Outdoor Living

Thatboy and I had one of those rare weekends with no plans. And we spent LOADS of time taking advantage of that. Saturday that meant hitting up the farmer's market and loading up on lots of fruits, veggies, and baked goods. And then spending lots of time just catching up on doing nothing.

Sunday we slept in, and then vowed to spend the entire day outside. We decided to start with a hike in the preserve that we back up to. We used to do this quite a bit, but it's been forever since we headed up there.

I love that from the the trail you have ocean on one side, and wilderness on the other.

We brought Thatdog, who was very into the idea at first. Until he remembered he doesn't like being out in the sun when he doesn't eat his breakfast. He got tired out and the ground was a little hot for him. We kept rinsing his feet down with cold water.

We decided to explore some of the trails we hadn't been on before.

But we headed home a bit earlier than planned because we're good dog parents. Poor dog feets. Then we sat out on the patio eating strawberry popsicles. Well, Thatboy and I ate strawberry popsicles. Thatdog didn't want his. Which is funny because he loves sharing mine with me. Then I loaded a bowl with watermelon and we headed to the pool for the rest of the afternoon.

With the nice weather, it'd be a shame to spend time slaving over a stove, or using the oven to heat the entire house. At the same time we had worked up a bit of an appetite with the hiking and pooling that popsicles and watermelon just couldn't relieve. So something filling, quick, and that wasn't going to heat up the entire place? We're back to veal. Cutlets or veal scallopine are sliced so thin they are cooked in mere minutes. And the only thing that takes time is just the sauce. So make it simple - broth and sour cream give a creamy sauce and paprika adds some color and a bit of flavor.

Veal Paprikash
1 lb veal cutlets
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 Tbsp canola oil
1 onion, sliced
3/4 Tbsp paprika
3/4 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup sour cream
salt

1. Melt the butter and oil in a skillet and cook the onions until they are golden brown.
   
2. Add the veal and brown.
3. Add the paprika and chicken broth, stirring to combine. Simmer until most of the liquid has evaporated.
4. Add the sour cream and salt to taste. Heat through.