Zombie Cocktail

Zombies are everywhere these days.  I am not allowed to watch zombie movies (should zombie be a capital?), read zombie books, or play zombie games.  It was only a few months ago I had to ask someone how zombies are made! (It is a virus, you know) And, why do they eat brains? (no one had an answer, do you know?)  Many times at bootcamp, I ask the trainer, "And how will this help me in a zombie apocalypse?"  When the trainer has a good answer, I work that much harder, if he doesn't have a good answer I don't work quite so hard.

Well, zombies have been on my radar the last couple of weeks.  Not because I want them to be, they just are.  First, there is some movie where a zombie boy falls in love with a human girl (are zombies still considered human?), then there is the Brad Pitt movie about zombies and you see those previews everywhere.  Last, someone posted on Facebook about the new flu shot and how it is being made with insect DNA and someone wrote in the comments, "That is how zombies are made." One of the blogs I regularly read, Frugal by Choice, Cheap by Necessity, talked about zombies this week.   There is even a picture of zombie Mario on Pinterest.  I just can't get away from them.

Early this week, I was having lunch with my friend Katie and I told her how I hadn't slept well because Dave was gone and I was dreaming about zombies.  A lady from the next table overheard me and had to come join the conversation!  Apparently, some people are not afraid of zombies and she was one of them ( I don't think she realized they are a real threat).  We laughed, she joked and then introduced herself to us.  At the end of our conversation she said something like, "Thanks for being such a good sport."  Does this woman not realize I was completely serious the whole time?  I'm not allowed to talk about zombies in public anymore. (My husband says it is for my own safety and that zombies are not real.  What does he know?)

Now, I won't be going the either movie mentioned above, because I'm not allowed, but I will be relieved when the previews for Brad's movie isn't shown anymore.  I'll celebrate with this drink.

Zombie Cocktail
adapted from Help! Zombies

1 shot white rum
1 shot golden rum
1 shot dark rum
1 shot apricot brandy
1 shot pineapple juice
1/2 shot 151-proof rum
1 shot lime juice
Garnish of your choice on a pointy stick  (why a pointy stick?  It makes me feel safer)

Pour all ingredients except the 151-proof rum into a shaker full of ice.  Shake until very cold.  Strain into a collins glass filled with ice.  Top with the 1/2 shot of 151-proof rum. Garnish with fruit on a pointy stick.   This can be lit on fire, but house fires are another issue with me so I'll pass on that step.
Enjoy!

June 20, 2013  Sunrise 2:58  Sunset 12:47  Temp. H 91 (Yes, that is correct!)/ L 63ºF

Grilled Shrimp Salad with Berries, Avocado, and Grapefruit

Dave went camping last weekend.  I had a quiet weekend at home, rested and read a lot.  It is a good thing I had some quiet time, I think I needed it with all the house projects and traveling for work I've done recently.  I've been a little grumpy and forgetful.

Last week, we were working around the house.  Dave was outside and I was doing something inside.  The phone rang, so I answered it.  It was for Dave.  I looked around the house and he wasn't anywhere to be found.  I looked across the street and there he was, on a ladder in the neighbor's yard, with the neighbor holding the ladder.  I thought to myself, "How nice Dave is helping the neighbor.  Now we will never get our own stuff done because Dave is always helping everyone else and never gets anything done around here." (See, a little grumpy)

I walked all the way across the street, right up to the ladder and said, "Honey."  Then I looked up and IT WASN'T MY HUSBAND!  It was the neighbor (who is 84) with his son holding the ladder.  The both looked at me with a startled expression.

"You're not Dave."  I stated the obvious. And I started to laugh as I walked back across the street.
They just shook their heads at me as I retreated into my house.
Dave had gone to the store to pick something up.  If I had bothered to notice the car was not in the driveway, I might have saved myself some embarrassment.

Over the weekend, the neighbor was washing his truck.  I shouted across the street to him, "If I call you honey again, will you wash my jeep?"
He declined.

To continue our Salad Summer, I made this delicious entree salad.  It has shrimp for the protein, mixed baby greens, berries for the antioxidants, and avocado for a healthy fat.  The shrimp were grilled and brushed with a sweet rum marinade.  I'm sure this is brain food, and obviously, I need it.

