Ready to swim

This is Frazier, Donna’s dog. Is it just me or is he not adorable in his life vest? Ready for swimming!

Just Because

Here are the flowers my wonderful husband brought me. He was out running errands (one of which was putting air in my tires) and I was at home cooking for a party that night. He shows up in the kitchen with roses…just because! Those are the best kind to get. He’s wonderful. J

 

Wowzers

Words cannot say how tired I was yesterday. I mean to tell ya. I was falling asleep at my desk all throughout the day. And on the drive home yesterday afternoon, I was falling asleep. It was a little scary. I was so completely exhausted from these past weeks and this past weekend. It has been many late nights and exhausting days. It finally just all caught up with me and was staring me in the face.

 

After I left work yesterday I stopped by On The Fly, picked up my vegetables, came home and put them on the counter and then climbed into the bed. I slept from 4:10 to 6:30 yesterday. Beau was starving when I woke up, ready to eat. (Don’t think he can’t feed himself. We were supposed to go out to dinner and he wasn’t going to leave me at home!) But we didn’t go out afterall and just ate leftovers. We ate dinner, then some dessert J and watched the Gamecock game. I went back to bed around 9:30 and slept  until this morning. And I feel soooo much better! It’s amazing what sleep will do for you.

 

GO GAMECOCKS!

If you didn’t watch the game last night, you missed out. SC Gamecocks vs. Florida Gators for the College World Series-Game 1. And yes, the Gamecocks won that one. Tonight is Game 2!

 

I might sound like I’ve been a big Gamecock fan my whole life and that I live for this stuff. But in all truthfulness, I only became a Gamecock fan last fall when Beau took me to the home football games. And living with this man, I can’t help but be a fan. And as you can see from the picture, my mom can’t help it either. J

 

Pop-Pops Party

This past Sunday night, Beau and I hosted the biggest we’ve had at our house to date-25 people in attendance. Yes, it was jam-packed in there, like little sardines! But we had a great time! Beau did all the grilling. The poor man smelled like a smoke all night; his eyes were dry from the smoke and he was hot!!! But he persevered and the food was delicious! We started a corn hole tournament with Uncle Jerry and Uncle Bobby (Pop-Pop’s brothers from Philadelphia) winning it all. They were thrilled. Remember: it’s not about winning or losing; it’s about how you play the game. Bobby said the others just didn’t play so well that day. J

 

Overall, the party was a huge success with Pop-Pop feeling really loved, which is what we were going for. Makes my heart happy.

 

“Pop-Pop’s Party” Potato Salad

5 oz 1/8 inch thick slices pancetta

¼ c fresh lemon juice

1` T minced fresh rosemary

2 tsp lemon zest

1 garlic clove, pressed

2/3 c olive oil

3 lbs Yukon gold potatoes (it’s essential to use Yukon)

3 large celery stalks, thinly sliced

2 T chopped fresh parsley

 

Preheat oven to 400. Arrange pancetta slices on rimmed baking sheet. Bake until golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes (do not burn). Drain on paper towels. Cool. Coarsley chop pancetta. Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice, rosemary, lemon zest and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressign to taste with salt and pepper. Place potatoes in a large pot. Add enough cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to meidum. Simmer with lid ajar until tender, 18-25 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Drain, let stand until cool enough to handle, about 20 minutes. Cut potatoes into ¼ inch thick slices (remove skin, if desired). Place in large bowl; add celery. Drizzle dressing over; toss gently to coat. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill until cold, at least 2 hours. Sprinkle pancetta and chopped parsley over potato salad.

 

 

Our dog

By the way, THIS is Argos. He is our lovely, very protective and extremely smart Australian Cattle Dog. He is 5. He loves to play ball. He eats trees, chases squirrels and licks incessantly. He is Argos. He is our dog. We love him.

 

Candy

Look what a friend at work brought me!!!! I’ve never had one of these. Angel was eating one the other day and I naturally inquired about it. And today, tada! They were on my desk. How delightful.

 

Here’s a question. Does anyone remember a chocolate candy that was shaped like a planter’s peanut was a milk chocolate on the outside and then had peanut butter on the inside? I vaguely remember these existing. I’m going to try and find them. But if anyone remembers what they were called, tell me!

