Alaska Vacation

I'm on vacation in Alaska on a cruise. I'll have lots of photos to share when I return, which should be any day since I left well over a week ago.

 Hope you are enjoying your summer. 

Cat Sitting and Photos of Our Adventures

Cat Sitting 

My sister-in-law lives about 15 minutes away from us. She went to California for 10 days. We made a trip daily to her house to feed, clean litter boxes, and play with her two cats. We usually spent about an hour there.

They were a lot of fun and we had a good time with them . 

The black and white cat is named Cookie ; the brownish colored cat is named Maple. They are great company for each other, but they still enjoyed our visits. 

I made sure to give them a "Churo" treat each time I came. They went wild over the treat and warmed up to me. 

I'm sharing some photos I took of them over the course of the week. 

Maple liked to go high up on her cat playground to give herself some space away from everyone.

Cookie is the quieter of the two. She is not as playful

Cookie likes to lay on her back

Maple loves her round tunnel. She often zips right through it in a flash!!

Maple looks like she posed for this picture. What a beauty.

Cookie on her scratch pad .

We had fun with them but- we and I am sure that they -were glad when their mommy came home. 

Do you have cats? We don't have any of our own- but most of our local family members have cats. 

We have a grand-cat named LuLu that I have shared about before. Lulu does not like other cats!!!

LULU 

My Notes: 

Please consider purchasing my cookbook on Amazon!  plant-based soups cookbook (affiliate link)

My Soups Cookbook contains over 80 healthy soup recipes and 80 inspirational quotes and time saving cooking tips to help encourage, guide, and inspire readers to reach a greater level of wellness. Plant-based soups cookbook (affiliate link)  on Amazon with a "look inside" option to see all the recipe titles and introduction.

Red Lentil Potato Dal | An Easy Plant-Based Indian Dinner

Do you enjoy Indian cuisine? It's one of our favorites, and last night I made a simple, comforting red lentil potato dal that was relatively quick and easy- as vegetarian cooking goes. You gotta chop!

We're still hosting our cousin from Los Angeles, who is in the area for work. He's a film producer and spends most of the day working remotely, making him an easy houseguest. (His latest film is called "Monument" with John Voight). Since he only eats two meals a day, I like to make sure dinner is something filling. He is not a vegetarian, but he likes ethnic food.

Asian Summer Rolls- no cooking needed

Vegetable filling for Summer Rolls along with sliced pickles, mint, cilantro etc.

To start, I served fresh Asian summer rolls filled with grated raw vegetables, fragrant herbs from my garden, and a few unexpected additions like sliced pickles for extra crunch and flavor. I paired them with a gluten-free peanut dipping sauce that I found at Wegmans, and it was a perfect match.

No Lettuce Salad- no cooking needed

For the dinner, I made a delightful salad without lettuce using canned hearts of palm, cherry tomatoes, red onion, and chunks of avocado. It's one of my favorite combinations because it's fresh, colorful, and the slight juice from the hearts of palm and the creamy avocado kind of make its own dressing.

Rice and Red Lentil Potato Dal-25-30 minutes cooking

For the main course, I served my hearty red lentil potato dal over fluffy white rice. The simple dal was flavored with cumin seeds, ground cumin, turmeric, freshly grated ginger, cracked black pepper, and garlic powder (I had run out of fresh garlic). As it simmered, the kitchen filled with the warm aroma of Indian spices, making it hard to wait until dinner was ready.

The dal (and the rice cooked separately) cooked in pots on low rather quickly (about 30 minutes) so the kitchen didn't heat up too much.

Corn on cob- eaten raw- no cooking needed

Oh, I almost forgot ! I also served fresh corn on the cob from a local farmer who says his corn is Non GMO. It was so sweet, we ate it raw without cooking it. Corn is fabulous eaten right off the cob without cooking. It is sweet, crunchy, and delicious.

Yes, it was a filling meal; we were all so full that dessert wasn't even a consideration. We were stuffed!

The weather here has been brutal—104°F yesterday! It's definitely the kind of heat that makes me crave simple, nourishing meals that don't require hours in the kitchen.

How's the weather where you are? And what's been on your dinner table lately? I'd love to hear what you're cooking this summer.

