summer in oxford

Just like any other college town, things slow down here a good bit in the summer.  This is usually very welcomed by the townies....and the more "mature" student population (we fall into this category).  Things are just a whole lot...easier. However, this summer, not only did the younger students flee but I also lost my husband and most all of the other "mature" folks I associate with on a regular basis.  Everyone is off interning and chasing jobs and such....or they're teachers and have the summer off! Ugh!  Ok, so, turns out the whole appeal of everyone getting out of town for the summer isn't all it's cracked up to be when you're the only one left behind.

So, I'm sorry for my lack of posts lately but my life pretty much consists of work, gym, cook, laundry (maybe), sleep, repeat.  Who wants to hear about that?   I'll try to keep you informed as things come up...but I can't promise you there will be a lot of action in the near future.

I am however "pet sitting" a lively little fish named Clifford.  One of my teacher friends (mentioned above) is away on summer vacation and asked me to watch after her classroom fish.  Oh, the pressure.  She assured me it's no big deal if he dies! Ha!  Well, here's to hoping I can get him through the next month...along with a few of her plants that she left for me to watch over, as well.  So far, so good.

I really think he's staring me down

P.S.  B-Dub is only a couple of  hours away so he'll be coming back on the weekends.  So, maybe I was being a little dramatic above...maybe.

Tex-Mex Squash Casserole

In attempt to use up our last mess of squash we brought back from KK's garden, I stumbled upon this squash casserole recipe. I have to say I was kind of skeptical at first...I'm just a huge fan of "regular" squash casserole and this just didn't seem anything like it.  However, it is tex-mex and I love all things tex-mex.  It's also a little healthier.  So, I went for it...and it turned out de-li-cious! 



Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 pounds summer squash, quartered lengthwise and thinly sliced crosswise (about 10 cups)
• 2/3 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1 4-ounce can chopped green chiles
• 1 4-1/2-ounce can chopped jalapenos, (about 1/2 cup), drained
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• 2 1/4 cups grated extra-sharp Cheddar cheese, (about 7 ounces), divided
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 cup mild salsa
• 4 scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion, for garnish

Prep:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
2. Combine squash, onion, chiles, jalapenos, salt and 3/4 cup cheese in a large bowl. Sprinkle with flour; toss to coat. Spread the mixture in the prepared baking dish and cover with foil.
3. Bake until it is bubbling and the squash is tender, 35 to 45 minutes. Spoon salsa over the casserole and sprinkle with the remaining 1 1/2 cups cheese. Bake, uncovered, until golden and heated through, 20 to 30 minutes. Sprinkle with scallions and red onion.

 A few notes:  I cut all the ingredients in half since the original recipe made 12 servings...way too much for just the two of us and I only had about 3 squash left.  Also, we used fresh peppers instead of canned - it really was not spicy at all but you may want to tweak this part if you're not a big fan of peppers.  We also just used some sharp white cheddar cheese we already had on hand instead of the extra-sharp....Oh, and I put a little more salsa on top just to make sure there was enough to spread around.  I'm no Julia Child or anything so these aren't necessarily recommendations.  :)  Just thought I'd let you know I changed up a few things and it still turned out ok!

Here is the link to the recipe:  Tex-Mex Summer Squash Casserole

Seriously...yum!  Try it!!