One Thing After Another

Last night Beau and I went out on the sailboat with Donna and some friends that flew in from Washington State, Larry and Julia. I made sandwiches and cut up some fruit and we were excited.

 

I turn the key and press the crank button and nothing. The engine won’t even turn over. Beau and Larry check all the charge outlets. Everything is normal. I keep trying to the starter. Nothing. Larry and Beau are down in the cabin messing with all of the instruments, trying to figure out what the issue is all the while, sweating profusely. (It was 97° at 6:00 pm.) Long story short, Donna suggested calling the Harbor Master to ask if we could borrow a battery. We couldn’t, but he gave us a sort of mobile jump. It worked!

 

But I’ve got to tell ya. It has been one thing after another with the boat lately. Every time we go out there is something else that goes wrong. Last time, we lost the main halyard and it is currently at the top of the mast. (We’re waiting on someone small who is brave enough to go up there and get it. Know of anyone?) The time before, the boom broke, fell and crushed the drink holder. Not good.

 

But on a good note: the sandwiches were scrumptious, we had some good laughs and Argos had a great time barking at the waves!

 

Turkey Caprese Sandwiches

1 loaf Ciabatta bread, sliced in the width you want for sandwiches (I would also recommend toasting them)

1 jar roasted red peppers (although I forgot these when I assembled the sandwiches and they were still magnificent)

Fresh mozzarella, sliced

A couple large tomatoes, sliced

Pesto

Vinaigrette

Sliced turkey (optional)

 

VINAIGRETTE

¼  c chopped fresh basil

1 T chopped fresh parsley

2 T balsamic vinegar

1/3 c EVOO

1 clove garlic, chopped

1 T chopped fresh marjoram (or 1 tsp dried-I didn’t want to buy fresh)

 

Whisk all the ingredients for the vinaigrette together and set aside.

 

To assembly the sandwich I made an assembly line type deal. Lay all the bread out. Spread one side of each sandwich with the vinaigrette and the other side of the sandwich with the pesto. And really the rest is up to you. Layer the tomatoes, mozzarella, roasted red peppers and turkey however you want on the bread and with as much or as little as you want. This is YOUR sandwich. It’s good cold, but it’s really good with some butter or olive oil spread on the outside of the sandwich and then grilled. Oh yes, that’s delicious.

Taking Over

Vegetables are taking over my house. I’m overrun with potatoes, onions, zucchini, squash, tomatoes, jalapenos, corn and eggplant. I don’t know what to do with all of it. I’ve made at least four soups since the middle of April and I’ve frozen them all. It’s nice for now, but come fall and winter we’ll be overrun with soups!

 

Beau and I have grilled zucchini and squash every chance we get. I’m tired of eating it that way. I opted to not each lunch yesterday rather than eat them…again.

 

I don’t want to be wasteful and I don’t want to give it away because we paid for it. But what is a girl to do?! I never thought I would hate vegetables as much as I do right now.

 

If you have any ideas as to what I can do with these vegetables please share them. Recipes are welcome. I’m currently looking for a no-fail delicious potato soup recipe. I know, I’ve never made potato soup. Should I be ashamed?

Pesto

Mom and Aunt Beverly came over for dinner last night.  A little girls’ night at the house if you will. I made up a salad with the goods from our vegetable co-op and some Chicken Pesto Pasta. It was scrumptious. Very easy and full of flavor. HERE is what you use all of that basil on!

 

Pesto Pasta with Chicken, Arugula and Asparagus

1 lb pasta of your choice (but something short like penne)

1 jar sundried tomatoes, drained (reserve oil)

1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and cut into 2” pieces

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

½ c basil pesto

2-3 c baby arugula

Freshly grated or shaved Parmesan

 

In a large pot of boiling water, add some serious salt. Then add the pasta. Cook to al dente.

