Summer musings

Don't you just love the never-ending summer days? We have been getting up so early, the house is filled with light at 5:30...who can sleep?The birds start in with their morning concert as soon as there is the slightest glimmer of light in the sky.. I really can't believe how much a person can get done before the sun goes down..I love it..winter is just a distant memory (Well, not really, it was a corker, wow!) I just appreciate the sunshine and flipflops and yes, I even love the summer storms (not the tornadoes though)...have a great day..I guess I should call this post "Musings by Sheila", because there is really no point....

Busy, busy day today...started with a nature walk and ended with a fishing adventure

Sunday morning Nature Walk....

This is the turkey nest we have been watching, looks like something happened to the mother turkey, no eggs were hatched..

A cool looking mushroom growing out of an old up-rooted tree.

Mr. turtle was moving pretty fast, but not fast enough.

Some beautiful summer wild flowers

Daisies doing their own thing.

Waitin' for the train....

Buzzards ridin' the rails..

Chocolate zucchini muffins Sheila style

Below is the original recipe from Pinterest, but I made a mistake and was looking at another recipe, and so I had a half a cup of butter softened at room temp., also I had frozen zucchini from last year, I used 4 cups of frozen (thawed) zucchini, just added the water from the defrosted zucchini in stead of the boiling water, so far so good.  I was going to use  coconut oil, but since I had the butter out already, I just put it in there instead, did not add canola oil, and I only used one egg, because that's all I had, so in other words, this isn't the same recipe it was before......baked in convection oven at 350 for 10 minutes..good, good, good!  Oh, and of course, it is no longer a "Low Fat" recipe..

 

Low fat zucchini chocolate muffins

Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 2 cups shredded zucchini
• 1/3 cup boiling water
• 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup dark chocolate cocoa powder
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (you can use just cinnamon too)
• 1/2 cup organic canola oil
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla

For extra flavor, try these optional add ons!

• 1/4 cup chopped nuts
• 1/4 cup semi sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease muffin pan or insert muffin cups.
2. Add shredded zucchini to a mixing bowl and add in boiling water.
3. Mix in remaining ingredients (plus add ons) until just mixed.
4. Pour into muffin pan (I made six at a time) and bake for 30 minutes.
5. Serve with a pat of butter or naked and enjoy!

Camping at Forbes part 2

Another great camping night a Forbes State Park.  Our friends Dave and Janet Hanks came out and spent the evening, we had a nice long visit.  Bill and Dave had a few beers and we all had chocolate cake and fresh strawberries....nice sleeping later on...

The grand boys last day of school and Garret on class trip

Memorial Day Cook out at Carol and Mike's.

Memorial Day Service at Kimundy Library

Kinmundy had a very moving Memorial Day Ceremony today, Bill and I went and it really touched our hearts. We appreciate all who served and still serve our country, and especially those who gave their lives for our freedoms.