July and Avocado-Feta Salsa

July, July, July!

Last week I told you that July is super busy at our house. This year seems even busier!

Saturday was my birthday.

And that sweet thing was my birthday cake :) In a house with two bakers in residence, neither of us had the time or energy to bake a cake. So I took the easy way out.

Why didn't we have time or energy? Because I asked for a special birthday treat - a family hike to the top of Harney Peak, the highest mountain between the Rockies and the Pyrenees.

Here are some of the sights along the way:

Our goal - the fire tower at the top!

But with a 4:30 wake-up call and six hours of hiking before noon, we were wiped out. Therefore, Hostess baked my birthday cake and Klondike took care of the ice cream. :)

And while I haven't been baking, I have been cooking. Here's a foretaste of next week's recipes for "brinner."

Virginia told me about a Facebook group for Cast Iron cooking enthusiasts, and I've been finding the best recipes! Here's where you can join the group: Cast Iron Cooking.

Or you can wait until Virginia and I share our favorites.

And I haven't forgotten about the sourdough! Waiting for the weather to cool off, first. We're in the mid-90's this week.

Meanwhile, I'm sharing a great rerun recipe from a couple summers ago. This is definitely going on this week's menu!

Avocado-Feta Salsa

Yes, you read that right - Avocado and Feta together in a salsa.

It's fabulous!

Start here:

Avocado, tomato, red onion and cilantro. Chop it all up.

And then add a bit of this:

Throw in some garlic and a bit of oregano, and then mix it all together with a splash of olive oil and some apple cider vinegar (or red wine vinegar - whatever you have handy).

And here's the hard part.

Refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours.

*tap, tap, tap*

And then it's good to go! You can eat it with tortilla chips, pita chips, or.....

Twice-baked Zucchini Rounds! 

Take one of those big zucchinis - you know, the ones that were hiding in your garden until they're gargantuan size and you don't know what to do with them - and slice a few 1/4" thick rounds.

Cover both sides with olive oil, and bake on a cookie sheet for 5 minutes or so at 375°. Then take them out of the oven and top them with your favorite combo. I used the Avocado-Feta Salsa. Stick them back in the oven and broil them for a few minutes, or until the cheese starts melting.

Delicious!

I had a few of these for lunch with my Salmon with Garlicky Spinach (recipe here). It was a low-carb extravaganza!

And last week I put the salsa on my hamburger - now that was delicious!

Okay, I know I need to give you the official recipe:

Avocado-Feta Salsa

(originally from AllRecipes.com)

Ingredients:

1 plum tomato, chopped

1 ripe avocado, peeled, pitted and chopped

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 clove garlic, minced (or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder)

1 teaspoon oregano

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 Tablespoon vinegar (apple cider vinegar, or red wine vinegar)

2 Tablespoons crumble feta cheese

Mix together gently. Cover and chill for 2 to 6 hours.

And I thought it would be fun to end up with a couple rerun Thatcher pictures. He was about six months old here. :)

Okay, it's time for me to get back to working on the second installment of my trilogy from Revell, "Mattie's Pledge." I love this story, but the deadline is looming!

How is your July going? Weddings? Birthdays? Cousin Paloozas? What is your favorite part of the month?