Grilled Shrimp Salad

For the Shrimp
1 1/2 lbs. large shrimp (I use 26-30 count)
1 Tbsp. canola oil
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/8 tsp. salt

For the Rum glaze
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
1/4 cup corn syrup
3 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
1 Tbsp butter
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. black pepper

For the Salad
Mixed baby greens, depends on how large you want your portions
1 pink grapefruit
1 cup blackberries
1 avocado

For the Dressing
1/4 cup good balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup good olive oil
salt
pepper
minced garlic, optional
1 tsp. Dijon mustard

If using wooden skewers, completely submerge in water, soak for 1 hour or longer.

Mix canola oil, lemon juice pepper, salt and garlic in a large ziplock bag.  Add shrimp.  Seal and chill for 15 minutes.  Thread shrimp on skewers.

Combine brown sugar, rum, corn syrup, mustard, vinegar, butter, salt, cinnamon, and pepper in a saucepan.  Bring sauce to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes until syrupy.

Mix mustard, salt, pepper, and vinegar together in small bowl.  Whisking constantly, drizzle olive oil into vinegar mixture.  Set aside.

Rinse greens and dry, I love my salad spinner for this.  Divide among 4 plates.

Cut grapefruit segments, and divide between plates.  Rinse berries and divide between plates.  Cut avocado and divide between four plates.

Grill shrimp skewers, 3 minutes each side, over medium-low heat.  Brushing with rum glaze several times. (Because of the sugar content, it tends to burn easily, so I brush the glaze on after each side gets cooked).

Remove shrimp from skewers and divide among salads.  Pass dressing separately.
Serves 4


June 17, 2013   Sunrise 2:59 am  Sunset 12:45 am  Temp. H 88/ L 59 ºF

Light Pina Colada

So, Dave and I have been working really hard on our house.  We finished painting the inside and we (meaning mostly Dave) are now working on the outside.  The weather is not cooperating, I wanted the house on the market by now, and (I'm told) I'm being a little demanding.  What?

I saw the previews for the movie So This Is 40 (I think that is the name of the movie), and there is this one scene that the husband and wife are in bed talking about killing each other, have you seen this?  And the husband says something about a wood chipper.  I laughed and was telling Dave about this and he said (with a wistful look in his eye), "Oh yea, but you have to wait to 40 below and just shoot the frozen body chips over the Tanana River so they float down with breakup..."

So, have you been thinking about this long, honey?

Well, about a week later we were outside painting on the house and the neighbor was working in his yard, and out comes the wood chipper.  I about wet myself!  I told Dave I had to go to the store or something and quickly left the neighborhood for a couple of hours.  I wasn't taking any chances.  By the time I got home, the chipper was gone, but my nerves were shot.  I needed a drink.

I do think I'm pretty safe right now.  Dave is tired and grumpy, but it is about 70° F  and he did say a person should wait to 40 below.

In any event, I figure I have a few months before it begins to get cold again and I might as well enjoy this drink as often as I can, with the time I have left.

Cheers

Skinny Pina Colada
The tropical taste of coconut and the fresh fruity taste of pineapple make this the perfect summer drink.  Part needs to steep overnight, so plan ahead.  It is so worth the effort.  I am doubling the recipe so I'll have plenty on hand.

Cooking Light June 2012
8 servings about 2/3 c each serving

Ingredients 
2 cups flaked sweetened coconut 
1 (12-ounce) can evaporated fat-free milk
2 cups cubed fresh pineapple 
2 1/2 cups ice cubes
3/4 cup gold rum (such as Bacardi Gold) 
1/4 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons light agave nectar 
8 fresh pineapple slices
Preparation
1. Combine 2 cups coconut and evaporated milk in a medium saucepan over medium heat, and cook until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil), about 7 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

2. Arrange pineapple in a single layer on a baking sheet; freeze at least 1 hour or until firm.

3. Strain coconut mixture through a sieve over a medium bowl, pressing coconut with the back of a spoon to remove as much milk as possible. Discard solids.

4. Combine pineapple, ice cubes, rum, juice, and agave nectar in a blender; process mixture until smooth. Add milk mixture, and process until smooth. Serve with pineapple slices.

June 13, 2013   Sunrise 3:03 am  Sunset 12:39 am   Temp. H 72/ L 50

Key Lime Flan

We have really been working on the outside of the house now that it has warmed up.  Dave is painting the outside, I'm planting now that all the snow has melted.  We both are looking forward to Mondays so we can go back to work and rest!

I did just spend a week outside (aka the lower 48) .  I went to Las Vegas for a conference then spent a couple of days in Seattle with the curly haired boy and his chick.  The chick and I went shopping and then we all went to a baseball game.  It was a very fun couple of days.

