Pots and Pins

Chili Lime Shrimp...

While I was in Salt Lake City, the mister emailed and called daily, mainly to inform me about the weather and how much time he spent watering the lawn and my flowers on the deck (which is curious as I returned home to plants dryer than the Sahara!  No matter how much I remind him, a tablespoon of water a day just isn't going to cut it!)  He was chipper, happy, so out of character that I knew something was afoot, because he couldn't be THAT happy that I was gone, right?!? 

 

Well, of course he was happy I was gone, he was free to hang with his good friend Jack, ignore the plants, laundry, dishes and teach Rosie how to jump UP ONTO THE TABLE!!!  (He couldn't wait to show me her new trick and was baffled that I didn't think it was cute!  I'm all for a dog sitting AT the table, but not ON it - I do have some standards!)  But it was more than my absence that had the mister acting like a kid on Christmas morning.  It took me a few days to figure it out - and I didn't let on that I knew right away - no, it was much more fun to watch him try to drop bait and reel me in.

 

 

 First the mister started commenting on how much he loved our trip to Hawaii last year - didn't we have fun, that sure was great, wish we could go again!  Every time he saw something on TV or in a store that had a palm tree, or a picture of a beach or anything tropical, he would bring up Hawaii...I would smile, agree with him and change the subject.  But he was persistent...it would be fun to visit another island, I need a break, would be fun to go for my birthday,  we've never been to Maui, oh and there just happens to be a basketball tournament in Maui!! 

Who goes to Maui to watch basketball?!?!?!?  Isn't this why we have ESPN???  I'll spare you the rest of the gory details, but the gist of it is this, I said no, he whined.  I said no again, he whined more.  I put my foot down and said NO!  He said, "Too late, I've already booked it!"  And that's how much influence/control I have around here...nada, nil, zip!   

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about a trip to Maui...just how it came about...everything is cloak and dagger with the mister - like I'm the IRS and he wants to deduct lawn seed since we can only grow moss.  Just once I would like to be consulted BEFORE hand...Aloha Oy vey...

To get myself into Maui-basketball-watching-shape, think large coconut, I'm trying to eat a bit more discriminately...which is hard for me because I don't discriminate when it comes to food!  I LOVE these shrimp...so easy to make and so flavorful without adding any sauce!  They take 30 minutes or so to marinate and then about 5 minutes on the grill - and don't be an idiot like moi and use just one skewer per stack - put in TWO skewers and then you can flip the shrimp easily and none will fall off and into the grate! 

In case you need more encouragement to make these for dinner, like tonight, we made these a month ago for a church activity  and the ladies LOVED them!  We grilled 90 shrimp and they were gone in a matter of minutes!  24 God-fearing women can't be wrong!

Chili Lime Shrimp - From Bobby Flay, Food Network

 1 pound large/jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined, fresh or frozen

2 tablespoons olive oil

5 cloves garlic, smashed and finely chopped

1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced (leave seeds in for extra kick)

1 1/2 tablespoons chopped chives/cilantro/Italian parsley leaves - use all of the above or just whatever you like

juice from one lime

ground black pepper

Combine shrimp with the rest of the ingredients in a plastic Zip-Lock style bag.  Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 20 to 30 minutes, but no more than 45 minutes or the shrimp (and all fish really) will become mushy.  On a hot grill, grill until just opaque, about 2 minutes, then flip and grill until shrimp turns a light pink, serve immediately. Makes enough marinade to coat 15 jumbo shrimp, serves 3, 5 shrimp each.  

Zucchini Fritters...

We've just had the best week of our Summer 2015 - it started with Anthony Bourdain and ended with the Blue Angels.  I suppose you could say we went from the bad to the good, because Bourdain is definitely a bad boy, naughty in every way, but he was anything BUT bad when he showed up to a packed house at the Paramount last week.  Bourdain, (chef, author, TV personality, multiple Emmy winner) wearing his signature jeans and t-shirt, was alone on the stage for his Close to the Bone Tour, no props, no background, no nothin' - just Tony and his wildly wicked thoughts.  For 90 minutes he entertained us with stories from his travels, took questions from the audience, trashed almost everyone on Food Network, including Guy Fieri, who he hates with a passion so deep I'll bet it would register on the Richter Scale!  It was great giggles of fun - the mister and I are looking forward to watching the new season of his show, No Reservations on the Travel Channel this fall. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, my Selfie Skills have improved significantly!  In the past, I would have just had the ceiling in the picture, but now, with practice, I've got part of our heads!  Won't be long before noses appear and dare I hope for a full face or two?!?!  

