A Hodgepodge and a Recipe 😋

Is it hot enough for you in your neck of the woods?
It wouldn't be that bad if we would only get some rain every now and then.
I have been watering my little garden morning and evening...
...it's about the only thing in my yard that is green.
Our small patches of grass and usual carpet of lush green moss is brown and crackly.
But I am thankful that my potted veggies are producing.
Here is one of the golden zucchinis......isn't it pretty?

 And I'm about ready to chop another lovely purple eggplant off the vine.



I took the first one to TN a couple of weeks ago and fixed it there.



Here's how I prepared it:

*cut eggplant into approx. 3/8" slices leaving peeling on (you can remove it if you prefer)

*salt both sides of slices and lay in colander for about 15 min. to let them sweat out the moisture

*pat dry with paper towels after the time is up

*combine panko bread crumbs, grated Parmesan and garlic powder and place in pie plate

*beat 2 eggs and place in shallow dish

*heat large skillet with a generous amount of oil of your choice (I used olive oil)

*dip slices in egg wash to coat and immediately dip in crumb mixture, pressing it in to both sides

(It's best to prepare enough so you can place them in the skillet to cook at the same time.)

*add prepared slices to skillet and fry until golden brown, turning half way

*add salt & pepper to taste, remove from pan and rest on paper towel-lined tray

It was delicious and I could have eaten the whole bunch of them!
Super good dipped in ranch dressing too!
~
So let's get on over to Joyce's Hodgepodge...

 ...where she asks the questions on her blog and we link up answer them on ours.

1. I feel most energized when I.....first get up in the morning. Remember that mini-trampoline? Every morning at 4:45 or so you will find me bouncing my little pea-pickin' heart out for about 15-20 minutes. It gets my blood a pumpin' and afterwards I am ready for some breakfast and my coffee. It's important to jump first, before you eat or drink...too much sloshing if you don't...and that's not a good thing.

But even before I started this regime, I have always been an early riser and if there is a big project on my agenda, I need to get started on it as early as I possibly can. Don't let me forget these words in mid-September when I take a week off to do nothing but BIG PROJECTS.

2. Where were you ten years ago?

Here, doing what I'm doing now. Jim was probably unemployed...the company he was employed by for 36 years moved to Mexico and he was unemployed for 18 months. It was also the year that a little girl was finally added to our family...our precious grand-daughter, Olivia was born that December of 2008. What a joy she has been! We were also still enjoying our cabin in VA as often as we could and the plans for moving to Tennessee didn't exist.

3. July 17th is World Emoji Day. Do you use emojis? Uhh...let me think...

Which one's your favorite?Your most used?

4. What song would you put on a wedding DO NOT PLAY list?

Basically, anything by George Jones or Tammy Wynette..."He Stopped Loving Her Today", "She Thinks I Still Care", "D-I-V-O-R-C-E", "I Don't Wanna Play House"...just to name a few.

 

5. What deserves less of your attention? More of your attention?

 

Well, let's see...there's social media, surfing the web, photo editing, Pinterest and did I mention social media? I'm probably making it sound as if that's all I do, which is really not the case...I'm just trying to be honest here. I could most definitely cut back on my time online, period. Lord knows how much time I waste some days. I am the procrastinator of all procrastinators unless I have a deadline, which I do...so I better get busy on this house of mine...again. But ultimately, I need to give less of my attention to me and more to others. Ouch.

6.  Insert your own random thought here.

 

I have always been a fan of "Little House on the Prairie" and I record the reruns, always having some of the episodes on my "to watch" list. But believe me when I tell you, "Little House on the Prairie" this is not...I knew that going in.

 

I am only less than a third through the book (which is over 600 pages) and if you can get through the long two-part introduction, which is the history (a quite graphic description I might add) of what was going on in land at the time, you just may have trouble putting it down. I am truly amazed by this woman.

We'll be on the road again in a couple of days, this time to Ohio. Spending time with my brothers and sisters is always at the top of my list and there is never a dull moment.