Happy Summer 2010 from the USA

 It’s been a long stretch of gloomy, dark and rainy days. Barbecues have been driven indoors and the weathermen and women aren’t even pretending that it will get better anytime soon. They look as if they’ve lost their last friends since the public is so unhappy with their forecasts. 

Summer Fun

Still, there is a bit of blue sky today and school is out and children are enjoying the lazy days of summer when they don’t have to be up with an alarm clock. What could be better? What will the children be doing this summer? I know that for most of you there is a need to conserve on all sorts of activities and expenditures due to a tight economy. I’ve been thinking that we often miss out on a lot of fun that is right on our own doorsteps. Why not think about being tourists in your own neighborhood this year? No need for that exotic vacation in the Maldives or the south of Mexico. Just do the things a tourist would do if they were to visit your area.

Take the Tourist Tour

For us in the Northwest, that is quite a lot. We have lovely Mount Hood and also Mt. St. Helens within a few hours’ drive. There are hiking trails, picnic spots and lovely drives to take for just the price of gas. We have the beautiful Pacific Ocean two hours away and there are so many wonderful day trips up the Columbia Gorge where the scenery is spectacular and there is all sorts of flora and fauna to enjoy. The city of Portland, Oregon is a vibrant city full of activity. We have the Rose Festival each June followed by one of the most celebrated Blues Festivals in the whole country taking place right along the banks of the Willamette River. Then there are art museums, children’s museums and, again, an award-winning museum of Science, OMSI, just minutes away. We have sporting events, boating events and all sorts of summer music concert series in local parks, at the Portland Zoo and in the downtown courtyards of all the local cities.  

So take a look around your area. Are there wonderful things to see and do that have become old hat to you? Pretend you’re visiting the area and “do the town.” Try out a new restaurant, take in a play or movie, see the sights and take some family photos. Have some fun in your own backyard!

Grow Your Own

I’ve noticed that another result of tight economic times is the phenomenon of little family gardens springing up all over the place. The local Master Gardener courses are full and have waiting lists and all the local nurseries are selling kits to put together raised garden beds for decks and yards. Neighborhoods, churches and even schools have community garden spaces for those who don’t have room on their own properties. For just a few dollars to pay for the water used, families can grow their own little garden alongside like-minded neighbors. People want their own fresh produce for the better taste and freshness, but also to save a little money when grocery shopping. My prediction is that once people taste the flavor of their home-grown veggies, they’ll keep on growing them. Many of us have forgotten the way fresh, unsprayed and picked at the proper time produce tastes. It’s so good.

What’s Hot?

Speaking of food, Americans love their chili. All across the country men and women alike guard their secret chili recipes with their lives. Some of them enter one of the International Chili Society’s Chili Cook-offs in their quest for trophies, some cash and bragging rights. Go to http://www.chilicookoff.com/ for the directory of Cook-offs across the country this summer. And if you’d like a reduced-rate subscription to the ICS’ Chili Pepper Magazine use this code:  ICS999 and you’ll get all the information you ever wanted about the art of making mouth-watering chili.

Shakespeare, Anyone?

From the down home fun of chili cooking contests we turn to another fun summer American experience—outdoor productions of Shakespeare. Year after year summer theaters return to the Bard’s works for the entertainment of young and old alike. Here is a listing of some of the more accomplished troupes and their 2010 offerings. http://dir.yahoo.com/arts/humanities/literature/authors/playwrights/shakespeare__william__1564_1616_/shakespeare_festivals/ 

The Old-Fashioned Way

Though most Americans live a fast-paced lifestyle and love the convenience of fast food, we are also just a generation away from honest, homemade cooking. Our mothers and grandmothers cooked wonderful meals from scratch and we still have those old recipes. Many of us are taking the time to go back to basics and spend a little more time in the kitchen for the benefit of better tasting and healthier meals. So here are some classic American recipes for your summer meals. And the truth is that cooking, when seen as more of an art than just something that has to be done daily, becomes quite pleasant. Have some fun putting together a traditional American summertime meal ala the 1950’s.

Best hamburger: http://www.salon.com/food/feature/2010/05/14/20_burgers_of_summer 

Potato salad: http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/old-fashioned-potato-salad/Detail.aspx 

Lemonade: http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Old-Fashioned-Lemonade 

Desserts:  From homemade vanilla ice cream to Peach Cobbler: http://baking.about.com/library/weekly/aa082101.htm 

Sounds of Summer

No summer is complete without attending some music events. If you don’t mind crowds you can get the biggest “bang for your buck” by attending an outdoor music festival. Book your tickets early as lodging can be an issue when attending a large event such as this. Go to: http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2849794/music_festivals_in_the_usa_2010_a_complete_pg5.html?cat=33 for a listing of large outdoor events. 

For the best blues festivals see: http://www.bluesfestivalguide.com/festivals.shtml And for folk music, bluegrass, Cajun, gospel and any other genre go to: http://www.festivalfinder.com/

Have a great summer, readers, and enjoy all the good things in life—family, friends, good food, good music, the arts and all the beauty of the world we live in.

Until next time and do feel free to add a comment!

Ask Granny in the US