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WTRW: Dad is Fat

6/19/2019

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Sorry I've missed What to Read Wednesday the last two weeks but I'm back again with a book I'm still listening to but love so far: Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan.

You may know him as the Hot Pocket comedian. I know him from his first Comedy Central special and the joke about mayonnaise. This was the late 90's and my family had it on in the background, but by the end we were all watching and laughing. Since then we have enjoyed Jim Gaffigan's stand-up and acting. So when his book, Dad is Fat, came out, I knew I wanted to read it. It's been on my To Read list for a long time.

And let me tell you, it is funny, and enjoyable. Dad is Fat is about Jim's observations of parenthood. He has five kids, so he's no stranger to parenthood. In stead of those parenting books you give to expecting parents, you should give them Dad is Fat. Dad is Fat is a great realistic way to see parenthood, but it won't scare you away from it. One of the things I love about the book is the how much you can tell Jim loves his family, his kids, but especially his wife Jeannie. I'm just a sucker for a loving family I guess.

His humor mixed with amusing anecdotes of parenthood, make this an easy and insightful read. I highly recommend. Listening to the book adds another dimension because Jim reads it himself. I always think that adds something special to the audiobook. If you're on the fence about trying Audible, maybe start with the 30 day free trial and use it for this book. You won't regret it!

And it makes me excited to read his other book Food: a Love Story.

AND even more excited to read Jeannie Gaffigan's book coming out in October, When Life Gives You Pears. So called because she recently had a pear sized tumor removed from her brain. She is Jim's writing partner and executive producer for his shows. So if you like his stuff, I'm sure you will like her book. I haven't read it yet, I just have that feeling. It's available for pre-order now.

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When Life Gives You Zucchini, Make Relish!

6/17/2019

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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support!

It is always fun to go out to the garden and find the fruits of your labor. With zucchini, it never ceases to amaze me how well those buggers can hide. Just when you think you are staying on top of picking the nice, tender, normal sized version of the vegetable to cook for your dinner, suddenly there appears before your eyes the humongous monster zucchini that you hadn't seen until that very moment. This is the time of year when those of you who grow zucchini should be having it come out of your ears! This zucchini relish is one of our favorite ways to use those large harvests of zucchini and yellow summer squash. I actually put up this recipe a few years ago, but decided it was time to pull it back out for you with a bit of an update! I hope you enjoy it!

I learned from my Uncle Paul and his wife, Melba, how to make Zucchini Relish. It is actually a recipe Melba got as a girl in school. Uncle Paul used to make it by the gallons to give as gifts. My kids love it better than cucumber relish. It is a great way to use up all of those fabulous zucchini from your garden.
As you can see by the picture above, We also mix in the yellow crook-neck squash as well. It adds a lot of pretty color to the jar. Here is the recipe.

Here are the other veggies that add to the color.

Uncle Paul's Zucchini Relish

This recipe relies heavily on the food processor! Mine made fast work of all of that grating!

Slice the zucchini into long strips to fit into the chute of the food processor.

Put the grated squash into a large bowl. You will need a lot of room by the end of this process!

Here are all of the grated veggies combined! I think they look pretty!

Mix all of the vegetables with the salt. Then cover and let stand for 5-24 hours. (I always do the 24 hours, or at least over night because after all that grating, I am ready for a break.)

The next day, use a large colander to drain and rinse the mixture well. (I don't own this one, but now that I see it, I want it!) Then, use a very large pot for the next part of the recipe. Click the pictures to see what was happening.

Now mix the vinegar and spices together in a large pot just until combined.

Add the vegetables then bring the mixture to a boil and boil for 30 minutes.

Put the relish into pint jars, clean the rims and add the lids. Process in a water bath canner for 15 minutes. (Here is t.he kind I've used for years) All of that vinegar used in pickling means you don't need to pressure can this recipe! Remove from the canner and allow the jars to cool and listen for the pop that to signify the sealing of the lids! If you have any left over relish in the pan, put it in a bowl in the fridge to use first!
Now, all you have to do is grill up some dogs or brats and enjoy your relish! You will love it.

When it comes to large bowls, I have always relied on my huge Tupperware bowls when I need something that will hold a lot! This one holds 32 cups!

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The Best Ideas for Backyard Camping!

6/14/2019

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This post contains affiliate links. I will be compensated for purchases made through those links at no additional cost to you. All views expressed are my own. Thank you for your support!

