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Hi Reader,

This last week we took a little mini vacation to visit Silver Falls State Park which is a little over an hour from us. We stayed a couple nights in this cute old-house-turned-inn (with a coffee store on the first floor - yay), and also got to check out antique stores in the adorable town of Silverton.

I haven't been to the state park since my 20s and it's kind of amazing that you can walk 5 to 10 miles and see 7-10 waterfalls! They run from cascading type falls to huge double falls to falls you can walk behind. It's really lovely.

We went on a Monday morning and by the time we left, the parking lots were already full with cars circling - I can't imagine the crowds on the weekends. So yeah, if you want to go try to plan a weekday hike.😀

July 4th Food Ideas

• Easy BBQ Sauces for grilling: 10 Minute Blueberry BBQ Sauce, Easy Chipotle BBQ Sauce, Smokey Cherry BBQ Sauce​
• "Set It and Forget It" Crockpot Honey or Maple Baked Beans​
• Easy Slaw/Cabbage salads: Asian Flavored Slaw; Cumin-Lime Slaw; Feta Cabbage Salad​
• No Churn Ice Cream: Vanilla, Chocolate Chip & Chocolate Chip Mint, Amazing Chocolate, and 27 more no-churn flavors.

Early Summer Freezer Preserving (the easiest!)

• ​Freeze Snow & Snap Peas​
• ​How to Freeze Broccoli​
• ​How to Freeze Any Berry (similar to freezing cherries)
• ​How to Roast & Freeze Beets​

Freezing Helps/Tips

Freezing produce is one of the areas that has been hard to move away from plastic. I still use Ziplock freezer baggies in quart sizes to freeze most of our produce - it's easy, convenient, and also takes up less space because you can stack them.

It's also easy to use the straw vacuum trick on them - silicone just hasn't worked the same for me yet (plus, yikes the cost for enough bags for all the produce we preserve!).

I do freeze most other things like pesto, roasted tomato sauce, and broth in glass jars - the occasional breakage is worth it to me, especially because it's easier to defrost and even serve right from the glass (in the case of pesto).

I have started freezing other things like hummus (yes, this freezes beautifully, so don't be afraid to save $ and make a big batch or buy the big Costco size!) and cooked dried beans in glass containers like these which are easier to stack than round jars.

From The Blog

​Copycat Rotel Tomatoes & Chilies for Canning or Freezing​ I've updated this copycat recipe with instruction steps and new photos showing the finished product in time for all the tomatoes and mild chili harvests that are coming! ​ RECIPE HERE! ​

​E.A.S.Y. Cherry Cobbler with yummy Lemon-Lime Sauce​ This is a riff of my favorite blueberry cobbler with a lemon-honey sauce but made with the classic cherry-lime flavor. Warm, crispy, comforting - perfect early summer dessert.💜 ​ RECIPE HERE! ​

A Few More Things

• I've shared this before, but given the times it's worth repeating: I've been reading the Pour Over newsletter for more than a year now that gives quick, factual news from a Christian perspective. No doomscrolling, no bias, just helpful stuff and some fun headlines. It may be something you’d love, too! Click here to subscribe (totally free).
• Here's the newest switch from small plastic containers we'd use for nuts, snacks and small leftovers: stainless "bento" boxes with silicone lids. I really do like them - the reviews had said they were too small for adult snacks, but they hold a cup (8oz) and you may know that I'm always for things that make it easier to eat in moderation.😀

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Thanks for reading - here's to a great July 4th week!

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!

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