Along with my regular doing of stuff, I went to a cottage. Not a fancified cottage, not a granite counter-topped, take your shoes off at the door lakehouse. A real cottage with flowers, butter tarts and mosquito coils.
As you may know, I'm not a relaxer as I do not find it to be relaxing, but I do find having cats walk on me to be extremely relaxing. Don't worry about the cannonball in the foreground, it's a melon.
It's not nearly as dangerous as the 3 container high stack of buttertarts I picked up on the way or the wildlife you often encounter outside of the city.
The cottage is close to an alpaca farm where you can, for a small fee, take alpacas on a walk through farm fields. The only danger involved with this activity was being introduced in real life - to the alpaca.
It turns out they aren't much bigger than Philip and they walk very nicely on a loose leash.
You're allowed to select which alpaca you'd like to take for a walk. I immediately chose the one that looked exactly like Philip, right down to the poofy head while my host Jamieson, who is a much better person than I am, asked for one that doesn't get selected often to go for a walk.
Turns out that was a ridiculous question because they're all cute enough to hug-kill and none of them are unpopular with alpaca walkers. In the end he went with a sassy little redhead.
The alpacas get sheared in the spring and then grow out again through the next seasons.
When I go to a cottage I like to bring things I've made and this trip was no different so I packed a basket with a fresh loaf of bread that accidentally looked like boobs, a vase of Zinnias, a variety pack of mini cereals because only an asshead would show up to a cottage without a variety pack, some flower seeds for next year and The Bug Bite thing.
This 3 day cottage vacation provided just enough rest for me to continue on being ridiculous for the rest of the summer. Also in honour of my vacation I baked and brought a loaf of bread that accidentally looked like boobs.
I haven't made this no knead bread from The New Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day in ages. I got onto sourdough, and then fell off the sourdough wagon and after eating this bread am now back on the no knead bread wagon.
I've returned home and am back doing stuff (without the help of an alpaca) like getting the winter meals made as a way to make myself look hyper organized when in truth I just need to get rid of the zucchini.
Would you like to save this stuff?
We'll email you this post, so you can refer to it later.
This is one of the meals I make and freeze for the winter. It's a zucchini based involtini (which usually uses eggplant) from Half Baked Harvest.
It's like a big cheesy pasta dish without the pasta. Strips of zucchini are spread with a ricotta cheese mixture then the whole thing is baked in a tomato based sauce with browned sausage meat and red peppers.
The recipe as it is on Tieghan's site made enough for 2 nights of eating plus 4 large snow more cooking freezer dinners.
I am up to 20 no cook meals for the winter, and a gaggle of canned goods like green beans and pickles.
I also groomed Philip this week because he didn't look enough like a alpaca.
the flowers are coming the flowers are coming
Now that we're getting into the back half of August all the flowers are blooming big enough and abundantly enough to be able to hack off a bunch of them. Here you can see from left to right, Apricotta Cosmos, Chocolate Laceflower, Rock Star dahlia, celosia, Hot Biscuits amaranth and Green Tails amaranth.
TIP
Cut your flower and bring them inside to enjoy. With most cottage garden type flowers like these, the more you cut them, the more they'll bloom.
Have a good weekend, I'll be weeding, making this bread again and helping to throw our community garden's annual BBQ.
You?
Hettie
I'm glad you got a little holiday. Butter tarts, alpacas, and a cottagey cottage sounds like fun.
Librarian Nancy
The no-knead bread is my favorite bread recipe.
Glad to hear all of the alpacas get walks. When my nephew was in college, he had to do 20 volunteer hours and he opted to do them at the local animal shelter. He asked which dog didn’t get walked much and said he would walk that dog. He did his 20 hours, then adopted the dog and brought him home to Chicago. My nephew is getting married next year and his parents have already said the dog stays with them. Lucky dog, good nephew.
