Camp Ah Wahn Gohom

Dear Mom,

Thanks for the package. Unfortunately, Mr. Bulliman was in charge of mail call and he makes us "pay" for our packages by doing something embarrassing. I had to massage his stinky feet. Gross!  I washed my hands ten times before they finally smelled clean.  I guess the homemade cookies from Granny made it worth it. I ate them for lunch.

We've been busy and I've made a few friends. On Monday, our group took a canoe trip around Lake Sludge. (Don't worry, Mom, we wore life jackets.) Jeremy fell out of the canoe while leaning over the edge of the boat to poke a fish. He tumbled in, head first. Fortunately, the water was only two feet deep. He had to walk back so he wouldn't track slimy mud from the bottom of the lake into the canoe.

On Tuesday we practiced archery. It's harder than doing it on the Wii!  I could barely pull that string-thingy back far enough to make the arrow go anywhere. One camper learned how to shoot a bow from his uncle. According to Brutus, Uncle Elmer hunts rabbits in the woods behind his house. He showed me a rabbit's foot on his key chain and now I can't stop thinking about some poor three-legged bunny hiding from Uncle Elmer. Creepy. Once Mr. Hood, the instructor, held the bow steady and I hit the target, but the arrow bounced off the hay bale and landed in the grass. I guess I won't be hunting "wabbits" when I grow up.

We hiked Mount Cumulus on Wednesday. It took all day, but at the summit it was too cloudy to see anything. My hiking buddy, Michelle, was a whiner. She kept asking our leader how much further it was to the top. Eventually, Miss Sandy snapped. "Not another word or I'll cover your mouth with masking tape!" That silenced her. Anytime Michelle started to speak, she'd look over at Miss Sandy and then clamp her mouth shut. The hike was nicer after that.

Yesterday was the Tournament of Strength. Ugh. You know me, I would rather read than see how many chin-ups I can do (which, apparently, is only one). The counselors organized challenges: log rolling, rope climbing, a bungee run and an obstacle course. We finished with a massive game of tug-of-war which resulted in two skinned knees and rope burns on both hands. Our team won. Yipee, I guess.

They're serving grilled cheese for dinner. The food here hasn't been great, but I suppose they can't ruin that, right? Tomorrow's final dinner is International Night with foods from around the world. I heard a terrible rumor they're serving sushi.  I don't know if you'll get this letter before you arrive on Sunday, but if so, please bring me a hamburger from Greasy Jay's. I think I'm going to be hungry.

Give Dad a hug. I can't wait to come home. Next summer, I promise I won't say, "I'm bored," if you promise you won't send me away.

Love,
Joe

__________________________

I actually love sushi, but I know
a few kids who don't, wink, wink.

Linking up this week with Writings and Ruminations. 512 words inspired by the picture above and including the following 5 words: Granny, masking tape, cheese, mud and massage. 

small things {slide show}

small things #54 ... slide show

Refreshing Evenings.

All My Favorite People.

Good Food Eaten Outdoors.

Chorus of Laughter.

Retelling of Memories.

Sitting within the circle of the campfire's light, there is room for everyone.  Camp chairs with cup holders, folding chairs with nylon mesh sprung loose and rumpled blankets filled with all my favorite people.  The circle is big.

Amidst the darkening shadows, in the stretch of lawn behind the chairs, little kids play hide-n-seek, older kids throw washer rings at their wooden target - cling!  Girls giggle from within the apple tree, whispered secrets and wishes.  Cousins and friends call out to one another to play.

The sun is flirting with the horizon, slowly settling into the mountain tops.  Pink and orange clouds stretch across the sky - a sailor's delight.  With the coolness of the evening, a slight chill prompts the appearance of sweatshirts and long-sleeved wraps to drape across goose-bumpily legs and arms.  The bugs steer clear of the campfire's smoke but are wooed to the glowing blue bug zapper.  We hear the zit and zat of winged insects flying too close to the light.

I reach across the darkening space to hold hands with Brett, and a small child has found a place on my lap.  The delicate perfume of chlorine in her hair replays in my mind the pre-dinner cannon balls and "watch me, Mom's" at the pool.  We are worn out from water, sunshine and food eaten outside in the fresh air.

