Mimi's Lemon-Apple-Ginger Dressing

We've not done this before, but I am going to share a recipe for a home-made salad dressing that Sharon makes for us that I think is better for us than most any store-bought salad dressing, and certainly tastes better than those "spritzers" that are on the market now.

Here is our recipe, which I have named, "Mimi's Lemon-Apple-Ginger dressing:"

Into a blender, place

One apple, quartered, with peel but no seeds

One cup lemon juice,

¼ cup olive oil,

½ cup water,

1or 2 Tablespoons of Tamari or regular soy sauce,

Ginger root, finely grated,

(Peel first, and use a piece about the size of your thumb)

8 packets of Splenda (or another brand)

Blend on “liquefy” or highest setting, about 30-45 seconds.

Note: This makes about ¾ of a blender full.

Store in glass jar in refrigerator.

Shake before serving as this mixture will settle and separate somewhat.

The sweetness can be adjusted by amount of Splenda, obviously.

Variation:

1-Use Pear instead of apple. Or, use half and half or some other ratio to suit your taste.

Pear will mellow out the flavor some, reducing the lemon tartness, if that is preferred.

2-Use 1/4 cup of honey instead of Splenda. We used to use honey but there are so many calories...

I guess a person could use Stevia instead of Splenda, but add just a little at a time and keep tasting to find your preferred sweetness. It may add a bit of licorice flavor, but I’ve never tried Stevia in this dressing.

If you decide to try this, let us know what you think of it.

End of Summer Color

This is probably the last photo of the summer flowers (there is a tomato plant up there too). I have really enjoyed taking care of these little bits of brightness on an otherwise blah and colorless sort of deck.

Autumn will bring its own color, of course, but for these flowers, death is just around the corner. I expect frost next week. Watering doesn't accomplish must after the first good freeze. We were very fortunate to have a pretty wet summer here in western Montana, so a minimum of wildfires and a maximum of vegetation growth. We also are well aware that the big vegetation growth this past summer means lots of fuel for next summer's wildfire season.

The window at top center is my office where all the thinking is done. Sometimes there are thoughts put into words too.

Pet Medicine and Treatments Expensive Too

I had my teeth cleaned last week, $152, which included the annual x-rays and having the dentist do an exam.

I had my DOG's teeth cleaned today, $168, which included a pre-anesthesia blood test ($36), which is advisable for older dogs. (Our Lab-Rottweiler cross is 9 years old. That's retirement age in dog years, for a big dog like this.

After the sticker shock at paying more for teeth cleaning for a pet than for myself, I realized that anesthesia is pretty serious business, and don't begrudge the veterinarian his fees. Our big guy came out of there pretty groggy, and will require some supervision for the next 12 hours or so.

When I was a kid, we NEVER took our dogs to the vet. Dogs lived until they died of old age. No teeth cleaning or immunizations either, in my memory. I think it was when I was a teenager that rabies shots became a requirement for dogs. If a dog or cat got sick enough that recovery was doubtful, they were simply put down. And back in the 1950's and 1960's, we did it ourselves. No trip to the vet.

Time certainly can change our perceptions. Dogs used to be work dogs, not family members, which is how our pets are treated. In my teen years, dogs slept outside, lucky if they had a shelter other than the barn, which wasn't all that bad, I guess. Nowadays, dogs usually sleep inside at night, at least City dogs do. Some even sleep in beds. Some sleep with their owners.

I still think dogs should sleep on the floor, not in a bed. Time doesn't change ALL perceptions.

Four Reasons I LIKE the END of Montana Summer

First, I look forward to the end of summer weather because that means the end of lawn mowing, which eats up about 8 hours a week during the growing season. I can winterize my irrigation system and not think about watering, mowing, or fertilizing until next spring. Lovely.

Secondly, I look forward to autumn because school is back in session and so the tourists have pretty much gone home for the year. The exceptions are aging baby boomers and, since I am one, I have a great deal of new-found tolerance for this age group. Anyway, the streets and highways are not nearly so crowded, nor are the fishing streams, campgrounds, parks and other local attractions.

Third, or thirdly, I love the smell of football in the air. The University of Montana Grizzlies may OWN Saturday afternoons, but Friday Night Lights are still a big thing in Montana, and draws a HUGE crowd. High School football is still the primary team spectator sport in Montana between September and November. The Grizzlies are sort of like our PRO team, and high school teams are the "locals."

Fourth(ly), summer television really is for the birds; no wonder no one watches. The new Fall Season kicks off in September of each year and we can get back to our couches for nightly 7 pm to 10 pm kickback time. Reality Shows are cheap to produce and seem to draw big audiences, so this year we have So You Think You Can Dance, The Biggest Loser, Dancing with the Stars, Survivor, Project Runway, America's Next Top Model, and The Amazing Race, ALL beginning new seasons. These are just off the top of my head, I think there are also some cooking competition shows too. there may be even more on the "premium" channels, to which we do not subscribe. You see, in our house, reality TV seems to rule the roost. I know I don't.