 

Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat up a couple T of the sundried tomato oil from the jar on medium heat. Sauté the chicken until cooked through. Remove and set aside. Add a couple more T of the same oil to the pan and sauté the asparagus with some salt and pepper for a couple of minutes. Add in the sundried tomatoes and cook a few more minutes, until the asparagus is tender. Add the chicken back to the pan to soak of the flavors involved. Throw all of that into a bowl with the pasta (reserving ½ c pasta water). Now throw in the arugula and pesto. Toss it up real nice. If you need to thin out the pasta, that’s when you start adding  in the reserved pasta water, a little bit at a time. Don’t forget to check the salt level of the dish. My pesto was pretty strong on the salt due to a heavy hand on my part, so I didn’t need to add any salt. Yum. Yum.

 

A Special Dog

Last night I was playing ball with Argos in the den. All of a sudden Argos stops playing ball and looks at the garage. I thought to myself, “Is someone out there?!?!” And in that moment my phone rang and it was Beau! Argos had a feeling you know. It was his dad. J

 

The Loves

I love Harris Teeter’s grocery carts. You know why? They have cup holders in them. So I sit my purse where the kid should sit (don’t have one of those yet) and put my drink right there in the little holder. No spillage. Happy shopper. J

 

Bocci's

Okay, so here’s a retraction on an earlier review of Bocci’s. I went there about a year ago and really enjoyed it. I returned last night and hated it. I guess this place is hit or miss. So my mom and I took Pop-Pop out to dinner for his 83^rd birthday. He wanted Italian and I thought Bocci’s would be a good place. Lucky for me…and him, he loved his meal. Not so lucky for me…I didn’t like mine.

 

Pops ordered the seared scallops for his appetizer and…well…they did look scrumptious and very beautiful on his plate. He ate every bite. I convinced mom to let me order the steamed mussels for us to share. She had never had them and I love them! I’m so thrilled that she liked them so much. But I’ve got to say, those were second in line for the worst mussels I’ve ever had. Where were the worst? Hmm… I can’t remember, but they had sand in them and they sour. Yuck. I think I must have repressed the whole experience. The best mussels? Cinque Terre, Italy-large mussels stuffed with parmesan and bread crumbs and covered in marinara. Yes. Those were the best.

 

Moving on…

 

Pops ordered the Spaghetti Bolognese. I did as well. I was shocked too. Such a plain dish if you will. But I was craving pasta (long noodle pasta) and Bolognese. Needless to say, I should have held out for a better place. Very disappointing. The sauce wouldn’t cling to the pasta, pasta had no flavor, Bolognese had no flavor. Very underwhelmed. Can I just put in a little blip for some delightful Bolognese? (Of course I can, this is my blog.) Mercato, downtown on Market Street. Wonderful Spaghetti Bolognese and while we’re at it, their sautéed Brussels Sprouts are out of this world!

 

Mom on the other hand loved her Eggplant Parmesan. And I’ve got to say, it was some of the best I’ve ever had. Two very crispy fried eggplant disks (large) stuffed with ricotta cheese in between and covered in marinara and mozzarella. Yes, that was good.

 

But like I said, hit or miss. Good luck.

 

Their Clothing

My mom is pretty proud of the fact that she can always find a great deal on clothing. It’s her mission I think. But this last deal is a little much…maybe. A friend of my mom’s recommended a new place to get her hair done. (She said it was super cheap.) No wonder, it’s the nursing home! My mom was shocked when she went the first time. But now she goes regularly because it’s so cheap. In going there, she came across the Hospice clothing store. She went in. And she bought something. She bought this lovely Ralph Lauren sweater for $4! It’s her deal of the year she claims. My sister said it nicely when she pointed out that mom was wearing dead people’s clothing. Way to get those deals mom!

 

“Best Deal” Corn and Zucchini Fritters

1 large corn cob, cooked with kernels removed

1 medium zucchini, grated

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 c milk

1 c self-rising flour

½ tsp cumin

Salt and cracked black pepper

Wile rocket leaves, to serve

Chopped avocado, to serve

 

Whisk together the corn, zucchini, eggs and milk. Gradually stir in the sifted flour, cumin, salt and pepper.

 

Heat a little oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Using a T, place heaped spoonfuls of the mixture in the pan and cook in batches. Using a spatula, turn them once, until golden and cooked through. Drain on paper towel, cover and keep warm as you cook remaining fritters.

