Food Therapy 4 Me

Tis the Season for Patios and Summertime Salads

2011-08-02T08:00:00.019-04:00

What is Summer without patios and summertime salads?!?!

My inspiring recipe was Broccoli Salad from my good friend, Minne-sot-da, which she so kindly provided me at my bridal shower a couple of years ago :)

Side Note: This was such a GREAT idea, I have to share it!! My sister in law, and later my bff/bridesmaid, provided blank recipe cards to shower guests. Each guest was asked to share a recipe with us, the soon to be Mr. and Mrs. The initial contributors were sisters, grandmothers, aunts, cousins and good friends.

Among the generous wedding gifts, this was perhaps one of my favorite items at the end of the day...Hubs and I had the start of a wonderful family recipe box!

Since then I have continued to add to this box, noting on cards where recipes first premiered or were received. When I look through it now I have happy and fond memories of the person and/or event behind the recipe...and I know it will be a lasting memory and wonderful tradition for our children.

Being the planner and daydreamer I am, each time I add a new recipe I take a moment to ponder what it will be like to share with my children the story behind each one :)

OK, now back to Broccoli Salad...YUM!

I had not had this salad in YEARS!!!

It's something about the combo that makes this such a satisfying summer salad...

Cool crunchy broccoli, sweetened mayo, dried cranberries, crisp/salty bacon and savory red onion.

HOLY HEAVEN!

I also decided to try this Roasted Edamame Salad...I think the recipe came from foodnetwork.com

Pretty simple, but quite refreshing.

Roasted edamame and corn, tossed with fresh tomatoes, onion and basil...dressed with olive oil, vinegar and salt/pepper.

It's a keeper and will be made again...with the potential of being added to the family recipe box under the index of 'Salads' ;)

Rewinding to Mother's Day 2011

2011-07-19T08:00:00.006-04:00

Pregnancy is an interesting experience.

I spent the entire first trimester saying "it's early."

I think I was trying to prevent myself from connecting with the growing being inside of me...'just in case something happened.'

Still today I consider myself more a Mom-to-Be rather than Mother at this stage...after all making it through 9 months and the birthing process are the actual rite of passage into motherhood right?

(This pic was our first doc appt to confirm there was in fact something there...you know, in case the 7 at home pregnancy tests I took were wrong haha!)

At just 6 weeks pregnant fell the 2011 Mother's Day.

My Mother and Sister in Law are both excited about the coming addition and decided to share their day of glory with me, a wide-eyed soon to be.

Now if you have not picked up on it by now, my Sister in Law (aka Mama Sox) is one heck of a cook and party planner. For this year's celebration we came together for brunch.

My contribution was something new...

Boston Cream Cupcakes (recipe courtesy of Martha).

My cake was too dense and a bit dry. The custard was over thickened. However the chocolate ganache was great (and the same recipe I had used on the Mexican Chocolate Cake.)!

I am not sure I would say these suckers texturally tasted as great as they looked, but the recipe has got some potential and is worth another shot.

Not to mention Boston Cream Pie is my Sister in Law's favorite...so it was the thought that really counted on this Mother's Day :)

The rest of our meal was AMAZING!

Bagels, Smoked Salmon Spread (sadly I had to skip this stuff), Steamed Fiddleheads, Pasta Salad, Quiche, Salad, Soup and an Oatmeal Rhubarb Bread (from my Mother in Law).

Mini Sox was so appropriately decked out in his Stormtrooper costume from the previous Halloween...guess this is what happens when 5 year olds start dressing themselves haha!

My plate was big and scrumptious!

Note that delicious bagel was a fennel and salt bagel...first time I'd ever tried it and SO GOSH DARN DELICIOUS!!!

Oh and so was the Carrot Ginger Soup!!

Now bringing us back to the present...here is a side by side comparison of the last week.

Not too much has changed in the bump area, but I am beginning to feel more pregnant and even catch myself touching my own belly from time to time :)

When You're In a Pickle for Pickles...

2011-07-15T11:14:00.001-04:00

Let there be pickles!

No that's not the crazy pregnancy hormones talking...at least not when I made this batch of quick pickles.

Early on this summer we had dinner with the Sox Family on their Patio.

That morning at Mini Sox's tee ball game I asked him what I should bring for dinner that night. His response (of course accompanied by a big smile) was pickles!

Now I could have taken the easy way out and bought a jar of those delicious, crisp, mouthwatering, briny pieces of heaven from Claussen...ok, ok, now that might be the pregnancy hormones talking now haha!

But instead I decided to make some pickles myself...

I sliced up some small cucumbers and cherry peppers, then packed them into a jar with lots of dill.

Over medium heat, I simmered some white vinegar, sugar, salt and water, then poured it over the contents of the packed jar.

I allowed the jar to sit in the sun for an hour or so, shaking from time to time.

As a predinner snack, these pickles were awesome!

Fresh, crisp, briny, slightly spicy, and quick.

The Little Ms. Homemaker Part of Things

2011-07-15T08:00:00.008-04:00

When I first began this blog I was on a quest...

This was my journey to learn, as a 20-something, how to make delicious food and try new things.

My motivation? Practice makes perfect.

In my mind, if I practiced recipes and cooking techniques now, I would be able to produce delicious meals in a snap for my 'family' later

Now I present to you, The Cheese Sandwich.

Yup, it's as simple as it looks and sounds - 12 Grain Bread, VT Cheddar Cheese, Pickle, Lettuce, Tomato, Sweet Onion and Mayo.

I'd also like to share this beautiful fruit salad.

Which is representative of my recent fruit mania.

Why the flash back to my purpose? And why the heck am I sharing of these two meals...or rather cravings??

That's right folks, we have a 'bun in the oven' and I am on verge of becoming a bona fide Little Ms. Homemaker!

We're 16 weeks along now, with 24 to go :o)

Are you READY?!?! Return of Grilled Pizzas :)

2011-06-17T08:00:00.001-04:00

Believe it or not, Hubs still had not tried Grilled Pizzas!

Hubs' April deployment last year meant he missed a number of things...

He missed the rainy mud season indicative of a New England Spring. He missed the beautiful shades of green and blossoming flowers of June. He missed the family BBQs and beach time with friends in July. He missed the sunsets and s'mores of August. He missed the VT fall, returning to cool November and making it home just in time for the snow.

Although he was in 100+ degree weather in the middle of a desert, those 7 months away from the beautiful changing seasons must have felt like hibernation.

With the official start of summer just around the corner, Hubs has already begun to take in and indulge in all that he missed last year while overseas. He has taken back the duty of mowing our lawn, trimming our trees, working on the garden, etc...it's pretty great to have a man around the house again :)

Can you believe I've been so absent minded to forget Hubs had not experienced the ease, versatility and tastiness of the grilled pizza?!?!

Pizza 1: Tomato, Basil, Olive Oil

Big Pizza 2: Spinach and Garlic Chicken Sausage, Mushrooms, Bell Peppers and Red Onion

Pizza 3: Leftovers from Pizza 1 and Big Pizza 2 with Turkey Pepperoni...'The Supreme'

(btw did you know Turkey Pepperoni has 70% less fat than the regular stuff and still tastes pretty darn good?!?!)

Fresh Mozzarella for all 3 Grilled Pizza Creations

Homemade pizza sauce for Big Pizza 2 and Pizza 3.

The sauce was a simmered combo of Canned Roma Tomatoes (2010 garden), tomato paste, fresh thyme (2011 garden), garlic, red pepper flake and salt/pepper.

This sauce was super concentrated flavor with a spicy bite!

Over by the Naan in our grocery store, I noticed this new round Flatbread Pizza Crust, so thought we'd give it a whirl!

All the toppings were piled on and they hit the grill.

(In case you need a quick refresher...before piling on, I brush the bottoms of the crust with a bit of canola oil, and then the tops with some olive oil. The goodies are piled on and the pizzas are grilled over indirect heat)

Big Pizza 2 on top of the new Flatbread Crust (which I will buy again).

Pizza 1 and Pizza 3 on Garlic Naan, yum!

Fresh Basil was added to finish off Pizza 1 and...

and Pizza 3

Big Pizza 2 all melty and done

After spending years in search of a good pizza joint for us, we thought we had found 'The One' just a couple months ago. Let me tell you...these grilled beauties tasted so good, Hubs said they were the best pizzas we'd had in a long time...and better than pizza from 'The One'!

While it's nice to hear such positive remarks on the grilled pizza creations...'The One' is still going to be our go-to when even grilled pizzas are too much and I simply need a night off from the kitchen ;)

Spring Veg-e-ta-bles

2011-06-08T09:00:00.001-04:00

I finally made it to the Farmers Market!

I knew there wouldn't be much outside of garden starters this early in the season, but I was hopeful I'd at least be able to pick up salad greens for the week...and well, to be honest - the Tibetan Lady's Dumplings and Hot Sauce :)

Luckily for me my pal Blue Light agreed to accompany me!!

Once there I was delightfully reminded of spring vegetables...there was an abundance of fresh cut asparagus.

I payed $5.50 lb for this stuff...seems pretty outrageous to me, yet so Btown :P

So much for Farm Prices at the farmer's market this trip!

This is once again another reminder that I really need to commit to a CSA next year.