How does one follow Bourdain?  With a staycation at the beach, that's how!  The mister and I planted our behinds in the sand and enjoyed a day of people watching and treasure collecting.  If you live in the Seattle area and you haven't been to Golden Gardens Park, whaddya waiting for?!?  It is the best beach we've got, in my humble opinion...and if you stop at Paseo (yes, it's back in business!) on Fremont (in Fremont) and buy their Cuban sandwiches and take them with you to the beach, well folks, it just doesn't get any better than that!

Millions of people in Seattle and hardly any of them were at the beach!  We do live in a beautiful place, no? 

 

These were my treasures from the beach...I let them sit in a couple of cups of water with a bit of bleach and they come out shiny and so pretty...I'd rather have beach treasures than almost anything, just so you know.  The starfish was also one of my finds...but before you go sea-creature-crazy and report me to the Echinoderm Society for murdering a starfish you should  know it was dead when I found him...or I would have thrown him back in the sea!  I am not a starfish murderer!  The mister tried to tell me it was an octopus, because of all the legs, but starfish can have a lot of legs, not just 5 like the common starfish have...so there mister!

 

Seafair in Seattle is always the first weekend in August and that's when the Blues fly.   haven't missed a Blues outing in 22 years!!  From my little spot on the western shores of Lake Washington we watched the Blues scream overhead for their practice show last Friday.  What a day - blue skies, the mountain was out, boats, water and the Angles overhead...I'm telling you straight, nothing beats the Blue Angels over Lake Washington!  Nothing!

Looking east across the pond is the city of Bellevue, which used to be a blip on the map - now look at it!  It's almost as big as Seattle!  You can hear every language in the world just walking down the streets in Bellevue and you can get any kind of food there, too; Bellevue is one giant international food court!  Look at all the boats - hundreds and hundreds of them - and this was for the practice show!!  We only go to the practices, the real shows are on Saturday and Sunday and the crowds are twice as big - we're not that crazy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not only do we have a great spot (if you look closely you'll see Mt. Rainer and the I-90 Floating Bridge in the background) we always have great food, including a really, really good dessert!  This year I made a plum tart (thank you for the plums Nancy!) which we enjoyed with a scoop of vanilla ice cream...that was sort of a mini-miracle since it was 95 degrees outside and the ice cream was still hard! 

 

 

So what does all of that have to do with zucchini fritters?  Glad you asked!  When one has one spectacular day after another, sitting in the sun, frolicking in the sand and surf, all followed with Angles soaring in the heavens above, one is, well, tired when one gets home, am I right?  So slaving in a hot kitchen was the last thing on my mind...yet I wanted something really good to eat...and believe me, these are good!  Worthy of dinner after a perfect day!

 

Also, it is zucchini season and there are only so many ways to use up zucchini!  I was gifted several zucchini (thank you again, Nancy!) and this was the only thing I wanted to do with them - a decision I don't regret, and you won't either.  They are crispy, flavorful - thanks to fresh basil - and as good the day after as they are the day you make them!

 Zucchini Fritters - Pots and Pins

Technically, these are not fritters, as they are flat and not puffed up like a real fritter...they are more like latkes (potato pancakes) than anything else but the word fritter makes me happy.  These are great as an appetizer, a side or as the main course with a side salad - see?  Very versatile, who'd a thunk?!?

2 medium zucchini, washed, dried and grated (do not peel)

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

1 green onion, finely diced

8 to 10 fresh basil leaves, chopped

1 egg

1/4 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

vegetable or olive oil for frying

sour cream and lemon slices for serving, optional

In a medium bowl combine the grated zucchini, Parmesan cheese, green onion and basil.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  In a small dish, lightly beat egg with a fork, then add to zucchini mixture.  Add flour and stir until combined. 

Line a large baking sheet with paper towels.  In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add enough oil to completely cover bottom of pan, about 1/4-inch deep, and heat oil until shimmering.  Working in batches, add 2-tablespoon mounds of the zucchini mixture to the hot oil, pressing lightly to flatten them a bit, so they make about a 3-inch in diameter fritter.  Fry, until browned and crisp, then turn over and fry on other side until browned and crisp, about 3 minutes total frying time. Drain the fritters on the paper towels and serve right away, with a dollop of sour cream and/or lemon wedges, if desired.