In the campfire's flickering light, I see the remains of dinner on my little one's cheeks and chin.  We ate well ... burgers fresh from the grill, sugary sweet corn-on-the-cob, creamy coleslaw with hidden gems of avocado and cilantro, baked beans with bits of bacon, orange Cheetos fingers holding enormous triangles of ice cold watermelon.  So much food, but still room for gooey s'mores.

The darkness ushers the kids toward the circle of laughter.  And the promise of sugary goodness.

Family and friends lean in toward the light, skewers extended with marshmallow gems melting in the heat.  A s'more assembly line forms:  molten sugar, dark chocolate squares and crumbly graham crackers.  Soon the supplies run out and we sit back into our chairs and sprawl out on blankets, sticky and satiated and a little sleepy.

Until the stories begin.

Familiar words weave together to form a slide show in the dark.  Above our heads, above the flickering campfire, memories emerge in the re-telling of well-known tales.  The magical phrases bring to life snapshots from years and days gone by.

... the little girl secretly riding the hot pink yardstick and hiding the pieces away in the closet, hastily glued together.  The surprise and denial when days later Mom discovers her treasure bent at a 30 degree angle.

... two-year old chubby parts looking adorable in a ruffly yellow and pink flowered bikini, lounging pool-side at Cocoa Beach. And the yellowed newspaper clipping of said bathing beauty remembered thirty-five years later.

...  reciting key lines from favorite movies and hearing an echo from across the glimmering circle ~ "sometimes their noses are horns...", "I've got an idea forming in my brain," and "bye, Buddy ... good luck finding your dad..."

... swim team marathons with endless games of Spite & Malice, Saturday night pizza dinners, guzzling green water and never ending recitations of The Princess Bride.

Stories passed around the circle.  Hearts (and bellies) full.  Tired kids listening to the love and laughter among dear friends and family ~ some whom have known me my entire life and others I'll spend the rest of my life getting to know better.

Slide show ... in place of the plastic carousel of slides, a chorus of snapshots woven together telling the story of lives lived together.

__________________________________

#1 - What five images paint a perfect picture of summer to you?  Put those five images together in a writing piece.

Soggy Game Day Fun!

It's 1:30 and I'm bushed!

This morning, we welcomed summer with a Wet, Wild and Wacky Wednesday of games!  Wow!  Here's how we stayed cool and crazy ... and how you can, too!

First up, Filler 'Er Up!

Each pair of kids got a cup with a ping pong ball in it and a squirt bottle filled with water.  Then standing face to face, they each took one step backwards.  One teammate held the cup while the other teammate squirted water into the cup from that distance.  The first team to fill the cup and have the ping pong ball float out won!  Which, in this case, was the boys!  This was the warm-up to getting soaked ...

Next up, No Hands Balloon Race!

The kids were divided up into groups of two.  For fun, I didn't group them by size, which meant that long and lean Rebekah was paired up with short and sweet Bethany ... and they were creatively successful!  Each pair had to walk their water balloon to the other side of the yard with the balloon nestled between their almost-touching backs.  They then passed the balloon to the next pair and so on.  This was certainly challenging!  For the second race, we changed things and let them carry the balloon nestled on their almost-touching bellies, which was significantly easier.  Lots of hugging and walking!

Next we played The Soggy Jog Relay!

We split the kids up into two teams and lined them up next to a big bin filled with water.  On the other side of the yard was a soccer ball.  Each kid had to race down, circle the soccer ball and race back wearing one of my pairs of sweatpants ... drenched in water.  Then they would peel the pants off, dunk them back in the bin of water and the next soggy jogger would wrestle their way into the pants.  This was my favorite game of the day, just for the hysterical laughter.  Watching Lydia with my sodden pants pulled up to her armpits, running across the yard was awesome!

Next up, Rainy Relay!

This relay race is one of my kids' favorites from their End-of-the-Year Field Day at school.  Each team has to fill a bucket of water on one side of the yard with a plastic Solo cup filled with water from a bucket on the other side of the yard.  Sounds easy enough, right?  This cup, however, has three holes punched in the bottom and the racers have to hold the cup firmly to their heads in order to have any water leftover to pour in their bucket.  I loved watching the kids race across the yard, water streaming down their necks to dump their mere tablespoons of water in their bucket!  Too funny ... and refreshing, too!

Finally, we played Water Balloon Towel Toss!

