Delicious Flavors Bursting on the Tongue

This weekend was really all about amazing food crafted from my own two hands.
On Saturday, I needed to use the rhubarb that I purchased from the farmers market the weekend before. I knew a strawberry rhubarb crisp would be my best bet. The boys would eat it, and I like the way strawberries balance out the tartness of the rhubarb. But who's to try? There are so may options when you search on sites like Food Network. So  I decided I'd go to the queen of comfort food ... Ina Garten.

Ina's Strawberry Rhubarb Crisp did not disappoint. It had more orange in the recipe than the other ones I had reviewed, so I wasn't quite sure how it would translate. It also took a little longer to cook. It was worth the wait.

The orange was an extra layer of flavor I had never anticipate and the crispy time was buttery and crispy. I could have eaten the whole pan. I didn't, but I could have. This is the flavor of late spring/early summer and a perfect way to celebrate a great farmers market treat.

Today I decided to tackle my June recipes from Food & Wine. After last month's chicken disaster, I decided to play it a tiny bit safer. I took on two recipes, but I thought both would be easy to execute. First I took on the Georgian dish called lobio (aka as Green Beans with Eggs, Chiles and Cilantro.) You can serve the dish hot or cold, so I decided to serve it cold. It would allow me to make it first and then focus on the main course of dinner. I will admit, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, mixing scrambled eggs with green beans. And I will also confess, for the last part where you chop the garlic, chiles, cilantro ... I whipped out my Magic Bullet. It made it a much easier job than me hand mincing everything.

I put the dish in the refrigerator as I set to tackle my next item: Cheddar and onion smashed burgers. Okay, I know ... how hard can a burger be. So, I upped the ante on the burger by selecting a local grass fed ground beef. Thank you Thousand Hills. I'm always in search for how to perfect my burger game and I was not surprised when Food & Wine exclaimed that burgers on griddles are juicier and more flavorful than those on the grill. That might be hard for summer grillers to take ... but grills allow the fat and juices to drip down. This recipe added a new technique to my repertoire. First you have to roll the meat into balls and sear them for 30 seconds, then smash them flat.

Of course, D was concerned that they just be cooked thoroughly (I'm one who enjoys a little pink in my bigger ... but I have to respect his wish for a well done patty.)

The burgers were relatively quick to cook (another nice thing about grass fed beef ... it cooks more quickly ... meaning dinner is on the table faster!)

The burger was perfect, the cooked onions that were smashed in it were so yummy. It brought back memories of me just eating cooked onions as a kid. (Of course, K picked out his onions, but one day, he'll like them.) Even O enjoyed his burger and bun. The surprise of dinner however was the green bean dish. It was amazing! The flavors were fantastic. I was hoping it would just be edible, but I cannot believe how much I loved it. I was excited to see that there was just enough left over that I could take it to work the next day for lunch. Even D raved about it. This may become a new summer staple ... particularly when green beans start arriving at the farmers market.

June was a success! I cannot wait to see what treats will be featured in July's issue.

Hitting the Pavement ... Again

So, after taking the winter off (and okay the winter/spring that we had in Minnesota) ... I tied on my running shoes and hit the pavement today. The weather was perfect for it, just cool enough to break a good sweat. It's kind of funny, I dread going out and running, but as soon as I am about ten minutes in, I find it peaceful. Of course, that's when the endorphins kick in. But I wish there was something that could just give you that push right at the beginning, then maybe I'd be all over it before I even started.

Last fall and early this spring, the city put some new running paths adjacent to our neighborhood. Today I tested them out. I have to say, I really don't think I can make any excuses now until it snows (and if they actually clear the paths ... then my only excuse will be sub-sub-zero temps. I do find it a great stress relief when my feet hit the pavement and my mind begins to wonder. And now, knowing that I don't have to worry about a car coming up behind me, the running is even more carefree.

... Now, when I returned home, what did I do? Whip up Ina Garten's rhubarb strawberry crisp (so maybe in today's cause running was  pre-emptive measure to what I will be treating myself to later. It's in the oven, and I'll take a pic to add to here later. Tomorrow I tackle my recipe from the June issue of Food Wine. I will confess, due to the disaster of May's recipe, I am playing it safe this month. I am tackling two recipes, but I feel like both are not pushing my culinary boundaries very far. As long as they turn out tasty though, that is all that will matter. Stay tuned for a report tomorrow.

Teeth Cleaning

It happens twice a year ... and I look forward to it never. My dental cleaning. I don't have the best teeth ... I always have dental problems ... just bad enamel and lots of bacteria. No matter how well I do the whole dental hygiene routing, I cringe for what my dental cleaning will result in. My last dental cleaning resulted in me needing two crowns and one filling (due to my apparent clenching of the jaw.)

And of course, this time it was time for x-rays, which always spells trouble for me ... because goodness knows what is lurking below the surface. So, I braced myself as K danced around the office (because he felt like he needed to tag along, and I'm certainly not going to deny the pleasure of spending more time with my precious baby.)

I was waiting for the news of more dental work, more bills and more pain (because let's face it, what I dread the most is the pain and the hours spent with someone working in my mouth.)

The hygienist commented that my teeth looked great and my gums looked really healthy. So, then I held my breath waiting for the dentist. Because he certainly would bring the bad news. Dr. C checked out my teeth, asked me how the crowns were feeling and then said, "well, everything looks great, keep up the good work and see you in six months."

I couldn't believe it, was I really getting out of the dental chair without a follow-up appointment needed? All I ask is that this becomes a trend for all my future dental visits.

Getting Older and Older and Older

When it comes to feeling my age ... this has not been a good week. Not only did a notice what must be a new crop of gray hair emerging from my scalp ... I've noticed the wrinkles around my eyes are not disappearing as quickly as they have in the past. In addition, I have this crazy weird sciatic pain if I sit too long (which, just for reference, my 45 minute bus commute in the morning is considered too long by my body.)

My body is cracking and squeaking in ways it never has. I'm not even near what is considered mid-age. In fact, I'm still on the lower end of the 30s decade ... so what in the world is happening. Did I enter some crazy time warp last month that has progressed my aging into some fast forward insanity?

To aide my "aging gracefully" I realized I now put a total of four (yes, four) concoctions on my face at night ... well, I guess one is technically a cleanser ... so I wash off the day and then put a three potions to work. I make myself feel better because these potions are from "eco" beauty brands ... so I can tell myself I'm not layering on some crazy chemicals that will be found to cause cancer in three years ... but the question is ... is it working? Are my wrinkles fading away ... and what in the world is my problem with growing older? My birthday was months ago, so shouldn't I have had this freak out then?

All I know is ... I think I made the decision about hair color ... gray, grays will need to go away ... now I just have to decide when to get it done and what to get down.

Summer is Officially Here!

It's hot, it's humid ... as soon as I walk outside I start to sweat ... it's disgusting ... because I don't really like the summer ... but after a winter that dragged on and on forever ... I'll take it!

Last weekend, we planted our first garden - yay! I was so excited. I wasn't thrilled about lugging 1200 lbs of soil to put into my garden boxes, but I did enjoying planting my beautiful heirloom tomatoes and squash plants. And I cannot wait until they start growing. My herb garden is looking amazing and I just love tearing off a piece of rosemary and smelling it between my fingers ... it's heavenly. I cannot wait to make my first Caprese salad with tomatoes and basil from my gardens.

What was even more fun was that both boys wanted to help plant and get their hands dirty. It was fun to watch them so interested in helping make vegetables. I think it will definitely play a huge part in continuing my boys love of vegetables. So, once again ... here is to summer!