The fritters can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours and re-crisped in a 325° oven.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earl's Warm Potato Salad...

I'm leaving, on a jet plane, don't know when I'll be back again, ohhhh babe, I hate to go...not really, I'm so excited about my trip I can hardly stand myself!  I'm headed to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine!!!  Can you say lobstah?!  I plan to eat my weight in lobstah and then I'm going to waddle over to King Arthur Flour in Vermont where I will be taking a week long pastry making class!!  Lobstah and pastry.  Amen.

 

 

 

 

It should go without saying that when I return from Vermont I shall share my newly acquired pastry knowledge with you...but in the meantime, I have a few fun posts coming your way, starting with this amazing salad recipe to tide you over...this is one you need to make ASAP, because this salad has it goin' on!  Fresh roasted corn, bacon, dill, Parmesan cheese and, of course, potatoes...all smothered in a rich sour cream and mayo dressing that is high-jacked with pickle juice and horseradish.  In a word?  Scrumpdiddlyumptious. 

This is a riff on Earl's Warm Potato Salad, which you just can't beat.  If you have an Earl's Restaurant near you, go there and order this salad - you won't be sorry.  If you don't, then this version comes close...and you won't have to leave a tip.

Earl's Warm Potato Salad - Pots and Pins version based on multiple taste tests

3 ears fresh corn (you can use 2 cups frozen corn instead)

4 lbs. small red potatoes, skins left on

1 lb. bacon

1 cup mayonnaise

1 cup sour cream

3 green onions, finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

1tablespoon dill pickle juice (open a jar of dill pickles and use the juice, if you don't have pickle juice you can use apple cider vinegar)

3 cloves garlic, peeled and slightly smashed

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional but it gives a nice kick)

olive oil for roasting

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment or foil and set aside.  Cut potatoes into quarters, or into 1-inch chunks and put into a large bowl.  Remove corn from cob with a knife and add to bowl with potatoes.  (I put the end of the cob into the center hole in a Bundt pan and then slice downwards - the corn goes into the pan instead of all over the kitchen.)  Add garlic to bowl.  Drizzle just enough olive oil over potatoes and corn mixture so everything is coated lightly when tossed.  Spread potatoes, corn and garlic evenly over the baking sheets.  Season with salt and pepper.  Roast in oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until potatoes are golden brown and crispy.

While potatoes are roasting, cook bacon in large skillet until crisp.  Remove to paper toweling.  When bacon is cool enough to handle, break into 1-inch pieces.  Set aside.  In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, pickle juice, dill and green onions.  Mix well. 

Put roasted potato and corn mixture into a large bowl.  Add bacon and pour dressing over the top.  Mix well.  Serves 8.  Serve warm, but this is equally good cold, especially for breakfast!

Not the best picture but the Parmesan Potato Salad was a hit at this year's Blue Angels picnic!  While the blues were flying overhead we dined on Cuban Pork Roast Sandwiches, guacamole and chips, Deviled Eggs, Tomato Salad with Buttermilk Basil Dressing, Refrigerator Pickles and...and...and...for dessert we had homemade blueberry Pocket Pies with vanilla ice cream!!!  I don't know how we managed to keep the ice cream frozen but we did!  It was great to sit along the shores of Lake Washington and watch the Blues, who were back after a two year absence! 

Mt. Ranier was out, too!  It was a perfect day - and we had front-row seats...while I didn't capture any pictures of the Blues in action, they were too fast and I was too slow, I did manage 12 seconds worth sound...as has always been painfully obvious on this blog, photography is NOT my thang!   

Summer in a Post...

So far, this summer has been one for the books...we kicked it off with the boy's wedding and it's been non-stop crazy-busy ever since!  I'm finally getting a week off from the madness - I think I've earned a break!

 

 

 

It's been a whirlwind of bridal showers and weddings - my house has been over-flowing with wedding flowers for weeks and finally it was over...just in time for the grands to arrive.  Max loved his closet bed...as in LOVED!  He also loved the new Legos I snagged for him from a garage sale - which ended up all over the house.  Note to self:  Never buy anything for the Grands that has more than 3 pieces.  Elsa is such a sweet little girl - never makes a peep and was happy to be pulled all over the Farmer's Market in Issaquah in the wagon.  Back at the ranch she happily played in her "tea-party house" while Max splashed her from the water table...but he "didn't mean to!"