But, I'm home and it is time to get a few more things done around the house.

Adding the caramel to the bottom of the custard cup.  

My mother-in-law's 87th birthday was Saturday.  We had family dinner and I made Dave grill.  It was a nice break from painting.

Toasting the meringue in my tiny kitchen.  Yes, that is ALL the counter space.

I made these key lime flans.  The MIL loves lime so these were perfect for her.  I toasted the meringue with a propane torch.  Don't waste your money on the little ones from the cooking store.  Go to the hardware store and get a real one.  Trust me, it goes so much faster and is easier.

Don't bother with the small torches you get at the cooking store.  Go to the hardware store and get a propane torch there.

It is a good thing this dessert is light, my mother in law told me my jeans were getting too tight so I couldn't have dessert, when we took her out for dinner on Mother's Day.  Gotta love honesty!

Key Lime Flan
adapted from Fine Cooking

For the flan

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 3/4 cup evaporated milk
• 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 tsp. vanilla bean paste or pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup fresh Key lime juice (from 14 to 16 limes) or bottled Key lime juice ( I used bottled)

For the meringue

• 2 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 6 Tbs. granulated sugar
• 1/8 tsp. cream of tartar

Make the flan

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 300°F.
In a small saucepan, combine 1/2 cup of the sugar and 3 Tbs. water. Cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved. Increase the heat to medium high and boil, without stirring, until beginning to turn golden-brown on the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. Gently swirl the pan over the heat until the caramel is dark amber, another 1 to 2 minutes.

Immediately divide the hot caramel among six 6-oz. ramekins, swirling each one to cover the bottom. Arrange the ramekins in a 9x13-inch baking pan and set aside.
Set a fine strainer over a 1-quart liquid measure or bowl.
In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cream cheese, salt, and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar on medium speed until smooth and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add the evaporated and sweetened condensed milks, and mix on low speed, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until well blended, about 2 minutes.
Add the eggs yolks, whole eggs, and vanilla and mix on low speed until well blended. Add the lime juice and mix until incorporated.
Pour the mixture through the strainer, then divide it evenly among the ramekins (about 1/2 cup each).
Pour very hot water into the baking pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins (be careful not to splash water into the ramekins). Tightly cover the pan with foil and bake until just the centers jiggle slightly when a ramekin is gently shaken, 30 to 40 minutes.
Transfer the baking pan to a rack. Uncover and let the flans cool completely in the water bath, about 2 hours. Remove the ramekins from the water, cover with plastic, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours.

Make the meringue

Up to 2 hours before serving, bring 1/2 inch of water to a simmer over medium heat in a pot that will hold the bowl of a stand mixer without letting it touch the water. Reduce the heat to low. Off the heat, put the egg whites in the bowl and gently stir with a balloon whisk to loosen. Gradually whisk in the sugar.
Put the bowl over the simmering water and whisk until the whites are very warm and the sugar is thoroughly dissolved (when you rub the whites between your fingertips, you should feel no grit), 2 to 4 minutes.
Transfer the bowl to the stand mixer and fit the mixer with the whisk attachment. Add the cream of tartar and beat on low speed until well combined. Gradually increase the speed to medium high and beat until the whites form thick, glossy, medium-firm peaks, 3 to 5 minutes.

To serve

Holding a ramekin upright and slightly tilted in one hand, hit the side with the heel of the other hand; this breaks the vacuum and should create a small gap between the flan and the ramekin. Immediately invert the flan onto a small plate, holding the ramekin and plate together and shaking as necessary to get the flan to release. Scrape any liquid caramel from the ramekin over the flan.
Spoon the meringue on the flans and swirl decoratively. Toast the meringue with a torch, if you like. Serve right away or keep at cool room temperature for up to 1 hour.

Make Ahead Tips

The baked flans can be refrigerated in their ramekins (wrapped in plastic) for up to 2 days.
The flans can be unmolded and topped with meringue up to 1 hour before serving. 

June 11, 2013   Sunrise: 3:07 am, Sunset 12:36 tomorrow am!   Temp. H 70/ L 45°F

Quinoa Salad with Almonds and Cherries and the beginning of Salad Summer

I decided my focus would be on salads this summer.  Last summer was pie but my big girl pants are still a little tight from the feasting that started in November when the blond boy and the DIL came home moved to high gear over the Christmas holidays with the curly haired boy,the baby boy, and the chicks, so salad sounded healthier.  Little did I know how traumatic this decision would be.