So as not to ruin or cover up the bare flavors of the asparagus, I used just a touch of oil, salt and pepper and then hit the grill.

Rotating every so often until softened.

I also whipped up some great turkey burgers.

I used fresh parsley (from our garden!), garlic, salt and pepper.

For grilling I used a brush of canola oil on the burgs to prevent them from sticking to the grates.

Bunless grilled turkey burgers and grilled farmers market asparagus.

We did have some store bought Taziki Dip leftover from the weekend, so used that as a condiment for our burgers.

Easy, fresh and healthy dinner :)

Incidentally, I was reminded of this post due to some awful asparagus I picked up at the grocery store for dinner last night. Now that I've been treated to the farm fresh bundles of this stuff...it's hard to go back.

My Memorial Day

2011-06-07T10:01:00.000-04:00

We had a busy, productive, relaxing day...

Pups was chillin' and blowing bubbles.

Pretty good one eh?

I am not sure what it was, but this Memorial Day was one of the most satisfying days I've had off from work in a long time.

I did not do anything special.

Actually, my day was rather uneventful...

Early AM walk with Pups, breakfast, nap in the sun, grocery shopping, a bit of gardening, the dreaded hosing (aka bath) for Pups, washed the car, lounged, took another nap in the sun and then made dinner.

It was the first day that it really felt like summer was almost here :)

To finish off the most perfect weekend, I made a summer inspired dinner.

A Refreshing Salad

(Tomato, Mozzarella, Basil, Balsamic, Olive Oil, and Salt/Pepper.)

and Grilled Steak Tips.

It was honestly and truly the most relaxed of times...as I sit here now recounting the experience, I think I'm already due for another!

Vermont City Marathon

2011-06-07T10:00:00.000-04:00

Each Memorial Day Weekend thousands of runners gather in btown to run the Vermont City Marathon.

I was told there were some crazy 8,000 folks participating in the event!

Nope I was not even close to being one of the runners...

but we were asked to help out at the Mile 20 Water Station!

Did you know there is a special table for 'Elite Runners'?!?

It was a fantastic experience and hope to do it again! I was able to catch family, hockey players, and SoVT Gals running their hearts out...some for causes and others simply for their own personal achievement.

While I am sure most of the runners carbo-loaded, hydrated and got a good night's rest...here is what we did the evening before to gear up for the big race:

Oh yes, homemade Fish and Chips!

A sort of last minute decision, this dinner turned into a quite enjoyable date night with Hubs.

We'd never made beer batter before...but holy heck was it easy and DELICIOUS!!!

We used Cod (it was on sale), a couple of Sweet Potatoes we had lying around the kitchen and a lone IPA from the fridge.

Everything was fried...yup, deep fried in 100% oil :)

The beer batter was super simple...

1 bottle of Microbrew

2 cups Flour

Garlic Powder

Cayenne

Salt/Pepper

Mix it all together and you have a thick and fantastic beer batter to dip in.

Simply dip the fish pieces into the batter, then into some dry flour and plop right into the hot oil.

The beer does make the difference, we could really taste the hops of the IPA. I think that is something we'll play with again and test out some new brews to see what they offer :)

Recipes for Mexican Chocolate Cake with Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting & Chocolate Ganache

2011-06-03T13:13:00.001-04:00

THE MEXICAN CHOCOLATE CAKE PART
(recipe from bakedbree.com, only differences are (1) I increased/eyeballed the cayenne from her 1/2 tsp (2) I used Hershey's cocoa powder, which seems lighter than what the original author used and (3) I did not use her recommended Cinnamon Mascarpone Frosting.)

Dry Ingredients
1 cup unsweetened cocoa
2 3/4 cup flour
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients
2 cups whole milk
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
2 tbls balsamic vinegar
1 1/2 tbls vanilla extract

Begin by preheating oven to 350 degrees.
Spray two - 8" cake pans with Pam. Place a parchment paper disc in the bottom of each pan and spray again.
Combine all dry ingredients and whisk.
Add the wet ingredients and whisk until smooth and glossy.
Pour into cake pans and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool completely.

Since I made the cake the night before, I wrapped each cooled layer in plastic wrap to keep them moist.

THE CINNAMON CREAM CHEESE FROSTING PART
(recipe from bridezillabakes.com. I doubled her recipe for this cake, which is indicated by the larger measurements below)

Ingredients
2x 8oz packages of cream cheese, softened
6 tbls unsalted butter, softened
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cup confectioners sugar, plus more for mixing
2 tsp cinnamon

Beat cream cheese, butter and vanilla with an electric mixer at high speed until fluffy.
Sift in confectioners sugar and cinnamon, then beat at medium speed until incorporated.

If frosting is too thick, add warm water a tbls at a time. If frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar a 1/4 cup at a time.

I also made this frosting the night before and just covered with plastic wrap and stored it in the fridge. An hour or so before I was going to use it, I pulled the frosting out and brought it to room temperature.

THE CHOCOLATE-GANACHE GLAZE PART
(recipe from martastewart.com I doubled her recipe for this cake, which is indicated by the larger measurements below)

Ingredients
1 1/3 cup heavy cream
12 oz chopped semisweet chocolate
2 tbls light corn syrup

Bring cream to a boil in a medium sauce pan.
Remove from heat, and add chocolate and corn syrup.
Let stand for 5 minutes.
Whisk until smooth.
Transfer to a bowl, and let cool, stirring often.
Use Immediately.

I did wait to make this once the cake and cream cheese part of the cake was assembled.

To read about my assembly methods for this gorgeous cake, please visit this post here.

GOOD LUCK & HAVE FUN!!!

Happy Birthday, Welcome Baby, Cinco de Mayo, Kentucky Derby

2011-05-26T14:56:00.004-04:00

Believe it or not...

I baked and I baked good :)
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I began with baking a delicious Mexican Chocolate Cake...

Then I used fellow foodblogger Bridezilla Bake's Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting recipe between the layers on the inside.
*

And Martha's easy peasy chocolate ganache for the outside.
*

Looks pretty good right?

Well I have to admit this was perhaps one of my most methodical baking attempts I've ever had.

I combed through recipe after recipe online to find just the right ones that theoretically in my mind would go well together as a final piece.

Here is how it went down...

I wisely made the cake layers on Friday evening, so as to allow them more than sufficient time to cool (icing barely warm cake has been a problem for me in the past).

Then Saturday morning, armed with a serrated knife to further layer'fy my cake, I cut each of the two layers in half.

Then whipped up the delicious Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting, adding sugar until just the right consistency for cake spreading.

Since I was really trying to think this one through...and I mean work through every step before I started it...I used the cake pan to cut a disc out of a card board box, which I then began to build my cake upon.

Cake - Icing - Cake - Icing - Cake - Icing - Cake

The serrated knife came into action again and I cut around the outside of the cake to even out the sides

The super easy ganache was cooked and cooled.

With the layered cake on top of large upside turned mixing bowl, on top of a cookie sheet (pretty smart thinking in my opinion)...I poured all the delicious shiny ganache over the top which drizzled down and coated the sides perfectly :)

Having that handy dandy piece of cardboard on the bottom was also genius! I was able to move the cake around with ease.

Finally, the cake was adorned with its jewels...
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Fresh strawberries along the top (which also protected the cake from the foil I was wrapping it in for transportation)

and halved strawberries along the sides.

This delicious cake was special. Not only because it was an intentional and well thought out baking event...but because it was for my dear friends B&A.

With it being that time of the year again, B&A were hosting their annual Cinco de Mayo party. Last year I pleased the crowd with Bridezilla's Mexican Hot Chocolate Brownies.

This year however was extra special. Not only did the party happen to fall on B's birthday, but it was also the Kentucky Derby and....B&A have just had a Mini Me!!! Yup, the proud parents were also celebrating their newly acquired parenthood and introducing for the first time their new son :o)

For the party I also made...

White Cupcakes
*

with sugary white frosting.

The frosting turned out super sugary and still need some work to smooth them out. However, the kids at the party still loved licking the icing of and I even saw a few of the adults digging in as well.

My almost prefect cake for B&A for the most perfect occasion of celebrations!!

The report from B, the birthday man/new Papa:

By the way, your cake was AMAZING....The filling was out of this world, and the cake was a great texture.

Congrats again little family!

The end of another season...

2011-05-25T16:22:00.167-04:00

I am going to stop apologizing for my hiatus from the blog...after all, this is my blog and I can come and go as I please right?!?!

Well just in case any readers I do still have feel that an apology is in order...

here is a puppy face to say "I'm sorry and I'm back for now!"

It's with bittersweet pleasure that I say, another hockey season has come to an end. This year, much like every other, was fun, competitive and just plain awesome.

However there were a couple of things that did set this season a part and made it one for the books...
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We won the New England District Senior Women's B Hockey Title!

Which meant...

We played at the USA Hockey National Tournament in Detroit, MI!

Planes, trains and automobiles were all considered. Luckily for me, I have 3 friends (Blue Light, Hussy, and Guns) who were all willing to turn the trip into an adventure!!
*

We've rented a minivan, packed in and headed to MI via Cleveland...
*
After our one night in Cleveland, I cannot be sure the phrase Cleveland Rocks! holds much truth anymore. Actually I take that back. Cleveland Rocks!...but only if you have the right group of crazy VT gals to create the fun and make it last till the wee hours of the morning haha!