 

 

 

We had 80-degree days on end, which gave the mister plenty of time to work on the new path he's putting in on the side of the house...he's half way done - I think he's going to put gravel in those sections but I'm not sure, I don't dare ask, this is all his deal...he has control of the outside of the house, I have control of the inside so I'm not allowed to even make a suggestion!  The days with the kids were jammed packed with outings - after a good solid breakfast of donuts and ice cream sandwiches...was that wrong?  Don't worry, it was just a couple of times and after they had eaten their eggies!

 

 

 

The girl and the grands were here for 10 days so we went on several picnics, (stopping at McDonalds and eating in the park was a picnic) and we went on a Sasquatch hunt every stinkin' night!  I know, I started the whole Sasquatch thing but I was tired at night and all I wanted to do was crawl into bed and pull the covers over my head but Max needed to go on a hunt!  So with flashlights in hand, we headed out into the forest and I continued to fill his head with crap...the Sasquatch eat the bark off trees and they bury their poop under little mounds of dirt...(thankfully Max didn't want to dig under the dirt to see the poop...Moles provided lots of "covered poop" for us to find...the Sasquatch also eat berries, which is why the black berries were picked clean!

 

 

 

We found 68 trees in the forest (the park behind our house) with bark missing and 37 piles of covered poop.  The hunts were a great success even though we have yet to find a Sasquatch!

 

 

 

 

During all the chaos I managed to put up 6 quarts of pickled beans, okra and pickles...we've already eaten 2 quarts so I'm going to have to do more!  I used this recipe for Refrigerator Pickles - super easy and fast because there's no processing.  And they are dang good!  Even though I had no desire to go to Seafair this year, because the Blues weren't flying, the girl talked me into it...so we made another picnic and found a patch of grass to park ourselves and watched the Patriot Jets do their best Blues imitation...it was just okay...they tried, bless their hearts, but they just didn't hit the mark.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Max wore his new pirate shirt and shorts...but we didn't see any pirates.  Oh well, there's always next year!  We stopped at Ezell's on the way home and picked up their fried chicken - it was just as good as we remembered so we "picnicked" once again on the deck for dinner.

 

 

 

 

And there was swimming.  Max is demonstrating his idea of Synchronized Swimming (?) - loved being in the pool.

 

 

 

 

The wedding I helped with was wonderful from beginning to end...Rachel and Tanner were the perfect bride and groom.  The girl took their pictures and, in my unbiased opinion, they are awesome!

 

 

 

 

The day before the wedding the girl and the happy couple went all around Seattle on a photoshoot...it was great fun for them and the bride got to wear her dress twice and be a bride for two days so that's pretty cool!  She even managed to keep the dress clean!  The girl is very, very reasonable, has a great eye, has had extensive training and does a fantastic job...if you need a photographer in either Washington, California or Utah, look her up here.

As August winds down I plan to dig into the pile of books and movies that have been calling my name and do some more pickling.  This past week I was the recipient of some great corn from Idaho (thanks Kay) and I decided to blanch it, cut it off the cob and freeze it for chowders in the fall - it was so easy I'm going to have to do more!  Plus peaches will be coming on soon...time to rinse out the Mason jars!  Tick-tock - the days are flying by!! 

The mister and I are planning a little get-away for September and a couple of road trips and the garage still needs to be cleaned...I think I'm going to just have a big dumpster delivered and throw everything into it - I know the mister wouldn't miss one thing and neither would I - first world problems!

Hope you're having a great summer!  Enjoy it while it lasts! 

A New Closet Bed...

When Max came to visit last Christmas, beds were at a premium - the house was bulging with people and we just didn't have enough beds to go around.  After giving the matter some thought, I quickly turned a  closet into a "bedroom" for Max by throwing some cushions on the floor, hanging a quilt on the wall and putting up a few Christmas decorations - he loved it!

 

 

 

 

 

Max is coming to visit again this week and over the last several weeks, every time we've talked (on Facetime), he has asked to see the beds in our house, he's kind of obsessed with them.  I have shown him the new trundle bed and the new bed in the boy's old room, but I'm keeping his new sleeping spot a surprise - I think he's going to be pretty happy!

