Fair Weather

I am not talking about the weather being fair but Millport Fair weather.  Hot sunny days and cool nights.  We sat on the back porch the other night and both of us thought this is Fair Weather, of course it is.  The fair just didn't happen this year.  We live in a rural area where the year is not complete without certain things.  Fishing season, leek digging, spring gobbler, gardens, woodchuck hunting, buying a fishing  and hunting license, sending for doe permits, fall foliage, small game, archery season, doe day, holidays, the first frost, first snow, first sign of spring, etc.  The list can go on and on.  This is country life, days, weeks, months and years ruled by mother nature or man made events.  I love it here and I really missed driving by the fairgrounds and seeing cars parked in fields, people on the midway and smelling the food stands.  We only go once during fair time but it is enjoyable and always see a few people we haven't seen in years.  So this year that part of the full circle of our life is missing.  

Today is the LAST OF THE BEANS!  Ten quarts to can and hopefully by 1 pm I can officially say  imadone.  

Saturday we did go to a fair, The Frosty Hollow Herb Festival.  If you don't know about Frosty Hollow B&B please google and go to their website.  It is owned by a local gal and grew up in Shinglehouse.  Well, not right in Shinglehouse, she was a country girl from up Honeoye on the Butter Creek Road.  Gail Jackson, she married Joe Ayers from Coudersport and together on Joe's family farm they started their business.  It is amazing, the gift shop is every woman's dream stop to shop, the accommodations are beautiful with that special country touch that Gail and her daughter in law Donell are so good at.  They also have the Big Dipper and Little Dipper that are separate houses nestled in the country side.  If you are coming to our area you will find comfort and relaxation with this wonderful family to make sure all of your needs are met.  Check them out just to see all they have to offer.  Back to the Herb Festival.  I have been going quite often in the past or so many years.  I think now it is for the woodfired pizza they offer at donation cost throughout the day.  We took friends with us and they have already said, they will go again next year.  The pizza is delicious, so much so we even asked Donell if she makes the sauce.  She told us what it was and how she mixes it.  Wednesday I will be using it on our woodfired pizza.  That is just how good it is!  

This week the grandson took Dick out to a great find of Chicken of the Woods mushrooms.  They came back with a plastic bag full.  I fried a sample up for supper and the rest I simmered in seasoned water, cooled and then off to the freezer for some cold winter nights of a taste of summer.

Later I will be out to the garden gathering summer squash to put up for winter.  My niece gave me a great recipe for squash casserole.  It is delicious and this week I will be making it again.  You can add anything you want, always a way to change it up and add variety to the casserole.  The first time I added sliced chorizo.  This time I think it will be mushrooms and chopped Kale.  This also will taste good in the winter!

Yellow Squash Casserole:

vgrease a 1 qt casserole dish.  Using 6-8 small summer squash and 1 onion sliced steam until not quite tender.  Drain well.  While they are steaming whisk 1 egg and 1 cup of sour cream together.  Crush 1 sleeve of ritz or town house crackers.  Using 2/3 in the casserole.  2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, using 1 1/2 cups in the casserole.   Mix everything together gently, pour into the casserole dish.  Top with remaining crackers and cheese.  Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.