Welcome to Texas August heat and let me tell you it is here. I am not even sitting out on the screen porch today, no I am in my office under a nice cool air conditioner. This is good grilling weather and really good slow cooker time. Trying to keep the kitchen cool, so I will be looking for some cool light meals this week. We still have some garden production that I am sure we will be using in our meal plan along with the local specials at the super market. The prices of products in the super market have really increased in the past 9 months, with very little hope of coming down. I am sure glad that we have been canning and preserving our garden vegetables which helps on the grocery budget. Another thing that helps is planning the meals so that we can use the left-overs and only buy what we need and not get side tracked by that oh what will I fix for dinner?

  Hi everyone and welcome to Full Plate Thursday! This is the week for our Top Ten Views from last weeks party, which we have on the last party of every month. Its a fun post to prepare because I get to see what you picked with the most views from the last week, and you picked some good ones! I hope that all of you are having a wonderful summer, but my heart goes out to all the ones who are fighting fires and the horrible drought. We are blessed here to have had rain and cooler weather here, well up until now anyway. Thanks so much for coming to the party today, I always look forward to see all of you!

  Pineapple Banana Freeze Dessert is a cold refreshing dessert for any hot summer day. This 5 star dessert is created with only 3 ingredients and a little garnish, so easy to make and has become a hit here at the cottage. I have been keeping some of this recipe in my freezer to serve unexpected guest or just to have as a very special afternoon treat, it is a winner!

      These shrimp tacos are perfect for Summer! They are quick, easy, and are great when you are having company over. Plus they will be kind to your waistline. 

  We have really enjoyed the summer weather so far, however it is about to be August in Texas. Going into the last week of July we are watching the temps start to climb. I was walking the garden with a friend this week and explaining how most of the harvest is done before we get to this higher heat. We do still have Black Eyed Peas to pick which is unusual , but welcomed. We really enjoy our garden vegetables and I look forward every week to having fresh vegetables on our meal plan here at the cottage.

  On July, 22 2010 I did my first Thursday post, and my blogging journey begin 11 years ago. In some ways those 11 years have gone by so fast and in some ways it seems so long ago. I started Full Plate Thursday about 6 months later and we have been gathering here with you for all these years. I want to thank all of you who have come to our community through the years and became a part of it, you are so dear to me. I have been privileged to meet many of you in person and I treasure those times that I got to meet you and spend time with you. I feel so blessed to be able to continue with the journey that we set out on 11 years ago. God Bless all of you who have helped me along this journey!

  We have had an abundant harvest in our garden this year. We have been able to can and preserve a lot of that harvest and one of those food products is our Potato & Tomato Garden Soup. This is a great soup recipe that can be used as a stand alone soup or as a soup base. The soup base is perfect to add other garden vegetables and or a meat protein there are so many delicious possibilities. At one time  I canned this soup in quarts because all the kids were still home, but today I can it in the pints for just the two of us. If I need more I just use two jars instead of one. This recipe is for a big batch, but you can sure cut it in half if you need to. We love this soup and is delicious any time of the year!

  Our cottage is really busy this time of year and I am so happy to be able to kick back on the screen porch and put together some great meal plans for the week. Our garden is not slowing down in production so we are on going with canning and preserving. We are still having amazing temperature's for our part of the country, which helps with the garden and my comfort on the screen porch! I have a very special day to plan for this week and some great recipes that I want to put on the meal plan!

Welcome to Full Plate Thursday and another week of a great food exchange with all of you! Don't you just love the summer months when there is so many fresh food choices to set on our table. We have great features from last week that I sure hope you will enjoy,  presented to you from some very talented bloggers. Every week when I visit all of your sites I know how hard you work at finding the recipe or in some cases developing the recipe, preparing the recipe, then of course there is the photo shot, while your family is waiting to eat. My friends all know by now that they will have to wait for a minute while I get my photo's. Then it is off to the computer with the recipe and the photos. I really do appreciate all that you do to get your post to this point and thanks so much for sharing with us every week. You truly are the greatest cooks on the planet! 

Our Pink Lemonade Ice Box Pie is a beautiful pink pie, so cool and refreshing. This is one of those recipes  that can show up and be the star of any event. I have taken this pie to many a ladies luncheon's and cover dish dinners. This pie is so easy to make and has a very special flavor, one that we just love here at the cottage!

          Ever get that chocolate craving that you can't kick? What about when it is late at night and 'healthy' you did the grocery shopping? Well this is the trick for you! This is quick, easy, and will satisfy your sweet tooth without leaving you leftovers. Yet again my husband has inspired an impromptu recipe, with a craving for rainy day brownies. Feel free to add some ice cream or berries on top if you have them! 

It is a lot of fun to make our meal plans right now with these amazing low temperatures we are having. Usually this time of the year we are having very high temps and are confined to the house during the heat of the day, so this is great to be able to be out all day. Our garden is producing overtime this year and we are canning like crazy. Our canning pantry shelves are filling up fast. So far we have canned 65 pints of fruit and vegetables from our garden.  No doubt I will have some great garden vegetables on the meal plan this week.

  Welcome to Full Plate Thursday and our first week in July! We had a great 4th of July Celebration in our community with a great parade and lots of good food! We have some great features today from our party last week and I sure hope you will stop by to say hello to these talented bloggers. I am looking forward to seeing what you will be sharing with us at the party today, and thanks so much for being a part of our awesome community!

We love melon's here at the cottage, watermelon and cantaloupe seem to be our all time favorites. This melon appetizer is such a delicious addition to any gathering or just a light afternoon snack. This is such a simple recipe to put together and is so cool and refreshing. The combination of the melons with the basil is a hit every time and will have your family and friends coming back for more!

I have a really sweet neighbor right down the country road, she raises chicken's and she has the most delicious farm fresh eggs. The eggs always have the most beautiful colors and I just love cracking them open to see the bright yellow yolk. Our Farm House Brunch Casserole is perfect for her fresh eggs. This is a very simple but delicious casserole and you can bake it right away, no waiting necessary. The flavor of sausage, hash browns and a few seasons make this a delicious brunch casserole that will please all your family and guest. You can visit my neighbor at  The Feather Nest , stop by and tell her Miz Helen said Hi!

Happy 4th of July meal planning week! Wow the cottage is all decked out and meal plans have been made for the 4th celebrations this weekend and what fun we will have. Like any other holiday we have some traditional foods that we like to serve around a holiday and then it is always fun to add some new recipes to the mix. We are still enjoying some very cool temperatures so the outdoor activity and cook-outs will be great! As the activities begin I will be so happy that everything is planned and organized, so I can enjoy the fun with all my guest!