Bacon, Lettuce and Fried Green Tomato Sandwiches. Because of Course.

Today I'm sharing a very simple recipe for what has quickly become my favorite summertime meal: Bacon, lettuce and fried green tomato sandwiches.



Did I just blow your mind? Because apparently I blew the mind of the girl at the farmer's market who sold me my green tomatoes (after a gang of rogue chickens attacked my garden and ate the SIX perfectly ripe ones I had planned for this meal. They are dead to me now.) when I told her what I was making. 

She actually gasped, "Oh my word!" and then stared wistfully off into space for the remainder of our encounter, a little bead of drool trickling down her chin. And that's a perfectly natural reaction.

Seriously. They're THAT good.

I'm assuming you know how to make a basic BLT, so I'm just sharing a simple recipe we use for fried green tomatoes. BUT, this comes with the stipulation that these taste best made with good crusty bread, thick cut bacon and fresh vegetables. Bonus points if you can grow them yourself (without any vindictive chickens interfering).

Also, you're going to want to fry the bacon rather than microwave or bake it. If you're going to eat fried green tomatoes, you might as well eat them fried in bacon grease, amiright?

(Disclaimer: Justin made these while I flounced around taking pictures and sipping wine, so I can't take any credit for the work or the absolutely delicious product.)

Ingredients:

• 3 or 4 large green tomatoes
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup flour
• 1/2 cup cornmeal
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• vegetable oil for frying

Step 1: Slice the tomatoes. Ours are pretty thick (about 3/4 inch), but you may like them a little thinner. Usually the thinner you cut them, the crispier they'll be.

Step 2: Mix the eggs and milk together in a large, shallow bowl, spread the flour out on a plate, and combine the cornmeal, breadcrumbs, salt and pepper on another plate. Line them all up assembly line style starting with the flour, then the egg mixture, and finally the cornmeal mixture. Then go down the line dipping and coating your tomato slices in each one. Make sure they are completely coated on all sides.

Step 3: Use the same pan you used to fry the bacon (including the grease) and pour in enough vegetable oil so that there is about 1/2 inch of oil/bacon grease combo in the pan. Heat the pan to medium and, when the grease is nice and hot, add the tomatoes and cook until golden brown (about two minutes). You may need to do this in batches; you don't want them touching while they fry. Flip 'em over and fry the other side. Set them on a paper towel to drain. 

Assemble the sandwiches however you like them. I prefer mine with three pieces of thick cut bacon, fresh butter lettuce or spring greens, and a VERY healthy smear of mayonnaise (on both sides...). 

Unfortunately, these don't keep very well, so you'll need to eat any and all leftovers standing over the kitchen sink when no one is looking and you're supposed to be doing dishes. It's part of the recipe. You have to. 

That's it! Give 'em a try and let me know what you think!

It's Gettin' Real in Herre (To the Tune of Hot in Herre. Obviously.)

There is something we've been working with in our home for a while now, and I thought I'd share a little bit about it with you all because, you know, you're awesome and you'll just get it. You may have even been there yourself.

Earlier this year, we were told that our sweet Buggy Boy likely has Sensory Processing Disorder, or SPD. This, they think, is what is causing his delays in gross motor, fine motor, and speech development.

To us, this just made sense. When we started researching SPD, there were some aspects that didn't fit our Bug at all. But then there were parts that fit him to a T.

SPD has absolutely nothing to do with a child's intelligence, but rather how he processes the world around him. And, like many other disorders, it comes with a wide range of effects on the child.

So, I thought I'd share what SPD looks like in our house.

In our house, there is A LOT of falling down. And bumping into things. And tripping over things. And stumbling for no reason at all.

There are messy mealtimes. Forks and spoons have evaded our sweet Bug for some time now, and we're just now figuring out the concept. But fear not, he's a good eater and when all else fails, his hands make quick work of any rogue peas (or salmon, or brussels sprouts, or cherries, or potato chips, or literally anything. I've had to explain more than once why he can't eat rocks. Seriously, this kid's a garbage disposal).

(Exhibit A.)

There are rarely squeals of joy or laughter at a new toy. Usually there are several minutes of staring and flipping over trying to figure out exactly how it works (and often how he can break it). Then, if he really loves it, there are smiles. Followed quickly by obsessive play sessions, usually ending with said toy thrown sideways on the floor, a "sleeping" sign, and a jagged toddle away.