Lynn
I loved this post. You share wonderful experiences in addition to being a humorist 🤩
Gretchen
In NYC visiting our daughter! Including-Bronx Zoo, Broadway show, Yankees game, US Open practice viewing. And, of course-bagels and pizza.
Karen
US Open viewing would be my favourite! ~ karen
CathyR
Oh, just hanging out with my Fella’s daughter ( and him too of course!) in her swanky apartment—in Amsterdam!! My first visit and I’m already making arrangements to move here if the unthinkable happens around the first Tuesday in November ifyouknowwhatImean…💙💙💙
Karen
I understand, lol. Yes Amsterdam is supposed to be AMAZING. I hear that bus etiquette is astonishingly civilized. ~ karen!
Holly
Thanks for the recipe suggestion! Do you leave it unbaked when you freeze it and bake it later? Do you use fresh summer tomatoes in the sauce or some you canned or bought? I'm up to my ears in zucchini and love to batch bake for the freezer - thanks!
Karen
Hi Holly. I should note, that personally I only use half the amount of nutmeg called for in the recipe. I cook it and then freeze it. And I use whatever I have. This time I didn't have enough home grown tomatoes ripe at the same time so I just used a can of crushed tomatoes. (I'm down to 3 litres of the tomatoes I pressed last summer and want to save it for pizza sauce!) ~ karen!
Holly
Thanks, Karen! I'm making it tomorrow :)
Addie
Your involutini looks to be awesomely delicious......but I was always told not to put tomatoes or t- sauce in a cast iron pan. Too acidic, will ruin the pan as well give the dish a flat iron taste. It will over time pit the finish on the pan. Has that idea been tossed out as an old wives tail???
Karen
Hi Addie. I don't think it's an old wive's tale but I don't think it's something to worry too much about either. If your cast iron pan is well seasoned tomatoes aren't even really touching the cast iron. I use mine for everything. ~ karen!
Cricket
We almost always have that bread dough in the fridge. Amazing stuff. Elevates any meal to something special. mmmmm. Also: we use the regular dough for the extremely dangerous cinnamon rolls in the back of the book. I keep meaning to try a version with spinach and feta, but somehow that hasn't happened. Please let us know if you try before I do.
Jean C.
Hanging with grandkids while their parents attend a celebration of life in LA. Going to my bosses wedding. Watching a 9-year-olds volleyball game, and church. Maybe cut the grass too, but maybe not cause my new weed eater isn’t here yet. Yep, got a rhino. I love the no knead bread book. And the bread!
Jen
First, oh my god, the bug bite thing! For the past two summers I have been eaten alive every time I try to be out in my garden (even in the daytime). I've had to resort to DEET and dressing like a homeless beekeeper and the amount of sweating I do in my anti-insect outfit makes me almost as miserable as having the bites. THANK YOU for that "clinically proven" remedy.
Second, the Chocolate Laceflower (Dara) is my new favorite summer flower. I've only planted it once but it's self-seeds all over the place and I love it so much. The combination of delicacy and long-lasting-in-a-vaseness is just delightful.
Cara
This is a totally delightful post. "Going to a cottage" is a concept or reference I don't know but wow, you found a divine place. Sounds like you had a lovely relaxed time.
Nice to see Philip and I agree, having cats walk on you is splendid.
Karen
In Ontario, Canada where I'm from, there are large areas of it known as "cottage country". Traditionally, simple, small dwellings in the woods, or more commonly on a lake or river. Families either own cottages, have inherited a cottage or rent a cottage in the summer. Not everyone of course, but a lot of people. ~ karen!
REBECCA
Hey! my community garden is having a bbq too! Tis the season. I want to share something with you, for those cold winter nights, as you've been wonderful sharing cool stuff with "me". Mix a box of (any flavor but I like lemon) cake mix with a box of angel food cake mix. Take 3 tablespoons of the mix, add 2 tablespoons of water, mix well in a coffee cup and microwave for 1 minute. Instant single serving cake. Add a dollop of something yummy, like maybe zucchini marmalade? and ta-da, snuggle down.