I chose a nice, crunchy, fresh salad that included butter lettuce to get things started.  I had everything on my list and headed to the grocery store.  There I am innocently looking in the produce aisle looking for butter lettuce and there it is.  LIVE lettuce.  You get to take it home and kill it before you put it in your salad.  WTH?  I like to buy my food DEAD.  My meat: dead, my corn and beans: dead, my lettuce: dead.  Why would I want to take it home and kill it before I eat it?

Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not opposed to OTHER people killing my food for me.  I eat meat, fish, and chicken, but it looks like meat, not the animal it was, by the time I get it.  My mom will tell stories about me fishing in Colorado without a hook.  So why would I want to kill my lettuce?  I want to buy dead lettuce.

Well, I couldn't get over it so I changed the salad for the week.  I bought dead cherries (at $6.00 a pound in Fairbanks!  Don't tell my husband), I had quinoa already dead at home, and a few other things to make this delicious salad.  It is full of fiber and protein so the perfect thing for a light lunch.

Enjoy.

Ingredients

1 cup quinoa
3 tablespoons almond oil
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup cherries, pitted and cut in quarters
½ cup crumbled feta cheese
¼ cup sliced or slivered almonds, toasted
1 English cucumber, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves
2 tablespoons thinly sliced mint leaves

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan set over high heat, bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add the quinoa, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the quinoa is tender and has absorbed all the water, about 12 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Transfer the quinoa to a large baking sheet or plate and spread it out to cool to room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or glass measuring cup, whisk the almond oil with the olive oil, champagne vinegar and lemon juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the cooled quinoa with the cherries, feta cheese, almonds, cucumber, parsley and mint. Re-whisk the dressing and pour it over the salad. Toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper, then serve.

May 30, 2013    Daylight  We are at the point where the sun doesn't really set. So the sun will rise at 3:37 a.m. and set at 12:02 the next day!  It is kind of dusky from midnight to 3:00 a.m.
                                Temp. H 82/ L 54°F

Jalapeno Poppers for the Grill

Poppers ready for the grill

Names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

One of the things that took up a lot of my time, when I was a principal, was discipline.  I had a school of about 550 (give or take 50 students at any time) and some students that had to make due with very little at home.  It was always interesting.

One week I had an intern.  He was spending a year at a high school, but got to spend a week in an elementary school to discover the difference.  He would sit in the corner of my office and watch as I talked to students about their choices.  He was always amazed at the 6th grade boys and how they would cry when I made them call their moms and tell on themselves.  That was a better consequence than the recess they would have to miss.

One day a little boy came crying because Mike had told him that Miss Wilson, our day custodian, cut boys' wieners off.  I told the intern he could deal with this one because, well, he had a wiener and he could talk to Mike about why it was not o.k. to say things like that.

Intern:"What am I supposed to say to Mike?"

Me: "Ask him why he said Miss Wilson cut wieners off."

Intern: "I can't say 'wiener' to a second grader."

Me: "Why not, he said it, and then have him call his mom and tell her what he said."

Intern: "I can't call his mom and say wiener."

Me: "You don't say it, you make Mike tell her, then you talk to her and tell her what the consequence is."

Intern: "I can't say wiener."

Me: "You just said it to me, and you have one, I don't even have one."

Intern: "I'll watch you do it.  I just can't"

So, I talked to Mike and asked him "Why are you telling kids Miss Wilson will cut their wiener off?"
He cried, said he didn't know and we called his mom so he could tell her what she said.  The intern was amazed by the whole process and now is a principal of a high school and I'm sure he never has to talk about wieners with his students.  Ah, the good ol' days, I sure don't miss that.

This recipe has nothing to do with wieners, but it is a good starter if you are grilling wieners for dinner (the hot dog kind).  I make a big batch ahead of time and have dave grill them just as people are arriving and pouring a drink. They are creamy, spicy, salty and delicious.

Jalapenos stuffed and ready to be wrapped with bacon.

Jalapeno Poppers
12 larger jalapenos
4 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mexican blend cheese
12 pieces bacon, cut in half

Cut stems off jalapenos, cut in half and scoop out seeds and veins using a small spoon.  Set aside.

Mix cream cheese and mexican blend cheese together.

Spread bacon on a microwave safe plate, covered with paper towel.  Cook 2-3 minutes until starting to cook, but still soft.

Stuff jalapeno halves with cheese blend.  Wrap with bacon and secure with toothpicks.

Grill until bacon is cooked, cheese is melted and jalapenos are soft.

