exceeding the speed limit

You know what trips me out??

Hello world.  Hello out there.  So, if you didn't know this already, or didn't see the movie Julie & Julia, people who blog like to hear what you're thinking out there.  I see the stats and I see where in the world people are checking in from, and I'm hearing a lot of quiet visitors.  So can you help a girl out?  If you pop by, say hi and what you're looking for.  And, if you make one of my recipes, please let me know what ya think!  Thanks!!

That's a Wrap!

Last year, you may remember at the beginning of the school year I posted these lettuce wraps I created for dinner on the fly.  As one of my birthday celebrations, we were taken to Cin-Cin.  So fun.  Happy little plates.  Tasty wine. They made soba noodle lettuce wrap with a confit of fennel and green apple with micro greens and fried shitake mushrooms.

One bite of these babies and I was hooked.  A lovely vegetarian alternative.  A challenge had been set!  So this is my version.  They look and sound far more complicated than they are.

Soba Noodle Lettuce Wraps with Fennel and Green Apple Confit and red chile aoili

1 pkg. whole wheat/buckwheat soba noodles cooked according to pkg. directions

Cilantro/Mint Vinaigrette

1 bunch cilantro. stems removed

1 bunch of mint, stems removed

1 small clove garlic

½ c. olive oil

1/3 c. rice vinegar

4 TBSP. red wine vinegar

1 tsp sea salt

½ tsp ground white pepper

 

Place all ingredients into a food processors and process for about 4 minutes.  Herbs should be finely minced.  Toss cooked and cooled noodles with vinaigrette and set aside

 

In another bowl mix:

½ c. mayonnaise

4TBSP. red chili oil

1 tsp. red chili flakes

2-3 TBSP. lemon juice

 

Whisk together until everything is mixed and consistency is runny.  If thick add more lemon juice.  Seat aside

 

Julienne one large green apple, skin on.

 

In a sauté pan heat:

2 TBSP butter

1 TBSP canola oil

1 bulb of fennel/anise, in inch long matchsticks

1 shallot, minced

salt

 

Saute anise and shallots in melted butter and oil over high heat until just al dente, about 5 minutes.  Cool to room temp.  Add apples to fennel mixture.

 

Heat 1-2 inches of canola oil in deep pan.  When oil is hot, fry shitake mushrooms until crispy.  Remove from oil.  Drain over a paper towel. Salt with sea salt.

 

Assemble:

For each lettuce cup, take one leaf of butter lettuce,  drizzle a small line of the red pepper mayo on lettuce.  Take a generous spoonful of soba noodle mixture and twirl fork so that all of the noodles make a neat nest around the fork.  Slide off fork on top of lettuce and mayo.  Add a small handful of confit.  Top with fried mushrooms and micro greens.

 

 

So cool for school

Yup.  School's back in!  Whoot whoot!  Actually, it was a v. good summer and I miss having them home fighting.  Waking up at 5:30 this morning was painful! 

 

Claire...now in 7th, flat ironed her hair, wore cologne and I didn't have to tell her to wear, **ahem** deodorant.  Barely looked at me as she gave me a half hug and jumped on the bus.

Julia...now in 4th, donning a scarf as tall as she is and much like her sister's (and much to her sister's chagrin).  A genuine suck up to every teacher she saw and hugged this a.m.

Mac...baby boy's in ST grade and now that he is familiar with the curriculum (gone over on back-to-school night) ran away with a quick hug and no tears :)

While I would never consider myself "green" (could do so much better), we did find some v. cool, environmentally friendly lunch stuff.  Check it out....

Stainless Steel water bottle by Thermos, keeps water COLD for 24 hours!

And this handy dandy lunch cube with three compartments - no more baggies in the trash.

 

Like I said, baby steps.  Can't change the world overnight!

Can't believe they will all be home again in 3 hours.  Where did the day go?

Orange you glad???

If a picture paints a thousand words, then this one probably paints about 10, but hey, they were yummy and I haven't done a food post in eons...

We have a bit of a love affair going with Sprinkles cupcakes.  There's one by Doug's office.  Their lemon cupcakes are a to die for.  So much so that Claire told me (yes, after 12 years of creating whatever cake she wanted every birthday) that she wanted Sprinkles lemon cupcakes for her birthday.  **sigh** Replaced!

A worthy replacement, quite frankly.  Happy to oblige. However they didn't have lemon on Claire's bday, so she had to "settle" for orange.

Orange Cupcakes with Orange Buttercream Frosting

3 c. flour

1 TBSP baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 lb butter, softened and unsalted

2 c. superfine sugar (aka, baker's sugar)

4 eggs, room temperature

1 tsp. orange extract

1 TBSP orange zest

1 cup whole milk

1/2 c. fresh orange juice

Line two cupcake tins with 16 cupcake liners.  Preheat oven to 350.

Sift together flour, baking powder and salt.  In a mixer, cream butter and sugar.  Beat in eggs, one at a time.  Add extract and zest.  Mix milk with orange juice and add it alternating with flour mixture.  Mix until smooth.

Fill cupcake holders 3/4 full.  Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until you can touch with your finger and cake bounces back.  Do not over bake.

Cool.

Orange Buttercream Frosting

1/2 c. softened butter

1 lb. powdered sugar, sifted

2 tsp. orange zest

2 TBSP orange juice

1/2 tsp orange extract

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 TBSP milk

Cream together butter and powdered sugar.  Add milk, oj, extract and zest.   Cream until smooth.  Frost cupcakes, generously when they are cool.

