The Universe and Things

It is funny how no matter how planned and organized we are that things could change at any given moment. Twenty-four hours ago, I was thinking about all that I had to get done before leaving for our vacation this weekend. I had been sitting at a training for the last four days and was zoning out, not looking forward to attending the last day which was supposed to be today. I was thinking about how I'd be feeling; anxiously awaiting our departure so I could hurry home, pack the car, and finally get back on the road to vacation freedom. This all changed last night. Instead of sitting in a conference, zoning out, and rambling with my thoughts I am blogging to you all and anxiously awaiting my appointment for some much needed fertility testing. 

For those of you who have been following my blog for any ornate amount of time, it was almost a year ago that we started this journey in my post Baby Steps. We've actually been trying to conceive for almost three years now, but my husband is a little stubborn. He finally bit the bullet and went in for his end of the testing, thank God. I had exhausted as much testing as they would do on me until they new what was up with him. The Bear couldn't have timed it any better. I have to go in at or very closely around day 10 of my cycle for this next imaging procedure. My doctor called yesterday afternoon, reported Justin's results, and was able to schedule and get me in today (day 10!) without having to wait another dreaded month. I'm a little nervous as this will not be a fun and a little painful, but my lady doc did put in an order for a valium. Not that I advocate prescription pain-killers, but this will help calm my nerves and the pain. I've been reading a lot about health and spiritual happiness lately. One of the websites I am loving right now is Kris Car's Crazy, Sexy, Life. Her wisdom and superstar contributors have helped me let go of negative "baggage" and manifest positive energy, so I know the universe and God are on our side. For more on how you can create and manifest awesomeness you can click on the link above. 

In other news, our lake vacation awaits! I plan on cooking up some great meals this week; however, am waiting on a menu until we can assess the kitchen artillery. You can look forward to more news, vacay pictures, and dishes throughout the upcoming week!

Summer Squash & Potato Salad

I've decided to try a different strategy to this whole heat wave thing. Rather than be miserable and complain about the heat, I decided we need to embrace it as a part of summer. Yes, embrace and harness the glory in hopes that reverse psychology might bring more average temperatures and relieve the Sahara like conditions. Okay, who am I kidding? But, it doesn't hurt to look at things in a more positive light. During this horrendous summer heat, I've learned multiple uses for my Crock Pot besides cooking soup. I've turned traditional tomato soup into a lovely gazpacho, and I made some pretty stellar dips and salads. Just like this one...

I'm not quite sure how to put this recipe into words. It was one of the easiest salads I've ever put together and tastes better the next day. If you have a bumper crop or are looking for ways to use all of your zucchini, you really should try this. It's really, really, simply good.

Summer Squash & Potato Salad

1 pound small Yukon gold potatoes, quartered and boiled till for tender

1 large zucchini, sliced

2 yellow summer squash, sliced

1/4 cup toasted pine nuts

1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 teaspoon lemon zest

1 clove pressed garlic

Salt & pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese

Toss the potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, pine nuts, and parsley together in a large bowl. In separate dish, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper until smooth and combined. Poor the dressing over the potatoes and squash. Toss until the veggies are coated. Top with grated or shaved Parmesan cheese and serve immediately; however, this salad is even better if you let the salad sit over night so the flavors marry together. It is so refreshingly good!

Spicy Gazpacho

I cannot help but think of Lisa Simpson whenever I make gazpacho. "It's tomato soup served ice cold!" I actually Googled the line to see how many times it had been used in other blogs containing gazpacho recipes: 1,840,000. I'm not original, but couldn't resist. And, Lisa is right. On a hot day, gazpacho is something to get kinda excited about.

 

This is gazpacho season. Juicy ripe tomatoes, combined with cool cucumbers, jazzed up with red bell pepper, cilantro, and a kick of cayenne pepper. My mouth is watering just thinking about it:)

Spicy Gazpacho

1 lb. red, ripe tomatoes, chopped

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped

1 small shallot, chopped

1/2 cup vegetable juice (such as V8)

1/4 cup cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Salt & pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender. If you are using a blender, you may have to blend in batches.  Blend or process all ingredients until smooth. Place the soup in a bowl, cover, and chill for at least 2 hours before serving. Serve with a side of cheesy quesadillas or tortilla chips.