Makes 24 pieces

May 28, 2013    Daylight 20 hours, 12 minutes, 27 seconds   Temp. H 82/ L 52ºF

Tornado Shelter

My baby brother and his trickster wife!

I just spent a wonderful week with family in Kansas.  My youngest nephew graduated from H.S. and Dave and I went down to help celebrate.  We stayed with my baby brother and his saint of a wife, my mom and her husband were there too.  To say we are a loud obnoxious family is something of an understatement.  I always feel sorry for my sister in law, Lisa, when we are all together invading her house.

An Alaskan dinner in Kansas: King Crab, deep fried halibut, and salmon two ways.

We were in Kansas during prime tornado weather.  While we were in graduation a tornado tore through Wichita Kansas only 2 hours East of us, and the Oklahoma tornado was just a day later.  So I want to say that I totally understand the gravity and danger of a tornado.  I grew up spending nights ready to head down to the cellar, or in the cellar because of a tornado.  But my husband did not, and we just couldn't resist pulling this prank on him.

Dave with my brother's horses dogs.

In Kansas, every town has a tornado siren.  In the town I grew up in, it went off every day at noon, then if ever there was a tornado sighting.  In the town my brother now lives in the siren goes of every Saturday at noon.  When I found this out I had a plan.  I told my sister in law and my mom when the siren goes off we need to act like it is a tornado and tell Dave to head to the cellar, we had Thursday and Friday without a siren so he wouldn't know this was a  usual event.  On Saturday, we were sitting around the kitchen table playing cards.  At 12:00 the siren went off. My sister in law heard it and, with panic in her face and voice, yelled "Tornado Siren, everyone downstairs!"
She jumped out of her seat and headed to the cellar, Dave on her heels.  We jumped up, but stayed in the kitchen laughing.  When they got downstairs she yelled, "Get under the steps."  Dave replied that he had never done this before and turned to me, but I wasn't there.
"Quick, get under the steps." Lisa yelled.
But Dave wouldn't go without me.  So Lisa told him it was a joke.  He came upstairs and we all laughed.  Dave had even grabbed his glass of water on the way down in case we were stuck in the cellar a long time and needed water!  Funny how quickly your mind can think of things like that.

My beautiful niece

So, while we all thought it was the funniest thing ever because we had lived through tornado watches before and Dave hadn't, I did learn something.  My husband really does have my back.  He wouldn't go under the stairs without me.  However, I do know that I really need to be ready for a payback, because it will come, and it will be a good one.  I only hope I can be as good a sport about it as he was.

Dave and my other niece at the graduation party

My nephew, the graduate

An my sister in law?  I don't feel quite so sorry for her around my family because I know she can dish it out with the best of them.

My sister in law and my nephew.

May 23, 2013    Daylight 19 hours, 39 minutes, 17 seconds   Temp. H 64/ L 43ºF

Barbie Shots - Drink of the Week

This drink is in honor of my dear friend Donna.  I met Donna when I transferred to the school she was teaching in.  My children were starting school and I wanted to be at school with them (Yes, I was one of those mothers).  We had classrooms just a few doors down from each other.

Now, I can't say we became fast friends.  It took us awhile.  I think I am the kind of person that has to grow on you.  I like to say I am an acquired taste, like blue cheese or oaky wine. Well, Donna wasn't having much of that.  We were polite and friendly, like with any other stranger you run into.

The next year, I adopted my daughter, she was the same age as Donna's daughter.  We decided to pool resources and lead a Girl Scout troop together.  We planned, met with the girls, organized outings, wrote letters to parents, organized cookie sales, and became friends.  We began to sew together on Friday nights, walk together in the mornings during the summer, then we began to meet on Saturday mornings for coffee.  Donna is such a dear friend.

Years after we became friends we were talking and Donna informed me the reason she was a little cool to the idea of a friendship with me was because she thought I was a Barbie.  Now, what the hell did that mean?  So I asked her in my kindest voice, "What the hell does that mean?"

"Well, you know, you always had your hair just so, and you always dressed nice, and you always wore make-up.  You know, a Barbie."

Hmm, I sometimes wonder about my self-esteem if this is one of my dearest and best friends.

Well, I think she has since learned there is more to me than hairspray and lipstick (ya, like a mouth like a sailor, neuroses left and right and a really warped sense of humor).  But I can't let it all show at the same time or people will be banging down the door wanting to be my friend.

So, here  is to Donna, and her continuing friendship with her idea of a Barbie!

Bottoms up.