Ingredients for the Red Lentil Potato Dal:  

1 tablespoon of cumin seeds

1 medium onion, diced

1 cloves of garlic, pressed or 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon of grated fresh ginger

2 cups of diced potatoes, or chopped how you like it

1 cup of red lentils, washed and drained

1 teaspoon of salt

cracked pepper to taste

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon of ground cumin powder

1/8 teaspoon of curry powder 

4 cups of water 

2 tablespoons vegetable bouillon powder

Optional: hot pepper of your choice

Directions: 

Sauté onion, ginger, cumin seeds in a wide rimmed skillet in a little water, or oil if you prefer, for 5 minutes stirring. Add chopped potatoes and coat and stir for 1 minute. Add red lentils, turmeric, pepper, cumin powder, curry powder, salt, water and bouillon. Stir, bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cover and cook for 25 minutes until potatoes are soft. Serve over cooked quinoa or rice.

My Notes: 

1. You could add jalapeño peppers or any hot pepper while cooking if you like it hot!! I don't... 

2. Use vegetable broth instead of water and bouillon powder.

3. Everything in this meal is gluten-free

I used a julienne peeler to grate the vegetables in a jiffy. 

It was called ReNext Multifunction Stainless... and it works great. 

Disclaimer: I am an affiliate for Amazon. If you click on a link and go to Amazon and you make a qualified purchase on Amazon- I will get a small commission. 

One Pot Tofu Recipe | Easy Vegan Skillet Dinner

                                                                                        

This one-pot tofu skillet dinner has become a favorite in our house because it's simple, hearty, and incredibly versatile. You can make it with rice or quinoa, depending on what you have on hand, and it's also an easy way to use up whatever vegetables are in your refrigerator. It's not the prettiest or most photogenic dish I'll admit. 

Fireworks and a Big Storm

A Quick Fireworks Show—and an Even Quicker Dash to the Car

How was your Fourth of July weekend? Ours was pretty quiet, but we still managed to get out and enjoy a little holiday fun.

On the Fourth, we headed over to watch the fireworks at Sesame Place in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Instead of dealing with the crowds inside the park, we joined hundreds of other people who had the same idea—parking in the shopping center across the street. Everyone unloaded their lawn chairs and lined the edges of the parking lot, settling in for the show.

Easy Vegan Potato Salad With Fresh Pesto

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If you're looking for a fresh twist on traditional potato salad, this easy vegan potato salad is one recipe you'll want to make all summer long. Instead of a heavy mayonnaise dressing, tender potatoes are tossed in a homemade basil and cilantro (or parsley) pesto that is bursting with robust flavor.

IN MY KITCHEN - JULY 2026

What's In My Kitchen This Month? 

Lots of produce from the local farmers market. 

The farner's market has officially opened for the season, and I couldn't be more excited. There are about eight local farmers who participate—including three certified organic farms—it's the perfect place to stock up on fresh, seasonal produce.

There is simply no comparison between vegetables that were picked that morning and those that have traveled hundreds or even thousands of miles to reach the grocery store. Freshly grown and picked produce is bursting with flavor, and because it's so fresh, it also retains more of its nutrients and lasts much longer.

The market is held every Saturday morning, nestled in the countryside about 20 minutes from my house. I never know exactly what I'll find. Every week brings something new as different fruits and vegetables come into season.

This week's haul included crisp cucumbers, leafy greens, bok choy, celery, cabbage, fresh herbs such as cilantro and dill, zucchini, dandelion greens, onions, and red potatoes. 

Of course, bringing home all that fresh produce means I'll have to spend some time prepping it and cooking it. 

I like to wash everything as soon as I get home. Some weeks I'll prep individual salad jars for easy lunches. Other times I simply wash and dry everything before storing it in reusable produce bags or containers. Spending a little time upfront makes healthy eating much easier during the busy week.

One thing I discovered this weekend was that my deck makes the perfect produce prep station! Instead of covering my kitchen counters and floor with dirt, leaves, and water, I carried everything outside and worked on my outdoor patio table. It's easier to hose down the deck than have to wash the kitchen floor. 

I washed, sorted, and trimmed my vegetables while enjoying the fresh air, and when I was finished, cleanup was incredibly easy. No muddy kitchen floor to mop afterward!

There's something satisfying about opening the refrigerator and seeing it filled with colorful, fresh produce that's washed, prepped, and ready to use. It inspires me to eat more vegetables, try new recipes, and make the most of everything that's in season.

I made a potato salad with pesto using the potatoes and herbs which I will be sharing the recipe soon.

New Serving Spoons

 Do you shop at your local farmer's market? When you get home, do you wash and prep everything right away, or wait until you're ready to use it? 

Joining Sherry at Sherry's Pickings for her monthly IN MYKITCHEN blogger's share. Anyone can join in .