There are thousands and thousands of stories read, songs sung and games played.

There is more signing than speaking.

There are occupational therapists. Physical therapists. Speech therapists.

There is a lot of explaining, preparing and practicing.

There are comparisons made that shouldn't be.

There is frustration.

There are tears.

There are reassurances.

Because he is still a typical toddler, there are battles and bribes. There are tail pulls and reminders to be gentle. There is hiding and seeking. There is snot. And mud. And poop (Dear God, the poop!).

There are very few smiley pictures. And every one is a small victory to catch on camera what we see everyday and don't often get to share with everyone else.

Because there are lots of smiles. And laughter. And cuddles. And hugs. And kisses. 



In our house, there is fun. And silliness. And joy.

And so much love.

You may not see it. It takes him hours to warm up to new people. And new experiences take a while to understand and adjust to. But for us lucky few, it's all there, and it is so, so worth it.

Time for a Change

So, what's new with you?

You may not have noticed, but we've had a few small changes around here as of late. You know, little things: name, layout, design, what have you.

All joking aside, I've decided to let The Could-Be Cottage go and move on.

Here's the thing, I really liked everything about The Could-Be Cottage. I liked the name, I liked the design, and I liked having the opportunity to write about our home.

But I didn't love it.

It never felt exactly right to me. The name didn't really fit our lifestyle, and the layout always felt  a little off. It lacked color and life, and it just wasn't true to us.

Because the truth is, our home, and our lives, are pretty messy. And trying to pretend like they're simple, tidy and well-kept all the time just wasn't working.

Not to mention, no matter how much I'd like it to, this house will never be a sweet, cozy cottage. It's a sprawling, open-concept monstrosity with some major layout issues and very serious "bone structure" problems. We often refer to it as a "funhouse" because absolutely nothing is straight or even, the shape and proportions of all the spaces are ridiculous, and we discover some new absurdity every time we start any new project. Every. Single. Time.

I'd rather write about that. And I'd rather write more about the things that are important to me, like my family, our stories, our successes, our epic failures and, of course, our home.

We're still tackling new projects, trying to finish ones we started years ago, and turning this gigantic funhouse into our forever home.

I'm really excited about all the new changes, and I hope you'll stick with me while I figure them out.

Welcome to Our Forever (Fun)house!

Sunday Strollin'

There's been a miracle! 

     

Of our three acres, about 15% is wooded, 5% is mint (NEVER plant mint in the ground. Containers only, trust me), and the other 80% is weeds. 

But not today. 

     

VICTORY!

Best (And Easiest) White Sangria Ever

Here it is, as promised. The best (and easiest) white sangria recipe ever, adapted from here:

• One bottle of white wine*
• 1/8 - 1/4 cup of sugar (We always use 1/8 cup per bottle of wine, but we like it a little less sweet)
• Juice from one lemon
• One apple and one peach, sliced
• Fresh mint, if you like

Mix it all up, pop it in the fridge and call it a day!

*OK, here's the kicker, my secret sangria weapon: I always use Gazela Vinho Verde white wine. It's not too sweet, and lightly carbonated, so it gives the sangria just the right amount of fizz. Lovely and refreshing on a hot summer night.

Just fyi, we always double the recipe, especially if we have company. Strangely enough, one bottle of wine never seems to go as far when mixed with fresh fruit and poured from a pitcher. I'm sure there's some kind of scientific explanation...

Cheers!

Turning Weeds into Wildflowers

You. Guys.

It has been FOREVER since I last posted. But let me just say, it has been one of those months around here. You know the kind: nothing too terrible goes wrong, but absolutely nothing goes right, either. We've had a whole lot of first world problems over here at the ole' Could-Be Cottage lately, and things have only recently started looking up.



Allow me to give you an example:

About a week ago, Justin took on an extra Saturday shift at the clinic where he works, so Buggy Boy and I were on our own for the entire day/evening.  So, of course, there was a freak tornado warning out of nowhere, and we had to get into the basement in a matter of -30 seconds. This involved wrangling:

1. An almost-2-year-old with a penchant for putting gross things in his mouth and rubbing his belly like they're yummy in his tummy
2. A 100 lb. dog who, for the record, is a huge baby and refused to go down into the basement without being dragged by the collar
3. Every toy within arm's reach because the only other interesting thing for a toddler in our basement is an ever-growing collection of dead bugs, and there isn't enough wine in the world to make that game fun
4. And our emergency kit, including a flashlight, blanket, water, (possibly a couple of 10 lb. weights) and snacks, because heaven forbid we have to sit anywhere for any period of time sans honey Teddy Grahams

While we were down there poking dead bugs with an old board I found reading stories and doing puzzles, I noticed some water had leaked in on one side of the basement. Of course.