Seriously though, I did not get to visit the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame, which I am sure does Rock!...but I did experience some delicious food that for certain could be the saving grace to the phrase Cleveland Rocks!

Here was my most delicious lunch at Crop Bistro & Bar.

Homemade Bread with Honey Black Pepper Butter
*

Hot Balsamic Popcorn
(which I have every intention of replicating at home!)
Its like a savory kettle corn gone 1000% gourmet!

Kobe Beef Burger with...Foie Gras!

A big ol' melt in your mouth piece of it too!!
(My apologies to anyone 'against' the consumption of this stuff)

The restaurant was a foodie's paradise with so much more on the menu to offer. It incidentally was also the best hangover cure ever!

While consuming this delicious meal the sparkle in my eye returned. I remember saying that this meal might just be the thing that gets me back to the blog...and it has!

Simply put this road trip was the best I have ever been on :o)

Having Guns armed with the super cool Yelp! app, we ate very well on our 5 day excursion. There was a great breakfast joint, spicy Thai, a Brewpub, smalltown Italian and well...that's all I can remember this late afterwards.

In case you're interested in more of our trip, here is a video of our journey by none other than my good pal Hussy - http://thehomesteadinghussy.blogspot.com/2011/04/green-mountain-girls-take-on-detroit.html

The laughter, conversations, and so many experiences were absolutely freakin' priceless :)

Oh yes and the hockey part of it all was pretty fun too!

All I have to say is...when are we going on the next one ladies?!?!?

Food Scroll #5 : The Wild Cabbage is in High Demand

2011-02-10T10:42:00.000-05:00

Brussels Spouts are often unjustly cast away into the 'dislike' category by so many.

Hubs was one of these people at one point in time...but I've since converted him.

Loved by my mother in law and veg-head aunt, I produced these scrumptious little heads of wild cabbage for both Turkey Day and Christmas.

Now I have a feeling Roasted Brussels Sprout may have found a permanent place on our holiday tables.

Trimmed and halved Brussels Sprouts, Canola Oil, Salt/Pepper - Roasted in Oven

Finished off with lots of Lemon Zest and served.

The roasting of these suckers is what converted Hubs...no bitter flavor here!

Go on, give this a try...the kids might even like it if you call it something else :)

Food Scroll #4 : XMas 2010 Contribution

2011-02-09T08:55:00.001-05:00

I dropped the ball big time this holiday season.

I didn't go all out for the holidays this year...in fact I didn't even come close to the crazy food offerings of 2009 - No breads, tarts, PB balls or cookies.

I guess you could say I temporarily put the family traditions on hold...there was simply no time for over ambition.

What I did do, which was a HUGE hit with Hubs and my SoVT fam, were these little crispy ham and cheese bites.

Made the dough and piped each one out myself...pretty impressive eh?

Hubs is already requesting these again...

Maybe for Easter :)

Food Scroll #3 : FT4Me's Best Beef Stew...Ever!!

2011-02-08T10:57:00.001-05:00

Dreamy looking photo isn't it?

Yeah, that's no fancy camera effect...

just some regular old steam from my delicious Beef Stew of 2011!

The goods.

I found a good looking hunk of bottom round on sale this particular weekend, which led to this awesome creation!

Tried something new...coating with flour before the browning.

In my Ode to Julia/Christening of Le Creuset, she instructed to sprinkle flour after the brown...

...but I think this worked better.

Would you look at that, it's perfect!

Time to get the cauldron going.

Olive Oil, Garlic, Onion go into the pan used to brown the meat.

Whole Baby Carrots, Celery, Baby Potatoes and Bay Leaves join the pot.

I am not sure this makes a difference or not, but I tend to season (salt/pepper, thyme) with each addition.

I particularly LOVE the smell of dried thyme when in the garlic/onion stage.

In goes a bottle of Bordeaux (I think this really helped to kick things up a notch on the deliciousness scale), then some beef stock and we simmer until thick.

FT4Me's Best Stew Ever!

Food Scroll #2: Spicy Asian Style Shrimp on Salad

2011-02-08T08:27:00.000-05:00

This is not the exact salad we had for dinner last night...but it's pretty gosh darn similar and simple.

Shrimp is super easy and fast...the nights we have it mean

1) I just don't have time/energy to really cook something up or

2) I am just flat out craving these creatures of the sea (sooo good!).

(Olive Oil, Garlic, Chinese Red Chili Sauce...then Shrimp, Salt/Pepper)

All piled high on a crispy, colorful salad.

I like to finish mine off with an Asian Sesame Vinaigrette

Quick, lite, tasty and Hubs approved!

Food Scroll #1 : First Time Since...BBQ Chicken & Double Side of Veg

2011-02-07T12:02:00.047-05:00

Over-worked and over extended...but we're not starving!

I have many, many pics stored up with every intention of getting back into this blogging thing...however as I've said before life happens and unfortunately this time around the blog did not make the cut.

Filled with guilt and motivation not to let this thing die, I've decided that yes, I will continue to post the food...so with or without narrative there WILL BE FOOD!

For those days I have something to write, I will...and for those times I just can't find the time, I won't. Maybe this is a half-ass attempt at blogging, but at least it's not fallen into the category of 'started and never finished'...well at least not yet haha!

In the end you'll have some delicious pics to scroll through and maybe even some ideas to gain to bring into your own households :)

Food Scroll #1 : First Time Since...BBQ Chicken & Double Side of Veg

Hubs second 'first time since' dinner I prepared (of course at his request) was BBQ Chicken.

My brother in law picked up some authentic southern BBQ rub and sauce during one of his business trips...

of course at the request of my always thinking sister in law...and we were even given some of the goods!

Grilled Asparagus

(Asparagus, Canola Oil, Salt/Pepper - Grill)

Roasted Sweet Potatoes

a Hubs fav for sides

(Roughly chopped Sweet Potatoes, Olive Oil, Salt/Pepper, Garlic Powder, Cayenne Pepper - 425 degree oven)

BBQ Chicken and a Double Side of Veg

This stuff was spicy...but in a good way, YUM!

Thanks for the goods Family :)

This is My Kinda Party!

2010-11-30T12:00:00.028-05:00

Around this time last year I threw Hubs an

'Oh no, the BIG 3-0' party

and it was a success!!

I even recall making the comment 'we should do that again!' during our hungover clean up mission the next morning...

Having not created the blog then, you all missed out on the happenings...well a few of you at least, pretty sure some of my readers were present ;)

Luckily for me we once again had reasons to put on another!

The Menu, a hugely important factor to any party...or at least the ones you have when you're 'all grown up' haha!

When considering the menu, I was initially consumed by the thoughts of going Martha-Ina style...oh how fun and different!

I was seriously looking forward to the challenges of new recipes and gaining some great blog notes...a 'proper' party was what was on my mind :oD

That is until Hubs was asked for his thoughts (it was his party after all)...

Being the wise man he is, his simple suggestion was that we

'give the people what they want!'

What do our family and friends love more than anything...
Our Korean Feast!

An all day process, it all began with 10 lbs of short ribs, 10 lbs of chicken, 6 lbs of ground beef and 2 cans of spam...

The short ribs and chicken were cut, marinated Korean-style, skewered and grilled.

The beef provided hundreds of yakimondu...which of course are fried (that's why they are so darn good!).

The spam...well that is for my mother's famous fried rice.

Are you weirded out by it? I dare you to try just one bite of this rice...you'll be back for more!!

Blue Light went BIG for the party too and called upon her talents as a baker and provided an extensive array of sweets including: Carrot Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting, Brownies, Pecan Pie and Sparklers (chocolate dipped pretzels with sprinkles!).

As you can imagine there was a lot of food, for a lot of people...and shame on me, I was so carried away with the evening's events that I forgot to take pictures. I am very appreciative of Blue Light for snapping these few!!

Thank you Hubs, Blue Light and Mama Sox for your incredible contributions...I tend to get a little crazy in the final hours and your help maintained my sanity!

AND A GREAT BIG THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT!!!

There is nothing better than bringing together great food, good drinks and fabulous family/friends!!

One Final CARE Package

2010-11-30T08:00:00.015-05:00

This is a waaaaaaaay backlogged entry...actually part of my efforts to bring 'Taste of Home' to Hubs during his deployment.

Taking place in perhaps his most liked season of all, my mission was to send thoughts of beautiful colors, sweet smells, and the cooling air.

Identifiers of Fall...

The Sugar Maples' leaves transform into a rainbow of colors and their sweet smell fills the chilled air...

and there is a bountiful supply of Apples.

Delicious, crisp and freshly picked.
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Hubs a sucker for fresh homemade apple pie and so over the years I have learned that when fall arrives, so must the Apple Pies.

It has taken a few years, but I've now mastered my very own recipe for homemade pie crust. A combination of recipes from Joy (of Cooking) and an experienced eye.
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As important as the crust is the filling...

My mother swears by Cortlands and my in-laws are fans of Honeycrisps.

As for us? We go with what looks the best and for this year the in-laws pick made it to the kitchen.

