I used this recipe from Smitten Kitchen for inspiration, making do with what I had on hand, and using up and abundance of cherry tomatoes. I used regular feta, roughly chunked and just combined everything in the ingredient list and baked at 400 for about 25 minutes. Served with crostini, although I have made the crackers she mentions and they are great - but I was too lazy tonight. DH asked "why haven't you ever made this before?" so I think he liked it. Baked Feta with Tomatoes and Olives Adapted, barely, from The Sprouted Kitchen Cookbook I don't think anyone would mind if you use more than the suggested amount of tomatoes. Feta is so salty and tomatoes are so delicious and sweet right now, the more the merrier. Now, I don't have a grill but I am sharing the grilling instructions here because most of you do, but with the caveat that I haven't tested this on a grill. My only concern would be leakage. I don't think any harm would come from doubling up on the foil. If you'd like to make this with haloumi (you can buy it here or here or here, btw, and probably a cheese or good grocery store closer to you), I like to cut my block of haloumi into about 1/3- to 1/2-inch slices. I brush the grill with oil and place it gently, directly on the grates, cooking it until it's blistered on one side, then flipping it and doing the other. Lay the grilled slices out on a plate and toss it with a chopped salad made from the non-feta ingredients below, plus a splash of red wine vinegar. I usually skip the garlic (just personal taste) and would only use a tablespoon or so of minced red onion, since the salad will be raw, but otherwise think you'll love it as much as we do. 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved 1/3 cup chopped, pitted Kalmata olives 1 clove garlic, minced 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (oops, I forgot this) 2 tablespoons finely-chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, divided 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1 teaspoon olive oil Freshly ground black pepper 1 8- to 10-ounce block feta Crackers, flatbread*, pita chips, or crostini, for dipping In a bowl, mix the tomatoes, olives, onion, garlic, 1 tablespoon of the parsley, oregano, olive oil and a few grinds of pepper. On a grill: Heat your grill to medium-high. Set the feta block in the middle of a piece of foil. Pile the tomato mixture on top of the feta. Fold up the edges of the foil so that it will hold in any liquid as it cooks. Place the packet straight on a grill for 15 minutes to warm it through. Remove from grill and transfer to plate or serving dish. In the oven: Heat oven to 400�F. Check to see that your dish is oven-proof. (I didn�t!) Place the block of feta in the middle of your dish. Pile the tomato mixture on top of the feta. Bake for 15 minutes. Both methods: The feta will not melt, just warm and soften. Serve with crackers; eat immediately. As it cools, the feta will firm up again. We found that the dish could be returned to the oven to soften it again. We did this with leftovers, too.

The bestest: well, my opinion :o) Sour Cream Banana Bread 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup oil 2 eggs 1 cup mashed bananas (2 medium) 1/2 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt nuts optional Preheat oven to 350F. Grease and flour bottom only of a 9 X 5 loaf pan. In large bowl, beat together sugar and oil. Add eggs, bananas, sour cream and vanilla, blend well. Lightly spoon flour into measuring cup, level off. Add flour, baking soda and salt, stir just until dry ingredients are moistened. Pour into prepared pan. Bake at 350F for 50 to 60 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Cool completely. Wrap tightly and store in refrigerator. Makes 1 loaf.

Made this for my MOnday potluck lunch and dish was empty when I went home. Delicious! Lemon Cream Salad 10 ounces lemon-lime carbonated beverage 1 cup miniature marshmallows 6 ounces cream cheese 1 (6-ounce) package lemon flavored gelatin 20 ounces frozen red raspberries in syrup, drained ***I used canned blueberries, drained 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained 3/4 cup chopped pecans 1 cup whipped topping (recommended: Cool Whip brand) In a saucepan over low heat, combine lemon-lime beverage, marshmallows and cream cheese and stir until smooth. Remove mixture from heat and add lemon-flavored gelatin until dissolved. Stir in thr raspberries, pineapple and pecans and chill until mixture is the consistency of unbeaten egg whites. Fold in whipped topping and pour into a lightly oiled 5 cup gelatin mold. Chill until firm and serve.

I used to bake a lot of cakes, especially coffee cakes, when I worked at a restaurant in San Francisco in the mid 1970s - today, not so much. I do often make pancakes, however:Apfel Pfannkuchen, from a Röckenwagner recipe. Another version of same:Here's a birthday cake I received as a gift:"Happy Birthday to Me!" This is what I make more often: Or just regular pies; apple and cherry. But I did especially like the chocolate birthday cake. I tend to my lemon curd tarts when I have a lot of lemons on my trees. I found this photo (which I had already scanned):From my first birthday party. I am sitting in front of my cake, which has a carousel decoration on it, also with a carnival theme. My sister is the one opening all of my presents - she had/has a lot less patience than I have.