Wednesday And So Much Has Happened

Here is the house with the entire wall open.  Riley was the first one to realize this was a new way to enter the house.  What a smart pup.  There is a header over the door space and new framing (to replace wood that rotted) around the windows.  Yes, the windows are gone.

And here we are with the new peaked entrance way.  So much nicer than the chimney, huh?  This will keep water from splashing up onto the door.  We are reusing the chimney foundation and topping it with a 4inch slab of granite.   The guys built this peaked roof--even made tiny custom rafters inside. J suggested a light in the peaked ceiling and another can light inside to wash the French door with light. Electrician is coming tomorrow.  Two ceiling fans as well.

I am so impressed with this guy's work and his ideas.  We have already talked about bathrooms and a new kitchen.  Hey, I plan to live here another ten or twenty years--I should LOVE my house.  Now the other items will have to wait a year or more as J is fully booked.  I can wait.

I have the renovation BUG.

In other news, I am being buried under the weight of all the cucumbers and green beans we are harvesting.  Still very few tomatoes and summer squash.  I have been treating the green beans to my favorite cooking method.  I snip the ends off, wash and dry well and then toss them with good olive oil and S/P and spread them on a sheet pan (with edges) and into a 425 oven for 20 minutes, toss, then another 35 minutes.  They are best when a bit crispy. The texture of the beans is dense and chewy.  No squeak.  I eat them cold, warm or hot.  With my fingers.  I find the Kentucky Pole Beans are the most delicious this way.  And it doesn't matter how big the beans get. I make a big pan everyday and eat them as soon as they are finished cooking.  Reminds me of butternut squash in the winter.  I bake it and eat it right off the sheet pan.  No one else ever gets any. Same recipe, olive oil S/P.  Roast, toss, roast till edges are brown.

Actually--- there isn't a vegetable that isn't wonderful cooked this way.  Potatoes.  Broccoli.  Asparagus.  Any winter squash.  Brussels Sprouts.  Cabbage (steak) slices.  Even tomatoes.

The cucumbers are being peeled, sliced thin (mandolin), salted and left to drain in a colander for an hour or more (I forget them).  Then I pat them dry and add sour cream, plain yogurt, 2t cider vinegar and a Splenda packet.  Mix, chill and eat.  I like them with cold fried chicken tenders.  But, then, I love cold fried chicken tenders with just about anything.  You want the sour cream/yogurt to be creamy and cover all the cucumber slices.  I add about a Tablespoon of dry dill to the mix.

There you have it.  Two of my favorite summertime recipes.  Easy and delicious.