because you deserve it all

It is sad to say that it is almost time to think about planning a Labor Day – or unofficial end of summer celebration.  But don’t despair because summer isn’t over just yet!

Planning is paramount so take a look at the menu and tips below (in no particular order). 

1. Serve Kobe beef burgers or steaks for a grill experience your friends and family are sure to remember for some time.  Just sprinkle them with pepper and sea salt and sear them to seal in the juices.  Turn down the heat to be sure you don’t melt away the marbeling or you will basically watch all the flavor run into your grill.  Cook them until they are medium rare and tent them under aluminum foil for 10-15 minutes (to let the juices redistribute throughout the meat) and then serve. 
2. Suggested Side Dishes:  Roasted yukon gold potatoes with olive oil and fresh rosemary.  Arugala salad with balsamic vinaigrette (shave some parmesan cheese on top). 
3. Suggested Dessert:  Key Lime Cheesecake
4. Centerpiece:  Use tomatoes and yellow or orange bell peppers in a basket or a ceramic bowl. 
5. Appetizer:  Olive tapenade with Parmesan peppercorn baguette.
6. Set the table with white plates and let the food be the focal point. 

Check out the link below for Kobe Beef and Key Lime Cheesecake below. 

Kobe Beef http://www.eclecticgrocer.com/american-kobe-beef.html

Key Lime Cheesecake  http://www.eclecticgrocer.com/keylichw-sh.html

I find myself wishing away the summer so the stupid Japanese Beetles will leave.  They are coming in less numbers but I am still picking about 25-50 off my roses every couple of days.  I am pruning off the older blooms because they seem to be most attracted to those.  I am also cutting off the more fragrant blooms and bringing them in prior to them becoming beetle infested.  I often find 7-10 beetles ruining one fragrant rose!  Bringing them inside attracts fewer beetles and I get to enjoy the rose rather than cut it off the bush and put it in my beetle juice (aka soapy water).  The soapy water makes it impossible for them to fly and it kills them while not harming the environment or beneficial insects.  It is easier to get a large bucket of soapy water and cut off the entire bloom or cluster of blooms and drop it in the soapy water because I find that I miss beetles when I try to pick them off when there are several huddled on one part of the plant.