 

Serve the fritters with sliced avocado and wild rocket leaves and a little sweet chili sauce if you like.

 

 

It Won the Toss

I made Chicken Pot Pie last night for dinner. Because it’s summer, that means grill time! So we’ve been grilling almost every night, which has been wonderful. But lately, I had been craving some comfort food. I wanted pasta or a casserole or something creamy, you know? Chicken Pot Pie won the toss (because we had all the needed ingredients). And come to find out, it was Beau’s first time having it. Who knew? Well, I’ve never eaten Meatloaf. I’ll have to cook that at some point just try it. Anyway, it was delicious and really hit the spot. We had to stop each other from continuing to eat it. Between the two of us, we ate half the pie. I know, I’m a little ashamed. Try it for yourself!

 

Chicken Pot Pie

3 celery stalks

3 medium carrots, peeled

1 large yellow onion

4 T butter

½ c frozen peas

2 c cooked chicken, cut into bite-size pieces

¼ c flour

2 c chicken broth

1 chicken bouillon cube

¼ c white wine

1 c heavy cream

1 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp salt

Pepper

1 pie crust (or two, I used two)

*I also added some rosemary potatoes left over from the night before.

 

Preheat oven to 400. Note: if you’re using two pie crusts, place one in the bottom of the pie plate and bake until golden, then remove from oven. Now proceed…

 

Begin by finely dicing the vegetables: celery, carrots and onion. Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the vegetables, including the peas and sauté until tender and onion is translucent. Add the chicken and cook a few minutes. Sprinkle the flour evenly over the chicken and vegetables and stir gently to combine. Cook a few minutes.

 

Add in the chicken broth, stirring the whole time. Then stir in the bouillon and the wine, if  using. Cook for a few minutes, while stirring. Pour in the cream and stir. Allow the mixture to cook a few minutes, about 4 minutes. Season with thyme, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and taste to make sure it’s adequately seasoned. And make sure there’s enough salt! Pour everything into your pie plate and top with the pie crust. Cut a few small slits in the top of the crust. Press the overhanging pie crust gently to the sides to seal.

 

Bake 30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the gravy is bubbly. Allow to sit 10 minutes before diving in!

Margarita time...

Cupcakes that is! Made these for work today. Tequila in the icing and the cake and an enormous amount of lime! Delicious!

"Margarita Time" Cupcakes

1 1/2 c flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4tsp salt

1/2 c unsalted butter

1 c sugar

2 eggs

2 limes, zested and juiced

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/2 c buttermilk

1 T tequila (for brushing the tops, if desired)

Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Beat the butter until light and creamy and then beat in the sugar. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until completely incorporated. Add in the vanilla, lime zest and lime juice. It will appear clumpy, but will come together at the end. In three additions, add the flour mixture, alternating with the buttermilk. Beat just until incorporated. Place paper liners in your muffin tin and fill each one to 3/4 full. Bake 20-22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Brush tequila on hot cupcakes.

Tequila-Lime Buttercream

1 c unsalted btter

2 3/4 - 3 c powdered sugar

1 1/2 T lime juice

1-2 T tequila

Pinch of salt

In a bowl, whip the butter to a creamy consistency. Add in the powdered sugar, 1/2 c at a time. Next, add in the lime juice, tequila and salt. Taste it and decide if you want to add in the other T of tequila and the last 1/4 c of powdered sugar. Frost those cupcakes with this yumminess and voila! You won't want to share!

Day at the Beach

Beau, Jennifer, Riley and I went to the beach after church on Sunday. It was Riley’s first visit. We all stopped at Publix to buy subs, fruit and drinks. And while in the store, Riley wet herself…all over Jennifer. She loved that. I forgot Riley had wet herself and I went to hold her on my hip. I soon remembered. So three wet ladies and a fella headed on to Sullivan’s Island. We set up camp with our blanket and bags and put on the sunscreen. Jennifer tried putting Riley in the water but that girl screamed and screamed (Riley, not Jennifer). She was scared of the waves. So back to the sand. Riley wasn’t interested in the toys Jennifer had just bought. Rather, she wanted to eat the sand. She probably put at it for a solid 30 minutes. There was no stopping her. At least we were amused. Our beach trip was short-lived, as Jennifer was pretty exhausted with a baby. So we headed to Donna’s pool to rinse the sand off. I have to admit, that was super nice. Cool water without the fear of jellyfish or something else that could hurt me. The worst fear I have there is that someone is peeing in it and I’m then swimming in it. Ugh.

