Middle East and then some

It all sounds so lazy, especially after a night out at friends' -- but hey, it's still summer, so we're enjoying it.

I'd found some pre-marinated pork kebabs (souvlaki style) that were on mega-sale, so they were the base for our supper.

I used the last of the lettuce and a bunch of other good vegies in the salad, but I can't exactly call it a Greek salad. Not only because of the lettuce, but because it's filled with blue cheese, not feta.

We also had the fabulous eggplant spread, salata de vinita -- Romanian eggplant salad. Not quite Mediterranean, moving on towards the Black Sea.

Whatever, wherever. It made for a delightfully easy and enjoyable summer meal.

Evening with friends

Late this afternoon, we went over to see friends -- people who mean a lot, but who we just don't get to see all that often.

Although the day was hot, the evening turned cool, so hot corn and chicken enchiladas (with lots of vegies tucked in) worked out to be just right.

A blueberry crisp for dessert, along with a lot of good laughing and stories, made for a wonderful time.

Pampering myself

The Dear Man's gone off for a weekend boat cruise with the guys, so I'm having a Saturday night to myself.

I'm using a special tin of tuna, one I've been saving for just such an occasion. It's Pacific Coast wild albacore, packed in Nanaimo, B.C. so might even qualify for the 100-mile diet.

I've built myself a salad using all the things I love and even topped it with spiced nuts I made for this summer's camping. The mix is a luxurious blend of cashews, almonds and pecans -- not a single peanut in the gallery. There were even a few deluxe crackers left for a bit of bready crunch.

And as if that isn't enough, I rented a couple of DVDs and might even make myself popcorn (real, not microwaved) for a treat later on.

Hallelujah, I'm a bum

Don't ask me why, but that song's been in my head for most of the day. It may have arrived in a dream last night, I don't know.

But because I'm on my own for supper, the 100-year-old tune must have played out some influence on me, as I decided on a tin of beans.

I didn't cook 'em in the tin over a campfire, the way a hobo might have, I poured them into a pot on the stove and added a whack of molasses. With toast, and a tomato plucked from the garden, they made a supper fit for a queen -- or at least a meal that was plenty good for me.

Quick and early

I'm off to an event tonight -- one where I have to make a brief presentation. Since I don't know whether there'll be food there or not, I thought I better chomp on something before I head out (I'd hate to fall over in the midst of my talk!).

Shrimp from the freezer with the last chunks of Emmenthal, spread out on a bed of fresh vegies. Voila!

Plain and simple

It's just me tonight. It's been a slow day, though a productive one. There's even a new row of jars, filled with jam from berries I picked out back just this morning.

A bowl of tomato soup. Store bought and out of a tin. Made with milk and served with crunched-up crackers.

Plain and simple and just right.

Using what's around

How lucky to have such great ingredients lying around, waiting to be used. Last night's supper left half an avocado. Plus -- because they'd been on sale -- there was another one in the fruit basket.

Three different kinds of pasta were lolling about in mostly-empty boxes, so those were the candidates who rose to the occasion.

Because two limes had already been cut, I used those instead of the usual lemon in the standby 'guacamole pasta' dish.

Sadly, the dish wasn't up to its usual standard, so the limes are about all I can blame. Still, neither of us seems hungry, so the food must've done its job.