New Summer Recipes

For some reason late spring / summer puts me in the mood to try new recipes!  I love cooking & experimenting in the kitchen! Maybe it's all the new fun looking seasonal produce or the fact it's not dark when I get off work anymore & my body isn't telling me to go to sleep :)  James enjoys cooking too, and although we are working through the "two chefs in the kitchen," it is great activity for us to enjoy together!

~Salmon Packets En Papillote~

I love cooking in packets!  So easy to prepare & clean up :)  I improvised from several websites using what we had on hand.  I also learned that this technique is called "en papillote" ~ how fancy! I am never saying packets again!

1) Coat foil (or parchment paper) packet with olive oil
2) Season salmon filets with salt, pepper & spice mix from Trader Joe's Dukkah
3) Layer lemon slices, salmon, lemon slices, chopped garlic & scallions
4) Drizzle olive oil & white wine on top
5) Seal up the packets like little tents with room for steam
6) Bake at 425 for 15 minutes

The seasonings made all the difference!  Lemon & pepper is perfect for summer :) 

 The side dish ~ Roasted Asparagus

The finished product!

~Grapefruit Cocktails~

I used a margarita recipe as my starting point.  In Texas many places will have grapefruit margaritas and I was craving one!  I could not find ruby red juice in the store :(  that would be my preference... but in the mental debate of best flavor & squeezing juice by hand vs. less flavor & drink sooner, the latter won out :)  If you do have fresh ruby red juice nearby, please use it!  Without the ruby red the drink was good but tart!  I enjoy a more tart beverage over sugary in the summer.

2 oz Grapefruit Juice
2 oz Tequila
2 oz Lemon Simple Syrup (recipe below)
1 Tbsp Lime Juice

My sweet cousin got us a party glassware set with wine, martini, beer & shot glasses!  It also included a fancy shaker/strainer with recipes on the side!  It was perfect for making the cocktails :)  Thanks Kara!

~Simple Syrup~

I wish this was a food group.  Or socially acceptable to drink on it's own :)  There are 1000 variations of a simple syrup recipe, I wanted to make lime for my tequila cocktail, but in MO it's hard to find produce sometimes and the lemons looked considerably more ripe.  I plan on making a batch of tea to use the rest of it with (if there is some left over!).  Simple syrup seriously takes 10 minutes & is the best 10 minutes you'll ever spend!  Not only do you get to lick the spoon :) but putting it in drinks vs. sweetener or sugar is INCREDIBLE!

Recipe credit:  Martha always knows best!

1 part water
1 part sugar
1 lemon zested & the juice

It's pretty simple, heat to boiling, stir often, cool down, strain & enjoy!

 I don't have a teeny strainer... this is my MacGyver approach!

Ready to make cocktails & tea ! 

Snowpocalypse

Welcome to St. Louis.  Where the natives are always unhappy with the weather :)  Every time it snows more than a few inches the news declares a "snowpocalypse."   Not that I enjoy snow measured in feet rather than inches, but we do live in the Mid-West people.  It snows during winter.  Oh well :)

I am soooooooooo glad I asked for Wellies for Christmas!!  They have been a life saver!

Here are some photos of "snowpocalypse" ~ and forecasts are saying it will be 60 one week from today on Easter Sunday!

This is a picture of James' car! 

Photo credit: James (like I would go outside in this weather!)

View from my bedroom when I woke up :)  

Okok... "our" bedroom

If I wasn't über excited about vacation already, I sure am now!!!!  GET ME TO THE BEACH!!! :)

  

I spent the snowed-in day making a big pitcher of Arnold Palmers!!!!

And trying on dresses for JJ's destination wedding! :)

"Despite the forecast, live like it's spring!"

~Lilly Pulitzer

Time Well Spent

With all my free time not wedding planning I am wholeheartedly enjoying getting back to my favorite hobbies (notably reading, cooking, shopping & entertaining).

Reading ~ 

These two books I've read recently I would say are a must read!

The Paris Wife by Paula McClain:  written as mostly historical/biographical with fiction filling in the cracks.  It is about Ernest Hemmingway's first wife Hadley & their years in Paris.  Beautiful & tragic at the same time.

My Life in France by Julia Child with Alex Prud'homme:  Autobiography based on letters written by Julia & her husband during their time in Paris.  The book focuses on her love of all things French & her journey of being an acclaimed chef who pioneered the revolution of cooking in the US (away from TV dinners).

Both of the books were wonderfully inspirational.  Especially since both ladies found the adventures of the lives in their late 20's/ early 30's.   And I am now obsessed with Paris.  Trip anyone?? :)

I would not say it is a must read because everyone does not appreciate Russian novels (the Russians don't like them either), but I am re-reading Anna Karenina after seeing the movie.  I would not say the movie is a literal adaptation, it was beautiful and fascinating in its own way.   If you do decide to read it, do get the P&V translation!