However, the memory of my mother's sweet seasonings always wins this annual ritual. I am not sure that I even use the same combination/ratio of spices-to-sugar-to-apple as her, but the entrancing smell of mixing the apples brings me back to her apple pies.

Sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and allspice...simple I know, but delicious...heck yeah!

The motions of creating dough, rolling dough, mixing the filling and putting it all together for me these days now equals Hubs.

When I make pies, he is the one who eats them...for breakfast, for dessert, it doesn't matter...He LOVES homemade apple pie.

So what was I to do this year? I decided I needed to make one, just to embrace the season and keep my skills sharp.

The intention was that this one would go to my father.

But there was extra pie crust...

so I made this one for Hubs :)

If I was bringing pie to Dad, I couldn't leave Mom out...so I also made some Pecan Fingers (with some set aside for Hubs of course).

The final touch to the package utilized my own fresh grown jalapeno...

Round II for homemade Beef Jerky!

The Korean Touch (Kalbi inspired marinade)

And a little Mexican spice...jalapeno & beer!

Everything was packaged up...

Using my cool new vacuum sealer.

There was even a bag big enough for this large, mini pie!

Everything made it to Hubs as 'fresh' as could be. No dryer sheet flavored jerky this time around!

Needless to say he loved it...which was followed by a request to not send anymore food, cause I was going to make him fat haha!!

Love from home...priceless =o)

First Time Since...Habits have changed

2010-11-22T18:47:00.002-05:00

Perhaps my biggest fear, next to Hubs being sent overseas into the unknown zones of safety, was that we would change.

Around the time of his departure I shared my fear that things would never be just the way they were then.

My worry was that overtime, being the humans we are, we wouldn't be able to help but evolve... which meant we would ultimately change through our separate experiences.

With this all said, does that mean, when the individuals' changes occur separately, it will cause the relationship to evolve and change as well?

Well the answer to that is YES.

To be on the same page, we need to meet somewhere in the middle of all the change, leaning and calling upon our will to compromise. Many relationships deal with change...change from day to day and over long periods of time. For the soldiers and their families, these changes just come with the territory of deployment. Some are experienced, others are naturals...and then there are those who struggle to make change work.

In the first few days reunited, I sensed and knew there was change...

For instance Hubs shed about 30 lbs over in the 115 degree heat of the desert...and me, well I lost close to that due to a combination of pathetic 'meals' (I lost my mojo to cook after all) and my hobby of walking pups. I am not sure what his thoughts were of me at first glance (he is not one to vocalize his feelings well), but he looked to me like the guy I met 12+ years ago in high school...with just a few more lines of character in his face.

Perhaps there was also the fact we were not together, living in our world of food exploration/indulgence? Maybe no longer being my guinea pig and held accountable for the Hubs Food Ratings was helpful, topped off by the fact he had time to hit the gym six days a week? Whatever the reason(s)...there it was right before me, physical change.

Seeing physical change is one thing, but what about behavioral changes? Still regaining his VT footing, it was not until the daily dance of 'what would you like to eat?' that I realized how much change had occurred.

Being away for seven months, I would have thought indulgence would be on the plate for those first few meals I cooked up...our special burgers, braised ribs, mexican creations with lots of cheese, guacamole, so on and so forth. Instead I was blind sided by a new Hubs...he was now a man 'conscious' of what he was eating.

So for the first meal I documented...we had fish.

For my longtime followers you know fish has always intimidated me a bit, perhaps even been my kyrptonite at one point...

and now here it was, in my kitchen AT THE REQUEST OF HUBS!

A blue moon? No.

Worlds colliding? Perhaps to some degree.

We now had Hubs...the red meat loving, 'a meal is not a meal unless there is meat' Hubs, asking for fish!!

He was specific however in how he wanted his fish...a white fish that was citrus and dry. Can you imagine someone asking you to overcook and deliver a well, well-done steak?!?!? Dry fish was now Hubs' taste.

As for me? I LOVE thick cuts of fish, when cooked are perfectly flaky...but NOT dry! Lucky for me I was able to buy a filleted fish that offered thick and thin sections.

I seasoned it up with EVOO, garlic, lemon zest, parsley, salt and pepper.

Now the next change had to do with sides. Typically we have one veg and some rice or potato...however the new Hubs requested 'double side of veg!'

We went with Zucchini and Spinach...'because he didn't get those overseas.'

There is nothing a little garlic and onion won't fix!

He said he wanted everything steamed...ugh! I had to explain to him that 'healthy' doesn't have to mean boring or flavorless...so I added my own go-to 'BAM!'

All to accompany of course...

Roasted Fish.

Our 'Fish Dinner with Double Side of Veg.'

Change being what it is, I am willing to compromise and go along with this new attitude about food. I enjoy the feeling of eating 'healthier', but still need and want to indulge.

Will Hubs give in? Yeah I think so.

Bottom line I do owe it to him and all his hard work toward getting healthy to also accommodate and respect his attempt to improve and health'ify our lives.

Yes, change happens...sometimes it expected, good and beneficial.

Do you have to love change? No.

Accept it? I guess only if you want to.

This is now a new chapter to our lives with a new theme, or rather style, to lie in the background of its narration. There have been several 'changes' we are dealing with...for instance another minor one is we've eaten cod and 'COD' (aka Call of Duty) has become a daily aspect of life. All in all, I've been surprised at how many of our typical, or known habits, have resurfaced too!

Will the 'consciousness' of food stick? I guess I hope to some degree.

Do I look forward to our still to come indulgence? Why yes, of course!

Change happens...well 'shit happens.'

For better or for worse, you deal with it and move on :)

7 Months

2010-11-22T13:54:00.001-05:00

Early April 8, 2010 the Hubs left his spoon on the edge of the sink...

as well as his beloved coffee mug...

and a half eaten chocolate croissant...

from his favorite place in town.

After days of packing bags, teaching me to drive a stick shift, and generally getting his affairs in order...he was leaving on a jet plane, only knowing he should be back in November.

The departure was hard...

we were closer than we'd ever been and the thoughts of distance and change made the trip seem unbearable.

Not only did I take it hard...

but so did Pups :(

The next day we managed to make it into the office for a few hours...but still even Pups wasn't in the mood for to enjoy his favorite rawhide.

At home our mood was like the changing season...dead and depressed.

We hung our flag with pride, but knew the emptiness it stood for.

I tried to hang onto every bit of Hubs I could...his half eaten pastry sat on the counter for at least a week, the spoon on the sink and coffee mug for months...

I even attempted to have a taste of Hubs at home and motivated myself to make a burger in honor of him.

The Pups and I took up walking as a healthy habit for the body and mind.

That first Friday, April 9th I came home from my short day in the office to seven beautiful roses on the doorstep...

The next month we were down to six...

Then five, four...

three...

two...

AND ONE!!!

Pups and I survived the 7 months at home...and Hubs his time away in the desert :o)

After 31 weeks, we welcomed home our Green Mountain Boys on the afternoon of Wednesday, November 10, 2010!!!

Hubs is home, now let the cooking adventures resume!

A Pizza from Heaven

2010-10-21T13:09:00.001-04:00

Hello folks -
*
Yes, I am here and yes I have things to share!!
*
I've actually been having a deep pain about getting back to the blog, so while this is short, it's hopefully the mark of my regular return to the kitchen and a continuation of my journey to share some delicious life events :o)
*

Just prior to Grandpa Greenthumb becoming sick, I attended an annual, crazy-fun reunion of my college buds and then some...

The months before that, an in depth exploration of grilled pizzas took place.

And now I am happy to share with you, the pizza of pizzas in my life...

Fig, ricotta, ham and scallions...yum, yum, YUM!

Having missed the Cape Reunion of 2009, I was craving this sucker more than ever! Most importantly, in addition to fulfilling that urge/desire for this salty, sweet, simply clean and ingenious creation, I needed to remember it's incredible flavor...so I can make it myself!!!

There you have it, my first post back to hopefully wet the palate and motivate me to get my butt back in that kitchen. With so much time that has passed between now and the last post, there are some back logged goodies I have to share...so stay tuned!!!

Hope all is well with everyone!

Family First

2010-08-18T08:43:00.009-04:00

Hi all. My apologies for being away so long.

Initially the break from the blog was due to my planned vacation to the Cape for a sort of the college years reunion. I did go and it was a blast.

Since then life has reached one of those crazy points again...

You might be wondering why I have so many pictures of this lone tomato...

Well this tomato came from Grandpa GreenThumbs' Garden.

Perfect isn't it? Deserves all the attention I am giving it!

My love and focus on this tomato represents the way I am feeling for my Grandpa. Last week he was admitted to the hospital and ultimately given the diagnosis of Leukemia :( Stuck in bed, Grandpa GreenThumb has been fighting and fighting hard.

We are fortunate enough to be one of those families that understands no matter what family comes first. Each of his children are taking turns being with him so that he is never alone. We grandchildren are visiting as often as possible or needed. Then of course there is his loving wife of over 55 years, my Grammy, who has been by his side everyday.

What the future holds we are not sure, but all are staying positive. Grandpa is an old timer VT Farmer, which makes him tough, a fighter by nature.

This tomato was so perfect looking I knew it was not worth cooking it. It would be a shame to overburden the fresh and pure flavor with too many other ingredients...so I kept it simple to allow it's natural deliciousness to be enjoyed.

