Sangria Party on the Deck

Last weekend, we got the party going with white wine sangria! It was a refreshing addition to our quesadillas and guacamole as we enjoyed our friends on a warm summer afternoon. Here's my recipe:

Sangria Blanca

White wine, chilled

Diet ginger ale, chilled

Ice

Diced fruit (good choices include strawberries, peaches, apples, and blueberries)

1/2 lime, juiced

A few sprigs of mint

Fill a pitcher halfway with ice. Add equal parts white wine and diet ginger ale (or slightly more wine to taste). Add a couple handfuls of fruit, lime juice, and mint. Stir and pour into wine glasses, making sure to include the fruit and ice in each glass.

Summertime in West Virginia

View from the top of Little Cacapon Mountain 

Looking up through a dogwood tree on the nature trail

A butterfly on a rhododendron blossom

Unlike the last two summers, it has rained quite a bit. Everything is looking green!

View along Old Martinsburg Road heading toward Slanesville 

I saw two bears from the deck of the cabin in May . . . Simultaneously scary and exciting! This is the best shot I could get with my iPhone before they ran away.

Regan mowing the front lawn

View along Little Cacapon River Road on the way to Romney 

My Mom on the nature trail in June

Spring Weekend with the Kids

I captured our spring weekend with the kids using the billion-dollar app Instragram. The images I created with this app are priceless. I took photos with my iPhone, then used Instagram to produce images that mimic the old Polaroids I used to take. Blurry, grainy, and off-color, but full of character.

Redbud Alley

Redbuds are now in full bloom in West Virginia. The beautiful trees line both sides of Route 50 on the way to the cabin!

The kids are running loose on the roof of the cabin!

Dinner at Sunset with My Signature Dish

Polenta and Tomato Napoleons

Serves 6

Polenta:

3 cups water

1 cup polenta

Salt and pepper

Pesto:

1 cloves garlic

3 tablespoons pine nuts (toasted)

2 cups basil leaves (omit stems)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon vegan parmesan cheese (optional)

Salt and pepper

Toppings:

6 medium ripe tomatoes, sliced very thinly

Olive oil

Balsamic vinegar

Fresh pepper

Kosher salt

Pine nuts

To prepare polenta . . . boil water and stir-in polenta slowly to avoid clumps. Continue stirring until polenta gets thick, about 1 minute. (Stand back to avoid being burned by bubbling polenta!) Remove from heat and add salt and pepper to taste. Then, pour polenta onto oiled plate and spread-out evenly to about 1/2-inch thickness. Set aside to let polenta cool and solidify.

To make pesto . . . begin by mincing garlic in food processor. Then add pine nuts and chop. Then add basil, olive oil, vegan parmesan cheese. Process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To assemble napoleons . . . begin by using an inverted drinking glass to cut polenta into four discs. On each plate, put a polenta disc onto the center, then spread a heaping tablespoon of pesto over the disc. Next, artfully stack tomato slices over each disc (about the equivalent of one tomato for each). Drizzle with a little olive oil, balsamic vinegar, fresh pepper, and kosher salt. Garnish with pine nuts.

Eviction

This spring, a family of squirrels has set up a home in the crawl space under the cabin. Just when we have the ants under control, along comes a different critter. It's always something out here in the woods. That's why I call this blog "Cabin Adventures!"

When I realized I was in over my head, I called Chip from A All Animal Control to get the squirrels out and repair the damage they caused. Last weekend, he set traps to catch the squirrels and relocate them. To lure them into the traps, Chip is using peanuts and a secret paste with a strong scent.

Early Spring in Black & White

Before the forest soon explodes in full color, I captured some images in black & white. Click on the photos to enjoy a larger view!

A decaying tree on the way to the field

Some trees in the boggy area along the nature trail

Looking up into the redbud tree with early blooms

The bark of a persimmon tree along the nature trail

The nature trail winds up the hill out of the boggy area

Huge Rabbit Seen in Shower at Cabin!

Peak Fall Color

It's a beautiful time to be at the cabin! The fall color is now at its peak. The second image is the view looking straight up from the new outdoor shower. Click on any image to enjoy a larger view.

Oasis

The outdoor shower adds a new, sensual experience to the cabin. During our summer of extreme drought in West Virginia, this was the only water flowing. Showering at night by candlelight was one of the highlights of my summer!

Special thanks to Bill Sawicki for designing the drainage system, Rodney Wilson of 1st Rate Plumbing (304-822-5782) for an innovative plumbing solution, and Del Construction (304-822-4222) for bringing my idea to life.

Click to enjoy a larger image . . .

Summer in a Bowl

In these last few days of summer, I'd like to share my gazpacho recipe using the abundance of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers. This easy soup captures the feeling of summer, and the memories of eating it while watching the sun set from the deck of the cabin.

Gazpacho

1/8 red onion

1 clove garlic

3 medium, ripe tomatoes

1 red pepper, seeded

1 cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

For garnish: thinly sliced avocado or julienned basil

In food processor, mince onion and garlic. Then add all other ingredients (except avocado or basil), and puree until smooth. For added texture, reserve a small amount of tomatoes, pepper, and cucumber, dice by hand, then stir into the pureed soup. Chill mixture a couple hours. Garish with avocado or basil.

Serves two