Just because we are crazy busy with our own concerns, that doesn’t mean we don’t have neighborhood commitments we need to keep. And today day I woke up bright and early, and hopped in the saddle, again. Well, really on to the mower and I drove it down the road to our neighbor, Marie Carmen’s house.

We missed mowing last week because of all the rain. And her yard had exploded! It was a jungle. Jeff followed with the weed wacker and we knocked it out. I waited until 9:30, but I still woke her up. I wonder if she had a rough night. She cares for her husband, who has had a severe stroke. She heard the mower and opened the gate. I made quick work of it. 

Then she signaled I should stop the mower. For our efforts today she awarded me with a giant zucchini. Then she took me to the barn. One of her barn cats had a litter of kittens. And they are ready to find new homes. She picked up a little one and gave her to me.

Meet Lulu. She is so cute and talks a lot! Like most tabby cats. It’s taken all day, and some heavy cream, to coax her out from my rolled up yoga mat. It’s warm here today but I am under this throw to encourage her to calm down. It’s been a rough day for her. She misses her mama. 

What’s Cookin’

I had other fish to fry. Especially since I have that giant zucchini. Time to start tightening up my recipes. And at the sane time, I need to bake my socks off to fill up that pastry display on the food truck. And what do you do with a giant zucchini? Gluten-free Zucchini Bread with oat milk and walnuts! You can’t get much more farm-to-table than zucchini from the farm next door. 

It turned out pretty good. And the house smelled like heaven. The recipe makes four loaves. Warm from the oven and spread with butter, Jeff gave his stamp of approval. I filled a plate and took it down the road to Marie Carmen. Oops! I sometimes forget that people here might be asleep after lunch. I woke her up, again!

Then I came home to work on my Smoothie game. I’ll be using frozen berries in the biz, but today I only had fresh raspberries. After a run to the Gadis for a car load of ice, I whipped up a raspberry/banana smoothie. 

Jeff tested this one and had some suggestions. I’ll make a few more before the big show on Friday. Tomorrow is waffle and pancake day. We will both be 300lbs by the time we open. But, oh well. 

My next breakfast bread will be the world’s best banana bread. And I’m making some yummy protein bars. Oh yeah, and my famous chocolate chip cookies. All gluten-free. But you’d never know it. Can’t wait for you guys to taste it to tell us what you think.

Gotta go! There are flower pots to fill with flowers while there is still daylight.