 

 

 

The closet was cleaned out and cinderblocks (we had some in the garage, don't know when we bought them or for what reason) were put into each corner of the closet.  I made a trip to Home Depot where I purchased a piece of plywood ($19.00) for the basis of the bed, and they even cut it for me to the exact size I needed. 

 

 

 

 

 

Using a staple gun I attached some batting to the edge of the plywood so Max wouldn't bump his knees.  I took an old sheet and cut off a piece from the bottom half to make a "dust-ruffle" to hide the cinder blocks.  The bed is high enough up off the floor so Max can keep his suitcase underneath.  Then foam was put on top for the mattress.  I only bought 3-inch foam because foam is stinkin' expensive!  I needed 2 1/2 yards and even with a 50% off coupon (at Jo-Ann's) the foam was $41.00!  (The 5-inch foam is $75 a yard!!  But Max's little 32-lb. body will rest very comfortably on 3-inch foam!)  Just to be sure it was soft enough, I added two extra thick quilts on top and then covered the entire "mattress" with a sheet.  (The plywood and foam measures 57-inches by 37-inches - not exactly mattress size.)  The next step was to create an "awning" - totally unnecessary but as you know, I excel at unnecessary.  I used the top half of the sheet, threaded it onto the closet clothes rod and put the rod back into place.

  

 

 

 

 

We had a long cardboard tube in the garage (we have a lot of things in our garage!) so it was put into use to help with the awning.  I pounded two nails into each side of the closet wall - set one end of the tube over one nail and on the other end of the tube, I made a small cut on the end so I could fold back the cardboard allowing it to slip over the nail easily.  The cardboard tube was cut the exact width of the closet.  Then I pulled the sheet up and over the tube to create the awning; and then cut the sheet with pinking shears to the length I wanted.  (No need to sew/hem - this is a temporary bed!  By the time Max comes again he will be too tall to sleep in there!)

 

Back at Home Depot I purchased two battery-operated lights - the kind you push to turn on and off - Max will have fun with those.  I purchased a map of the United States ($5.00 at Target) and a map of the solar system ($3.99 at Target) - Max loves maps and the solar system - he can name all of the planets!

This week is also Seafair (Seattle's summer festival, you can read more about it here)  and while I'm very sad my beloved Blue Angels won't be flying - I'm thrilled Max is here to experience Seafair with me!  Every year I send him a pirate shirt and all kinds of pirate crappola...but this year he'll be able to see the Pirates in person on Alki Beach!  So to prime that pump, I filled a new closet cubby with pirate books for him to read...along with some binoculars, flashlight, a Ninja Turtle costume (because he's just discovered the old Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) and a new pirate shirt!

The Seafair Pirate quilt I made fits perfectly on Max's new bed.  So what do you think?  Isn't it great?   (Not shown in the pics is a drink holder so Max can safely store his strawberry milk.  I've tried to think of everything - let me know if I've missed something and I'll get right on it!)

On top of the closet shelf is Max's new Ninja Turtle backpack that the Aussie picked up for him - she finds the greatest deals!  Thanks Kareena!  I also picked up the somewhat scary looking Moon pillow for Max...oh, and those are a pair of his shorts on the bed...so I won't forget to give them to him.  Well, that's just a sampling of what I've been up to getting ready for the grands...now I'm just watching the clock until they arrive!  I think Max will be in closet Heaven - can't hardly wait for him to see it!

Ahoy! Seafair Quilt!

While Seafair (Seattle's summer festival) has long been over and is just a memory for most Seattleites, it's been on my mind...maybe the 85 straight days of sun or the weekly trips across the lake or maybe the pirate fabric that I happened upon one day is what had me longing for just one more picnic as the Blues flew overhead - I don't know...but what I do know is this, after 20 years of going to the parade, searching for pirates and picnicking along the shores of Lake Washington on pseudo-Seafair quilts, next summer I will be ready with this little number...

Oh sure, it's nothing fancy, but the simplicity is what I'm most smitten with!  So smitten that this little quilt was moved to the head of the heap and was started and finished in just under a week!  I used scraps for the center, and then bordered it with the pirate ship fabric - and it's backed with red lobster flannel...too fun, no?  It was machine-quilted by moi...I tried to quilt "waves" but it was more difficult than I thought - so the quilting is not great but then no one is really going to see it once it's covered with a picnic basket and enough food for an entire fleet...at least, that's my theory.

