The puppy has swallowed a large amount of my time this month and much of the remaining mouthful was eaten by the garden. But that doesn’t mean the kitchen has been completely neglected.
From the kitchen I can watch the dogs.
Quinn and her friend puppy Shanna
Both of them enjoy chewing on sticks, sometimes this results in a very funny expression.
A stick smile
Shanna @ 14 weeks, usually confined when I am actually cooking
Casey is best for encouraging a nap.
Nap time, Casey and Shanna
So, what is new?
In my kitchen I have some new measuring cups. These three are specifically designed for liquids, 1 cup – 2 cup – and 4 cup. They are convenient because the measurements can be seen from the top. The handle of my old 1 cup broke and needed replacing so I was excited to get the two other sizes as well.
The 4-cup one is perfect for refilling the hummingbird feeder. The feeder holds almost a quart and needs refilling every few days. I’ve never used so much sugar. Those little birds are ravenous and entertain us with their acrobatics (and battles) outside the dining area window.
In my kitchen garden I have an abundance of zucchini which I have been grilling and making into delicious zucchini fritters. I found a recipe for making them in the air fryer with less than a tablespoon of oil. I am sure you could also do this in the oven.
I will get around to posting the recipe. I’ve made them at least once a week since I found the recipe.
zucchini fritters garnished with avocado and chives
Simply grilled zucchini is also frequently on the menu.
Grilled Summer Squash
In my kitchen I have bouquets of sweet peas. They were very late this year, it’s unusual for them to produce so many blooms into August. The scent reminds me of my grandparents garden in England.
Sweet Peas
In my kitchen I have sheet pan dinners. 
I discovered a neat trick for adding extra veggies, I added some lightly oiled kale to the pan for the last 15 minutes. It resulted in crispy kale with the rest of the meal.
roasted kale
This sheet pan resulted in a warm chicken salad with walnuts and blue cheese.
Warm Chicken Salad with Cauliflower, Walnuts and Blue Cheese
The weather has finally warmed and we are able to have some meals out on the deck. It’s been a foggy summer here on the coast.
Al fresco dining
And lastly in my kitchen I have this fun paper collage picture of Casey. I helped host a workshop at the gardens and this was my project.
paper collage – Casey
I think it does look like Casey, a little. Anyway it was a lot of fun.
Casey – ever hopeful to get a treat
This In My Kitchen post is part of a monthly collection of blogs from around the world, focused on what is new in our kitchen (and lives) from the last month. It’s hosted by Sherry of Sherry’s Pickings out of Australia. Please do click on the link to find out what is new in all of our kitchens.
hi liz
such gorgeous puppies you have! love your blue vase. and the measuring cups. and i am drooling over the fritters with avocado. zucchini is always popular in this house:) Sheet pan dinner is what we call tray bake i think. everything in one dish and chucked into the oven? but i can’t be doing with kale – the devil’s work:) Looks delightful on your deck. it’s lovely to sit in the sun and eat and drink and relax. Great collage! Yep definitely casey. Take care and see you in september.
cheers
sherry
Your dogs are gorgeous and the photo had me click on your post for In My Kitchen straight away. I like the zucchini fritters and haven’t made any in quite a long time.
Omg, Shanna is adorable!! Those pretty blue eyes!! The zucchini fritters sound fabulous; just found 2 monster zucchinis yesterday. It’s astounding how quickly they grow.
I am glad your garden is doing well. Those big ones would be perfect for the recipe. I will post it this weekend.
A friend of mine checked the actual amount of liquid in those “look from the top” measuring cups and claims they don’t measure accurately, despite their intriguing design. I hope yours are within tolerable limits on accuracy.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Thanks for the heads up, I will check them. For baking I would need accurate measurements. I’ve taken to using a scale recently. I find it more reliable.
Hi Liz, your dogs are soooooo adorable and I just want to roll around with them! I love zucchini fritters and look forward to growing zucchinis again this summer. Last year I had quite a few zucchinis then there were these weird white grubs that came and ate the plants’ roots and eventually they all died, very sad indeed! Hope I have better luck this summer
How disappointing! I do hope you have better luck this summer.
Adding cauliflower to that salad is genius. I am on it for my next salad.
I didn’t have lunch today and your sheet pan dinner has made me so hungry. It looks so delicious and I’m sure it was.
I’ve been practising and getting better at making fritters, your zucchini version looks delicious as do the sheet pan dinner which I need to make more of… perhaps now with summer coming.
Thank you. I really enjoyed your IMK post this month. Your garden is glorious.
Hi Liz
Your paper collage is gorgeous! As a bonus, it even looks like your dog. I love zucchini fritters. I like to use my broken flowers in them too. Stay safe, ciao, Cristina
Using the flowers is a wonderful idea! Thank you. I hope you don’t mind if I borrow it. I’m making them again on Friday and will include the flowers.