There’s nothing like the raucous shrieks and laughter from the kids splashing around in the lake, playing “king of the raft” and dousing each other with squirt guns.  We tried for hours to exhaust both Daisy and Lola (the DamDog, and our friend’s golden retriever, respectively) by firing tennis balls, sticks, and frisbees by the dozen off the dock; the energy level of these dogs is endless, amazing and hilarious at the same time!   I’ll admit I’m an easy audience, but I can’t help laughing my flippin’ head off every single time these crazy canines would swan dive off the pier into the lake, each trying to beat the other to whichever object had been thrown into the water.

Ahhhh, good times.  Lake living is the BEST!

I wish I would have taken a picture of the fantastic dinner we had that evening, and the fabulous view of the lake we enjoyed while dining on top of our friend’s boathouse.  Grilled hanger steak, three fabulous salads, and several bottles of red wine later, our husbands each dubbed the menu by far, “The Best Dinner of Summer”.  I had to agree!

(By the way, one of the salads was the Panzanella I blogged about a few days ago.  If you’d like to check it out, just do a quick search and the recipe will pop right up.)

We had the perfect night’s sleep with a soft breeze blowing through an open window, and the sound of crickets chirping….heavenly!  We all awoke to the delicious smell of homemade pancakes and a fluffy, savory ham strata.  As for the pancakes, they’re another story all together, but we’ll have to wait for buttermilk to go on sale before I tell you about them!

I  brought this coffee cake as part of a hostess gift.  I love to make this cake when fresh blueberries are on sale, but it could of course be made with frozen berries in the dead of winter.  Speaking of freezing, I’ve doubled the recipe and frozen one for a rainy day;  I’ve made it in round cake pans, loaf pans, and muffin tins too, with no trouble.  You’ll be a welcome overnight guest wherever you go if you take this coffeecake along, or try it out on guests of your own!

BLUEBERRY COFFEECAKE

Serves:  6-8

Source:  Epicurious.com

For the cake:

• ¼ c. vegetable oil
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ½ c. milk
• 1 ½ c. flour, sifted
• ¾ c. sugar
• 2 t. baking powder
• ½ t. salt

For the topping:

• 1/3 c. brown sugar
• 1 T. flour
• 1 t. cinnamon
• ½ c. chopped nuts (I’ve used either walnuts or pecans)
• 1 T. butter, melted
• ¾ c. fresh blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375.  Combine the oil, egg, and milk.  Sift together dry ingredients and add them to the milk mixture.  Mix well.  In another bowl, combine all the ingredients for the topping.

Pour the batter into a greased 9 x 9 x 2” pan.  Sprinkle the berries evenly over the batter.  Top the berries with the nut mixture.  Bake in for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out with loose crumbs attached.   Cool completely on a wire rack before cutting.

I love these visits, because I get to plan fun, company-worthy meals and menus.  The trouble with entertaining out-of-towners for days on end is that it can be expensive.  Holy cow.  Loading in groceries for four extra people for a long weekend always gives me sticker shock in the checkout line — which brings me to the wonderful ‘egg-onomical’ (I know, sorry) recipe I’m sharing with you today!

Once during our guest’s stay, I’ll take a break from the usual continental-style breakfast and make a more substantial brunch.  These eggs are a standard go-to dish for me, especially in the summertime when I don’t have to buy fresh parsley and basil — because my herb garden is going berserk!

Please tell me that you have your very own herb garden.  If you don’t, you must plant one immediately.  It won’t be ready in time for these eggs, of course, but it’ll still be going strong right up through September.  So get to it,  I’ll wait.  Thank you.

So, I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to blog about these dressed up scrambled eggs.  When I saw that Sparboe eggs are on sale for like, a nickel a piece, I decided that the timing was right.  The moment is here.  Prepare yourself!

To round out my bargain brunch menu for this weekend’s guests, I’m going to pick up a couple of packages of the Bagels Forever bagels that are on sale, and a jar or two of the Chantaine Preserves — also a bargain.  I’ll set out a big bowl of sale white peaches and nectarines, brew up some ‘joe, and pour glasses of the sale Florida’s Natural o.j.  Maybe, if I’m feeling extra CRAZY, I’ll mix up some screwdrivers with the sale Fleischmann’s Vodka (just for myself though; our company this coming weekend are teetotallers).

They’re creamy, melty, and herb-y (that’s not really a word) all at the same time.  Here’s the recipe – I hope you enjoy it!

LUXURY SCRAMBLED EGGS

Serves 3 – 4

Source:  Adapted from the Weeknight Kitchen newsletter, by The Splendid Table and Lynne Stearn

• 6 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 scallion, thinly sliced
• A hefty pinch of your favorite chopped herbs (I use Italian parley and basil, because they’re growing on my patio; you can use whichever you like!)
• 3 oz. cream cheese, cubed
• 2 T. half and half
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Butter for the pan

Place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and whisk to blend.

Place a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and melt about a tablespoon of butter, swirling to coat the pan.  Pour in the egg mixture, and stir with a spatula.  Continue stirring slowly until large curds form, about four minutes or so.  Cook them to your liking; I like mine when they’re still a bit wet (keep in mind, they’ll continue to cook when you take them off the heat).  Transfer to a platter, garnish with a sprig of herbs.  Serve hot.