Summer Fun on the Winchuck

Summer has never really arrived here on the Southern Oregon Coast. We were teased with a few warm days; only to be covered with early morning fog and mild temperatures the rest of the day. I think it was maybe 65 degrees yesterday. Lovely weather really, but my tomatoes would love a bit of hot.

I'm having a party on Saturday celebrating the summer that maybe will never come. Getting up early this morning, I have already started a large pot of baked beans, made the marinating sauce for the lamb and started putting together Frog Eye Salad. Frog Eye Salad is always a hit no matter where I serve it. I haven't made it for at least five years, so I'm going to eat way too much of it myself!

We are having lamb, salmon, tuna, Frog Eye Salad and baked beans with lots of different recipes of Sangria along with vegetables, fruits and desserts that guest show up with. I might make some pizzas to grill also. I believe a party should be a feast full of unique foods to graze on throughout good conversation, sitting in the expected sunshine and wondering our garden...and maybe playing with the few dogs that always show up. I love seeing piles of friends and family. It makes me feel like maybe the hostess with the mostest.

Frog Eye Salad is made with Acini Pepe pasta, Mandarin oranges, tiny marshmellows, coconut, dream whip, custard made with pineapple juice, sugar and eggs, cherries, and lots of pineapple. My recipe makes enough for 40 people; which means we can all have a lot of it! It slides down easily causing an urge for another bite....another bite with the urge just never satisfied. My husband just helped himself to the custard pasta mix. I have to hurry to get it put away, but I need to cool off the custard mix before adding it to the cool whip.

I've decided this summer to "really" retire. I'm just going to have to take the remainder of my inventory from years of selling on the internet and give it to friends for gifts, donate it, and have garage sales until it is GONE never to appear again! I want to spend time taking care of my home like I think of myself doing and just don't do. I have desire to paint rooms in new colors, redecorate our bedroom, make some fun things that I just never get around to like cement leaves from my large Gunera plant and creating a garden lady from the mannequin I got for free. I'm holding her upright with a tall piece of rebar, wrapping her with chicken wire being careful to keep her shape and then covering her with a mix of cement and peat moss. I will paint her with buttermilk so she should grow moss if I remember to water her and become a real surprise around the corner on the path at the back of our pond.

Maybe I will embed some jewels into her ....she will be a fun project.

Well off to create more mess in the kitchen and at past nine in the morning, I am getting very eager for breakfast....pasta and custard is too sweet for me this early, so a bowl of cereal will have to do.