Week in Review

 Friday with Family

Souvenirs

Two people brought us a souvenir from the famous Wall Drug after a drive cross-country.

Taco Dinner

We ate dinner at a downtown restaurant called TAQ.

Classics (Earlier in the Week)

Black beans with cheese and tortillas

Cheeseburger on a bun.

As always: Kellogg’s Red Berry Cereal for breakfast.

Inedible but Pretty

A little white mushroom. Can you tell it’s been raining a lot here?

Photos © 2026 mae sander

On TV

“The 2026 BritBox adaptation of Agatha Christie's Tommy & Tuppence follows former college sweethearts and ex-lovers who reunite at a high-end wedding and get drawn into an amateur detective partnership.”

September in Michigan

Summer is coming to an end, along with cooking dinner outside.
Not only is it cooler, the sun sets earlier and earlier.

In the Kitchen 

We included a few interesting foods, but mostly old favorites. 

An omelet on a Micky Mouse plate; shrimp and rice; Dan Dan noodles; another omelet with salad.

Indoors and Out

One New Kitchen Item

New dish-drying mat in a funny color.

More Cooking and Eating

Fresh figs.

My long-time favorite cereal at Elaine’s house in Lafayette.
When we came back, Len bought me two boxes of Special K Red Berries.

A Trader Joe’s croissant and some blueberries. 

In Lafayette; Elaine’s delicious Apple Pie.

Back home 10 days later: time for more pie by Len.

Labor Day Barbecue.

Chicken from our grill, which will soon need to be put away for winter.

A delicious chicken and olive dish that Carol made for us.

Lamb steak with a salad of peaches, feta cheese, and pine nuts.

Potatoes in olive oil with capers (Pommes à l’huile).

Chicken in tahini sauce and a salad with corn, peppers, and lettuce.

Outside the Kitchen: An Ice Cream in Dexter

Dexter is the next town from Ann Arbor. It has a perfect small-town Midwest vibe.

The last Sunday of the month: a beautiful day for a drive and an outdoor ice cream.

A Fall Display Near the Park

Far Away From Us

From Alice’s trip to Germany

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Not quite so far we visited Elaine in Indiana. Here she is with Len, in her kitchen.
See above for her apple pie!

Blog post © 2026 mae sander

In My Kitchen, July 2026

New Things in My Kitchen

New octopus-shaped jar which Evelyn made for me.

Dragon coffee bowl, also by Evelyn.

New grill pan which marks the food with grill marks.

Magnets

New magnets on the refrigerator.

A Little Magnet History

My magnet collection, which contains quite a few of them, hasn’t changed much lately, but Evelyn visited Arches National Park in June, and brought me the Arches magnet. The second new magnet — which I bought at a local shop — depicts the “Big Tire,” which is a famous Detroit landmark on Highway 94 between Ann Arbor and Detroit. 

The photo from a car window, taken a couple of years ago, shows the actual Big Tire as we were driving past it. The structure inside the “tire” was originally a ferris wheel built for the New York World’s Fair in 1964. The tire company purchased the ferris wheel in 1966 at the end of the fair. They moved it to its current location beside the freeway where it was repurposed as a record-setting outdoor advertisement. 

It makes a good magnet!

What We’ve Been Eating

Ripe local peaches. The stone-fruit season is just starting.

Lots of vegetables: here, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes.

Fresh corn

Meatballs

Berries

Len's Bread

Salmon from Seattle, a gift from Miriam

Salmon that Alice cooked for us in her kitchen

Blintzes in a fairly recently purchased skillet.

Pasta with cheese and pepper (cacio e pepe) — an Ottolenghi recipe

Cherry tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and grilled chicken

More Berries

Cookbook from the library: most of the recipes call for too much chili pepper.

In July we can cook outdoors all the time, and often do so.

 All Photos © 2026 mae sander

Shared with In My Kitchen, the monthly blog event