​

Some links in this email are affiliate links- if you click through and purchase, I may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.*

Hi Reader,

From now through September is the reason I work to grow a garden (and protect it from all our varmints.lol) - to go out daily and bring back a basket like this recent harvest:

Berries, beans, peppers, and the first of the tomatoes (plus hidden underneath are a few cucumbers).

I need a bigger harvest basket when I'm cutting whole heads of cabbage, pulling carrots and onions, and clipping curly kale. I love having this garden to "shop" in every day (that's what my grandson said when he was helping me this past week 😂) - I plan the menus for what is coming in and what we have to use up in our freezer. Which makes actual store shopping a lot less in these months (yay!).

What are you harvesting right now?

Speaking of menus - it's August! Time for a new monthly menu of dinner and side ideas. 💜

Here are four meals I'm adding to our menus during these "dog days of summer" (did you catch the dog emoji in the subject line?😀):

4 August Dinner Ideas

• Meal 1: Slow Cooker Whole Spiced Chicken, Authentic Greek Salad, Homemade Hummus and Homemade Pita bread (or store bought!) (PLUS there are 2 more meals using the leftover chicken!)
• Meal 2: Mediterranean Pita Tuna Patties Board (quick and easy using leftover pitas)
• Meal 3: Summer Corn and Sausage Tart (I have to have at least 1x in the summer!), and grilled bread topped with Fresh Tomato Bruschetta Topping​
• Meal 4: Sausage & Corn Stuffed Zucchini (my favorite!), with garden tomatoes sliced on a bed of lettuce drizzled with Balsamic Vinaigrette.

​

From The Blog

​Easy Blueberry Cobbler with Lemon Honey Sauce​ It takes just minutes to put together using either fresh or frozen berries - but it's all about that sauce mingling with the blueberries.💜 ​ RECIPE HERE! ​

​High Protein Chicken Salad (with canned or rotisserie chicken) A 10 minute pantry recipe that you can serve in wraps (tortilla or lettuce), over a green salad, or as a dip. More protein and less fat with the addition of beans and Greek yogurt! ​ RECIPE HERE! ​

A Few More Things

• I mentioned a year or so ago finding a quality mascara that actually lengthened and curled my lashes without needing a lash curler. Sadly, that brand was never in stock after I ran out so I researched and tried a couple more options. This is the winner - a mascara that goes on easily with little clumping and keeps the lashes curled. Bonus that it's an affordable drugstore brand! It's perpetually on the "best of" lists and this time I actually believe it (too many times in the past the "best" wasn't really for me...).
• Have you thought about buying seeds in the summer? I didn't use to, but once I got on mailing lists, I saw there are often sales in the summer! So I stock up on varieties I've run out of or know I'll need for next season at 20% off or more. Cha-ching! My go-to places are Nichols and Territorial (both in the Willamette Valley of Oregon), Pinetree, and Botanical Interests (get 5% off anytime through this link!). Get on their lists to be notified of sales!

​

Here's to a wonderful first week of August!!

PS- Remember to tag me on Instagram so I can see what you're making!

Remember it's easy to save recipes on An Oregon Cottage! Just click the heart when browsing to save your personal favorites! TIP: when you click on the link, it will take you to my site - click the heart like you see here to the left - it will be on the bottom right on the site. A pop up form will come up for you to create an account (or sign in if you already have). You need to create a password for this account (no info is kept besides your email) and then you can save all recipes and articles to this account and access it anytime to remember what you want and choose what to make!

​

*You can read An Oregon Cottage's full disclosure policy here.

Do you love these emails? To get an email whenever I post a new recipe or article, click here.