 

Papa Chris Burgers

Dads are wonderful and very special for so many reasons I don't think I could do justice in just one post. My dad raised me. He helped me learn to ride my bike. When I started kindergarten, my dad taught in the same building. I remember the long climb upstairs to his classroom after school where I would wait until he had finished up for the day. Then we would walk home together. He was my principal in first grade, second grade, and in high school. He got to hand me my diploma when graduating from Southwestern Community College. My dad helped me to love school and made me want to be a teacher and continue my education to achieve my master's degree. My dad took us fishing, hiking, camping, and showed me how to carve my first pumpkin. My dad coached me through little league softball and taught me to never give up. He knows his way around the grill and he also taught me how to make this awesome burger...

Papa Chris Burgers

1/2 lb. 85% lean ground beef
1/2 lb. 93% lean ground beef
1 tablespoon Penzy's 4-S seasoning salt
1 sheet heavy duty aluminum foil (about 10-12 inches in length)

In a medium sized bowl, mix the beef and seasoning salt together with your hands until combined. Divide the meat into four balls and form your patties, making a small indentation in the middle of each patty with your thumb on one side so the patties do not shrink on the grill.  Heat your grill to medium-high heat. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 2-3 minutes. Flip and cook the other side of the burgers for another 2-3 minutes. Then wrap the burgers in the foil. Lower the heat to medium or low and grill for another 5-6 minutes or until your desired degree of doneness. Remove from the grill and serve with all of your favorite burger fixings.

I have to apologize for not posting my cucumber or potato salad recipe along with this post. I have some tweaking to do before sharing. Have a great Monday!

Saturday Menu Post

I feel so domestic today! We've been up cleaning the garage. Next on the to-do list is to finish up grocery shopping, a trip to Home Depot, and clean the house. Hopefully we can get everything done before it is 108 degrees so we can relax a little this evening before dinner.

Tonight I am making my dad's burgers. If you've read my blog before, you know that my husband l-o-v-e-s burgers. I am not the biggest fan. I will gladly opt for a chicken, turkey, or veggie burger anytime; however, my dad made some burgers over the 4th of July that I can't get off my mind. No, I'm not pregnant:) They were just that good. I will be serving the burgers with a classic potato salad and creamed cucumbers. In hopes that everything turns out as tasty as my dad's, I'm looking forward to sharing tomorrow.

If you're as busy as we are, you are probably wondering what is in store as far as our menu goes for the week. It is crazy hot and not looking to cool down anytime soon. I also have a conference to attend all week that will take up a majority of each day, so I had to get a little creative with the menu this week. This will require some prep time in the kitchen this weekend so things are ready to go for the week. We will be enjoying a summer twist on traditional grilled cheese and tomato soup with a spicy gazpacho and cheese quesadillas. Next, summer squash gets dressed up in a light vinaigrette served with chicken. I do plan on using the stove top to cook the quesadillas and chicken. Otherwise I'm not planning on heating the kitchen in any way, shape, or form. The menu might look a little short this week as we will be heading out of town for our Lake of the Ozarks vacation. I'm keeping it cool and simple this week. Here is the rundown:

Sunday 7/22         Papa Chris Burgers, Potato Salad, & Creamed Cucumbers (left-overs from Saturday)

Monday 7/23       Spicy Gazpacho with Cheese Quesadillas

Tuesday 7/24       Left-overs

Wednesday 7/25 Sauteed Chicken Breast with Summer Squash & Potato Salad

Thursday 7/26      Left-overs

Friday 7/27          Lake of the Ozarks Fun!!

