Another gray day, but the weather is supposed to clear for tomorrow. Fingers and toes crossed. We have a nice dining room, but it’s so much better to be outside on the Fourth. I’ve put humming bird feeders by the patio, and those little ethereal beauties found them right away. What a delight it will be to watch the humming birds when the weather is warm and dry enough to eat on the patio.

Yesterday, I made the cranberry chutney and pepper jelly spread, and it came out just as well as I’d hoped it would. I’d never made it before, and I got the idea from my friend Perian. A few weeks ago, I was at her house for wine and appetizers, and she served crackers with cream cheese topped with a red jelly spread. One bite and I was hooked. The spread was sweet and spicy and tart all at the same time.

“What is this?” I asked.

“Cranberry chutney mixed with pepper jelly,” she answered. “I had a jar of each, and I combined them and then spread them on softened cream cheese.”

Now, in my cupboard, I had a jar of pepper jelly, a gift from my friend Diane. (She, in turn, got it from her friend Debbie Potter, who makes them to sell. Debbie calls her product “Mrs. Potter’s Perfect Pepper Jelly.”) I didn’t have a jar of cranberry chutney, but in the freezer, I had a bag of frozen cranberries, and I knew I could make my own cranberry chutney. The Fourth seemed like a perfect time to try to recreate what Perian served me, and I did this yesterday.

Success! Last night I served some of the spread—without the cream cheese—on a cracker to Clif, and he noted, “While the chutney and red pepper jelly both taste good separately, they are much better together.”

Yes, they are. When next fall comes, I will be picking up extra cranberries to freeze. I’ll also get several jars of that pepper jelly. Then, when I want something tasty for a gathering, I’ll have what I need.

I am happy to report that I am right on schedule with my Fourth of July preparations. I made the ice cream pie yesterday, and today I’ll be making the sauces to go with them. I also decided to make a batch of crackers to go with the chutney-pepper jelly spread, and I’ll be doing this today. The beans are soaking, and they soon will be simmering.

On busy days, it is handy to have a quick but tasty meal planned for supper. Yesterday, after cooking and cleaning for most of the day, I was in no mood to fuss with our evening meal. This time of year, with a fridge crammed full of greens, we have a salad every evening. So that was easy. Last night, to go with the salad, I made ground turkey Parmesan patties, and they are so easy that they don’t even need a recipe. (This idea came from my friend Barbara Penrod. I’m beginning to think I don’t have any original ideas.) I took 1 pound of ground turkey and added a half-cup of grated Parmesan cheese as well as a half-cup of seasoned bread crumbs. Voilà! Turkey patties that are a bit tastier than just plan patties. Obviously, more could be added—onions, garlic, peppers—but last night I was into ease, and those patties fit the bill, as the saying goes. We had leftovers turkey patties, which will be used tonight on a supper salad that will be served with pita bread toasts. With all the heavy food planned for the Fourth, a supper salad will be a very good thing.

A happy Fourth to you all! In the morning, Clif and I plan to slip in a quick bike ride to our town’s public beach, where Emily Knight, the daughter of our friends Margy and Steve, will be making smoothies with pedal power. What a great idea! I hope to get some pictures of her as well as of our backyard spread.

I’ll be back on Friday.