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Tasty Tuesday Basil Butter and Corn
In Michigan it is corn season. Some call it summer, the rest of us know that it is fresh corn on the cob – roadside stand season. The varieties are out there, one field is a bit different than an other. I suppose it is like wine vineyards… the soil content, the water, the hours of sunlight and temperature of the ground give the grapes their subtle taste value… so I am told. I can just tell you that here, each stand is a marvel. Then to top it off, Fridays in Middleville is Farmers’ Market day. So, a stroll down the booths lets one see different color ears, price…
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Up North Shrimp Gumbo
Creative instincts can be great… can get you into trouble… and open doors, or in this case a pot lid. We lived in all 4 corners of the US (CONUS). We savored some great taste sensations. We learned to like produce, fish, fruits that we not on our plates as children. Some were fantastic and some… we just couldn’t invite back again! Legumes (any sort of dried bean or pea) are just not my friends! And on that no fly list in capital letters, is okra. Tried it, and believe we are incompatible. Both Dale and I can live with that. But then there is gumbo. I love the idea.…
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Tasty Tuesday: Pesto Cheesecake
After working in the garden on a perfectly ‘perfect weather’ day, the deck chairs seems to summon us, and the idea of a simple dinner with the neighbors is about as good as it gets. IN preparation for this event… this pesto cheesecake can be made from ordinary items in the back of the refrigerator. I tend to do a commissary shopping trip and load up on essentials…so having 4 packages of cream cheese on hand is not unusual. Understand we do not live close to a commissary, so when I go… I go for carts! I hope you have the occasion to sit outside, enjoy your work and enjoy…
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Tasty Tuesday: Carrot Cups – A Biscuit w/ Carrots! Simple as ABC
I have a calendar that Pillsbury sent to me. It features a recipe a month. A few months ago, there was an idea of taking Grands or any large baking soda biscuit, flattening it and baking a mini-fruit pie in a muffin cup. (Oh my, they were good!)We are not always ‘allowed’, ‘encouraged’ or looking to have sugary desserts. Diabetes frowns upon that part of meal! Careful preparation of the menu does allow for it from time to time. However, this simple dish just invited me to play. Enter springtime. We love vegetables and their colorful display. When I added Boursin and a sharp New York cheddar to carrots, we…
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Tasty Tuesday: Lamb Shanks
Spring comes in like a lion… not much one can do there to portray that visual with a meal suggestion… however, Spring goes out like a lamb. I imagine there are a few people who have never tried lamb. And that is such a shame. Lamb dishes are flavorful, simple to prepare and an almost new meat. There are so many ways to prepare a great Easter treat. Traditionally we have leg of lamb when we have company here. However this year, I am thinking about making Lamb Shanks. This dish takes some preparation time, but is worth the wait! And a new meat is an excellent change for the…
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Perfect Pasta and Fish
These fish recipes are just swimming around my head today! I have posted quite a few. But, one is just better than the next… until I go back and think… that is the one I want. They just swim past each other!I love the look of a good dish! This Pasta and Fish dish uses shells as the starch, and is so good!Serves 61 1lb box of shell pasta1/2 c chipped onion1/2 t dried basil2 T olive oil1 envelope of spaghetti sauce mix32 oz canned tomatoes1 lb fish fillets, solid white fish, cut into cubes1/2 c Parmesan cheese8 oz mozzarella cheese Cook shells according to box directions until just al…
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Leftover Pork meets Fresh Blackberries and Feta
I love to cook… that being said… I love to entertain. Sometimes I make a tad bit too much for the folks! That’s OK, as it just causes me to think of ways to stretch what I have and make a new dish. Fresh Vegetables with Pork and Berries2 T. olive oil1/2 c sliced onions1 cup fresh green beans, snapped into 1 inch pieces2 ears of cooked corn on the cob, kernels removed1 T basil1/2 t salt4 oz cooked pork sliced thin2 T wine vinegar1 t Dijon mustard1 T olive oil2 cups fresh beet greens1/2 c fresh blackberries1 oz feta cheese, crumbled In a heavy skillet saute onion until softened,…
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What is in your Garden? – Military Family Life Question of the Week
There is stress relief for me found in getting down and getting my hands dirty. It starts in very early-Spring and extends through the beginning of Fall. I feel capable. I feel healthy. Wielding a shovel makes me even feel *a little* stronger as I work arm and leg muscles. I swear at the weeds and talk baby-talk to the very-capable vegetable plants. (I’m quite certain that’s why they ‘produce’ for us!) Summer time equals a small (yet growing every year) garden for us. This year we have: Cucumbers in abundance Peas, their season has passed, but blessed us with lots of early Spring munching Carrots that need to be…
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Hot Topic: What’s in your Garden? Lots of Green &Red! Baked Beets with Feta and Pesto
Folks want to know “What is growing in your garden?” If it was just up to the garden, and not the gardener… the answer would be weeds, weeds, weeds. However, with a quick check of my nail cuticles… you know that at our house it is a daily stretch out there, and the weeds get ‘bucketed’. I do not know a better looking vista, than a neatly planted, well maintained vegetable garden. And hooray, this year we have a frameable picture. Two new rows of lettuce are just popping out. 3 early plantings are so tall… that if I don’t use them quickly (and giving them to friends is tone…
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Zesty Italian Chicken
It is cold outside. Wait, it is JUNE! Today the temperature is 57 degrees at 1 pm. A few weeks ago, I would have loved this warmth. Now, I’ve been spoiled by warm dry air. My garden is thriving in the overcast moisture… but not me! So, I need something warm and zesty for dinner. I love using salad dressings as marinades, as sauces and even as dressings on salad! Italian dressing has a zip and bite to it that goes so well with chicken, and then there is that side dish of crusty bread, always good. Cooking in a Dutch oven, a heavy cast iron pot that can sit…