 

“I’m at the Beach” Melon Salad with Lime Syrup

¼ c water

¼ c sugar

2 tsp lime zest

3 T lime juice

¼ tsp cayenne pepper

4 c cubed watermelon

4 c cubed cantaloupe

4 c cubed honeydew

 

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes until syrupy. Remove from heat. Cool 10 minutes. Stir in lime zest, juice and cayenne. Cover, refrigerate. Combine melons and syrup before serving.

 

*As the salad sits, the cayenne will only get hotter. So wait a day or two if you want some excitement!

Drive-thru

Saturday morning was a bit leisurely for me and Beau. We felt very spunky so we got on our bicycles and decided to not only get some exercise, but run some errands.

 

We rode our bikes over to the bank to make a deposit. As you can see, we went through the drive-thru. J

 

“Drive-Thru” Homemade Parmesan Potato Chips

Canola oil (pot filled to two inches)

1 large russet potato

¼ tsp kosher salt

2-3 T Parmesan Cheese (grated)

 

Heat oil in medium Dutch oven or other pot over medium heat with thermometer placed inside. Heat until it registers 350.

Thinly slice the potato and in batches, carefully drop slices in hot oil once it’s ready. Cook and stir potatoes until golden brown on each side, about 3-4 minutes per batch. Remove with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with a pinch of salt and all the Parmesan cheese you want! Best if eaten immediately!

 

Cupcakes for a child...or an adult

Made some cupcakes for a three year olds birthday. Today was my first day piping icing. Not great but not awful. Regardless of how they look, they taste good and they were fun to make!

Wet willies

First time!

Temperature Annoyances

At breakfast this morning, Beau and I were talking about temperature annoyances. He told me how much I would have hated being at Panera Bread yesterday where he and his boss had a meeting. Beau said it was so cold in there that they could see their breath. Now that’s just ridiculous. I realize it was a whopping 85 degrees in the hottest part of the day, but seeing your breath? Really?

 

Nothing annoys me more than being dressed for hot weather (shorts and a tank top) and then going inside of a building where they think they have to make it like a freezer. We don’t need it that cold inside. So there I am dressed for hot weather, I go inside and I freeze. I think the women would agree with me on this one.

 

Let me preface this paragraph by stating that Beau LOVES really cold beverages. Whatever he’s drinking, he wants it REALLY cold and preferably with lots of ice. Beau’s complaint about temperature was soda bottles at the gas station.

He goes inside to get a drink and pulls open the door and ugh! It’s a tiny bit cooler than room temperature. Yes, that’s very annoying. Isn’t that supposed to be a cooler?

 

“I Want it Cool” Watermelon Frosty

 

2 ¼ c frozen watermelon cubes

½ + 1 cup water

2 T maple syrup

1 lemon, squeezed

½ banana

2 shots Tequila (optional) or sub with more water or fruit juice

A few dashes of cayenne (optional) in the blender or over top when you serve

 

Garnish: a few slices of watermelon-with rind on-frozen

 

Blend and pour. Garnish with frozen watermelon/rind slices. Serve.

For Love of Country

Last night around 9:30 Beau and I were watching “So You Think You Can Dance”. Actually, I was watching it. He was ready to shoot himself for having to even listen to it. Next thing I know, he’s pulling out the ironing board. “What in the world has to be ironed at 9:30?” I asked.

 

Beau ordered me a United States Flag that had been flown on top of the Capital building. It’s an official flying. There was a certificate that came with it. Anyway, I got the package on Tuesday and man that thing is big. It’s bigger than we had anticipated. But it’s super nice. It’s starched cotton and heavy duty. Beau wanted to hang it out in front of the house, but it’s way too big. Soooo…he decided to iron it so it would be “crisp” (his words). And then we did the official way of folding the flag (no red was showing) and he put in the bar, with the other memorable keepsakes (i.e. the garter I wore at the wedding, the wedding favor from his parent’s wedding, etc.)…and the liquor.