Perfectly ripe, I sliced the tomato with a serrated knife.

The knife choice was to prevent the squashing/bruising that often occurs when a dull knife meets a soft, supple fruit such as this.
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I dressed the slices with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper...
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Then added fresh basil chiffonade from my garden.

Beautiful!
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Packaged up for work, I enjoyed this for lunch. Each bite I took, I savored and I thought of Grandpa. I wish he could have been the one to enjoy this delicious tomato, the fruits of his labor in the garden.
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Truth be told, I have not had time to cook. Balancing family, work and other responsibilities right now is all consuming. I am not sure the next time I will have the time to cook, which I am sorry for...but family comes first. As soon as I can get back to the kitchen, you all will be the first to know.

In the meantime if you can, please keep Grandpa GreenThumb in your thoughts and prayers...

Summertime in VT

2010-08-03T08:00:00.002-04:00

S'mores...

and sunsets...

These are the things summers in VT are made of!

Last weekend was crazy fun. Kicking off Friday with Girls' Night Out, Saturday morning came before I knew it. I was invited to some friends' camp up north and rarely turn down the chance to drink and eat on our beautiful lake.

I mentioned a couple posts ago that the garden was going wild. After a long weekend of wedding fun, I returned home to find my first zucchini was enormous!

I debated letting it sit there in the garden to see just how big it might get (thinking of Hussy's Annual Harvest Party's Giant Veggie Competition), but then decided this beast might hoard the nutrients handicapping the growth of future zucchinis.
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Having heard the large ones tend to be stringy and not make good eats, I waited a week to figure out how to utilize this elephant. Ultimately I became obsessed with the idea of stuffing it.

I began by using my handy-dandy melon baller to carve out a bowl. Then brushed it with olive oil, seasoned with salt/pepper and threw on a head's worth of garlic cloves. Now I am not sure if this made a difference or not, but I began cooking the zucchini halves face down with the garlic underneath. Being slightly hungover from the night before, I also don't know just how long it cooked for at 370 degrees (went by look). About halfway through I rotated and put the beastly pieces skin side down.

There you have it, roasted zucchini bowls.
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Since the camp party would be offering hamburgers, hot dogs and sausages, I went for more of a side dish for the filling.
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The couscous was cooked in a white wine/herb chicken broth, mixed with a combination of cucumbers, carrots, green peppers (1 from my garden!) and feta, and seasoned with olive oil, salt and pepper.
*
Looking back I wished I had added some lemon juice or a vinegar of sorts, it could have benefited from the acid...
*

My other contribution was a recipe I received from my Aunt, following her serving it at one of my bridal showers...a goat cheese and strawberry bruschetta.
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As simple as it sounds, I sliced a baguette, brushed with olive oil and broiled to toast. Then each piece was smeared with goat cheese and piled high with fresh strawberries. This easy dish is really tasty!! Sweet with a bite from the goat cheese, yum!

I do wish I had thought to pull out that balsamic glaze I've been using...but again, I was feeling the effects of the fun night before and wasn't completely thinking straight, oops!

The day was perfect.
*

Even the dogs thought so.
*

Hussy created a delicious tomato, basil, mozzarella and balsamic salad.

Though the grill ran out of gas, our macgyver hostess just went to Plan B.

Here was my plate...a delicious cheddar burger piled high with a spicy pepper mix and the variety of sides. What you don't see are the massive amounts of snacks I also consumed throughout the day...potato chips, bruschetta, blueberries and lots of beer :)
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Between the wave runner, boat, tubing and water skiing, folks were in the water as long as the sun was up.
*

True for all things, even this wonderful day had to come to an end...
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Each of us found moments of respite in this beautiful setting...
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and as the sun began to lower into the horizon...
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the sky began to fill with color.

It was an amazing day with good food, frosty drinks

and some pretty awesome friends.

Tasty s'mores...
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and beautiful sunsets...

Summertime in VT :)

Girls Night - More Grilled Pizza

2010-08-02T08:00:00.003-04:00

Alright, since the recent grilled pizza creations have been all the rage, I am officially declaring July as the Official Grilled Pizza Month.

That is not to say I will not enjoy grilled pizzas from this point on, but my goal is to make them less frequently. Next July we can go overboard again, perhaps make a challenge of it...Grilled Pizza 3 x Day could be interesting or how about Grilled Pizza _____. We have a year to fill in that blank and so with this post I officially also declare the end to Grilled Pizza Month.
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Alright have you gotten the hint yet? I'm having dinner with Blue Light (aka Girls' Night!).

Though she does not consider herself a picky eater...she kind of is.

I text'ed, 'do you like shrimp' and the reply was 'NO!'

I asked 'do you eat goat cheese?' and received no response.

Since she was unsurprisingly running late, I decided to just pick up the phone to find out what she wanted for dinner.

I asked if she liked goat cheese and she didn't know.

Then I asked if she liked arugula (I have a TON from the garden right now) and her reply was 'arug-a-what?'

I also know she does not care for - fresh tomatoes, salad dressing, anything spicy, etc. Beginning to get a bit flustered for something to come up with, she did offer a helpful bit of advice...'just make something simple.'

Right, keep it simple stupid!

White naan, store bought tomato sauce and fresh thyme from the garden.

I LOVE thyme in my tomato sauce, yum!
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I do know that one of Blue Light's most favorite things to eat is fresh mozzarella and prosciutto.
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Piled high, this pizza was dedicated to her.
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Now for my likings :)

Pink Lady apples, brie...

and some applewood smoked ham woven in!

The pizzas were grilled...

and we're done in no time!

Everything was melted and toasty.

Since we've had this combo before, it was no surprise that it was tasty. What I didn't expect was how the other one would come out...

It was freakin' AMAZING!!!

I am not kidding when I say amazing either, it really hit the spot!
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The apples were not runny like the peaches from the last post. The brie was the perfect cheese to use. And the ham? Well the ham's edges toasted up and the smokey pork flavor brought it all together wonderfully.
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You really need to try this one! Even Blue Light loved it.

During our fun evening, I did discuss her pickiness with her. She has now decided she will try everything once, including those things she doesn't think she likes :)
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I am happy and satisfied to be leaving you all with this final Grilled Pizza Month Post...it really is something!

While I hope to get another post or two up this week, I may be dropping off for a while. I'm Cape-bound (WOOOHOOOO!) and reuniting with some of my dear college buddies for the annual summer gathering, can't wait!!!

Getting to know the basics - Spice Blends

2010-07-27T08:00:00.001-04:00

This month has been HOT...really, really hot!

One particular steamy evening, this was the grill temp before I even turned it on...see, hot!?!?!

After reading a few of my favorite blogs, I've come to the realization there are still many cooking basics I've not tried. On this account, I decided to explore the flavors of two rather common spice mixes...

Curry Powder...
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and Old Bay.
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I picked up a package of chicken thighs and kept it simple with canola oil and...

a little Old Bay here...
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and some Curry Powder there.

Onto the grill they went.

Being so super hot out, there was no way in heck I was even touching the stove inside!

The chicken variations were so flavorful!

Both the Old Bay and Curry Powder are perfect quick dinner tools - At the end of a long day, when you're in a pinch to get something packed with flavor on the table, just grab either of these, sprinkle and cook away.

Honestly I can't believe I've not tried either mix at home before (and feel rather silly to be admitting that)...I suppose this is the case simply because they are not something I grew up with.

Next up is Old Bay on seafood and some curry chicken salad...things are looking good :o)

My apologies for ignoring the blog in the last week...I've been tied up with travels, golf and one crazy fun wedding! I am back now and harvesting like a mad woman from the garden, so stay tuned!!

Good in Theory...

2010-07-15T08:00:00.000-04:00

We're going from WOW! with the Tuesday night taco fusion straight to...um, ok.

From a recent physical at the MDs in the last week, I took away a few of things...

1) All systems go - meaning everything checked out a-ok.

2) Women are only supposed to have 1-2 alcoholic beverages at a sitting...I think I knew that, but have so conveniently ignored the advice up to this point.

3) There are a couple habits to kick before Hubs' return...received lecture from Doc, check! Plan of attack, double check!!

4) I need to eat more fruit...

Haha! I know it was a pretty good visit, right?!?! Happy and healthy is all you could ask for...but of the various points I took home, there is just one that's been on my mind - EAT MORE FRUIT!

On the way home from the visit, I decided I would test my newest thoughts for the next grilled pizza creation...peaches!

There have been some delicious Southern peaches at the local grocery making it the perfect time to put my plan into action. I pitted, sliced and arranged the peaches on whole wheat naan.
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My idea was to capture a salty/sweet combo on this one...
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so I picked up 6 slices of prosciutto from the deli counter.
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This time around I went with the VT made smoked mozzarella.

(Sweet + Salty + Smokey) + Grilled = ?
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At least the color combo is purdy!

I will shamefully admit FB and the blog distracted me a bit during the grill period...
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not a good thing :(

Though I suspect it may have also been the whole wheat naan choice as well...never have the white variations burned up like this. We'll give it another try with the whole wheat, but I'm not optimistic.

Next time I will also grill the peaches before putting them on the pizza...you know kick things up a notch.