It would seem there was something on my camera's lens...sorry about that!  Don't you just love the lobsters?  I found it in my stash and there was just enough to back this quilt - I love when that happens!

If you can see the "waves" that I quilted into this, you don't need glasses!  I might have missed a few spots!

So, what do you think?  I've made hundreds of quilts - I lost count when I hit 250...but in all of those quilts, this is the only one I've made for myself that is nautical-esque.  Years ago I read somewhere that every quilter should have some of the classics...a log cabin quilt, a school house quilt, and a sail-boat quilt, just to name a few...so now I can tick the sail-boat quilt box!  (Yes, that's a stretch but this is probably as close as I'll ever get.)  Okay, thanks for stopping by, I'll go clean my camera lens now!

Lemon Cookie Tarts for Seafair...

What started as a cloudy-coolish day turned into a rip-roaring sun-filled afternoon!  We spent the day at our usual spot on Lake Washington, positioned just north of the I-90 bridge for maximum viewing pleasure...the Blue Angels couldn't miss us!  The Blues and I have "a moment" each year at Seafair...after several fly-bys...there's the slight tip of the wings, I look up and wink and the blue-eyed pilot winks back...what?  Call me 50 shades of Crazy but I'm sure it happened!  As those beautiful blue F-18's roared overhead we enjoyed a scrumptious picnic with chicken from Ezell's (if you haven't had Ezell's chicken then you have missed the Eighth Wonder of the World!), Potato Salad, Deviled Eggs (this link takes you to my Spider Egg recipe that I make for Halloween, just don't put on the olives or the "legs" and you'll have the best tasting Deviled Eggs ever...or so I'm told!), fresh fruit, hummus, 7-layer dip, chips, pickles and Lemon Cookie Tarts for dessert...oh, we also had Salted Nut Bars as our dessert's dessert.

   

 

 

 

 

It was quite a feast...by the time we were finished the marine layer had disappeard and the skies were bright blue...I took about a hundred pictures...and these were my two best shots!!!  For 20 years we've been watching the Blue Angels fly over Lake Washington - it's always the first weekend in August and the highlight of my summer!  

Now, about those tarts...they are dang good!  Cookie shells filled with store-bought lemon cured, topped with fresh raspberries - but you could fill the cookie shells with a lot of different things, they are very adaptable!

 

 

 

 Sweet cookie dough is flattened with the back of a tablespoon to form the shells.  When they bake, they puff up a bit so after baking they are flattened again and then left to cool.  So easy to do and they freeze well at this point so you can make the shells ahead of time and have them on hand to fill with fresh fruit or pudding or ice cream for unexpected guests!

 

 

 

 The cookie shells are quite sturdy, too, so they transport well - they won't crumble on you.  You can bite into them or use a fork - either way, dang good!  

Lemon Cookie Tarts - Adapted From Food.com

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 cups flour

2 jars Lemon Curd (or cherry pie filling or chocolate pudding or fresh fruit!)

2 pints fresh raspberries

In a food processor or an electrix mixer, combine sugar, powdered sugar and butter and beat until creamy.  Add in oil, egg and extract and mix well.  In a small bowl, combine baking soda, cream of tartar and flour and whisk together.  Add flour mixture to sugar and butter mixture and mix until just combined.  Remove from bowl and turn out onto plastic wrap.  Form a ball, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 15 minutes.  Spray or grease mini-muffin pan.  Measure 1 tablespoon of dough, roll into a ball and place one ball into each hole of the mini-muffin pan.  Using back of a tablespoon, press dough up the sides and down in the bottom, making a uniform "dent" in the center. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 9 minutes or until dough is slightly firm but not yet set.  Remove from oven, cookie shells will be puffy.  Working quickly, use the back of the tablespoon again and press gently making a shallow indentation in each shell.  Don't let them cool or they will be harder to shape.  Return to oven for an additional 3 to 4 minutes or until edtges of shells are firm and golden.  Let cool in pan for 5 minutes.  Carefully remove from pan and trasnfer to cooling rack.  Cool completely before filling.  Can be made to this point and then frozen, but thaw to room temperature before filling. 