Barbie Shots
adapted from Lovelyish

1 oz. Malibu coconut rum
1 oz. vodka
1 oz. cranberry juice
1 oz. orange juice

Add ice to shaker, pour in rum, vodka, and both juices, shake until very cold, strain into glass.

May 16, 2013     Daylight  18 hours, 51 minutes, 5 seconds   Temp. H 55/ L 36°F

Pork Sandwiches

So I had to travel for work.  I went to a great training.  One of the sectionals was "At the Movies." These presenters take movie clips and then use that clip to train on one of the things you should do or shouldn't do.  It is entertaining, funny, and they get their point across without being to lecturey (spell check doesn't think that is a real word, but after 28 years in education, I know it is).

One of the clips came from the movie "The Shining."  I've never seen the movie because I'm not allowed to see scary movies.  If you've seen the movie you will know what part I am talking about, if you haven't I can't give you any more details, sorry.

So this little boy is riding his Big Wheels through the halls of the empty hotel his family is babysitting for the winter.  They are the only people in the hotel.  So, what a surprise when he comes to the dead end hallway and there are two girls, dressed in old fashioned dresses, standing there.  They say something like "come play with us, forever and ever and ever..."

Then there is a lot of blood and, I think, body pieces all over.  I don't know what happens next because I looked down.  I'm not allowed to look at movies like that, and I was staying in a hotel room BY MYSELF.  I don't even remember what point the presenters were trying to make with this clip because  I was so upset by the whole bloody scene.

That night, after I checked the closet and under the bed, I finally drifted off to sleep.  About 1:30 in the morning there were sirens, flashing lights, and all kinds of noise on the street, 10 floors below my window.  I woke up, but nope, I did not get out of bed to check because those damn girls in the old dresses just might be the cause of all the noise, and I wasn't getting out of bed in case they were under there ready to grab my feet.  You know those covers protect you from all the monsters in the night.  I was pretty tired the next day between the noise and the bad dreams from that stupid movie clip.

I made these sandwiches for dinner the other night.  Dave grilled the meat while I put the rest of it  together.  We sat down to watch a movie...only G rated movies for me, thank-you.

Pork Pita with Tahini Sauce

for Tahini Sauce

• 1/2 cup plain 2% Greek-style yogurt 
• 1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)
• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• Dash of salt
• 
  
• for Pork
• 4 (4 oz.) pork loin chops, I just buy a pork loin and cut chops
• Executive chef seasoning, or other steak seasoning

to finish sandwiches

4 pita halves, pocket carefully opened

12 cherry tomatoes, cut in half

4 lettuce leaves

12 slices cucumber

2 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Mix ingredients for Tahini Sauce.  Put in refrigerator.

Pound pork to about 1/4 inch thick.  Season generously with steak seasoning.  Grill over med.-high heat 3-4 minutes per side.  Remove from heat and let rest.

Carefully open pita pocket, spread generously with Tahini Sauce, add tomatoes, lettuce, cucumber, and parsley dividing evenly between pockets. Add pork and serve.

May14, 2013     Daylight 18 hours, 37 minutes, 07 seconds   Temp. H 43/ L 27°F

Butterfinger Martini

It has been strongly suggested by a co-worker that Drink of the Week needs to make a return.  it has been a stressful spring.  It is still snowing (and it is freaking May, Mother Nature!), I work for a school district and we are looking at MAJOR cuts (like many school districts across our nation), Dave and I are working on our house, together, in the same room.  Isn't that enough?

So I am taking the suggestion (thanks Jim) and I am reinstating Drink of the Week.  Please remember to drink responsibly, don't drink and drive, blah, blah, blah...your adults you know the drill.

Because I am in the last week of the work-out/weight loss challenge at the gym I go to, and because I lost no weight what-so-ever, I chose a drink that was SO low in calories (not!).  Enjoy.

Butterfinger Martini
1 oz. Bailey's Irish Cream
1 oz. Butterscotch Schnapps
1/2 oz. Godiva White Chocolate Liqueur
1.5 oz. milk
Hershey's Chocolate syrup

Swirl glass and rim with chocolate syrup.  Pour the rest of the ingredients into cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake until cold.  Strain into prepared glass.  Enjoy.

May 10, 2013   Daylight  18 hours, 9 minutes, 4 seconds    Temp. H 56/ L 34ºF

Compound Butter and the Joy of an Airline upgrade

Roasted garlic, hot from the oven ready to spread on bread or mix with butter.