All in all it was an okay pizza creation, certainly not as good as the two previously posted. If I use peaches again (which I really want to make work), I think I will grill the peaches first, stick to white naan, use a different cheese and maybe even try a different meat. Suggestions are of course welcome!!

Also on the drawing board - I'm contemplating an attempt for a grilled dessert pizza ;O)

A different kind of smoked tasties from the sea

2010-07-14T20:00:00.001-04:00

As with much of the country, we have been experiencing a heat spell...

*For nearly a week it was day after day of HHH (Hazy, Hot & Humid)!

The great thing about btown is that we're on the lake...and when you're on a lake you not need to only have beach buddies, but you need to have friends with a boat ;)

Fortunately for me, I do have such friends. One of the two that makes up T/T (we're going to call her T-MD) found herself with an itch to get out on Sunday and her +1 Mrs. T was out of town...luckily for me she thought to call!!
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T-MD also happens to be a dear foodie friend. Actually in combo T/T make up a powerhouse of culinary adventures!

It shouldn't have surprised me...but it kind of did. T-MD introduced me to something new on our Sunday Afternoon Booze Cruise...

That's right folks sardines!
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When T-MD first asked me whether I'd ever had them, I somewhat buzz'idly (not a word I know!) responded...only in cesar salad haha!! She so kindly corrected me, pointing out that she said 'sardines' not 'anchovies'!
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Always game for trying new things, I dug in...and I've got to say, these were fabulous!! Lightly smoked, imported and packed in oil - THEY WERE GREAT!
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We spent hours out on the lake that day...T-MD spent some time reading her Sunday New York Times and I floated around blissfully like a fish in water. One of the few things that could have brought us in that perfect day, did...our Sunday ice hockey group haha!!
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I learned that T/T also have a boat-grill...yup that's right! One of these days we've said we're gonna do a Korean BBQ at sea...well on the lake.
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I can't wait and I bet you all can't either :)

Flounder Taco Cups

2010-07-14T08:00:00.004-04:00

Two nights ago I hit major blog shame with Beer @ Softball + Smartfood After = Monday Dinner
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I know, I know...
HORRIBLE!!
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Last night I felt the need to redeem myself and redeem myself I did :)

*The small row of arugula I planted in the garden has been growing like crazy! Each day during my lunch hour, I drive home to make myself a delicious 'fresh from the garden' salad...can't beat that!

Trying to cook with the season's offerings, a good bunch of arugula was harvested for this evening's very important therapy session.

Now for the fun part...the Taco Cups!
*The recipe I based this dinner creation on called for the small wontons and a regular 12-cup pan. As you've seen in my monster muffins and cupcake, I like to go BIG!
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I used egg roll wrappers and my super nice giant 6-cup tin :)

The wrappers were brushed with canola oil, carefully fitted to each cup and baked for 6 minutes at 375 degrees. Pretty neat huh?!?!
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What seemed an unlikely combination was the taco filling...

* Chopped arugula, mango, avocado and scallions dressed with an olive oil/lime juice dressing.
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Peppery + Sweet + Buttery + Mild Onion + Citrus/Fruitiness = One Crazy Fusion of Flavors!!!

The recipe I was working from called for Tilapia, but I substituted with flounder. To accompany this flavor packed filling the fish was seasoned with salt/pepper and pan fried.
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Finally for the topping - Crème Fraiche + Wasabi Powder!

The finished dish!
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It looked so great from all sides...

I couldn't resist and ate two haha!

For me this meal was WOW!

I really enjoyed the unlikely flavor combinations, which made it an exciting dish to eat...next time I would prefer to grill the fish rather than pan fry (I think that grill flavor would happily accompany this outrageous flavor combo!), not to mention creating the taco cups was so simple, I'm already being to think of other things to fill them with!!

This was a redeemer meal for sure (recipe posted)!

Recipe for Flounder Taco Cups

2010-07-14T07:30:00.000-04:00

(A FoodThearpy revision of Giada De Laurentiis' Tilapia Fish Tacos with Arugula)
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What you'll need:
6 eggroll wrappers
Canola oil
Olive oil
3 cups coarsely chopped baby arugula

1 avocado, halved, pitted and flesh cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 mango, peeled and flesh cut into 1/2-inch cubes

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 2 limes)

3 flounder fillets (about 8 ounces total)
Crème fraiche

Wasabi powder
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Taco Cups: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Brush each side of the wonton wrappers with canola oil and press into muffin pan. Bake for 6 minutes and let cool.

The Fish: Drizzle the flounder fillets with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Pan fry or grill (I say grill!).

The Unlikely Filling: Whisk together 3 tablespoons of olive oil and the lime juice. Add the avocado, mango, green onions, and arugula. Toss until all the ingredients are coated. Season with salt, to taste.

Crème Fraiche w/a Kick: Mix together the crème fraiche, wasabi powder and salt to taste.

To assemble: Fill each cup with filling, lay fish along the top and dollop on some wasabi goodness!

When you house sit for us...

2010-07-13T08:00:00.005-04:00

one can expect many surprises and treats...

* The first is this smiling face...literally in your face the whole time :)
*

Well that is true, except for when our angel decides he's tired and cuddles up into a little peaceful ball...so cute and innocent right?!?!
*
Hubs and I know our pup is an acquired taste and can be a lot to handle for the wrong person. With Hubs gone and the road calling me away from home, third party dog care is something I'm having to to take into consideration.
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Up until my last trip The Sox Family (aka my brother/sister in-laws) have been incredible about taking the Pups into their home for days at a time. Pups loves it and they also seem (or rather claim, haha!) to enjoy it. On the last trip though, The Sox home was booked to capacity with visiting family, so we had to move to Plan B...Blue Light.
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Blue Light is the mother of two wonderful little girls and has a special someone she shares her days with. Coming to my rescue, Blue Light and her whole crew moved into the house for a night and assumed all doggie care responsibilities.
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When one house sits for us, they can expect all sorts of special treats...
for Blue Light and company it was an Asian Feast!
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I picked up some sweet sugar snap peas at the Farmers' Market over the weekend. They were so darn good, how can you not love the summer freshness!?!?
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They were cooked up in sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce and salt/pepper.
*

I also did a little spin on my mother's fried rice recipe. Trying to be sensitive to kiddos eating this meal, I really wanted to maximize the veggie use. Rather than meat in this rice I went with a combo of carrots and green and red peppers.

Making this Veggie Fried Rice, Korean-American Style, is pretty easy...

Begin by heating oil in a wok.

Saute garlic and veggies until softened just a wee bit.

*Note I did cut the veggies up pretty small, just in case that would help in getting the kids to eat it.

Add cooked rice (I use Korean rice and my handy counter top rice cooker), scallions, sesame oil, soy sauce, and black pepper.

Mix until combined and everything is evenly heated.

There you have it, pretty simple, mighty tasty and provides an additional servings of veggies, well hidden :)

The centerpiece of the meal - my mother's recipe for Bulgogi!

A Korean stir fry type dish, it is a salty/sweet treat made up of beef, garlic, onions and scallions.
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This was actually one of my lil' sis' favorite things to eat growing up...translating to our family eating it a lot! Her favorite thing to do was to have the sauce poured over her white rice, so of course mom would usually try to make extra. The extra sauce approach has stuck and so when I do whip a batch up, there is plenty of to go around.
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Made the evening before my departure, everything was packaged up and set in the fridge for easy reheating. I also picked up milk, fruit juice, Trout River's Rainbow Red Ale (for the grown ups), ice cream dots and Ben & Jerry's.

My hope was they would have everything they might need or want...and a couple of special treats :)

Thank you for the help Blue Light!!

A Thief in our Midsts!

2010-07-10T15:00:00.001-04:00

Initially I thought it might be the birds...mostly because I happen to see one fly off with a big ripe raspberry in it's beak.

Then I thought it might be the squirrels...I saw them too hanging around my raspberries.

But then I saw this...

and this...

...which led me to creep up to catch this!
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HAHA, that's right! The Pups is one of my many raspberry thieves!!
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Grandpa GreenThumb's Rockin' Raspberries

I have actually had more than enough raspberries for myself. What began as 6 inch sprigs I relocated from my Grandfather's amazing property last June, have grown into a fruitful bounty.

These berries are amazing. I've gotten over 3 quarts from the bush already this year and while the harvest is beginning to slow down, I've still been able to pick enough each morning to enjoy for breakfast :O)

No Hubs = Girls' Night!

2010-07-08T08:00:00.005-04:00

The summers are for parties and just because Hubs is gone that is no excuse for me not to host one...in fact it is the perfect setting for a 'Girls' Night'!!!

I love having fresh flowers in the house. Early on in our cohabitant years, I would occasionally buy bouquets or be semiannually gifted them from Hubs to decorate the house. Since then fresh flowers have fallen into the 'unnecessary expense' category. Hubs is like my Superman when if comes to finances and so at some point in the last few years I decided flowers were not a 'necessary expense'.

The white peonie above was rescued from a snapped stem from our flower beds...the cost was nothing and look at just how fabulously it decorates our coffee table!

Though fresh flowers might be an unnecessary expense when you're trying to save, it becomes a mood lifter when you're trying to just get through life one day at time. With Hubs gone, I fall into the later category and figured the smile these bring is well worth the cost.

