A Valentine's Gift That Keeps On Giving

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A little treat for the little kiddies next door - ummmm -  yummy!

Every Italian woman knows ....

The way to a man's heart is through his stomach...

Shrimp Cocktail

Baby greens with fresh herbs, sun-dried tomato encrusted goat cheese
dressed with a fig balsamic vinaigrette followed by
Dungeness crab cake and Fire-roasted tomato & Bulgar soup with warm spices



Chocolate honey almond tart



Chukar's Chocolate covered Cabernet cherries

Just look what my wonderful husband gave me for Valentine's Day 

AND

THE BEST PART

The REAL Gift

a little note tucked in the front cover

"Please pick a recipe a month that I can prepare for you or that we can do together."

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy !!!!

Let's see ...

Tagliatelle with Fresh & Dried Chanterelle Mushrooms

Ippoglosso

Saffron Mussel Bisque

Grilled King Salmon

Penne allo Speck & Grappa

Too many delights to select - I may need more than just twelve choices !!

Hoping your Valentine's Day was as sweet as mine!



One Chicken - Three Winning Dinners

Pin It One of the best values at the supermarket is a chicken.  You can buy a large organic roasted chicken for only $4.99 at your local Costco!  I always pick up a roasted chicken when I'm there.  I also buy frozen organic chickens when on-sale at the local market and freeze them for future roasting.  With only one roasted chicken, you can make three wonderful dinners for your family.  What a deal!

Dinner #1 - Simple salad, a slice or two of chicken breast,
crusty bread and red wine.

 Dinner #2 - Caldo de Pollo (Chicken Soup Mexican Style)
See Recipe Below 

 Dinner #3 - Chicken Salad
Take all of the left-over bits of chicken off of the bones. 
Mix with some chopped celery, chopped onion, olive oil mayo,
celery seed, salt and pepper to taste. 
Serve over a bed of lettuce with a light vinegarette dressing.



CALDO DE POLLO
(MEXICAN TORTILLA SOUP)

Ingredients:

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

6 oz. chorizo sausage, casing removed (optional)

1 small onion, chopped

1 can whole kernel corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained

1 can diced fire-roasted tomatoes

4 cups chicken broth

Olive oil

Adobo seasoning

Salt and Pepper
Roasted chicken pieces (pre-cooked)
1 lime

1 avocado

cilantro

tortilla chips

sour cream

Saute onion, pepper and chorizo in olive oil.  Add chicken broth, beans, corn and tomatoes, then bring to a boil. Rinse each of the cans with a little water; pour water into the soup.  Add Adobo seasoning, salt and pepper to taste.  Reduce the heat and simmer uncovered until the flavors blend.

When ready to serve, place a few tortilla chips in a soup bowl along with some pieces of chicken.  Ladle soup over chips and chicken.  Squeeze lime juice over soup (about 1 tsp).  Garnish with a dollop of sour cream, a slice or two of avocado, cilantro and two tortilla chips.

Buen Provecho!

One roasted chicken can provide three economical, healthy and delicious dinners.  And don't forget to boil the carcass to make chicken broth for future use.  What other delights have you made with a roasted chicken?

2/25/11 Update:  Linked up with    and 

Who's your pick?

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Today is the big day - Superbowl Sunday!  If you are like nearly every other American you will be glued to your television for three hours - unless you live in the Pacific Northwest and are tempted by a hike in the beautiful Olympic Mountains, or skiing in the Cascade Mountains, or kayaking in the Puget Sound, or sipping a latte by the fireplace at your local coffee shop. 

For my Send Love Today assignment, I made a two-sided card for a 12-year old boy in Massachusetts.  I'm sure he would have preferred his beloved New England Patriots were on one-side of the card! 

Send Love Today Superbowl Card - side 1

Send Love Today Superbowl Card - Side 2



Off for a hike with my dear husband and sweet Maggie ...  Hope your favored pick wins!

It Doesn't Get Any Easier Than This ...

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I've been up to my ears this week in paint!  I'm redoing our cozy main bathroom and haven't had much energy for crafting or cooking this week. (Photos to come in a future post.) I did find time to make some brownies though - rich, chocolatey brownies.  It made for the perfect afternoon treat with a cup of Lady Grey tea. 

Here's the secret for the most delicious brownies ever - Ghiradelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix.  I can hear my family gasping as they learn my secret since I almost always bake from scratch (my grandmother wouldn't have it any other way).  But honestly, this mix makes The Best Brownies.  The perfect balance of moist cake yet just-a-little-bit-fudgy ... but not too much chocolate that gives you a sugar headache.  I've thrown out all of my brownie recipes and stick with the Ghiradelli mix.  I usually have a box in my pantry so that I can whip up a batch of brownies on short notice when friends drop in.

All you need to add to the mix is an egg, some oil and water.  Stir it all together then pour it into a parchment-lined baking pan.  I like to use an 8" square baking pan for a thicker brownie.

Bake in the oven according to the manufacturer's directions and before you know it, you have a pan of beautiful, decadent brownies.

Treat yourself to an afternoon delight today!

2008 Poet's Leap Riesling

Pin It Some exciting news showed up in my mailbox today and I just had to share it with you.  My stepson, Andy, has been studying enology for the past six years or so and working with many different wineries on several continents.  From 2007- 2008, Andy worked with the esteemed private cellar Long Shadow Wineries in Walla Walla, Washington.  While at Long Shadow and under the direction of winemaker Armin Diel, Andy produced several wines including the 2008 Poet's Leap Riesling.