I just returned from a training trip for work.  It was in California so the weather was better than here.  Dave kept sending me pictures of how it continued to snow at our house while I was in 70+ degree weather.  I felt very sad for him (not really because I was in the sun, and it is all about me, but I have to say that I was sad for him so he feels better).

The day before I left, I checked in online and printed my boarding passes.  I was so excited to get a free upgrade!  I was in seat 2 D!  Well, I thought, that MVP does me some good after all.  A free upgrade!  I was on cloud 9.

The next morning, I was still pretty happy, started to board the plane and I knew something was wrong.  This was not a real airplane, it was more like a culvert with wings. You know, the kind that doesn't fit up to the walkway, there are only two seats on each side, and the stewardess gives you your choice of water or apple juice.

I boarded and much to my disappointment I discovered there was NO first class.  O.K. so much for the upgrade. Even the seats were smaller than a real airplane.  At least I had the seat next to me empty...for a while.  The last man on the plane was a rather large gentleman and HE SAT DOWN RIGHT NEXT TO ME.  I'm not trying to be mean, but he took up his seat and about 1/3 of mine (now, in his defense they were little seats).  And, to make everything more pleasant he smelled...like B.O. and fried onions.  It was the longest 2 1/2 hours of my life (almost, except for childbirth, the night I thought Dave was going to kill me, the "nice little hike" we took with Zach's boyscout troop though waist deep snow...).  Well, I lived and I will never make the assumption that 2D is first class.

So, we (meaning Dave since I was gone) continue to work on our house and Dave is grilling dinner almost every night.  Hasn't started to complain yet and I'm keeping it going as long as possible.  I'll feed him a steak often so he won't start complaining!

Garlic and thyme butter rolled and wrapped ready for the fridge.  

One of the things I like to do is make up a couple batches of compound butters.  I add roasted garlic, herbs, and spices.  I tend to keep it pretty basic, roasted garlic, thyme, chipotle in adobo...

So here is the "recipe" for two of the butters I have in my fridge right now.  I use it on bread, grilled beef, chicken, or salmon, on veggies, and as a finisher for pan sauce.  Once you have it on hand you will use it on everything!  Everyone knows that everything is better with butter.

Dave's steak finished with garlic-thyme butter.

Roasted Garlic Butter
1 head garlic
1 tsp. olive oil
1/2 cup butter, softened

Preheat oven to 400°F.  Cut top 1/3 off the head of garlic.  Place garlic on aluminum foil.  Drizzle with olive oil. Wrap tightly with foil.  Bake 1 hour.

Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Place softened butter in small bowl.  Squeeze roasted garlic out of paper shells into bowl (it just squishes out easily).  Mix with the back of a spoon or gently with a hand mixer.

Roll into a cylinder.  Wrap with plastic wrap and refrigerate.  Keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks or in freezer for 6 months.

Roasted Garlic-Thyme Butter
Same as above and add 1 Tbsp. finely chopped thyme when mixing in the garlic.

May 8, 2013     Daylight 17 hours, 55 minutes, 1 second   Temp. H45/L 21°F

Manilla Clams with Bacon and Onions and the night I almost died

So I have to add a new label tag.  It is a "feel very sorry for my husband" tag.  I have to do this because: 1) have you met me?  You should really feel sorry for my husband, 2) I do shit all the time that he just shakes his head at and lovingly just walks away, 3) I'm just a little neurotic...just a little.

So, I'm telling on myself, and if I've already told this story, just skip to the recipe, another reason I need that tag, I forget what I've already posted.  This is the story of the time my husband plotted to murder me.

 Several years ago I had an issue with my neck.  It took the doctors several months to figure out I had a ruptured disk.  At first they thought it was a pulled muscle, then maybe I needed a chiropractic adjustment, then a strained muscle (what is the difference between a pulled muscle and a strained muscle anyway?).  So one of the medications prescribed to me was Flexeril.  I took it only at night so I could sleep.  I'd pop my pill and head to bed.  Well, one of the side effects for me was very vivid dreams (read nightmares) and so I would toss and turn all night keeping my husband awake.

Dave played basketball on Wednesday nights and his game this particular week was at 9:00, past my bedtime.  I took my meds, kissed him goodnight, and drifted off to a fitful slumber.  About 11:00 I heard a noise downstairs and it woke me up.  I listened carefully and came to the conclusion that Dave was home and was plotting my murder (what!  how did I get there so quickly?  it had to be the meds).  I laid in bed SWEATING knowing that any second, Dave would come upstairs and kill me in my sleep.

