Lihapullat (Finnish Meatballs) #EattheWorld

These delicious Finnish Meatballs reminded me of Norwegian Meatballs with a deeper, darker gravy.  Very delicious and satisfying.  Comfort food at it's finest.

Join us as we visit Finland in our Eat the World challenge........

Deviled Egg Macaroni Salad #OurFamilyTable

If you are a deviled egg lover you are going to be crazy over this macaroni salad.  All the wonderful flavors of deviled eggs combined with pasta to make a salad that is perfectly portable and great for all your summer picnics.

The From Our Dinner Table Group is sharing Picnic Party Recipes today........

Heading Home and the Weekly Menu

This morning we are heading out towards home.  We will be stopping at our friends, the Sawyers, whom we haven't seen in far too long.  Keith Sawyer and Frank served together in Viet Nam.  They were best buds but lost track of each other shortly after the war.  They reconnected about 16 years ago and we try to see him and his darling wife, Kim, as often as we can.

Usually we get together every couple of years when we are driving through Pennsylvania or when they are in Michigan.  It is always a great treat and I'm excited to spend some time with them, even if it is only one night.

This is a photo of one of our previous visits.

We will head out towards home after breakfast.  I soothe myself knowing that I will see my Chuck in less than a year and we will see the Sawyers as time permits.  As much as I complain about social media, I am very grateful that I am able to keep in constant touch with those I love.  

When we get home we will be greeted by my brother, Larry, his wife, Mary and their grandson, Jack.  They arrived from California while we were on vacation.  They will be spending the month of July with us.

When we arrive home we will hit the ground running.  Our refrigerator died while we were out of town.  Luckily our friend, Karen, was there caring for the dogs and moved all of the perishables into the garage fridge and freezers.  God has blessed us with very dear friends. 

Good news this morning is that my brother worked on the refrigerator for us when he got there and it appears to be working again, fingers crossed.

We have a standing appointment with our trainer at the gym on Mondays but I think we will reschedule this week because the Teen has a job interview that morning as well. Frank has an eye doctor appointment in the afternoon.  

Tuesday we will get the Angel Face in the morning and she will stay with us overnight.  Thursday we have an orthodontist appointment and then I need to get over to the food pantry to stock some shelves.  

So here is my Weekly Menu.  We will be feeding, at the minimum, 3 more each day and you never know who else might pop by so I try to make meals that can be stretched and/or are great for leftovers while we have out of town guests.

Saturday

Dinner with Kim and Keith

Sunday

Dinner en route home

Monday

Grilled Chicken Salad with Blueberry Vinaigrette

Tuesday

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Cole Slaw

Wednesday 

Grilled Hamburgers

Baked Beans

Potato Chips

Thursday

Pulled Pork Quesadillas (if there is leftover pork)

Fruit Salad

Friday

Out for Dinner

Summertime and the Living is Easy with Prosecco DOCG in my Glass #ItalianFWT

Before I left on vacation I was lucky enough to receive 3 lovely bottles of Prosecco DOCG!!  Tomorrow I, along with the rest of the Italian FWT group, will be sharing our thoughts on these sparkling, crisp wines.

These wines were arranged by Liz of What's in that Bottle and provided by Conegliano Valdobbiadene Prosecco Superiore DOCG Zone.  All opinions are strictly my own and I received no monetary compensation for this post.

This party is being hosted by Cam of Culinary Adventures with Camilla for our Italian FWT Group.  You will learn more at her Invitation Post.

Gettysburg and Virginia: Our First Four Days

So far this has been a lovely trip.  The weather has been HOT but the sun is shining and we have been doing our best to stay cool.

We arrived in Gettysburg early evening on Sunday.  Checked into our hotel which was lovely and then strolled around town before dinner at the Dobbin House which was a seminary/liberal arts college as well as the family home to the Dobbin family which consisted of 19 children.  This was also part of the underground railroad system and many slaves were hidden in a secret room before being secreted north.  After dinner we did a candlelight walking tour of the town and met some of the area ghosts who are said to haunt the area.

Beef and Watermelon Stir Fry #FoodieExtravaganza

Tender slices of sirloin steak marinaded in Asian flavors, stir fried with onions and sugar snap peas and then tossed with fresh watermelon slices.  This is an excellent summer dinner......

The Foodie Extravaganza team is celebrating Watermelon today........

Homemade Giardiniera

This spicy pickled vegetable mixture has Italian roots but is most popular from being served in restaurants throughout Chicago.  It is easy to put together. lasts for months in the refrigerator and is the perfect addition to sandwiches, hot dogs, burgers and even pizza.  It is also a wonderful addition to an appetizer platter or as a side salad for whatever you are serving up.

The Festive Foodies are celebrating all things pickled today................