Joe's turn for Sunday dinner

Good Monday everyone! So, typically I would be posting something that I cooked last night, but since Joe actually decided to cook this Sunday, instead of ordering out (we rotate who does dinner every Sunday), I figured I would post his meal. It was delicious as I'm sure you can tell from the following images. It was a sort of shrimp scampi, with a garlic, white wine, butter sauce, roasted grape tomatoes, and spinach tossed with pasta. The one problem I have with it is there are no left overs for lunch today. I don't have a recipe to share so if you would like a summary of how it was done, please comment, and I will do my best give you directions! 

With a chunk of french bread for left over sauce dipping 

because we definitly needed more carbs

Lets have an outdoor summer party!

I have spring fever again today! Or shall I say summer fever! Looking forward to a warm and sunny summer with plenty of these...

All images from Country Living

Not my typical Tuesday night dinner

My typical Tuesday night dinner would usually include a weight watchers meal (yuck), a veggie burger on a 1-point sandwich thin (not so bad, but repetitive), or something else boring and mediocre. Tonight however, was a different story. Not boring at all, actually. This more desirable and healthy meal was inspired by ingredients left over from Sunday dinner. These included chicken breast, arugula (left over from BLT pasta salad), and a half of lemon. When life hands you chicken, arugula, and lemons, make chicken cutlets over a bed of arugula, dressed with citrus vinaigrette, and quinoa with roasted balsamic asparagus (already had these on hand as well). Can you tell I didn't go to the gym tonight? Its amazing how much extra time it takes to go to the gym. Anyway...I invited Joe to eat dinner with me, as I always do, but he decided to stick with his typical boring Tuesday night dinner of microwaved frozen vegetable medley and cold turkey kielbasa. I told him he would be jealous, and of course he was. I did end up sharing, and I'm sure he will finish the leftovers. One thing I could KICK myself for is not paying attention to exactly how long I cooked the chicken cutlets. My chicken cooking abilities are sometimes fall below average because I am not fond of cutting into chicken and finding a pink center. This chicken however, was perfectly cooked, so moist and tender. I lightly sauteed it in extra virgin olive oil and finished it in the oven at 400 F, but only can estimate how long it cooked.  (Recipes below)

Chicken Cutlets with Arugula and Citrus Vinaigrette

and again...

Quinoa with Roasted Balsamic Asparagus

Chicken Cutlet

Makes 2 Servings

1 boneless skinless chicken breast, pounded thin to about 1/4 inch 

1 egg, beaten with 1 tablespoon of water

3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs with addition of salt and pepper

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Preheat oven to 400 F. Drizzle olive oil into non-stick pan and heat over medium/high heat. Coat  chicken egg wash and let the excess drip off and then coat in seasoned bread crumbs. Place chicken into the pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, allow enough time for chicken to become golden brown. Transfer chicken to an oven-safe dish or keep in pan if oven safe and place in oven for about 10 minutes or until no longer pink and juices run clear. (These are all estimates, as I wasn't really paying attention to time like I should have been) Remove chicken from oven and let rest for at least 5 minutes. Slice chicken and serve with Arugula dressed with Citrus Vinaigrette.

Citrus Vinaigrette

3 tablespoons EVOO

1 1/2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon orange juice

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon honey

salt and pepper to taste

To serve, drizzle desired amount of a bed of arugula. Place slice chicken cutlets over arugula and drizzle with more vinaigrette.

Quinoa with Roasted Balsamic Asparagus

Quinoa (you will have left overs)

3 cups water

1 1/2 cups dried quinoa

pinch of salt 

Place water in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add a pinch of salt and then the quinoa. Cover and reduce heat to simmer. Let cook for about 15-20 minutes or until water in completely absorbed and quinoa is tender. 

Asparagus

1 bunch asparagus

EVOO

Balsamic Vinegar

salt and pepper

Chop tough end off the asparagus. Cut asparagus into bite size pieces and place in a roasted pan. Drizzle with olive oil and a generous amount of vinegar. Season with salt and pepper and roast until desired tenderness. Toss with or serve over quinoa. 

Had I had other veggies, such as scallions and grape tomatoes (roasted grape tomatoes would be awesome), I would have added them to the quinoa. This would be delicious!

Thinking and Cooking Spring

Sunday was such a gorgeous, 53 degree day! I really had spring fever so my dinner reflected that for sure. We broke out the grill for Cornell BBQ Chicken Skewers, made pasta salad, and a Berry cobbler with last summers frozen berries (all recipes below). What better way to dream spring and summer!

Cornell BBQ Chicken Skewers with Red and Pablano Peppers

BLT Pasta Salad

Buttermilk Wild-Berry Cobbler

Recipes:

This is the most amazing chicken BBQ marinade. It tastes best when you use bone in/skin on Chicken and then cook it over a wood or charcoal fire, but I used boneless chicken breast for the skewers. 