Now for the exciting news ...  Last week, President Obama hosted China's President Hu Jintao at the White House State dinner and served Long Shadow's 2008 Poet's Leap Botrytis Riesling!  At the request of the Chinese Delegation, the White House arranged a "quintessentially American" evening, complete with menu, decor and entertainment that reflected some of the nation's most recognizable offerings.  The 2008 Poet's Leap Botrytis Riesling was one of only three wines poured that evening, and was served for dessert with old fashioned apple pie and vanilla ice cream. 

Just last month, I served this same wine with Christmas Eve dinner - Paella to celebrate the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  It's truly a delicious wine - one of my favorites.  The winemaker's tasting notes: Freshly peeled grapefruit, an appealing minerality, and a hint of ripe pear define the 2008 Poet’s Leap Riesling. Bright acidity gives the wine its vibrancy and a clean, underlying touch of sweetness contributes to a lengthy finish.



2008 Poet's Leap served for the Feast of the Seven Fishes.
The bottle had been signed by Andy (wine-producer).



Andy enjoying a fresh tasting directly from the barrel.

A private tour and lesson on the art of wine-making.
Who knew a couple of years ago that these grapes would be served at the White House?!

Andy and his Dad on the first day of his enology studies.

If you haven't discovered the Walla Walla wine country of Washington State, I recommend you plan a visit this summer.  It's a lovely little town with fabulous wineries.  You will not be disappointed.

Cheers!

Forget French Fries - Hola Tostones

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This past week my sister-in-law invited me over to enjoy a Puerto-Rican dinner prepared by her mother.  What a treat!  Guava & cheese, pernil (roasted pork), rice with beans & pumpkin, tostones and pastillos de guava (pastries filled with guava paste).  Sra. Maldonado graciously taught me to make the tasty little tostones - I have a new favorite snack.



Tostones, Rice with Beans & Pumpkin, and Pernil



Tostones 

 

Tostones are made from green (unripe) plantains commonly found in the fresh fruit department of a grocery store.  The peeled plantain is sliced into 1 inch thick slices, fried in hot oil until they turn golden-yellow (about 1-2 minutes on each side), and then removed from the oil and patted with a paper towel. 

 

Once the excess oil has been removed, each slice is squished flat with a "tostonera" (or any kitchen utensil that has a large enough flat surface) and sprinkled with Adobo seasoning. The plantains are then fried once again until they are crisp and golden brown.

They are immediately served with a garlic dipping sauce (olive oil, minced garlic, dash of Adobo seasoning, splash of vinegar).

Pastillos de Guava

Roll out puff pastry dough and cut into small squares.
Place a cube of guava paste in the middle of pastry square.

Place another pastry square on top and pinch together. 
Bake at 350F until puffed and lightly browned.

Sprinkle pastillos with powdered sugar.  Enjoy!



Las Tres Maldonados



Con un corazón agradecido, besitos a la Sra. Maldonado y sus hijas.

Buen Provecho!

25JAN11 Update: I've linked this posting to Today's Creative Blog.  Click on over to see many other ideas from those who have got Their Craft On too.

My Favorite Store Where Everything Is FREE!

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Love in the Time of Cholera

Our local public library is my favorite store.  I love books - all kinds of books - books about crafting, knitting, cooking - biographies - mysteries - a good old Jane Austen love affair.  Books inspire me.  Creative juices are tapped and visions just flow.  I have visions of my niece beaming upon receiving a new creation inspired from a Felted Jewelry book, or visions of one of our granddaughters cuddling up with her hand-knit teddy bear.  I can smell the biscuits baking in the oven.  I hear the voice of President Obama as a child in Indonesia learning to box with his new stepfather.  I can feel the pain of President Bush ordering young Americans to war.  I can hear the cannons blasting in the Civil War and the cries of our fathers.  I can see Mr. Darcy standing in the fountain with his dripping wet shirt ... 



Snow Falling on Cedars

 Perhaps my love for books was developed in the parochial school program I attended as a child.  The program included weekly time in the school's library.   There were book reports of course, but I'm sure I checked out more books than required to.  My mother volunteered in the library which was an added bonus for me, seeing my mother during the school day.  I recall her sweet smile when she would see me come in, and my heart warms. Perhaps this is why I love books so much.


Cold Mountain

In college, a took a part-time job working in the campus library to earn spending money.  This was the best job!  Easy access to all of the books whenever I needed them.  Quiet time to study when things were slow.  And an opportunity to catch up on the latest campus happenings with everyone who passed by.  It is with this job that I learned the ins and outs of a library and the full potential it offers its patrons.



Mere Christianity

There are so many wonderful crafting, knitting and cooking books on the market.  It's hard to tell from the book jacket which are good books for my personal library, and which ones are fun to look at for inspiration but probably not something I would continue to use over and over again.  The public library provides a good solution.  If I come across a book that looks interesting, I will order it from the library.  Our library has a very large and current selection so there is usually no difficulty finding what I'm looking for.  Once receiving the book, I spend time with it to digest all that it has to offer.  If I can't bear to part with it when it comes due for return, then I put it on my Amazon wish list for a special treat someday.  Here are a few of my favorites that have made it on to the shelf in our home.


Martha Stewart's Cupcakes

 

Western Garden Book




Simple Knits for Cherished Babies

 

Sibley Field Guide to Birds of Western North America (Helm Field Guides)





The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook 3rd Edition: Cookware Rating Edition



One Skein: 30 Quick Projects to Knit or Crochet

Wishing something new discovers you today!