Hot Summer Days

These hot summer days (heat index is 115 degrees today) find me cooking away for some reason.  I don't know what gives.  We are thinking we'll go swimming a little bit later, but I made sure we had a yummy lunch before we hit the pool for an afternoon swim.

The MainMost grilled steak for us (marinated in Dale's, of course) and a mixture of zucchini, squash, and onions fresh from the garden.  Add that to sliced cucumbers -- cool as can be -- and yeast rolls with a side of smashed potatoes and all is delicious.  There was even bread pudding warm from the oven for dessert.

Like I said, what gives?  Midlife crisis of cooking?

Here are the recipes that I used today:

Smashed Potatoes

Bake small potatoes.  Cool and cut in slices.
Spray baking sheet with nonstick spray.  Lay potato slices down.
Criss-Cross with fork (like you're making cookies) to flatten slices.
Spray with olive oil.  Sprinkle generously with salt, pepper, rosemary, and parsley.
Top with Parmesan cheese and bake to heat through.

Bread Pudding

Tear bread (I used a baguette loaf left over from supper earlier this week) and place in two cups of milk until soft.  While bread soaks, melt 2 Tablespoons of butter in separate bowl.  Add one cup of milk, one cup of sugar, one teaspoon of vanilla, and four eggs.  Mix well and slowly pour over bread.  Stir all of this goodness together and place into greased 2-quart dish.  Sprinkle with cinnamon and bake for 35 minutes (or until inserted knife comes out clean) at 350 degrees.

This stuff is good hot AND cold.  Oh, my.


How are you enjoying your hot summer day?  We're watching the College World Series now -- Hotty Toddy Ole Miss -- and then I'm sure there is a pool calling our name.  What's up in your neck of the woods?


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