Groceries you will need:

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb. tomatoes
1 lb. potatoes (small Yukon gold or red)
1 cucumber
1 red bell pepper
1-2 zucchini (depending on how large they are)
1-2 yellow squash (depending on how large they are)
1 shallot
1 avocado
1 bunch cilantro
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 lime
1 bottle tomato juice
1 bag corn tortillas
1 bag shredded Parmesan cheese or one small chunk
1 bag 2% shredded cheddar cheese
Butter
1 bottle white wine
1 bag pine nuts (about 1/4 cup)

Pantry items you will need:

I'm usually telling you to buy a head of garlic; however, if you have extra cloves lying around you will need one clove of garlic.
Dijon mustard
Olive oil
White wine vinegar
Honey
Salt & pepper

Enjoy your Saturday! Stay cool and hydrated if you are experiencing this horrendous, never ending heat wave!

Sweet Corn How To

I hope many of you made it out this past weekend or week to your local farmer's market or road side stand and bought some of the bountiful summer produce. My father-in-law, Doug, was sure to tell me the best spot in town for buying sweet corn. I errored on the safe side and only bought a half dozen. Now, I am regretting my decision and  wish I would have bought a whole dozen. It was the perfect summer meal; a BLT with a little mayo and avocado on gluten-free French bread and a juicy ear of corn.

If you are a novice sweet corn buyer, you might be wondering, "How do I check to make sure the corn is good?" or "What do I do with it now?" Iowa friends, you might be thinking, "Duh! Just shuck it and boil it." But, there is a method and a way to perfectly cook sweet corn. Here are some of my pointers.

One of my favorite ways to insure that the corn is good is what my family calls the "pop test." To check and make sure your corn is legit, you can pull back some of the husk to expose the kernels and pop one of the kernels with your thumbnail. It should make a light popping noise eliciting sweet, juicy corn milk. See?

Next, you will first need to "shuck" your corn. This requires you to pull off the green leaves, or husk, and remove the corn silk. This can be kind of messy, so you may want to shuck your corn over the sink or outside over a trashcan. After removing the husk and a majority of the silk, you can use a soft brush to get any remaining pieces of silk of the corn. Here is a picture of my corn brush. They do actually make these and they are relatively cheap. I got mine at a kitchen supply store.

After your corn is silk-free, fill a large stock pot with about two inches of water. If you are making more, you can plan on 3 to 4 inches of water. Add your corn.

Next, cover the pot and bring the water to a boil.

Once the water is boiling, remove the pot from the heat and keep the pot covered until you are ready to serve. No need to boil for several minutes! The less the corn boils, the better. It will be perfectly juicy and tender-crisp.

You know those little prickly corn holders? Those are handy too. I know you will probably only need them once a year, but they do make eating corn on the cob a lot easier. You can serve your corn with butter, salt, and pepper. I happen to like mine straight up no salt, no butter. If you follow these simple steps, I find there is no need to make any additions.

Weekend Recap

This weekend almost topped the 4th of July!  We had so much fun visiting old friends and family.  Saturday, I drove to Creston, Iowa to visit one of my oldest friends, Jen.  Jen and I both moved to Creston in 6th grade.  We were not the best of friends in junior high, but couldn't be separated after high school began.  Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of us together because Atlas stole the show...

Atlas, the Great Dane, is so big he can drink from the bathroom sink!  He also drinks out of a 10 gallon bucket, but had to show off his big dog skills.  One of his favorite things to do is drink out of said bucket and then greet you with a big slobbery kiss.  You might want to wear a raincoat when you visit Atlas.  His other activities include pulling the kids in the cart specially built by Jen's husband, Joe.

Getting saddled up!

And off to the park!  Never a dull moment with the Kenyons!

Later in the evening, we joined Justin's classmates for the reunion.  This year, the reunion was held at an old classmate's house which included a beautiful garden and vineyard.  It was so peaceful and beautiful.

My favorite time of year to visit Iowa is in the summer time.  Every time we go back, we always discover a new hidden gem that makes every visit special.  Who knew you could find a vineyard in Greenfield, Iowa?  Isn't it just gorgeous?!

About 15 of Justin's classmates showed up.  I really think others missed out on such a memorable and scenic event.  But, for those that did, here's to you Nodaway Valley Class of 1997!