There was also one small bunch of peonies hiding in the flower cooler, so I snatched those up as well (I love peonies!).

When it came to the cooking I had my right hand gal on hand to help. Better known to you as my Redneck BFF (let's call her Blue Light), she had her sleeves rolled up, drinking hat on and dove right in...

Of course I had the menu already roughly planned (remember I am a constant planner by nature), but Blue Light decided at the grocery store that she really wanted to contribute a dish of her own. Aiding her with the inspiration, we decided on a pizza-app...

The go-to Shipyard store bought crust topped with fresh mozzarella and prosciutto, served with a side of tasty bottled marinara...BIG HIT!

What added to this pizza's specialness was the use of the pizza stone...works like a charm every time :o)

Quick summary of the pizza -

Preheat Oven the 500 degrees with pizza stone in the middle of oven.

Place refrigerated dough in large bowl, coat with flour and allow to come to room temperature (it will rise a bit during this time).

Stretch dough and place on cornmeal covered pizza peel or cookie sheet.

Brush the top of the pizza with a wee bit of olive oil (garlic olive oil is my fav).

Top with mozzarella and prosciutto.

Transfer from peel (or baking sheet) directly onto the pizza stone and drop the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Cook until cheese is melted and begins to brown.

Nice work Blue Light :o)

Inspired by The Future Mrs. Creature's Mother's creation, I was determined to create spring rolls at home as another app for this Girls' Night.

The filling was a combination of cooked and cooled vermicelli noodles and mix of napa cabbage, carrot sticks, mung beans, cilantro, lime juice and fish sauce. The meats added included chicken breasts poached in Thai green curry chicken stock and straight up cooked shrimp.

The filling tasted wonderful, but the technique in rolling them was a challenge. My good friends T/T came to my rescue, arriving just in time to take over rolling. Since then I've practiced one more time, but for the life of me cannot figure out how the restaurants get them so tight and perfect?!?! Tips anyone??

Accompanying these delicious spring rolls was this outstanding sauce, courtesy of Emeril and made by Blue Light...it's so gosh darn good that I ended up making another batch a week later and used it on more spring rolls and some pasta, YUM!!!!

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Peanut Sauce (Nuoc Leo):
1 tablespoon peanut oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon chili paste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chicken stock or water
1/2 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons peanut butter
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1/4 cup unsalted roasted peanuts, finely chopped
1 fresh red Thai chile pepper, seeded and thinly sliced, optional
Sriracha sauce, for garnishing, optional
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Heat the oil in a small saucepan and, when hot, add the garlic, chile paste, and tomato paste, and cook until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add the broth, sugar, peanut butter and hoisin sauce and whisk to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool slightly before serving. Serve in small bowls, garnished with the peanuts, sliced chiles and optional hot sauce. May be served warm or at room temperature.
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The rest of dinner was kept simple, so as to provide the chance for socializing and general merriment.

Grilled Pepper Mix.

Perfectly grilled asparagus.

I say perfect here, because the tops had that slight crisp that happens when you have just the right amount of oil and just the right temp...so good!

Earlier in the week I had the opportunity to visit Hubs and my old stomping ground in MA and made a special trip to the butcher shop.

Tequila-Lime Marinated Chicken Breast...

and Steak Tips.

I marinated the steak in a Korean Style Sauce. A couple of friends liked it so much the took the remaining marinade home to use the following day haha! An unfortunate thing did happen during this final step of grilling dinner...we ran out of gas! Don't you just hate that?!?! Well of course we do not have a second tank on hand as back up (though Hubs, I am beginning to think we should!).

With T/T heading up the meat grilling portion of our evening, we brought the partially cooked beef inside and finished it on a grill pan. It was of course tasty and not bothered by the broken cooking/grill time...phew!

The night was a great success, filled with laughter, catching up, games, toenail painting (for some unlikely recipients haha) and plenty of food and drinks!

Thank you to all the wonderful hockey girlfriends who made it!!! And a very special thank you to Blue Light for being the great Redneck BFF you are haha!

I can't wait to have another summer party!!

Parties are fun, parties are good and parties make me smile...especially when I am hosting them =O)

It does look as though the next party could be as soon as next weekend, as we prepare for our annual benefit ice hockey tournament...Hockey Fights MS! Woohoo!!!!!!!

My OOB Inspired Dinner

2010-07-07T09:00:00.000-04:00

The week following the crazy Bachelorette Weekend, I had a craving for some more tuna.

Inspired by my meal at Yellowfin's in Old Orchard Beach, I decided to try creating my own at home version of the sesame encrusted tuna.

The tuna in the grocery store looked and smelled alright...

so I went for it and picked up this tuna steak.

I sliced the steak into three strips...
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...and coated them with sesame seeds. Now I am not sure of the actual process, anyone else know if the sesame seeds are supposed to go on before you cook or after?!?! I figured since I was using un-toasted seeds, it couldn't hurt to do it first and then they could pick up the nutty toasted flavor while cooking.
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My parents had picked up this can of wasabi powder for me a while back. I decided for an accompanying sauce to mix some up in soy sauce.

I cooked the tuna in a nonstick pan and ended up varying degrees of doneness. Oops! I think this was mostly the pan's hot spots, since the fish was cut into pretty even chunks. A plus to having such a variety of donenesses is that it allowed me to determine just how well I like my tuna cooked at home ;)

For some reason snow peas seemed like the perfect side for this dinner, so I cooked some up in garlic, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce and pepper.

I was actually very impressed by this creation. It not only tasted great, it left me feeling satisfied and not overly stuffed!

The single tuna steak proved to be too much for one person, so I saved the rarest pieces to eat the next day for lunch. I simply microwaved for 30 seconds to remove the chill and enjoyed for the second time!

Looks like I've got another successful fish dish to add to the 'can do' list haha!!

The Future Mrs. Creature's Bachelorette

2010-07-07T08:00:00.010-04:00

WARNING - The following post may not be suitable for all walks of life. If you do not like silly, even sometimes stupid events/actions (such as those associated with a Bachelorette Weekend), please read no further...otherwise enjoy haha! Love you girls!!
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We came, we saw, we conquered...
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We also incidentally left our mark, made memories and celebrated one of the most absolutely fabulous Brides to Be (B2B) out there!
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Just a few weeks ago we all packed our bags, loaded the cars and headed to Maine to celebrate The Future Mrs. Creature's freedom as a non-married woman. The location for our crazy trip was Old Orchard Beach. Being slightly Type-A, the B2B took much of the early planning on herself and found the most wonderful little cottages as the setting and temporary homestead of this infamous Bachelorette Weekend.
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Now I can't help it but be one of those people who arrives early or on time to a party/event. I often recall my old middle school band teacher's motto - "to be early is to be on time, to be on time is to be late." In addition to our many commonalities and differences, Hubs also tends to be a similar creature to me, except with him we are early or really, really early where ever we go haha!
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So there you have it, I can't help but to be early. Another habit I have picked up along the way is to always be prepared for everything. Prior to leaving I hit the stores in btown and I hit them hard.
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I picked up an awesome party mix, sesame pretzels...
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...apples, cheese (lots of cheese) and crackers.
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Cheese Selection included - Grafton VT Cheddar, Cabot Herb'ed Cheddar, and Brie.
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Being the first person to arrive (coming from Northern VT), I had the perfect opportunity to get the party started for my fellow girlie road warriors and laid out the spread. Working with what the cottage had to offered, I plated food on Coca-Cola dishes and arranged the limited wine and (again Coca-Cola) glasses.
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Always being prepared I also had 6 bottles of wine chilled, eagerly waiting for my SoVT ladies to arrive...and so they did, one car load at a time.
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It was a flurry of happiness to see one another, mixed with great excitement of the celebration, combined with appreciation in being able to spend a weekend together in such an awesome location.
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We drank, we ate, we laughed...
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...and then we headed to dinner.
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Again, B2B's Type-A came into play and she found the best little restaurant for us to have the inaugural Bachelorette Weekend dinner - Yellowfin's. A BYOB and good food made this the perfect kick off! We each packed a bottle of wine into our purses and navigated our already tipsy walk to the restaurant.
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The B2B and a couple of others indulged in whole lobsters, others ordered from the variety of seafood offerings...
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...and a couple of us enjoyed the house specialty of yellowfin tuna.
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Dinner was good, but the company was even better! We left our mark at Yellowfin, if not in the minds of the waitstaff, then as part of the experiences of the other diners haha! Being a bit over ambitious we had some half bottles to re-cork...which of course we did. The location of our cottages from the restaurant provided us the chance for a perfect stumble along the beach back...which again, of course we did!
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Once back we regrouped and planned to head to the Pier (aka the epicenter of OOB).
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Along the way we passed by carnival rides, which for some were irresistible. Note the Rosebud's hands flying through the air haha!
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Our experience at the Pier was like a scene from The Jersey Shore, with guidos and hoochies, mixed together with Mainers, French Canadians, and typical young tourists.
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We danced, we drank and we stumbled home...
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...with a sort of bachelorette weekend baptism along the way haha! (Really, it was pretty funny and I'm not all sure why or how this happened...but the B2B was cleansed prior to her marriage to Mr. Creature).
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Saturday was our Beach Day. A few of us woke up early, grabbed breakfast and headed to the grocery store to pick up food and drinks for our day in the sand.
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The day was absolutely perfect! The sand soft, sun shining and water, but of course freezing!
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We lounged, some got burnt and we got a little twisted...
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For dinner we thought we had found a gem. It offered a lively atmosphere, outdoor seating and decently priced seafood and drinks.
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What we discovered is that you get what you pay for...and what we paid for was 'Old Food' or so that is what we declared it haha!
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The lobster tasted like it came from a can, the fried chicken tenders were dry and well, old looking, the fish and chips received much criticism...perhaps the only dish ordered not to receive a bashing (but no praise either) were the fried clams.
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Anyway, when you are with a bunch, like the bunch I was with it does not matter and we still had a great time...and of course, the beer/drinks were just perfect!
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We got what we paid for and we ate 'old food'...
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The second night was much calmer. We had some fun back at the cottages and headed in to ride the rides. Pirate ship, roller coaster, bumper cars, tilt-a-whirl, so on and so forth. To cap off the night we enjoyed ice creams and candied apples.
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The fabulous weekend finally came to an end with brunch. Some had the veggie benedict, others the lobster benedict, omelets and for me...a smoked salmon benedict with leeks and capers - It was wonderful :o)
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After such a great weekend, we all could not all help but say...we have to do this more often! Being in our 20's, we in all likelihood will have the chance to do it again ;)
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My SoVT gals are awesome, no wait fabulous! There are no words to describe the laughter and good times had whenever everyone gets together.
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Next up is The Future Mrs. Creature's big day, which is now just a couple of weeks away!!