Each team of two gets one beach towel and one water balloon.  The object of the game is to keep your balloon in one piece while tossing it and catching it with your towel, parachute-style.  The key for our players was to have them count to three each time so they were both tossing and catching at the same time.  The boys really had fun with this game and were the last ones left with a water balloon.

The kids were certainly worn out by the end of the morning, but no one said, "It's too hot!!"

Here is the link for the games we played ... there are even more ideas to choose from!

Food For Thought

My family enjoyed a trip downtown last night.  Moseying along through the farmer's market, hearing some live music and walking off a little ice cream treat!  Seeing all that fresh produce (while still savoring my non-veggie deliciousness ...) is a reminder to me of the Joy of the Summer Salad!  This time of year, it is such a delight to toss together fresh ingredients (some from our very own garden) and savor a bit of summer.

Here are three salads we've had recently.  The first is an old favorite while the other two are new to our family ... but sure to become old favorites!

Hope you're inspired to enjoy your veggies ... so you can enjoy your ice cream, too!

Taco Salad
(A family recipe, i.e. "whatever I have in the kitchen".)

Ingredients:
Lettuce (we use ice berg or romaine)
Tomatoes
Scallions
Ground Beef, cooked and seasoned to taste
Black beans, drained and rinsed
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Sour cream
Salsa & Guacamole (here are our favorites)
Lime, quartered
Anything else that says "taco" to you!

Pile the chopped lettuce in a bowl and top with any and all of the above.  Brett and I enjoy this dinner in place of the tacos or burritos the kids are having.  We get all the good stuff with a few less carbs ... makes us feel a little bit healthier!

The fresh squeezed lime makes all the difference!

Blue Cheese & Walnut Coleslaw

(This recipe is from "The Dinner Doctor", with a few adjustments.)

Ingredients:

1 package coleslaw mix (or 1 small cabbage, shredded)

1/3 cup walnut pieces

1 small jicama, peeled and grated

1/2 cup ranch dressing

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles

Black pepper

First, toast the walnuts.  Place the walnuts in a small saucepan and place over medium-high heat.  Stir slowly while they toast.  When their skins darken, they are ready.  Transfer to a small bowl to cool.

Combine the dressing and blue cheese in a large bowl and mix until the cheese is incorporated throughout the dressing.  Add the cabbage, jicama and stir well.  Sprinkle with black pepper to taste and top with toasted walnuts.  A delicious addition to any picnic!

The jicama is a delicious and refreshing surprise!

Cauliflower Tabouli

(This recipe is from Food Network Magazine, May 2010, with a few adjustments.)

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower

1/3 cucumber, chopped

2 roma tomatoes, diced

1/3 cup fresh lemon juice

3 T. olive oil

2 T. soy sauce

2 green onions, chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped

Salt & Pepper

Grate the cauliflower on a box grater.  The cauliflower will be in grain-sized pieces.

Great grated cauliflower!

Add the remaining ingredients and toss well.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  I was pretty thrilled with the flavor of this dish.  A great substitute for bulgur wheat tabouli, without sacrificing any of the flavor!

Not a grain to be found ... but you don't miss it!

Food For Thought

This week I have been seeing red.  Red watermelon, that is!

Such succulent, run-down-your-chin, sweet refresheny goodness!  We have had watermelon on the grocery list for the past several weeks and those tasty little globular melons have not let us down one bit in the "boo-yeah!" department.  In fact, it's entirely possible that Lydia has been surviving on watermelon alone ... who wants to eat fajitas or mac-n-cheese when watermelon's on the table?!?

As much as I love to savor a hunk of red, juicy melon right off the rind, it is fun to have a few different ways to enjoy this delectable delight.  Here are two such splendid recipes ... enjoy!

Watermelon & Berry Salad

(This recipe is from Food Network, July/August, 2011 ... only a few adjustments.)

Ingredients:

1 small watermelon, cubed or balled

2 cups blueberries

3 mint sprigs

1 lemon, zested* and juiced

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 cup water

*Don't worry if you don't have a zester.  I used my cheese grater to zest the lemon.  The course grate was great (pun intended!) for giving me small shavings of lemon zest.

In a small sauce pan, bring the water and sugar to a simmer.  Remove from heat and add the mint sprigs. Let steep for about 10 minutes.  Discard the mint and add the lemon zest and the lemon juice.  Mix well and then add a pinch of salt.  In a large bowl, combine the blueberries and watermelon.  Pour the glaze over the fruit and toss well.  Let the salad sit for about 15 minutes in order to allow the flavors to mingle. Garnish with chopped mint.