Ann
I have fully fallen into the sourdough universe. I had long wanted to get into sourdough knowing how much better it is for you to eat a bread that has been put thru a long slow ferment, with not just yeast, but a culture of yeast and wild bacteria. It helps break down the gluten and phytic acid and lowers the blood sugar impact you get from eating that many carbs...
And so I spent most of the summer getting a very stable robust starter going and am now experimenting with the many great recipes one can find on the internet. Once you have the starter, I find making sourdough breads to be easier than even no-knead yeast breads. The dough is rarely if ever as stiff, doesn't need traditional long kneads to stretch the gluten strands and typically takes less time out of your busy schedule to make. Much of the time involved is hands off time and is so flexible you can work it into even a busy schedule.
Last night I baked off some sourdough brioche burger buns. They came out of the oven looking absolutely amazing. Wish I could indulge but they are for a cookout we are going to over the weekend. I need every one of them to go to the cookout so no early tasting, LOL
gpfnancy
Your vacay sounds perfect except for the three-day part! I just spent a WEEK at a rustic cottage on a lake where despite kayaking, bike riding and watching the Amish trot their horse and buggies through town, I got so relaxed my socks fell down.
Kevin Kaufman
Allow me to say that your posts are a real blessing to me. Oh , yes I share by word of mouth to my spouse how great they are. Just had to let you know that you are appreciated by me.
Karen
Thanks Kevin! I appreciate having readers like you. A lot! ~ karen
Uncle Benny
My eye spotted that cute light blue vase on the mantle and I think you need one like it now that you have space in your vase closet.
That zucchini skillet looks delicious. 🥇
Enjoy and relax this weekend.
🩵🩵🩵🩵🩵
Karen
The zucchini bake IS delicious. I am happy to report that so far this year I haven't cried due to not having the right vase for any of my flowers. So far so good on that front. ~ karen!
Jo-Ann Pieber
Oh my - 'real' cottages. Any left? Yea, I'm sure there are, but when I see recent issues of recent magazines, with 'cottages' (otherwise now known as 2nd Homes -ba dom bah) that are Way Larger and Way more Costly than my own sad sad Only domicile - I feel a regurgartive sense of....offense. The rich just gettin' richer. At the cost of most of the rest of us - you know, the Actual 'workers' who build/design/maintain/cover/secure/landscape/clean their homes.
I know I know. You aren't 'political'. (but as I just read - the water we drink, the bread we eat, the mattress we sleep on - it's All Political. It just depends on where you start to look.)
Sorry Karen. I'm glad you have a friend who has a cottage that you can go to - I'm glad you had a good time - and the redhead looks like The Alpaca. Just weary of hearing about all the Other cottagers who are the 1%. And Not at all caring about any of the rest of us. Except as employee/caretakers. Ug.
sally
Hi Jo-Ann, do you get paid by the word? where do I get a gig like that...I'm retired on a fixed deal...
btw, keep spreading the joy.
I love Karen!
gpfnancy
I agree that some of the hardest working people can't afford a vacation. The big "cottages" are not my style. Our rented cabin was rustic. Clean rustic ones are hard to find, however it was interesting that we were the only people there last week even though there were six other empty cabins. Jo-Ann, I hope you get to take a vacation soon.
Karen
The grinding away of and loss of the middle class is a huge issue! ~ karen
Randy P
Me? Final two weekends at the local large Bristol Renaissance Faire. I've been making the most out of my Xmas gifted season pass all Summer, and of course I costume up every visit. That and trying to learn how to successfully shoot Sporting Clays at a local club. And I dunno, that looks like a MIGHTY fancy cottage to me. Glad you took some 'you' time, them alpacas ain't gonna walk themselves.... or will they?
Karen
I'm certain alpacas only walk when I walk them. ~ karen!