That headline makes it sound like I have been spectacularly busy, which not even remotely close to the truth.Well, maybe a bit, but not really.If you consider eating, lounging in cool rooms, and swimming, to be busy;Then yes, I have been busy.

Summertime should be a glorious time, but in reality, it is generally just a time to avoid melting to the pavement.The heat, which seems to get worse every year ( hello, climate change) makes me want to not do much, other than preventing my balls from melting to my inner thighs when I go out side for more then 5 minutes.

But, there is more to summer than just avoiding melting, I swear.One thing, for me, is gardening.It has been a tough year, or rather a delayed gardening year.I planted seed way back in May, as this is New England, and then saw all that effort drowned out in 3 or os weeks of torrid downpours.So, not the the type to quit, I replanted, and now have a later than usual harvesting.So be it.

First crop to really come to fruition are green beans, so I thought I would come up with some recipe that i could use some of those tasty green beans, and also come up with a way to use the grill.Grilling and chilling is summer stuff, no? Yes?

But, there is more, as I am just full of surprises, or something.How about a drink, made with some of my gardens tasty gifts?Yeah, I am all kinds of self reliant, kinda.

I am growing Romaine and swisschard, too.They are still in their infancy,or whatever.That may not be a proper farming term.But, I am not a farmer, I am you.

Seitan Sausage Ingredients.
- About 2 cups of gluten, give or take a drop or so.
- 1 and 1/3 cup of navy beans, soaked, rinsed, cooked.
- 1/3 cup of TVP.
- 1 tablespoon of paprika.
- 1 tablespoon of garlic powder.
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder.
- 1 tablespoon of smoked paprika.
- 2 teaspoon of sage
- 1 teaspoon of thyme.
- 2 teaspoons of red pepper flakes.
- 2 tablespoons of fennel.
- 3 teaspoons of rosemary.
- 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
- 1 tablespoon of steak sauce.
- 2 tablespoons of minces garlic.
- 1 tablespoon of (vegan)worcestershire sauce.
- 1 cup of vegetable stock.
- Tinfoil.

Firstly, you will need the ingredients, and secondly you will need some bowls.Oh, and a kitchen helps.I have mentioned before that making food in a bathroom or elsewhere just seems more difficult, and perhaps unsanitary.

Mix the dry ingredients, as in the seasonings and herbs, with the gluten.Meanwhile, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer, and stir in the TVP.While that is happening, process the beans in a processor.Once the TVP has simmer for ten minutes in the stock, add that to your processor.Toss in the olive oil,minced garlic, steak sauce, worcestershire sauce, and process it all.It should kind of look like a thick chocolate milk shake, maybe.

You can now mix the wet stuff with the dry stuff.Mix it with your hands, and kneed it. Knead it like you have kneaded anything before!Whatever, just mix it well.Then mold it into sausage- like shapes.Wrap them up in tinfoil, like you were wrapping a candy, say a tootsie rolls.
You should have, and maybe it is my doing for not mentioning it beforehand, have started up your steaming machinery.The water should be boiling, and be prepared to replace the water, numerous times, as you should really steam these for a good few hours.One is pushing it, and two may work, but no less.Got that?

So, now you have your seitan sausages, now what?

Summer Seitan Sausage with Green Beans and Potatoes Ingredients.
- A couple of your seitan sausages, cut up.
- 1 onion, sliced up.
- 3 or 4 potatoes, chopped up.
- A cup or two of green beans, washed, halved.
- 1/2 cup of water.
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil.
- 2 teaspoons of rosemary.
- 1 teaspoon of thyme.
- 2 tablespoons of minced garlic.
- Tinfoil.

This is pretty easy.Lay out some tinfoil, and mold it slightly into a bowl shape, and then basically fill it with all the ingredients, minus the water.I then molded it into like a giant Hershey’s kiss, and poured in the water, sealed it up, and shook it around to mix everything up.I suppose you could mix it all with your hands or a spoon and then wrap it up, but where is the fun in that?

Cook on your grill for 25 minutes, tuning it a couple times, or cook in your oven at 425 for a half hour, again turning it a couple times.Easy as pie, even though making this is a lot easier than making pie.Oh, whatever.

I have a new camera, so I am still learning how to take photos, again.So, take it, or leave it.No sweat to me, which is saying something when it is the Summer.So, there you go.

But , wait, there is more.

A drink! Booze!

What would summer be without a tasty booze-filled drink? Well, it would still be summer, I guess.That is not the point, whatever.I was reading the latest Vegetarian Times, and got an idea from their drinks segment they did.They had a cucumber and vodka drink, with some other stuff, that I did not have.So, what did I do? I worked with what I had.Bam!I am so, so, so very sorry I just said that.Can you forgive me?

I am not some fancy bartender, and have all the tools, so I used basic cup measurements.

Cucumber Vodka Drink Ingredients.
- Half a cucumber.Peeled.
- 1/4th a cup of lime juice.
- 1/4th a cup of vodka.
- 2 tablespoons of sugar.
- Splash of tonic water.
- Ice cubes.

Using your processor, process the cucumber till it is a liquidy, mushy mess.The more juice you see, the better.You will then have to put it through a strainer, as to collect the juice and lose the pulp.I used my hands to push as mush through the strainer.

You can now combine all the ingredients in a glass and mix well, or use one of those shaker things.That would look fancier, and maybe impress that special person in your life.My special persons are dogs and a bunny, so they may not be so impressed.You get my point.

I thought I took a photo of the drink, but apparently I did not, and the drink was gone quickly.It is now lost to my heart, and mind.That sounded beautiful, didn’t it?

Here is some jingle jangle for your ears.Suiting, I think.