 

I love this man for his strange and endearing love of country and everything having to do with the South.

 

“For Love of Country” Mixed Berry Shortcakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream

 

BISCUITS

3 c flour

6 T sugar

5 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

¾ c chilled unsalted butter

½ c plus 2 T chilled heavy whipping cream

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

½ tsp almonds

¾ c chilled buttermilk

 

WHIPPED CREAM

2 ¼ c chilled heavy cream

5 T powdered sugar

1 ¼ tsp vanilla

12 oz strawberries, quartered

2 ½ pint container raspberries

2 ½ pint container blueberries

3 T sugar

 

BISCUITS

Oven at 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment. Whisk first 4 ingredients in large bowl. Add butter, cut in until coarse meal forms. Whisk ½ c cream, 1 egg and extracts in small bowl; mix into dry ingredients. Gradually add buttermilk; toss until moist clumps form. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk.

 

Press dough out on floured surface to 9-inch round. Cut out 2 ½ inch diameter rounds. Gather scraps and repeat, cutting total of 12 rounds. Place on prepared sheet. Whisk 1 egg and 2 T cream in small bowl for glaze. Brush some on rounds.

 

Bake biscuits until golden and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Transfer to rack and cool.

 

Beat cream, powdered sugar and vanilla in large bowl until peaks form. Toss berries and 3 T sugar in another large bowl; let stand until juices form.

 

Halve biscuits. Place bottoms in bowls. Top with berries, then cream and tops.

No Contract

Last Friday my phone died. It is completely dead. In fact, the charge port has a crack in it, so I can’t charge it. I can’t turn it on. Notta. Friday afternoon I go up to the Verizon store on Rivers Ave. I’m due for an upgrade on June 23^rd and had heard that as long as you’re in the month of the upgrade you can get it early. That wasn’t the case.

 

But, come to find out, I would have only received a $30 credit for the new phone. Hardly worth the wait.

 

I spent about 30 minutes talking to a guy named Matt about my options with plans and phones. There’s a possibility we could be moving in the future and I didn’t want to be locked into a contract. Come to find out, it’s a minimum of $350 if you break the contract. Yikes!

 

At one point I said to Matt, “It seems like I only have two options here: Sign on to a two-year contract or don’t get a phone.” It hardly seemed like an “option”.

 

Then miraculously he has an idea!!!! (Hardly) He tells me there are some phones that Verizon offers with no contract. Really?!?! How come you didn’t tell me this when we started the conversation?

 

Yes, that’s right. You heard correctly. You can get a phone with Verizon with no contract that costs the same amount every month as a phone with a contract. The only difference is that your choices of phones are limited and you have to pay $20 more for the actual phone. To me this was a no-brainer.

 

So that’s right, I paid $20 more for the phone on Friday and I signed no contract. I can get out at any moment and they can’t penalize me for it.

 

Just thought all of you out there would want to know this little tid-bit. Happy phone shopping!

 

Laap in Laos

Looking through some old photos of my trip to Laos and I came upon one of my favorites. This bridge captivated me that evening. I would love to return there and take the Beau-man with me. Doesn’t it just create a relaxed feeling in you? Umm…yes. I would like to walk that bridge and then get into a little kayak to go down that river with my fabulous husband while drinking a cocktail. What a great evening!

 

“Vang Vieng” Ground Turkey Laap

 

Laap is a traditional food from Laos.

 

1 T long-grain white rice

1 T oil

1 lb ground turkey

¼ c plus 2 T chicken stock

1 T plus 1 tsp Asian fish sauce

Salt and pepper

1 T lime juice

2 large stalks of lemongrass-tender pale inner core only, minced

2 scallions, thinly sliced

1 medium shallot, thinly sliced and separated into rings

½ c chopped cilantro

½ c chopped mint

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

Small romaine or Belgian endive leaves and lime wedges

 

In small skillet, toast rice over high heat, shaking skillet a few times, until rice is golden brown, about 3 minutes. Transfer the rice to a spice grinder and let cool completely. Grind rice to a powder.