Cornell BBQ Sauce

Developed by Robert C. Baker, Professor at Cornell University

1 cup cooking oil 

1 pint cider vinegar
3 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 egg

Beat the egg, then add the oil and beat again. Add other ingredients and stir. The recipe can be varied to suit individual tastes. Marinate for no less than 2 hours, but up to 24 hours.

BLT Pasta Salad

Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

8 -10 ounces pasta, cooked, rinsed, and drained

1 pint cherry tomatoes, rinsed and cut in half

6 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced

1 cup packed arugula leaves, rinsed and torn into bite size pieces

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

coarse salt and black pepper to taste

8 thick cut slices smoked bacon cooked in oven until very crisp

1. In a chilled bowl, combine pasta, tomatoes, arugula, and scallions.

2. Whisk oil, mustard, lemon juice and vinegar together in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper, and toss into pasta and vegetables. Crumble in the bacon, toss, and serve. Can be made a day ahead, but if you want crisper bacon, add just before serving. 

Buttermilk Wild-Berry Cobbler

Hay Day Country Market Cookbook

Fruit

4 Cups mixed fresh (I used frozen picked from last summer) Berries: strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and raspberries (or any combinations of these as long as you have 4 cups)

2/3 cup sugar

finely grated zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

Biscuit Topping

1 3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

4 tablespoons sugar (1/2 tablespoon reserved for topping biscuits)

5 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat oven to 375 F. 

2. Prepare the fruit: Gently rinse and drain berries. (I used frozen berries, so I defrosted them before mixing) Hull and slice strawberries. In a mixing bowl, toss berries with sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cinnamon. Spoon into a 8-9 in. deep-dish pie plate or baking dish, and bake in the middle of the oven until juices begin to bubble around the edges, about 10 minutes. (My fruit was still cold so this took longer. I increased the heat until is started to bubble, and than turned it back down to 375 F).

3. Meanwhile, prepare topping: Stir and toss flour, baking powder, baking soda, and 3 1/2 tablespoons sugar in a mixing bowl. Work in the butter with a pastry blender or tines of a fork  to form a coarse meal. Stir in buttermilk and toss gently with a fork until combined. Do not over work. The batter will be somewhat lumpy. 

4. Remove berries from the oven and drop large spoonfuls of batter over the fruit, about 1/4 -1/2 inch apart. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon of sugar, and bake until topping is nicely browned and puffed and cooked through, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a rack and serve. 

I served mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. It was delicious!!

Stylish Storage

Metro Steel Shelving

Swedish Wood Shelving

Swedish Wood Utility Cart

Galvanized Storage Cube Table

Skandia Library

Skandia Garage

Heavy Metal Stacking Bins

Handled Newsprint Baskets

Galvanized Cube Bath Storage

Metro Commercial 3-Shelf Serving Cart

InterMetro Kitchen Shelves

Iron Folding Bookcase

Iron Folding Bookcase

Images 1-3 Williams-Sonoma

Images 4-10 The Container Store

Bargains

Lately I have been finding really great deals on many different items. This latest item, a gigantic, 38x38 inch, solid wood framed mirror, is one I still can't believe. Just take a guess.....(answer below). Just for the heck of it, I googled "white wood framed mirror" and most were selling for around $400!!! I purchased it at a little flea market type store, but it's brand new! It was still wrapped in plastic with the hanging materials also still packaged. There is a bit of a defect on the back, but nothing that can't be fixed or dealt with. So the answer is $30.00!!!! Can you believe it???

Pretty Little Things!

I thought I would share a few recent purchases that I am still crushing on! 

Antique Round Wood Box

Vintage Chalk Board & Dundee Marmalade Jar

Vintage Green Wine Bottle

Antique Green Shutter & Wine Bottle

Vintage Green Canning Jar

Weekends, Julie & Julia, and Beef Bourguignon

I cannot express to you my love for weekends. I wish everyday could be Friday night, Saturday, or Sunday. I suppose it would not seem so special in this case, but at any rate, I do really appreciate weekends. 


Anyway, I started reading Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell this past Thursday evening. I watched the movie not too long ago with my Grandparents while I was home for Christmas. My Grandma actually bought the book for me. I don't often have time to sit down and read, but for a book where cooking and Julia Child are the main topic, I will make time. I have always loved Julia Child. We go way back to my childhood when her shows, along with the Frugal Gourmet aired frequently on PBS. I believe it was this along with mom and Grandma's help, that ingrained in me a love for cooking. I have been a cook at heart for quite sometime now, even if it was mud pies and rotted vegetables from my grandparents garden. I even had a few cooking shows like Julia's as well. My set included a a good size sand pile, a large vegetable garden, old pots and pans, and as for my oven, well, stacked wooden palates of course. My only audience consisted of the many maples trees that surround my grandparent's land. Being that I never enjoyed speaking to small or large crowds, the trees in my opinion were the best audience because they did not Judge or notice if made a mistake. To others, my cuisine may have looked like piles of mud, but to me, they were gourmet dishes that I had carefully selected ingredients for from the garden and sand pile. I then slaved for hours over my wood palate stove to make what if had been edible, would have melted in your mouth from the love and creativity I put in it. As I grew a little older, I started to write my own recipes. A few I recall were garden pea and leaf lettuce soup, which poor grandma had to slurp down many times convincing me that it was practically the best thing she had ever tasted, marshmallows coated in peanut butter and rolled in rainbow sprinkles, and lemon slices dipped in sugar. Yep, those were my recipes, lol. Thank God for mothers and grandmothers and bless their hearts for going along with their children's imaginations, even if it does mean choking down raw pea and leaf lettuce in canned chicken broth. 


