More Picnic Fare...and etc...

Wanted to share another fast,easy "Picnic Take-Along"

This is for something so easy, yet so very refreshing in the summertime, and a great way to use those fresh tomatoes, and not only that..if your kids aren't too fond of either cucumbers or tomatoes they will most likely enjoy this toss together though.(my oldest daughter isn't too fond of either, but really likes them this way)

Tomato/Cucumber Toss

2 cold firm ripe tomatoes,chopped into cubes

1 large cucumber sliced,then cut into cubes

2-3 tsp. of your favourite italian dressing or a greek vinagrette dressing

Toss together well and chill for about an hour before serving to incorporate flavors. So easy..yet so yummy and refreshing.

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Fried Pies

2 1/2 cups flours

2/3 cup shortening

pinch of salt

cold water

Fruit filling of your choice

shortening for frying

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Cut shortening into flour until mixture is crumbly. Mix in salt.Add cold water,a tablespoon at a time, until you get a stiffwad of dough-stiffer than regular dough.

Pinch dough off and roll it out on a slightly floured surface.Place a saucer on dough and cut out around it.

Place fruit filling (about 2-3 tablespoons inside each dough circle.Fold dough over and mash the edges together lightly with a fork.Fry in medium-hot shortening until browned on both sides.Serves 6-8

Great as a take along snack for a picnic outing.

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This afternoon I worked on creating a decorated birdhouse for the etsy shop. This little bird house will be decorated in a retro style look ,and will have a decorated branch to accompany the display. The branch will have cute little paper mache'd blue birds on the branches. And the flowers will be 3-d looking flowers taken from the pattern on the birdhouse design .Together they will make a really cute/whimsical display.I really like how it has already been shaping up.Really cute.I'll of course share the photo with you when the item is completed.-----------

This evenings dinner is Moussake..hadn't made it in a while here..so I had an eggplant in the refrigerator that I wanted to use, and then 2 black angus burgers up in the freezer. So I crumbled the burgers in the skillet, added about a tablespoon and a half of crushed garlic and about a tablespoon and a half of cinnamon and added a jar of marinara sauce.(it calls for a scrambled egg added to the mixture as well, but I didn't have any eggs on hand)Then I slice and layer eggplant and the sauce in a casserole dish, sprinkling the sauced layers with parmesan cheese and sprinkling with supposed to be mozarellla cheese but I onlty had sharp white cheddar on hand this evening..so I used that instead.("Improvised Moussaka" I call it..ha)Bake at 350 for 50 minutes.It's not exactly how the recipe is supposed to be..but I improvided and made it work and it will still be yummy and edible.

Served with green peas on the side---------

For dessert my daughter made my husband a really cute chocolate cake topped with fondant. The cake is in the shape of a little tug boat..so cute.

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Well, I had been wondering when ducks start laying eggs/breeding..well..this afternoon I found out that I definitely do have a pair ...and they are old enough now to want to do what ducks do to make more baby ducks. But apparently they don't have a big enough water container to continue what they are wanting to do. So, I'll most likely have to get them a child's size wading pool if I expect to have fertile eggs for hatching out and being able to sell the babies. As Peking ducks must have water to breed in.But I did definitely pick out a pair. One thing I found out when picking the baby ducklings out on the pekings..the male baby ducks will have a bright yellow beak, while the females will have a pink beak.(you can even tell them apart at 1 1/2 weeks of age..like I was able to do. I was pretty sure I had chosen a pair..and I was right)and as someone mentioned..indeed the female(pink beaked one) is much louder than the male..the Female quacks and quacks loudly, like you'd expect a duck to do, but the male has a low raspy whispery kind of quack.Of course my female duck has not laid her first egg as of yet.

Anyhow..I expect by Spring of next year that I'll be able to have a few ducklings on hand to sell. That would be nice.------------

My daughter and I were able to get out and about to a few shops around town yesterday afternoon, and I wound up getting some cold porcelain clay..it is a porcelain that air dries. Pretty cool stuff! I haven't started playing with it yet, but did obtain some push molds to create some different types of flowers and leaves. So..that will be fun.-----------

This weekend has been a bit quiet. But relaxing.Everyone just relaxing and enjoying being around each other.

I hope that you all are having a nice relaxing weekend too, and spoiling those Dad's.

Have a great evening.Thanks for joining me in "blogland"

~The Garden Goose~