We're Back!

We have had a epic summer - 9 weeks, 12, 265 miles, 17 National Park Sites, 22 states and lots more. Check back in this fall and I'll tell you all about it from planning, meals and packing to keeping kids happy in the car and of course many details about our favorite places. For now here's a teaser photo, and a look at what's going on here at the moment.

We try to collect a bumper sticker for the back of the pop-up everywhere we go.  This is what the back looked like when we parked it for the summer.

The only down side of being gone all summer was that, with no garden, there were no ready made meals in the freezer.  So, when my mother-in-law showed up on Thursday with a ton of tomatoes, zucchini and beans I knew I had some cooking to do.  Clockwise from bottom left:  Rosemary Salmon, Spicy Tomato Tofu, Oven Enchilada, and Italian Zucchini.  Fourteen meals in the freezer is a good start.

Spicy Tomato Tofu

Adapted from Simply In Season

Mix together 

2 T olive oil

2 T soy sauce

1 t sesame oil

1 t smoked paprika

1 lb tofu (drained, and cubed)

Toss together tofu and sauce - bake at 375 for 30-35 minutes until the tofu is chewy.  Stir once or twice.

Saute in skillet:

1 sliced green pepper

1 sliced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

Then add 1 1/2 lbs. of tomatoes

1 T paprika

1/4 t. hot chilies

1/2 t. thyme

1 bay leaf

Simmer for 10 min.

Add 1 t flour and cook until thickened.  Combine tofu and sauce.  Serve over brown rice.

Oven Enchilada

Adapted from Simply In Season

Saute:

1 lb. ground beef or TVP

1 chopped onion

2 cloves chopped garlic

1 chopped green or red pepper

Add:

4 c. cooked beans

2 c. chopped tomatoes

1 c. shredded summer squash

1 c. corn

2 t. chili powder

1 t. cumin

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Layer 1 c. of mixture, 1 flour tortilla and 1 c. cheese until you've used up all of the filling.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 min.

Italian Zucchini Casserole

Saute:

3 med. zucchini - sliced

1 onion - sliced

1 clove garlic minced

4 c. tomatoes - chopped

1 T basil

1 t. oregano

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Simmer for 10 min.

Place in the bottom of a 9 x 13 pan, cover with dry stuffing mix, 1/2 c. Parmesan cheese and 1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350 for 20-30 min.