This post will come together at some point, I just don't really know when...I guess now would be a good time. I said before, that I started reading Julie & Julia on Thursday evening. The next day I made a pit stop at the local Big M to find whole beef tenderloin on sale for $4.99 lb. Unbelieveable! I thought for sure that it must have been a mistake, but nope it wasn't. In addition, the butcher will trim and cut the meat any way you wish. I purchased a whole tenderloin for $22.46. I know, crazy. The butcher sliced it in 1 inch steaks and also left a good size roast. This roast would soon become beef bourguignon, Julia Child's beef bourguignon. Coincidence? Yes. Well, this weekend, as a result of inspiration from reading Julie & Julia, beef tenderloin at an incredibly low price, my love for cooking, and precious time during the precious weekend, I made Julia Child's beef bourguignon . It was delish, very time consuming, but so worth it. I have always wanted to try this recipe, but who has money to buy beef tenderloin (you don't have to use tenderloin, but for the time spent cooking this, you might as well use high quality beef)? From this day on, beef bourguignon will hold a spot in my recipe box. All in all, from mud pies, to lettuce soup, to beef bourguignon, not one more important than the other, my love for food and cooking has continued to grow. I know I have said this before many times, but cooking is my therapy. Some need prozac, deep breathing, or stress balls, but I need to cook.  Thanks Julia Child, Julie Powell, Grandma and Grandpa, Mom, and Maple Trees for allowing creativity,  imagination, and persistence to flow. 

Sauteed Mushroom before going into the stew

My makeshift dutch oven in which I wrapped foil tightly around the dish for braising

Julia Child's Beef Bourguignon served over toasted French Bread

YUM!

Recipe Here

There are a lot of steps in this recipe. I few of which I did not do. For example, I think I was supposed to take out the carrots and sliced onions, but I did not. I also forgot to buy pearl onions, another reason to keep the other onions in. Oh yeah and in the beginning it says to simmer the bacon before sauteeing. I did not do this. I just chopped the bacon and sautéed it immediately. 

Glazed Lemon Bread

I posted a few images and recipes not too long ago. There was however, one recipe I did not post. This was this Glazed Lemon Bread, which was delicious by the way. It was incredibly moist and lemony. I had a couple of people request the recipe, so here it is! Oh, and sorry it took so long!!

Glazed Lemon Bread
from Bon Appetit, Fast Easy Fresh

Makes 1 loaf

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sugar divided

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

2 large eggs

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon peel

1/2 cup whole milk

*for extra tartness in the bread add 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to the batter and increase the lemon peel to 1 tablespoon (I did it this way b/c I love lemons)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly butter 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 x 2 1/2-inch loaf pan. Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Using an electric mixer, beat 1 cup of sugar and butter in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Mix in lemon peel and lemon juice (lemon juice is optional) . Beat in dry ingredients alternately with with milk in 3 additions each. Transfer batter to the prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes to 1 hour. 

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice in a heavy small saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. 

Transfer pan to a rack. Pierce top of brad all over with wooden skewer. Gradually spoon lemon glaze over hot bread, adding more as glaze is absorbed. Cool Lemon bread completely in the pan on a rack.

To store, remove bread from pan and wrap loosely in foil and keep at room temperature.

Blueberry Sauce

(all measurements are just estimates of what I did)

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

1/4-1/2 cup water

1/4-1/3 cup sugar (adjust to your taste)

Place all ingredients in a small sauce pan over low-medium heat. Blueberries will start to burst. Stir occasionally until it looks like a sauce. You can serve it warm, room temp., or cold over sliced lemon bread. 

Enjoy!!

Sundance Catalog Lovelies!

So this is another one of those "If only I could afford posts." The Sundance Website may have some of the most gorgeous home decor out there.  Here are a few of my favorites!! Enjoy!

Life of the Party Trays

Provence Tablerunner

Lorraine Tablerunner

1934 Dining Chair

Cornwell clock

Archer Tall boy

Wethersby Consol

Rapid Transit Signage

Vintage Joni Mitchell Potrait

License Plate USA

Four Winds Throw

Bungalow Check Throw

Gearworks Table

Bethany Iron Bed

Suchitra Quilt

Wright's Peak Storage

Vintage Lockers

Wrights Peak storage

Draper's Cabinetry 

Wrights Peak Wire Wall Storage with hooks

Beautiful, ehh?