First Day of College in 1969

I can hardly think of any words to go with this.

Just out of the Navy, 1969, and off to skwuel as a college freshman. Look at that SUIT! Three-piece! A vest! Even in 1969, I was the only "kid" wearing a SUIT on the first day of school. Some of the students didn't even wear shoes.

I don't recall which word would have been used by the college women to describe me back in 1969. Pick one.

This picture looks like it could have been taken in 1949. The car, by the way, is my 1963 Ford Galaxy 500 convertible, canary yellow, four-on-the-floor, 390 cubic inch displacement. Hot.

I bought this car from Pete's Auto Sales in Great Falls, Montana, in 1968, while home on leave from the Navy, and then drove it to Jacksonville, Florida. Three months later I drove it to Norfolk, Virginia, and six months after that I drove it back to Montana.

Corn Bread In Cast Iron Skillet

This is "CAMP OUT" corn bread!

My lovely camp-out Wife put this together, adding some corn kernals from fresh cobs right out of Benson's Missoula Farm, plus a little "sharp" cheddar cheese and VOILA!

The corn bread is fairly thin, only about one inch in thickness, and this keeps it pretty crunchy, like eating the top of a muffin....only better. We had it with home-made soup, also prepared while camping.

Other than a little fly fishing, my primary enjoyment in camping is savoring the cooking that my wife somehow accomplishes in a little RV kitchen and on a Coleman propane stove.

We love a good campfire, and, of course, sometimes cook out on the fire too. Last weekend I fried a trout out on the campfire...the dogs enjoyed that too.

Walking the Line Feeding the Horses

I just liked the way this scene lays out. The photos are from Moon River Arabians horse ranch near Missoula, Montana.

Below is the same photo, capturing the full scene from afar.

Beavertail Hill State Park and Camping Site

(Clicking on photos will open much larger size views)

Just 25 miles east of Missoula on Interstate 90 lies Beavertail Hill State Park and Campground. We have visited this campground three times this past summer and had wonderful experiences with the great Montana outdoors every visit. Above is a photo of our campsite along the Clark Fork River. We think we had the "best" space, #9, with a big grassy area right next to the river.

Below is a photo taken from a hiking trail across the river. The motor home is mostly obscured by trees. Great spot, huh?
And below is our morning view from the passenger side seat of the motor home. God, it was great! (Clicking on photos will open much larger size views)
There is a one-mile hiking path that encircles the campground area, but the park itself is about 40 acres in size. We encountered a wild turkey along the path this weekend. He was all alone, which I thought was unusual.

I also heard, and then witnessed a BEAVER swimming alongside a little island in the middle of the Clark Fork River. This guy was swimming upstream and SLAPPING his tail on the water with a resounding "WHACK!" that must have been audible from a very long way off. I stood perfectly still, standing about twenty feet away from him, with my fly rod in hand, while he made several trips upstream and back. I finally lost sight of him when he went underwater again, and so I continued to work the water for trout.

I caught Bull Trout, which are mandatory "catch and release" in the Clark Fork, but I didn't realize there were so many of them.

Coyote Serenade or Symphony

Coyotes were howling nearby last night. I looked outside but the moon was not full. Bright, but not full.

A wonderful clear night for howling.

They certainly set the dogs a-howling too.

If a serenade is a single coyote, then I guess if we have several coyotes...and we did...then it must be a "symphony." I listened for harmonies, but the dogs were setting up such a racket that I gave up.

I love clear, crisp nights in Montana. We are getting overnight temperatures about 40 degrees now.

Perhaps Providence Protects the Innocent

As I drove down the switchback at about 30 mph, I saw out of the corner of my eye,a young whitetail "bambi" at full run heading on a course that would cross directly in front of my motor home.

He was about 50 feet away, and he may have been spooked by a coyote or cougar, because he was frantic, or so it seemed.

Like an outfielder who quickly computes the trajectory of a fly ball, I realized that I DID have the time to stop before hitting him. I stopped about ten feet before he crossed in front of me. I watched for a following fawn or a coyote or whatever, but there was nothing more. So...happy ending.
This is a photo of a fawn who passed through my yard the other day. They all look the same to me this time of year. Still have their spots. Still cute as all get out.

Sunset Western Montana Fire Season

Smoke from western Montana wildfires results in dramatic sunsets.

Click on photo to open much larger picture.

This photo was taken east of Blue Mountain and south of Missoula along the Bitterroot River (September 3, 2009).

Nature's Bounty HUGE Zucchini

Even though I can't grow anything near this size....anything....it is nice to have friends who do pay enough attention to their gardens to benefit many of us lazier type people.

The round zucchini on the right is named Tondo di Piacenza Zucchini

And if this isn't big enough, you can click on the photos to open larger views.

There are many recipes for zucchini dishes, and we enjoy this veggie nearly every day. And it looks like we will be enjoying it for many days.