Place a small amount of lemon curd into each shell, add one fresh raspberry.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar.  (I mashed the remaining raspberries I had and then spoon them over the tops of my tarts.)  Makes 30 tarts.

Photos below taken by Aaron Lavinsky of The Seattle Times.  Love those Blues!

 

 

Boats tied to the log-boom in anticipation of the Hydro races, Mt. Ranier in the background and the Blues overhead...it was truly a "pinch me I'm dreaming kind of weekend!"

Grapefruit Mint Salad...

Mister:  What kind of crap is that?

Me:  Isn't it pretty?  And it's good, too, try it!

Mister:  I hate grapefruit and what's that green stuff?

Me:  You love grapefruit and that's mint...c'mon, try it!

Mister:  Why can't I just get a piece of boiled chicken and some mashed potatoes?  Is that too much to ask?  I work all day to keep a roof over our heads and I just want to come home and have a normal meal!  Can't you ever just serve me a slice of ham with some canned green beans?  Geeze!  What's a guy got to do to get a decent meal around here?!?

For the record, along with the grapefruit, onion and mint salad, the mister was served grilled pork chops and asparagus.  Now you know what is NOT a decent meal.  But he ate it, even had seconds, the undecent was devoured.  While I licked my lips with satisfaction, the mister snarled at me.  He snarles so much that I just assume it's his way of saying he loves me...wouldn't you assume that?

 

 

 

Grapefruit salad - it is different, unusual, out of the norm...yet refreshing, bright and healthy.  The tartness from the grapefruit goes perfectly with the red onion and the mint provides the BINGO that will have you going back for seconds!!  Drizzled with a bit of olive oil and you have the perfect salad for a hot summer day.

 

 

 

I've made Grapefruit Salad twice in the last week - it's super simple and easy and tastes just as good the next day...if you have any left.  Last Thursday we went on a picnic - it was a beautiful sunny day and we found the perfect spot on the shores of Lake Washington...in the background of the umbrella shot above, you'll be able to barely make out Mt. Rainier...Yes!  The Mountain was OUT! (click on pic to enlarge).  We sat in front of the Leschi marina and feasted on Grapefruit Salad, Kale Salad with Apples, Roman Farro Salad, Chicken and Basil Pizza, Olives, fresh cherries, roasted garlic hummus, Pita chips with Peach Pie and Carrot Cake for dessert!!!  And the BEST part was the Blue Angels were flying over head!!!  I LIVE for Seafair Week when the Blues come to town!   I was hoping to get a great shot of the Angels...I took dozens and dozens of pictures and the picture above is the best of all of them...Blue Skies sans Blue Angels!!! They were just too dang fast for me and my camera...translation:  I was too busy eating to get my camera up and ready before they flew past!

 

 

This recipe is from Delish.com by Donald Link and if you haven't been to Delish, you need to check it out - I have found some great recipes there, thanks to Chef Donald! 

Okay, here's the thing...it's August...Dog Days and all that...we've grilled corn, chicken, ribs, steaks, and eaten so many burgers and dogs that we'll be taking statin drugs for the rest of our lifves!  So it's time for something fresh, new, exciting...it's time for Grapefruit Salad to be on your patio table...it's different and different is a good thing...at least, that's what I told the mister when he started foaming at the mouth because I served him Mexican food twice in one week..."You want something different?!?!  Oh you'll get different alright!  I'll show you different!!"  The was the night before I served him Grapefruit and Mint Salad.

Grapefruit Mint Salad - From Delish.com and Donald Link

2 perfect seasonal grapefruits

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 small red onion, sliced very thin

1 tablespoon good extra virgin olive oil

dozen mint leaves, torn

With a sharp knife slice the skin away from the grapefruit leaving it whole and skinless.  Slice into 1/4 to 1/2-inch slices and remove the seends.  Lay the slices slightly overlapping on a plate and sprinkle with sea salt, followed by the onions.  Distribute the sliced onion and drizzle olive oil on top.  Finish with the torn mint leaves.  Serves 6.

Lake Washington...