Just try to have left-overs ... I dare you.

Watermelon Slushies
(The girls wanted slushies ... this is what they got ... they liked it ... ta-dah!)

Ingredients:
4 cups frozen watermelon*
1 cup ice water
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 cup sugar

*We recently ended up with an extra watermelon in the house ... that's a lot of watermelon, even for these kids!  One watermelon we ate, the other we froze.  Here's how:

Line a cookie sheet with waxed paper.  Use a melon-baller to scoop out the watermelon.  Line the cookie sheet in a single layer with the melon balls and then pop it in the freezer.  When the melon is frozen hard, break it up and store it in a ziplock freezer bag until ready to use.

To make the slushies, measure 4 cups frozen watermelon balls into the blender.  Add the water, juice and sugar.  Blend on high.  I had to drizzle a bit more ice water into the blender to ensure a smooth consistency.  You could almost use a straw ... but it was much more fun to use a spoon.  Makes 2 large slushies.

Perfectly refreshing for a hot summer day ...
Just the thing to cool you off.

Uh oh ...

Warning:  Might make you too refreshed, too cool ...
and too silly!

This Summer, I Pledge ...

Today my big kids are having their swim-day at school.  They packed their pool bags last night in anticipation ... which meant, of course, that Norah had all her parts together (including her diving sticks so she can practice) and Aaron dashed off to the laundry room this morning when I asked if he had a towel.  Two completely different kids!

In honor of Norah and Aaron playing at the pool today, Ashley and Lydia are wearing their own swimsuits and we'll have to peel them off their little bodies tonight at bedtime. :)

In reality, school is already over ... with the pool-day today and field day tomorrow, we're as good as done.  Except for one teeny-tiny detail.

They aren't actually home yet.

That starts officially on Tuesday.  Then our true summer vacation begins.

In an honest attempt to "do" summer well this year, I am making the following promises ... and encourage you to take the pledge with me!

1.  Don't forget to get outside everyday.  Even on the insanely hot, piercingly sunny, "yes, we live in the desert" days.  That might mean that we go out right after breakfast ... but we will get outside.

2.  Don't skimp on the sun-screen.  I am already sporting two toasty pink shoulders from "Rocket Day" yesterday with Aaron's class.  And I'm ashamed to admit that Ashley ended up with a couple of pink parts, as well.  So ... we will be slathered or sitting in the shade.

3.  Don't spend too much time/energy/brain-power worrying about whether my arms are ready for tank-tops or my legs for shorts.  It's the desert and it's hot.  The less clothes the better.  Get over it.

4.  Don't get in a dither about the swimsuit issue, either.  The point is to be in the pool, enjoying the kids and staying cool.  And considering I'll have my 4 kids splashing around me, no one is really paying any attention to me.  Right?  ...sigh...

5.  Don't let the kids get bored.  We have a very full June, but starting in July we will be keeping the kids hopping with summer cinema, the reading program through the library and our family study of famous people.  Actually, we'll have the kids looking forward to the promise of the peace and quiet of school!

6.  Don't forget to take time for me.  That might mean still getting up at 6:20 every morning for my workouts and keeping up with "nap" time in the afternoon.  Whatever I need to be sane and happy!

7.  Don't freak out about the daily schedule.  This is a tough one for me because I am a planner by nature and I like a routine.  But ... when faced with a spontaneous option to go play with friends, I plan to say, "Yes ... we'd love to!"

8.  Don't throw our entire routine out the window!  Everyone needs fun-time, play-time, read-time and down-time.  Even Mommy.

9.  Don't pass up on any opportunities to tip-toe through the flower gardens, sip fresh (and sweet) ice tea, sit and listen to the birds, harvest fresh veggies from our garden, sit in the evening on the back porch with my sweetie and a glass of wine, and snuggles on the couch with all my kids ... maybe watching a movie during the heat of the day.

10.  Don't blink.  It'll be August before we know it ... and I don't want to miss out on anything this summer has to offer!

