vegetable fajitas have oil but the grilled don't) to go with our shared shrimp fajitas. And no one else helps me so I take the rest of the veggies home.

 

After lunch, we went to Costco to get the Vizsla photos printed for the annual photo contest. While we waited, we browsed. Mick was in love with some outdoor stereo system, like a boom box with two huge speakers that light up in time with the music. All the men were checking it out. It seems like we don't need it at all but he was enamored. I'm sure he's trying to figure out how he can justify getting it.

 

I knew I wanted to get some more organic rice milk, organic salsa, and maple syrup while we were there. They didn't have their organic lemonade, which apparently is seasonal.

 

I unexpectedly found Wild Planet tuna. I've picked it up at Whole Paycheck. I can't buy just any tuna because anything with broth or soy is out. This is tuna and salt. Seriously--that's it.

 

I usually pick up some Classico marinara. It's gluten-free and clean ingredients. I've been picking up Rao's occasionally at the grocery store but it's super expensive. (I think I paid $8 or $9 for the last jar I got.) I usually get it when I want some puttanesca (which Mick doesn't really like but I love.)

 

But Costco replaced my usual Classico with Organic Classico. I briefly checked the ingredients and decided to try it. (although it doesn't specify gluten-free...the ingredients were "clean.") It's organic so it's gotta be good, right? Well, when I got home, I compared it to the other and realized what I missed. I can eat it, and I will, but the organic has sugar. Boo. Totally unnecessary.



Costco haul



I also found vanilla beans. I have to tell you--I bought a package of vanilla beans online and they came vacuum sealed. There was 16-20 beans. After opening the package to use a couple, I put them in a container. The next time I went to use one, they had white stuff on the ends of some of them. So I put the salvageable ones in smaller containers, divided a little more. Same thing. They are okay for a little bit and then gross. It seemed like a good value since individual beans are so expensive, but I ended up throwing a lot of them away. These beans at Costco come in a couple of tubes, so they are divided, and the tubes have enough for 2 or 3 uses, depending on what I'm using them for. I'll try them as-is before I start vacuum sealing packages of 2. Because that's extra steps, extra boxes on my to-do list, extra work, extra extra!