 

In large skillet, heat oil. Add turkey and cook over moderately high heat, breaking up meat evenly, until no pink remains, about 4 minutes. Add stock and cook, stirring, until bubbling. Remove from heat and stir in fish sauce. Season with salt and pepper and stir in lime juice. Let stand 5 minutes, then stir in lemongrass, scallions, shallot rings, cilantro, mint, crushed red pepper and rice powder.

 

Arrange lettuce and lime wedges on a platter. Spoon laap on top and serve.

Fashion statements

It’s Monday. Back at work. As you can see from the picture, I work in an environment that sometimes requires a hard hat. If you had asked me at any point in my 29 years of living if I would ever have use for this in my job I would have told you “no”. It just goes to show that sometimes you have no idea what the future holds. In this case, the future was holding a hard hat.

 

No, I’m not in construction. Believe it or not, I sit at a desk all day writing work instructions. But sometimes I’m required to be on the floor to observe the actual work that is being performed and I write about it. It’s on those days that I’m also required to wear close-toed shoes (even if I’m in a cute sun dress). The fashion statements that I make each day or huge! I’m a leader you know; not a follower.

 

“Hard Hat” Chocolate Dipped High Hats

3 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

1 c flour

½ tsp baking powder

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

½ c unsalted butter, soft

1 ¼ c sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla extract

½ c sour cream

½ c water

 

1 ¾ c sugar

¼ c water

3 egg whites

¼ tsp cream of tartar

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

12 oz semisweet chocolate chips

3 T canola or vegetable oil

 

Preheat the oven to 350.

Slowly melt the chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl in 30-second intervals.

Mix together the dry ingredients and set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream the butter and sugar together. Beat in the melted chocolate until thoroughly combined. Scrape the sides of the bowl. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing completely between each one. Stir in the vanilla and sour cream and mix well. Scrape the side of the bowl and mix for another minute.

Add half the flour mixture and mix well. Stir in the water completely and then add the remainder of the flour and mix thoroughly.

Line the muffin tins with paper liners and fill each cup until 3/4 –full.

Bake 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle. Allow to cool completely before frosting.

In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the frosting (sugar thru vanilla). Place the bowl over a saucepan with 2 inches of simmering water. With a hand mixer, whisk the mixture on high for 10-12 minutes or until stiff peaks form. The mixture should be at 160 degrees. Remove the bowl from the heat and beat on high another 2 minutes.

Combine the chocolate and oil in the top of part of a double-boiler. Stir the mixture until it melts completely. Remove it from the heat and set aside to cool for 15-20 minutes.

Pipe about ½ c of frosting onto each cooled cupcake and coat with chocolate. Allow to stand at room temperature for 20 minutes and then refrigerate 30 minutes. Cover and continue chilling for 2 hours more.

Sara's Birthday

Last night Sara and I went out to celebrate both of our birthdays. She and I went to Barsa Tapas, a Tapas joint downtown Charleston. It was delicious food. A great little place that I would like to return to with some girlfriends or Beau. This is what we ordered:

 

Chicken Pichos w/ a lemon parsley aioli

Mussels in a saffron broth

Arugula salad with Fennel and Apples

Garlic Mushrooms atop bread with Goat Cheese and wilted Arugula

Royal Flush drink J

 

We then went to Kaminsky’s for dessert and coffee. Here’s what we got.

 

Two decaf coffess-very good coffee

Sara-bourbon pecan pie

Kathryn-Rocky Road layered cake

 

After all the yummies we walked to the cistern to see Sarah Jarosz perform for a Spoleto event. She was great! That was, by far, one of my more favorite concerts. She’s like a spunkier Allison Kraus. Very good! And she’s super talented with being able to play two types of Mandolin, two types of acoustic guitar and the banjo. I love the banjo.

 

It was a great evening with a great friend. I think it’s one we should recreate!