_____________________________

Writing Prompt #5 ~ Your Top Ten Summer Don'ts.  Mommy-Style.  When I first thought about this post, thoughts came to mind of keeping up with my pedicure and a list of books that I want to read.   Then reality set in :) and I remembered that in our house, it's not about me!   This may no be exciting ... but it's my reality.  And my kids really are more important than my toes. :)

Food For Thought

We have enjoyed sunshine all week.  All week.  And not the deceivingly icy sunshine, but that actual warm, toasty, "aaaahhhh" sunshine.  We are back to walking up to school to get the kids in the afternoon and I am enjoying the heart-pumping hill-climb with the double stroller and the feeling of being a bit glisteny when we roll up to the crosswalk.  I think spring has finally sprung and I'm happy!

In light of the promise of warmer weather, I thought that I would highlight a few iconic summer-time picnic foods over the next couple of weeks.  You know ... the power of positive thinking, "It will be spring.  It will be spring.  It will be spring."  Perhaps if we woo the season along with the promise of summer food, it will speed up the thawing process!

Anyway ... one of our favorite sides for summer bbq's and picnics is coleslaw.  It's quick.  It's easy.  And, it's tasty.  Without further ado ... I give you not ONE, but FOUR coleslaws to choose from.  Get ready to drool!

FYI:  To chop the cabbage, I like to run it through my food processor.  Cut the head in half and then each half into quarters.  Stand each quarter up and cut out the core.  Run each quarter through the food processor using the blade (not the grater) or chop it into thin slices with your chef knife.

FYI.2:  Not many pics this week ... sorry.  We were too busy eating to take pictures! :)

Traditional Coleslaw
(This recipe comes from my mom ... which means "it's a little of this and a little of that".)

Ingredients:
1 head of cabbage, shredded
1/2 onion, roughly chopped
Vinegar
Olive Oil
Salt (I use Kosher.)
Ground pepper
Dill weed

Toss the cabbage and onion in a large bowl.  Splash about 1/4 cup of vinegar and drizzle about 1/4 cup of olive oil over the cabbage.  Give a generous pinch of salt, four good cranks on the pepper grinder and about 2 tsp of dill weed.  (You can always go back and add more later.)

Now, using your hands, scrunch the coleslaw and mix it all together well.  By using your hands, you will bruise the cabbage a bit and help the softening and marinading process to speed up.  Also the oil is good for your hands! :)  Refrigerate for several hours and let the flavors mingle.

Crunchy Cabbage Salad

(This recipe came from my friend Krystal at my bridal shower.)

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage, shredded

2 oz. slivered almonds, toasted

3 T. sesame seeds, toasted

2 packages of ramen noodles, chicken flavored

Dressing:

Flavor packets from ramen

3 T vinegar

1/2 cup oil

2 T sugar

Dash of pepper

Combine the cabbage, almonds, sesame seeds and broken up noodles.  Mix the dressing and drizzle over the salad.  Use your hands to mix the salad well.  I like to let this refrigerate for about an hour ... but not much longer or the noodles will be soft.  Not that it matters much ... this salad is really good the next day, mushy noodles and all!

See that little ramen noodle there? ... crunch! :)

Southwestern Slaw

(This recipe is from The Dinner Doctor, page 130.)

Ingredients:

1 head of cabbage, shredded 

OR 16 oz package of coleslaw mix (super easy!!)

1/2 cup red onion, thinly sliced

1 t. cumin

1/2 cup bottled ranch dressing

1 ripe avocado, cubed

Salt

Black pepper

Chopped fresh cilantro

1/2 lime, juiced

Toss this all together and gently stir.  This is one slaw that you don't want to use your hands, because you want to be gentle with the avocado.  Also ... don't be deceived by the small amount of ranch dress you will use.  As the cabbage softens, it releases some of its moisture and helps the dressing to coat all the salad.  The avocado will brown a bit, so be sure to make this just about an hour before serving.  This was a fresh twist to the typical coleslaw.

Little hidden bits of avocado-y goodness!

Macaroni Coleslaw

(This recipe came from Taste of Home Cookbook 2009 ... with a few tweaks.)

Ingredients:

7 oz. macaroni noodles

16 oz. coleslaw mix

2 medium onions, chopped

2 celery ribs, chopped

1 cucumber, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

8 oz. water chestnuts, chopped

Dressing:

1 1/2 cup mayo

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Combine the veggies in a large bowl.  Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl.  Pour the dressing over the vegetables and mix well.  Refrigerate several hours.  Pretty simple!


What I like about this recipe is that you can choose to leave out the coleslaw mix if you don't care for cabbage and you can still have the slaw taste with the noodles instead.  We had this recently at a family gathering and it was devoured!