This weekend, my husband and I and a couple of our kids are going camping. Our family has always enjoyed camping in the great outdoors! It is a great way to get out of the Phoenix heat! Later this month, I am going to our church's girl's camp again, so camping is really on my mind.
With summer here and parent's looking for ways to entertain kids, Backyard Camping can be a great way to do something fun without having to spend money on gas, but still helping the kids spend time out of doors. Plus, there is the added benefit of being close to a clean bathroom!
Camping in the heat of the city, you ask? Well, that can be a problem in some places, (like Phoenix), but there are some ways to help with that! So, for this Fun Friday, here are our best ideas for a fun Backyard Camping Night!

Set up, Timing and Preparation:

Set the tent up in the cooler hours of the morning and leave the doors and windows open to let the air flow through it, but leave the screens closed to keep out any bugs or critters . (This tent has the easiest set up ever. It is like opening an umbrella!) If possible, set it up in a shady area to keep the tent from becoming an oven inside. Get the kids involved with the set up! It will be a good skill for them to learn. But, I would recommend not allowing play in the tent until it is time to camp, which should be in the evening when the sun has gone down and the temperature is cooler.
Decide what you want to eat! You can't camp without s'mores! We have ideas below for that. Decide if it is cool enough in the evening to have a fire in your fire pit, or if you want to barbecue or just order pizza. Don't forget to plan for the camping breakfast in the morning!
Pull out the sleeping bags or light blankets and pillows to use in the tent. Also, flashlights and a lantern. Be sure you have enough batteries. If you get these mini flashlights, each kid can have their own color! You can put glow sticks in jars to make colorful lanterns! Let the kids wear glow sticks as well!

Food Suggestions:

If you live where it is cool enough in the evening to actually have a fire pit fire, you can do a variety of things:

foil dinners (wrap a burger patty, some potatoes, onions and cream of mushroom soup in foil and cook in the coals.)
roasting hot dogs ona stick
dutch oven stew and/or cobbler
Stuff 'em Sticks
S'mores

Adrian at the s'mores bar at their wedding reception. It would be great to do in the backyard when it is too hot for a campfire. We just put stones in metal planters and nestled the Sterno in them, then people could roast their marshmallows on skewers we provided.

If you live in Phoenix, or somewhere else where it is too hot for a fire at night, you can do this:

Make a small tabletop pit with food safe Sterno, like we did for Alicia's wedding reception, to make s'mores or stuff 'ems. If you don't know what Stuff 'em Sticks are, click the link and see where I told you all about them.
Have Snow Cones! (I told about making your own syrup here!) or Popsicles.
Have a long sub sandwich or make your own sandwiches.
Order Pizza
Make ice cream! Or buy it and have ice cream sundaes!

For breakfast in the morning, there are some great options:

Tang! This is our camping drink. We don't have it any other time but when we are camping.
Little individual boxes of cereal that are perforated to make their own bowl so you can pour in the milk. Once again, only when we camped.
Oatmeal packets
fresh fruit
If it is cool in the morning where you live, hot cocoa! (packets or bombs!)
Pancakes, bacon and eggs! I love cooking those on my cast iron griddle over the fire when we camp, but it also works stove top or on the camping stove!
breakfast burritos is a go-to for many people.

Ways to Be Cool:

If you have a pool or a wading pool, pretend it is a mountain lake and take an evening swim!
If you have a trampoline, put the sprinkler under it and everyone can get wet on it. Just don't send wet bodies into the tent or sleeping bags. Sit out in the camp chairs to dry off a bit.
Have a squirt gun fight at the beginning of the evening!
You can always use an extension cord and set up a fan to get some air flow in the tent.
Sleep with only the screens closed to get ventilation.

Camp Out Activities:

There are so many fun things to do when camping, whether you are in the woods or on a backyard camp out. Here are a few of our favorites:

Take out the telescope and do some star gazing!
Instead of a hike, you could create a scavenger hunt for the kids to participate in where they will find a surprise, like the squirt guns for the squirt gun fight! When you hide them, make sure that they are "loaded" and ready to go!
Tell spooky stories! We have some favorites that we always tell. Some of them are from the book Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark that we have had forever. It has now been made into a movie that is scheduled to be released in August. I watched the trailer. It looks much more frightening than is sounded in the book, but Maddy said she always thought those stories were terrifying. So, know your kids and what they can take.
Play flashlight tag, or even laser tag if you have a set.
Dollar Tree has glow in the dark beach balls that would be fun on a dark night!
If you live where there are fireflies, catch some and make a temporary lantern.
Play Hide and Go Seek or Starlight Moonlight.
Sing campfire songs! If someone plays the guitar, even better!

Backyard camping is an activity the whole family can enjoy together, or just let the kids sleep on their own after the night's activities! Mom and Dad are right inside if they get scared! So is the bathroom! (Make sure they use it before they settle down for the night!) The memories you make with them will last a lifetime!

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WTRW: Dad is Fat

When Life Gives You Zucchini, Make Relish!

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