Then I decided that I wasn't going down without a fight.  I would go downstairs, confront him, make a huge mess, write his name in my blood on the wall so everyone would know it was him (yes, really...I had a plan) and at least he wouldn't get away with it.

Now, before I go downstairs, let's put some things in perspective.  Dave doesn't even raise his voice to me.  He disagrees, states (what he thinks) are the facts and stops.  I accuse him of yelling, but that is just because he doesn't seem to understand reality (my way of thinking).  So a violent murder at the hands of my husband is unlikely, although I'm sure someone with less self control might consider it if they had to live with me.

So I stormed downstairs, ready to make a mess, wake the neighbors and not die without a fight.  I stomped into the living room and asked (rather calmly, I'm sure) "What do you think you are doing?"

Dave was lying on the sofa reading a Nicholas Sparks book , he looked up and said "Um, reading.  Are you O.K.?"

It was at that moment I knew I was completely over the edge.  I was crazy!  "I'm fine," I stammered and headed back up the stairs.  I was mortified.  Where had that thought come from?  

The next day, I told my school nurse (I'm sure she was convinced she was working with a lunatic).  She told me to call my doctor and tell Dave.  I called my dr., he told me to bring him the rest of the meds and he would give me something else.  It took 3 days for me to tell Dave.  

Me: "Dave, sit down, we need to talk."

Dave: "What is going on?"

Me:  I tell him the whole story as I cry uncontrollably.

Dave: "Oh, is that all?  I thought you were going to ask for a divorce!"

Really.  How could I divorce a man who reads Nicholas Sparks and put up with me?  Again, feel very sorry for my husband.

Because I am haunted by many memories that this.  I often try to make special treats for Dave.  I know it is just one little way to keep him happy, and not plotting my demise.  I don't eat clams, so this is all for him.  Love you honey.

Manilla Clams with Bacon and Onions

1 lb. clams, scrubbed

1/2 sweet onion, diced

3 pieces Canadian bacon

1/2 red pepper, diced (it looks really pretty, but Dave doesn't like peppers so I don't add them anymore)

1 cup vegetable or chicken broth

1 Tbsp. olive oil or coconut oil

Saute onion in oil over med. high heat until tender, add bacon and cook until bacon is slightly crisp.  

Add broth and clams, cover.  Cook until clams open about 5-7 minutes.  Remove clams, place them in a bowl and cover, boil broth until reduced by half.  

Pour broth, onions, and bacon over clams.  Serve with crusty bread.

May 6, 2013     Daylight 17 hours, 40 minutes, 58 seconds   Temp. H 43/ L 21 ºF

Cherry Tart and a Weight Loss Challenge

Hey, did you miss me?  I was gone on a trip for work.  I had planned all these posts and thought I would have them ready and scheduled and they would just pop up, but I am really not that organized so I just went without posting for a week.  I know, you missed me, you didn't know what to do with yourself, and I promise never to do that again, until the next time.

I signed up for a "get fit, weight loss challenge" where I go work-out in the morning.  And because I am so committed, I immediately began to crave, bake, and eat the most fattening food I could get my hands on.  Really.

Now, I don't know why I am sabotaging myself, but boy, does it taste good!  I got on the scale and realized I really needed to get serious, I only have 3 weeks left of the challenge.  So, I made a cherry tart.  Now, come on, it is made with fruit and eggs for protein...ya, I suck at this weight loss challenge thing.  But this tart is delicious.

I used frozen cherries, you could use fresh but the fresh cherries we get are about $8 a pound right now and once we do get reasonably priced fresh cherries I just eat them fresh, they are so good.  Frozen works just fine.

Cherry Tart
adapted from La Tartine Gourmand

1 pastry crust, blind baked and slightly cooled
24 oz. frozen cherries, thawed, drained, and cut in half
2 eggs
1 tsp. lemon thyme, finely chopped
zest of one lemon
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400º F.  Place crust in fluted tart pan, line with parchment and fill with pie weights or beans.  Bake 15 minutes, remove beans and parchment, cook for 5 minutes longer.
Set oven to 350º F.
Cut cherries in half.  Place cherries in baked crust.
Mix eggs, lemon thyme, zest and sugar together, pour over cherries.  Bake 35-40 minutes or until center of tart is set.
May 3, 2013     Daylight 17 hours, 19 minutes, 53 seconds   Temp.  H 37/ L 25ºF

AND IT IS STILL SNOWING...not that I'm complaining or anything