The clouds have rolled back in and we're set for rain for a week - that's what the weather talking heads say - but this is how I'll get my sun fix - I'll think back to my day on Lake Washington, floating along in the nicest-best-most-reliable-dependable boat EVER (thank you for starting each and every time dear boat!) with good friends and good food and one handy little book of info:

Lake Washington 130 Homes by David Dykstra is available here and might be at your local Seattle Barnes and Noble or Borders, which is where I found my copy.  This book is fascinating, if you're into stalking, voyeurism, peeping, playing papparazzi or like my friends and me - just into beautiful homes and yards.  We floated under the I-90 bridge up the Gold Coast past them all - the huge and the huger, including the Windows 2000 House (owned by the guy who created Windows and according to the book his house is valued at $12 million...I spit on that!), Bill Gates house (where he is having a bit of work done on his dock and again, according to the book, he has 8 bedrooms and 25 bathrooms...they must have very small bladders in that family - can't go ten feet without needing to go potty!  Oh, it's valued at $150 million...that I can't spit on!), and we picked out our favorite house - the one we'll buy if we win the lottery - a really, really big lottery!

 

The book points out the 130 most magnificent mansions, impressive in some manner or another, like the house that has a Statue of Liberty on the balcony and the house that put up a sign that says:  "Only an egotistical JACKASS would build a house like the one next door!"  Hilarious!  Most of the homes listed in the book are owned by the movers and shakers of Seattle (Microsoft, Costco, Nordstrom, Starbucks, Seahawks, Amazon, etc.) - people who laugh all the way to the bank - not hysterical laughter as in "PLEASE LET ME GET THIS DEPOSIT IN BEFORE ANOTHER CHECK GOES THROUGH!"  No, no, no...laughter as in, "I'm just going to withdraw some pocket change, I'd like a hundred grand in small bills, my Gucci purse is stretchable!"  I begrudged them nothing - after all, this is America, the land of opportunity...so like the old joke where the lady is begging to win the lottery each week, over and over she prays to win and finally God says, "Do me a favor, meet me half way and buy a ticket!" 

I have a ticket...I'm half way there!

Thanks for the great day at sea Janice! 

Salted Nut Bars...

When our dog, Muffy, the greatest squirrel hunter ever, passed on to that great kennel in the sky in 1988, our neighbor brought us a plate of Salted Nut Bars.  I can remember taking a bite and wiping away tears at the same time...but whether I was, at that point, crying over Muffy or over the sensational taste of these simple bars, well, my memory fails me - but probably a little of both.  I can't eat a Salted Nut Bar without thinking about Muffy - or without trying to remember the neighbor's name who gave us the bars and the recipe...written at the top of my recipe card is C. Kimball...Connie?  Cheryl?  Cathy?  I have no idea but she gave us years and years of Salted Nut Bars - for which we're ever so grateful!

 

 

 

 

Salted Nut Bars fall into the "no-bake" category...but not the "no-bake crap" category...I know you all know what I'm taking about..."no-bake crap" is usually something like Cheerios thrown in with melted almond bark and then called "Cheer-E-O-Chocolate Drops" ...or melted chocolate chips poured over shredded wheat, or white chocolate dipped Grape Nut clusters...all crap...and these are definitely NOT that...these are rich, chewy, and the salted nuts provide all the crunch you could ever want, along with plenty of protein, thereby qualifying these as a health-food (in my world)!  

Anyway you slice them, they're dang good...roll out the ol' meter, bang it 5 times, bring on the coma and put me to bed - these are definitely worth the chew!

Salted Nut Bars - Adapted from C. Kimball  

2 jars (16 oz.) dry-roasted salted peanuts

4 tablespoons butter

1 bag (10 oz.) peanut butter chips

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1 bag (16 oz.) miniature marshmallows

Grease bottom of 9x13-inch pan.  Pour one jar of nuts into pan and spread into one layer, covering bottom of pan.  Set aside.  In a large saucepan over medium high heat, melt butter and peanut butter chips together, stirring as needed.  Warm up can of sweetened condensed milk by running it under hot water or placing it in a bowl of hot water for about 5 minutes.  Pour sweetened condensed milk into the chip/butter mixture and stir until blended.  Remove from heat and add marshmallows and stir quickly. (Some of the marshmallows will melt, most will not, that's how you want them...overcooking and melting all the marshmallows will make for a very soft center.)  Pour mixture over nuts in pan, covering all.  Add remaining jar of nuts to the top of mixture and press down gently with the back of a spatula.  Refrigerate for at least 4 hours before cutting into 1x2-inch bars.  Makes about 30 bars.