One Last HOORAH! {day 2}

 Awakened by sun through the firs.  *sigh*  I love getting away!

 Priest Lake is calling.  Time for a boat ride! 

El Capitan 

 JOY!

 Picnic on Kalispell Island.  Scott, once again, cooked us lunch.  Scrumptious chicken breasts in a non-sweet BBQ sauce!! For those of you who know me well, you know how happy it made me to not have to eat sweet meat. :)  Glory-hallelujha-amen & amen!!! We brought crackers and hummus and cucumbers along from the cabin, sat on tree stumps near the water and soaked in the sun before heading back to the dock.

 I think I remember my days by what I ate.  My life seems to revolve around food :)  

Time for some hickory smoked grilled salmon, peppery black bean salad with a red wine vinaigrette, & artisanal bread spread with herbed cream cheese!

 

No meal complete without a little 'ham'...

 Another tradition - homemade, hand-churned ice cream!!  You don't crank, you don't eat!  We normally do this about 3 times during the summer, but this was our first as a family this year! 

We chose coconut.  It's all organic - because if they are going to eat cow's milk... at least they aren't eating the steroids and antibiotics!  Nor are they eating eggs from chickens who have been tortured, deformed and filled with all kinds of drugs. (Yes, I'm a radical - deal with it)

 

Anticipation....

 

Always worth the toil and strain!  

 Cricket wishes there were some in her bowl too.

 Finishing the day by the fire, with all of us scrunched onto the couch, listening to James Taylor and reminiscing about the delights of the day.  Ahhhhhh....

No recipes for you today.  They are family secrets.  Closely guarded and delighted in (cue evil, maniacal laughter here)  :D

One Last HOORAH! {day 1}

We saw summer letting go of us, but we just couldn't turn loose quite yet.  When the opportunity arose for us to spend Labor Day weekend in Idaho at J's childhood stomping grounds, Hills Resort on Priest Lake, we did a little happy dance and thumbed our noses at the waning season!

We ate lunch in the lodge when we arrived.  The food here is prepared by J's friend (and the owner's son), Scott Hill.  It was DELISH! 

Then it was off to Pickleball and some friendly family competition.

I prepped for dinner while the others wandered.    

It's a tradition to have a clambake our first night at the campsite, and we were all anxiously awaiting it!

Ending the day with a sunset on the water 

and

homemade, fresh blackberry cobbler

Can't wait for tomorrow!

Recipes:

Clambake

2 # fresh clams, washed to remove what sand you can

1.5 cubes butter

1 head of garlic

1/4 c. water

salt & pepper

Shallots (optional)

aluminum foil

Line a bowl (deep enough to hold all the clams) with foil, leaving 2 -3 inches of overhang.

Place a couple pats of butter on the bottom.

Pour in clams, and top with all other ingredients.  Cover with another piece of foil that reaches the edges of the overhanging bottom piece.  Roll and crimp edges together to form a packet that will hold in the steam.

If you have coals rather than flame, you can put the packet directly into the coals.  We had flame this time, so I put an iron skillet on the grate (borrowed from the BBQ) and put the packet in it.  They take very little time.  Too long and they will get dry!  It's basically long enough to let the butter melt and seep into them, & let the steam heat enough to pop them open.  Ours took 6-7 minutes.  In coals it could be 10.

Cobbler~

• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup melted margarine
•  
• 2 cups fresh blackberries
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water 

Preheat an oven to 350. Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish.
Whisk 1/2 cup sugar together with the flour and baking powder in a mixing bowl. Stir in the milk and margarine until a batter forms. Scrape into the prepared baking dish. Add the blackberries, and sprinkle with 1/2 cup sugar. Pour in the water.
Bake in the preheated oven until the batter has risen and the top is brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Cool before serving.

Just Your 'Garden Variety' BBQ!