Food For Thought

This weekend edition of Snapshots could be titled, "So Much Produce ... So Little Time!"  I don't know about you, but at the beginning of the summer season I am so excited for the fresh juicy peaches; red ripe tomatoes; Olathe Sweet sweet corn and any number of local produce.  As the summer progresses, we eat our fill of fresh fruits and veggies, but as the season wanes we start losing interest ... mainly because we can't come up with any new ways to enjoy them.  That has certainly been the case for us this summer ... for the most part because our garden has been very productive!  Each evening after work, Brett comes home, drops off his bag, gives me a smooch and heads out to see what's ready.  Just last night he came back in with four tomatoes, two cucumbers and an eggplant.  It's hard to keep up with such a prolific garden!  In light of this "problem" :) I would like to share with you a number of recipes to spice up your vegetables - whether they come from the grocery store, the farmer's market or your own backyard.

Confetti Orzo Salad

(This recipe has its origin in the FoodNetwork Magazine, September 2010 ... with a good amount of tweaking!)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup uncooked orzo

Medium zucchini, cut in quarters and sliced thinly

Medium eggplant, cut in to cubes

1 clove garlic, minced

Medium tomato, diced

1/2 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

3 Tb. olive oil

Salt & Pepper to taste

Prepare the orzo according to directions.  Rinse the pasta in cold water and set aside.  In a skillet, heat the olive oil.  Add garlic, zucchini and eggplant and saute until browned.  Pour veggies onto a plate to cool.  When everything is cooled, toss the pasta, veggies, tomato, feta and basil.  This was even better the next day!

Lemon-Cilantro Corn

(This recipe also has its origin in the FoodNetwork Magazine, September 2010 ... but, you guessed it ... with some adjustments!)

Ingredients:

10 ears of sweet corn (uncooked and cut off the cob)

Juice of one lemon

1/2 cup cilantro

Put the cut corn in a pot and cover with water.  Cook on the stove just until boiling and then drain in a colander.  Run cold water over it until cool.  Toss corn with lemon juice and cilantro.  It's just that easy!

Tomato - Cucumber Salad

(This is a family recipe ... found at most summer gatherings.)

Ingredients:

Tomatoes

Cucumbers

Fresh Chives

Vinegar

Salt & Pepper

Feta Cheese

(Sorry - no actual measurements here ... it's all tossed together!)

Dice the tomatoes and cucumbers so they are similar sizes.  Toss together with a dash of vinegar, add the salt and pepper and chives and the stir in the cheese.  Pretty simple, but "oh, so good!"

And finally ... the recipe that will change how you feel about green beans! :)  Growing up, we didn't eat green beans, except at school and those were out of the can.  But now ... we are addicted to:

Fiery Green Beans

(This is a recipe adapted ... again ... from a recipe by Guy Fieri.)

Ingredients:

2 lbs. fresh green beans (more if you want to actually share them with anyone!)

3 Tb. olive oil

4 Tb. garlic powder

1 tsp. red chili pepper

2 tsp. ground cumin

2 tsp. coarse salt

1 tsp. ground pepper

A face mask ... and I'm only sort of kidding :)

Clean up the green beans (snapping of ends and pulling out yucky ones) and rinse in a colander.  Set them aside to drip dry.  In a ziplock bag, toss in all the seasonings and mix well.  

Set your saute pan on medium-high and add the oil.  Take the green beans and add them to the ziplock bag and seal it up.  Give the bag a serious tossing until the beans are fully coated. 

Now comes the face mask part. :)  When the oil is "screamin' hot" (according to Guy), add the beans carefully and then turn on your hood vent! :)  Essentially you are going to blacken the seasoning coating on the green beans so you will have a lot of smoke, perhaps your eyes will water and the smoldering pepper/garlic mixture will catch in your throat ... but it's so worth it! :)  With tongs, keep turning the beans.  Don't worry when parts of them start to turn black, that means you're doing it right.  I think it takes about 5 minutes to get them all cooked through.  

You'll end up with a delicious little side dish that looks like this:

We have discovered that this recipe works equally well with asparagus and even broccoli (all the blackened seasonings get nestled in the little tree parts ... I'm currently salivating!)

I hope that you feel inspired to try a few new recipes ... and enjoy summer's bounty!