Skew it on the BBQ - Pizza for One, #2

2010-07-05T20:49:00.008-04:00

More Grilled Pizza...
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As I've mentioned previously, B&A were headed off on a European Vacation. As gardeners and CSA members, they had a bounty of freshness to share with me as they packed their bags, harvested and cleaned out the fridge.
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For this pizza I utilized the fresh sage and microgreens they gifted me...
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Prosciutto was also about 40% off at the deli, so I had to buy some. Otherwise I had everything else lying around...
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The naan comes in packs of two, so here I used up the last one.
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There were some extra tomatoes as well.
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OK, so I am not sure if it is a VT thing, a SoVT thing, or just a girl thing...but I ALWAYS have cheese in the house. Actually I usually have at least 3+ kinds in the house just cause I LOVE CHEESE and am NOT afraid to eat it haha!! This time around I went with a drier shredded mozzarella.
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As I did before I oiled the naan (canola underneath, garlic olive oil on top), layered on the goods and grilled at 350 degrees.
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Just as I had hoped, the prosciutto took on a wonderful crisp!

The microgreens were piled on and yes, some more of that delicious Balsamic Glaze drizzled over the top (really a wonderful discovery!!).

The sage went PREFECT with the salty prosciutto and mozzarella...actually everything melded together amazingly well =o)

There will be more Grilled Pizza creations coming...it's just so darn easy, tasty and the combinations are endless!!

Skew it on the BBQ - Pizza for one, #1

2010-07-05T20:40:00.003-04:00

Summer is here! Being the end of what is a wonderful long 4th of July weekend, the grills have been working hard all around the country :o)

As my first 4th of July weekend without Hubs here, I was motivated to get out and be around people. Friday afternoon began with a wonderful round of golf with my redneck BFF...

Saturday was spent lounging with my in-laws at their camp on the lake...

* and Sunday a trip to my hometown for my family's annual 4th of July Party.

All in all it's been a great balance of R&R

(and chance to get back to the blog)!

Any who, other than the grilled turkey burger I made on Saturday, I've not done much cooking myself. I've been fortunate enough to be the guest at others' meals. Below is not something I did this weekend, but is one of my newest addictions and does involve the Grill.

It's an efficient meal that is oh-so flexible, easy to cook for one...and most importantly, absolutely delicious!!
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Inspired by my Sister in Law, here is my recent (and first) attempt at Grilled Pizzas!

Fresh basil from my garden, fresh mozzarella (which one day I will make myself) and tomatoes.
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A recent find at Costco...an affordable, ready to-go balsamic reduction.
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Beginning with store bought garlic naan, the underside was brushed with canola oil and garlic olive oil over the top...

...then the tomatoes, grilled sweet Italian turkey sausage, mozzarella and basil were layered on.

With the grill heated to 350 degrees, the pizza was placed about midway up the grates, so as not to be directly over the flames. Please note, do put the pizza straight on the grates...no pan, foil, etc are necessary.

Really a no fuss meal, the lid was closed and only opened to rotate the pizza halfway through cooking.

Once the bottom was toasty looking and cheese melted, my newest pick up of Balsamic Glaze was drizzled on.

YUM!

Pizza for One, #1 - so quick, easy and tasty!!

When pigs fly...

2010-06-23T08:00:00.004-04:00

It's real Spanish pig and the city!!!

Over Memorial Day weekend I attended a Beantown wedding and made the adventure with my foodie favs B&A. All in all it was a fun weekend between a wedding celebration and the taking in of a Sox game. However one of my most favorite parts of the weekend was our arrival lunch.

B&A had the most amazing menu packed in a cooler for our pre-game session before the wedding.

Homemade roasted red peppers.

Homemade 'experimental sandwich bread.'

B is trying to create the perfect sandwich bread...sort of a cross between focaccia and a baguette. While he was not 100% happy with this batch, I thought it was pretty fantastic!

Homemade pickles from their veggie harvest last summer.

*Freshly picked lettuce mix from their garden this season.

And now for the Serrano ham...straight from Spain.

Two kinds of this very special ham successfully made it's way carefully hidden in a suitcase of one their a good friends.

The incredible flavor, texture and sight made it one of my favorite parts to the weekend...being ahead of my nostalgic Fenway Frank, it was quite frankly the best thing I ate on the whole trip!

*Pretty amazing spread right? Well B&A take it up another notch, yet again wow'ing me with their preparedness...a travel size bread knife. Who knew these existed haha!!

With a spread of herb'd goat cheese all of the delicious components to this sandwich were layered on.

It was absolutely delicious!! Salty, piggy, sweet, herbed deliciousness!!!

B&A are amazing friends...so kind hearted, fascinating and just flat out great people to be around :-) Not to mention 99% of the time I am with them, we are enjoying some pretty awesome food...it's a wonderful match haha!!

This week they are off on a European vacation and I can't wait to hear about their experiences when they get back!

Cheers B&A for a fun, safe and food packed trip abroad!!!!

Happy Friday Mini Sox!

2010-06-17T13:30:00.005-04:00

Fridays are like holidays and they are definitely worth celebrating!

The conclusion of Mama Sox's semester has come and my pre-arranged duties of caring for Mini Sox expired. Last Friday was our final hoorah...well at least for now :o)

With it being Friday, Mini Sox's schedule is a bit more flexible and he was able to come over to my house for dinner and hanging out. We began our evening with a trip to the grocery store, where Mini Sox pushed around a pint-sized shopping cart assisting Auntie Gullible with picking up ingredients for a special feast.

Once home, Mini Sox was allowed 30 minutes of tv...yup, that's right! I finally know the truth about how much tv he is allowed to watch. His pick and recent obsession...Scooby Doo!!!

As he watched tv, I got to work in the kitchen with first cleaning the mussels and cutting broccoli. Following a Giada recipe, this is super simple -

Add 1 pound of pasta to boiling water and cook for 6 minutes. Add broccoli florets and cook until pasta is al dente. Meanwhile in a large pan heat some olive oil and add garlic. Then to the pan add wine, salt, pepper, red pepper flake and finally the mussels. Cook until all of the mussels have opened, discarding those remaining closed. Combine drained pasta/broccoli and mussel mix in a large bowl and you're done!

Mini Sox LOVES mussels, so it was a hit!

At the start of dinner, with his sparking grape drink (which yes, he picked out for himself) and my glass of wine, we toasted to 'Happy Friday!'
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We also enjoyed a scrumptious seeded baguette...with butter!! Like any good food lover, Mini Sox was super excited about the butter haha!
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Auntie Gullible wanted to make sure this meal was all it could be for Mini Sox, so we each picked out a delicious dessert from the pastry cooler. His choice was this super dense flourless chocolate cake...
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The worrisome part was he took a couple bites, looked at me and said: yum, coffee! Uh-oh!!! I tried a bite, but couldn't tell if it was just a dark chocolate bitterness or if there was coffee...who knows maybe it was both haha!
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He did admit to me that he has tried Papa Sox's coffee before and I know he has eaten the Hubs-fav Coffee Banana Cream Pie on occasion...I just hope Mama Sox did not have a restless boy later that night...and if she did, I will take all the blame!! Sorry and yes, I've learned that I need to ask the nice grocery store folks first what it is I am buying (or rather what is in it) for such a wee little one.
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I chose this coconut pastry...it was awesome and I know something Hubs would just have LOVED!
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Mama Sox came over after her final class and we visited for a bit. It was a Happy Friday!!
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All in all it was a successful semester and the perfect taste of what everyday could be like when Hubs and I have one (or two) little ones of our own :oD