 

“Yummies Night” Pancetta Crisps with Goat Cheese and Figs

 

12 thin pancetta slices

12 arugula leaves

12 tsp soft fresh goat cheese

Fig jam or preserves

6 fresh figs or 6 plump dried Mission figs, halved, or 12 small fresh persimmon wedges

Chopped fresh thyme

 

Preheat oven to 400. Place pancetta round in single layer on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake until crisp, 12-15 minutes. Cool 15 minutes; transfer to plates. Top each slice with 1 arugula leaf, 1 tsp goat cheese, ¼ tsp jam and 1 fig half or persimmon wedge; sprinkle with thyme and ground pepper.

 

Advice-Good and Bad

If you’re newly married like Beau and I are or you’re engaged, you’ve probably heard people tell you that the “honeymoon period” won’t last forever. You won’t want to spend all your waking moments together. Give it six months and your dear husband won’t be helping with the dishes and letting you buy cute clothes at TJ Maxx anytime you want. Give it six months and you’re gorgeous wife will be harping on you to do more and what you do help with, you’re not doing right. Does all this sound familiar? Give it six months…

 

Yes, Beau and I have been hearing since before we were married. That happy, lovey feeling will go away.

 

Well gosh, way to get us excited about the future. That’s exactly what we wanted to hear. Beau and I aren’t dumb. We know that there will be hard times, but that doesn’t mean that it has to be a hard marriage void of fun and laughs and being that sickening married couple that looks so in love all the time.

 

If you’ve ever given “advice” like what I talked about at the beginning of this blog, please stop. It’s not helpful. It may seem “realistic”, but who needs that reality?

 

I just think that if people are going around saying that it’s normal for the wife to nag and complain and it’s normal for the husband to not help out around the house and not be romantic anymore, than that’s probably what they’re going to do. If the husband hasn’t taken the wife out on a romantic date in a few months, he can either think to himself that it’s normal and he doesn’t have to change or….he could think to himself that it’s not normal and do something about it.

 

Let’s not set up newly married couples for your “normal”. It’s like they say with parenting children. If you set the bar low, that’s as far as they’ll go. If you set the bar high, they’re reach it. Let’s set the expectations high.

All You Can Eat

Last night Beau and I joined Donna and family to celebrate Mimi’s birthday at Gilligan’s. It’s probably been 1.5 years since I’ve been there. In attendance was a man named Ronnie who, as I saw, is a big eater. He’s a very tall slender man, but wow, he can pack away the food. And I didn’t know this until the drive home, but when he comes into town they always go where he can get all-you-can-eat shrimp. Gilligan’s it was. He ordered before everyone so he could get a start on the fun.

 

Let me set up the situation for you. He started the evening off with a couple of hushpuppies, a green salad and order of French fries while his first batch of shrimp were cooking. He likes them boiled. The first plate came out. About 20 shrimp on the plate. The second plates comes out. Then the third, the fourth…. And by the end of the evening he had eaten at least 8 plates of shrimp, but I think it was nine. With 20 shrimp on each plate, that comes out to 160 shrimp and the sides. Holy cow! That’s a lot of shrimp. It was actually entertaining to watch!

 

“All-You-Can-Eat” Shrimp Nacional

 

2 lbs jumbo shrimp, peeled and butterflied

McCormick’s Montreal Steak seasoning

2 T EVOO

1-2 peri-peri or other hot chili peppers, such as jalapenos, seeded and roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

1 bottle of dark stout beer, such as Guinness

1 bay leaf, dried or fresh

Juice of 1 lemon

2-3 T unsalted butter

½ c heavy cream

Salt and pepper

1 T chopped cilantro, a palmful

 

Coat shrimp with grill seasoning. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat and add 1 T olive oil. When oil is hot, place about half of shrimp in skillet in single layer and quickly sear them, about 1 minute each side. Transfer to plate and reserve. Repeat with remaining shrimp.

 

Add remaining T olive oil to skillet, then add hcili pepper and garlic cand cook 1 minute. Add beer and bay leaf. Boil over high heat to reduce liquid by half.

 

Return shrimp to skillet with sauce and cook, turning once, until just cooked thorugh, 1-2 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and remove bay leaf. Sti rin butter and cream and season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish with cilantro and serve.