Cooking ~

Thanks to Julia Child for the inspiration & for my sweet friend Erika for getting me a new cookbook (a good friend finds a classy way of finding a birthday present for you that says "I know you like to eat, enjoy!" haha).   I made a recipe from Sunday Brunch by Betty Rosbottom.

Berries with Lemon Creme Fraiche!  (it's French & fabulous)
The bacon is there because I live with a man now.  Apparently fruit & creme isn't "breakfast".

We tried to make our own copy-cat recipe for the BLT & Peppercorn salad at Pi Pizzeria!  It turned out really good despite James' heavy hand with the red onions ;)  

Entertaining ~ 

On Friday evening some lovely ladies came over to eat desserts, drink champagne & watch Liz & Dick.  Yes I DVR'd a Lifetime movie... but I really love Elizabeth Taylor!!!   The company, cookies & champagne were fabulous... the movie was lacking (probably acting ability).  But I did love all the fur coats :)  And I do feel inspired to use a red lip / heavy eyeliner look soon!   I used my new Neimans + Target dessert plates!!!  And made Laura Bush's Cowboy Cookies.  Always delicious!

Shopping ~ 

... more to come soon!! :) 

Birthday Love

Monday I turned 28!  I always have loved my Birthday!  Yes, with a capital "B" it is a holiday after all.  I think having a December birthday made me cling with extra devotion to my day of birth.  No, it is not fair to send a kid a Christmas present with a card that says "Happy Birthday & Merry Christmas" nor is it ok to wrap a birthday present in Christmas paper.  Wrapping paper is cheaper than toilet paper.  Seriously?

Luckily I have a wonderful husband & very sweet friends who never make me feel slighted on my Birthday :)

The highlight of my day was being able to take off work & do whatever I wanted!  Translation ~ spend all day in my new lulu wunder unders taking it easy :)  I caught up on a few episodes of Fashion Police!  I ate a meatball sandwich from Subway for lunch!  I organized two bookshelves in the 'hoarder room'! I read a book on my Nook! I perused the many Christmas catalogs I've got in the mail! I took a nap!  Just some of my fun birthday activities :)  For an introvert ~ it was the best self present!

In the evening my dear friends & I went out to eat at Pi Pizzeria.  It is a favorite of James & I ~ very delicious pizza!  And James surprised me with a mint chocolate chip ice cream cake, a childhood fav!

For Everything There is a Season

For everything there is a season,

     a time for every activity under heaven.

~Ecclesiastes 3:1

A time for eating lots of of delicious holiday food,

     a time for getting back on the wagon.

As lovely as Thanksgiving was, I certainly do not want my stomach to get accustomed to pie & stuffing at every meal :)  I was blessed with taking Friday off and having the long weekend as the perfect opportunity to make a few new recipes & try my new yoga DVD! 

The "Soup-er Cleanse"

(recipe from the Eat Clean Vegetarian Cookbook by Tosca Reno)

This recipe was the classic example of Julia Child's attitude that mistakes in the kitchen should not be hidden but used as learning examples!  Despite taking the recipe with me to the store I came home without chickpeas & substituted quinoa instead.  My sweet husband helped me with prep work the day before; however, I did not mention the celery & zucchini needed to be separated because they are added to the soup at different stages.  That took a while to separate!  I also failed to abide by my food processor's "max liquid" line...  But I managed to save my soup & use an immersion blender in the stock pot :)  After 2 hours of cooking & cleaning up after the food processor incident, I was able to enjoy this soup! 

Taste Test ~  the soup had a very fresh, sharp taste due to the lemon, garlic & ginger.  It was a great light meal (yet the quinoa made it filling). However, if I was not eating it as a cleanse I would prefer other soups.  For a cleansing soup though it was one of the best detox-type foods that I have eaten!

Sassy Water

(recipe from Pinterest)

After being very confused at the strange language I did manage to find the recipe at the bottom of the blog entry in English (friendly tip!).    I used my infusion pitcher (which I LOVE! because I don't like floaties in my drinks) from Bed Bath & Beyond, perfect for adding fruit to water or tea.  This has been a great impulse purchase! Back to the sassy water, it was a very simple recipe, I just layered the ingredients & voila!  I had about 1/3 of the lemon slices that did not fit, so I left them whole & floated them in the pitcher.  

Taste Test ~ After letting the sassy water "infuse" overnight I can say... It was perfect!  The flavors were not too strong, very refreshing!  I might make this all the time, not just for "sassy" detox time.  

A.M. P.M. Yoga

(Rodney Yee & Patricia Walden by Gaiam)

DVD thoughts ~ I loved A.M. yoga!  I like my yoga to be straightforward with not a lot of fluffy / new-age type of talk.  I find it more relaxing that way.  Rodney has a great & pleasant voice that is very soothing for the morning :) The A.M. is a quick 20 minutes and focused on stretching & opening up joints than some of the more challenging poses.  It's the perfect morning wake up :)  Maybe I can convince myself to get up 20 min earlier for work...  

James & I did end up going to BestBuy (not at midnight, but at 7:30 on Friday) and the recipe pictures are taken with my new camera! :)  I am sooooooo excited!