We survived the storm, and the next day, Justin went down to the basement to search out the source of the water. It appeared to be coming from a removable panel in the ceiling that leads to God knows where. In a brief, but stupid moment of boldness, he steeled himself, looked up and removed the panel. A flood of mouse poop and this little relic rained down upon him in waves.

(Please note I did not watermark this picture. If you'd like to claim this little beauty as your own, by all means, help yourself.)

Yes, folks. That's a snakeskin. So now we've got that to deal with, as well as a possible (read: definite) black mold problem from all the moisture in the ceiling and wall.

Although, I will say it almost made it all worth it to watch my 6'3", 215 lb. husband, the love of my life, father of my child, yelp and flail his entire body like he was in a Taylor Swift video.

I won't lie guys, it was good.

So here's the good news: things may not be perfect, but we're choosing to focus on the positive. We have our health, a beautiful (if a little waterlogged) home, and each other.

So tonight (the first night in a MONTH that it hasn't been raining), I thought it would be fun to spend a little time with my favorite guy. Defender of basements. Slayer of snakeskins.

Thanks to all the rain we've had lately, it's been impossible to mow, so the yard has been taken over by Queen Anne's lace and Black-Eyed Susans.



And I can't think of a better way to spend an evening than sipping sangria in a field of weeds wildflowers.

I'll be back tomorrow with the world's best white sangria recipe. Seriously, you're going to thank me for this one!

A Tomato Planting Tip For the Gardening-Impaired

I have a confession, friends. It's a tough one, but here goes:

Despite what you might think, I am not, in fact, a master gardener. 

I know, you're shocked.

You assumed the fact that my toddler son runs wild through the yard with one missing shoe and a streak of cottage cheese in his hair while my dirty laundry pile threatens to dust the cobwebs hanging from my closet ceiling must mean that I am otherwise occupied in some meaningful endeavor. 

And you may be right. But gardening, friends, is no such endeavor.

This is me last year: the proud, albeit naive new owner of my very own vegetable garden. It was a very thoughtful birthday gift from my well-meaning husband. 

Can you see the determination in my eyes? The conviction in my swagger? The grit in my teeth? It's there somewhere, presumably hidden under the wide-brimmed hat flopped jauntily to one side and the classically cool Ray LaMontagne t-shirt. 

Please also note the suspiciously clean wellies and the gloves draped casually from my pocket. 

Gardening? Oh yeah, I got this. 

Flash forward two months to me standing in a shriveled, drought-stricken pest metropolis where the only things thriving are grass, weeds, and some seriously determined lettuce that's taller than I am and refuses to give in (Apparently lettuce will grow forever if you forget to pick it. Who knew?).

Alas, I am no gardening expert. I have, however, decided to give the whole gardening thing another shot. 

But this time, I'm calling in the big guns: This guy on YouTube.

I admit, when it came time to plant again this year, I googled "how to plant tomatoes." This guy popped up, and I decided to give his advice a shot. 

I'm sharing it here with you in hopes that all you will remember from this post is that I am a genius and you're going to recommend me to all your friends in the future. 

So here goes.

How to grow stronger, more fruitful tomato plants:

1. While the plant is still in the container, turn it on its side for a day or two. It'll grow up toward the sun and develop a natural bend in the stem.

2. Trim off the extra branches beneath where the plant begins to bend upward.

3. Dig a trench and lay the plant in sideways. Bury the stem all the way up to where it bends. This will give the plant a stronger root system and allow it to absorb more nutrients (or so I've been told).

I chose to cover mine with a little extra vegetable potting soil (which I also mixed into the trench, but forgot to photograph) and then topped them off with some extra plant food.

 My beds ended up looking like a tomato cemetery, which does not bode particularly well for this year's crop...

That's it. Easy enough, right? I mean, honestly, the tomato basically does all the work for you, which makes it my kind of plant. 

Now if I could just figure out how to grow self-trimming lettuce, I'll be all set!

Happy planting!