Shelby

Ditto for the temps. It's been 115 heat index with 104 real temp here for longer than I can remember. Like I said in another thread, I'm living on the sun. And, I never would have said before that I have lost appetite, but I have now. All I want is ice water, cold cold salad, ice water, sweet ice cold wine, ice water, and a cold cold Italian sandwich with fresh 'maters from the garden. OH and the pie that I mentioned down in the dinner section. That is totally yummy.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Never, ever, never ever!!!! NO. Have I made myself clear? It won't hurt your 'maters to sit on the counter one bit. But, for the love of God, do not put them in that cold, dark place that sucks the taste out of them.

Everything looks great. I haven't made monkey bread for years....sounds sooooo good. I want to make some NOW!

O M G I totally get what you're saying about the potluck. We used to do that at my job...for every holiday. St. Patty's, Easter etc. Pretty quick I realized there were the dedicated few that made something decent, and the others ran to the store mid-morning and came back with a container of potato salad. AND, they never helped clean up afterwards.

I know, right? And, God forbid, whoever he sends after the El Pollo Loco better get enough sauce!

I just love Jeff Lewis. If I wasn't married....and he didn't bat for the other team, I know we'd be together forever.

Mrs. Zee chiming in...my main motivation for freezer friendly dinners is pure laziness. I always say I'm a functional cook--I can keep us fed day to day, and it will taste decent, but there is a certain level of difficulty where I will just give up and run for takeout. Jerry is just the opposite, so things even out nicely when he's sweating it out over a vat of fried chicken while I'm sipping iced tea and slathering bacon jam on my second (which really means third) cheese biscuit. Anyway, I have to meal plan to keep from wandering our local Price Chopper and weeping every night trying to figure out what to feed us. And it's just as easy to make two meatloaves or an extra pan of baked ziti and pop one in the freezer. Our supply of homemade veggie burgers has dwindled, so I'll probably make those sometime this week and freeze the rest for quick lunches or dinners down the road. Not fancy, but it's too darn hot and I'm not as nice as my chicken frying husband. Thanks everyone for all the nice comments! Very smart to plan ahead as you do. I can't count the times I'd have to be at work by 6:30 a.m. and would plan on leaving by 4 p.m. which happened most of the time..but I'd still be pooped by the time we drove the 30 mins. home. I LOVED when I had a slow cooker going or something frozen to take out to make dinner relaxing..but fast.

Ok, you had me at hello (what movie is that from? ) Anyone that says the following makes me swoon: "I think I spontaneously broke out into "the robot" the first time I tried it." My mom is coming to visit in the next few weeks and I'm going to make the bacon jam with the poppers. I guess I should make a batch first, though, to make sure I can do it as well as you do.

THAT is a mega burger for sure!!! I just sat here gazing at all of the wonderful food you guys have prepared. Even if I've just eaten, you all manage to make me hungry again! I have a few pictures. I watched a foodie show the other day that featured a restaurant that specializes in pizza pot pies. They looked delicious, so I had to try to make my own. I have no idea if I succeeded, but they were pretty good. I also made regular pizza just in case the pot pies were no good. It's like living on the sun here (I know, I'll stop complaining now, I swear) So, I made a rice noodle salad to try and cool us off. I also had an overwhelming need for good seafood after browsing here recently, so I ordered prawns from Pike Place Fish Market in Seattle. Ridiculously expensive, but I had to do it. Made a Caesar salad to go along with it. I got some wonderful anchovies that I used. Finally, you HAVE to make this pie. Seriously, it's the best no-bake pie ever. Here is the recipe from Serious Eats. http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2011/07/10-minute-lime-cracker-pie-recipe.html My picture is horrible, but it's so nice and refreshing. I am thinking about making a bathtub full and just sinking in lol.

LOVING your life, Jerry! I read your blog regarding your surgery a couple of years ago with great interest. I now have the sniffles and red eyes after tearing up over your Egullet romance. Your wife is beautiful!!! (although, I'm not so sure that she stalked you....ehem lol) I'm now going back to read more in-depth. I had to stop at the popcorn popper/coffee roaster so that I could comment. I'm over here on the Kansas side of the sun. I've never seen so many over 100 degree days in a row. Is it ever going to rain????

Niiiiiiiiiiiice. I feel instantly relaxed just looking at that picture.

That cake topper must have taken a LONG time to make in such detail! Your lawn looks so lush and green. Here in Kansas--on what seems like day 53 of 107 degree temps--everything is burnt and brown. My dry land corn crop will be chopped up for silage.

Can't wait for another peek into your life

Wonderful blog and beautiful pictures!!!

Ohhhhhhhh, I'm DROOLING. I have one tomato that's almost ready to pick and I can't WAIT. Beautiful meals, everyone!

Just wanted to tell you how much I'm enjoying this peek into your life! I've been immersed in another matter and have neglected eGullet for too long....I've logged on every day to catch up and then I get interrupted --so irritating lol. I love how open and airy your home is.

Oh AMEN sister!!! I could eat the hell out of all of that. AND you went to Joan Jett!!! You make this 80's girl swoon. I hate myself for loving you!

Looks so good. I literally had a tomato drool.

Is the blueberry biscuit like blueberries in a true biscuit type dough?

OMG we share so many of the same cookbooks.

WHOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!! I love me some fellow Dew heads!!!!!! Thanks for the nod--had some technical problems getting in here or else I'd have answered earlier.

OMG I'm late to this party, but I'm loving it! I'm dying to read ahead and discover what Cheerwine is and if, here in Kansas, I can get some. I loves me anything that includes wine! AND, I have a special place in my heart for Spud Webb....I'm short...and my nickname in school was "spud".

OH totally. I can't believe I didn't list those, also. My brain must have blocked all memory of that.

Tomatoes First tomatoes of the season (tasted like crap--they were on the plant when I bought it) Cukes Mustard greens, onions, radishes Peppers Radishes My cats are obsessed with anything I bring in from the garden...they used to be outside cats until the coyotes got so bad...so they miss the outdoors.

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