Beet It! (an ode to Michael Jackson)

I actually cannot stomach red beets.  There is something unnatural about the color. Something too natural about the taste.  Having said that, in February we went to a restaurant in Seattle called “How to Cook a Wolf”.  Our friends ordered the roasted beet salad and while not thrilled, it was family style, so I tried them.  Shock and awe I loved them.  Roasting at a high temperature carmelizes the sugars and the orange varietal is far more tasty and earth neutral than it’s dark red sister.

This is my take on How to Cook a Wolf’s roasted orange beet salad. It's the perfect summer salad to brighten up your plate!

Roasted Orange Beet Salad

5-6 medium orange beets

1/3 c. olive oil, + more to drizzle while roasting

1/4 c. chopped Italian parsley

1/8 c.finely chopped mint

1/4-1/2 c. chopped roasted, salted pistachios

Salt and white pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 425.  Thoroughly clean, top and tail  beets.  In a roasting pan drizzle with olive oil.  Roast for about 45 minutes or until al dente, not super cooked.  Cool.  Peel skin away and discard.  Slice into even 1/4" cubes.  Evenly pour olive oil over beets.  Toss in parsley and mint.  Season to taste.  Before serving, add pistachios over top.  Salad is best at room temperature.

Vodka+Grapefruit=Greyhound :)

Thirsty? 

This has been the drink of my summer.  Fresh squeezed ruby red grapefruit juice and vodka.  It's super important to buy a vodka that's been distilled several times.  The more it's distilled, the more pure it is.  The more pure it is, the better chance you have of avoiding a hangover altogether.  I was a huge fan of Belvedere ($27.99 750 ml), but then I found an equally great option of Tito's Handmade Vodka (17.99 750 ml).  It's distilled 6 times.  Even better!  Sure, you can use Ruby Red, not from concentrate, but nothing compares with squeezing it fresh before serving.  Salute!

Greyhound on the Rocks

2 oz. cold vodka

3 oz. fresh squeezed red grapefruit juice

squeeze of lime

Pour vodka and juice over ice.  Stir.  Finish with a squeeze of lime.

Yell-ow!

Anyone who knows me, knows that even tho I love clothes, I am a bit boring.  I love solid.  Okay, maybe a stripe.  I'm a jeans and Mossimo tank top kind of gal.  Gap/Banana/J Crew and Target are my best friends.  I have a difficult time committing to color, because, quite frankly, I'm ADD and I change my mind a lot.

Two reoccurring themes in my life right now.  Grey.  And Yellow.  Sometimes together.  Sometimes alone.  Who knew?  Since I never will commit to having a FAVORITE anything (usually), you would have to twist my arm for me to admit that steel blue/grey IS a favorite of mine.  I wear it - a lot.  Enhances my eyes! lol. 

This spring I was in dire need of a new couch.  You simply cannot replace ONE piece of furniture.  Doesn't work.  Everything else in the room looks old.  The room needs to be re-painted.  Maybe all new throw pillows, too.  So, imagine committing myself to this....

I got this couch...

 

I bought the yellow fabric for throw pillows and a dark gray/blue for the ottoman, but that ended up looking like mud.  So I covered the whole ottoman in the yellow.  Well now.  I have a conversation piece, eh?  Gonna paint everything white, get some darker pillows, too.  Change is GOOD.

Then my b-day rolled around, and I got this bag from Kel...a little Orla Kiely number and she loved it so much she got herself one and we look like the biggest dorks ever going out with our big, yellow, fabulous designer bags! 

 

Then I was shopping at Forever 21 (not for myself, thank you) and I found this v. happy ring...

 

v. J Crew, don'tcha think?  $5.50!

So then I NEEDED a sweater to go with my new ring....

 

Yay it was on sale AND I got an additional 40% off.  Whoot whoot!  And, paired with a GREY tank or dress it's perfect!

How long do you think this faze will last?????????????

The Best Thank You Note Ever

This came in the mail the other day from my cousin's twins.  My cousin read it, and thought it was too funny not to send.  I gave it back to her so she could keep it forever.  Sooooo funny!

End of Summer. Bummer.

Last year you heard me whine and complain that my kids were gonna be home AALLLL summer.  Don't know why, but this summer has been awesome.  Not that I didn't hit the wall, finally last Friday when they were all fighting, all day, but this summer was different.  I only had one camp scheduled and it was a sleep-away one for CBear.  It was a camp I always wished I could go to as a kid, so I was super excited for her.  Although I did have flashbacks of Little Darlings, our girls were off to a Christian Camp where the mantra was "Boys are blue.  Girls are red.  There is to be no purple".  Love it.

But here's the thing I love about summer.  There is NO structure.  No sports, or tutoring or dance or places to be with multiple pickups.  We get to stay in our jammies and snuggle in bed if we want.  Boredom foster's creativity.  Nuf said.  I mean how many adults do you know that can create a table out of two Razor scooters and a piece of cardboard - all with the intent of enjoying a delicious pancake breakfast?

And it had been many YEARS since I had more than 2 nights away with Doug without kiddos.  My sis had all three and they did Camp Auntie, and Doug and I went here, where we got to take in the sunset every night, drink good wine, eat good food and, ya, a little of that, too, wink, wink.  Good for the soul.

Maybe we all watched too many episodes of Chopped, but my kids all took up a huge interest in cooking this summer.  Mac, 6, mastered the scrambled egg, Julia, 9 the pancake (see recipe) and Claire 12 has started perusing my food mags for dinner ideas.  She made me the most amazing birthday dinner.  More on that later.  We're using words around our house like a confit of cheerios or garnishing your oreo with a sprig of mint.  When my boy wants to garnish, he can put mint on anything he wants as far as I'm concerned!

 

 

We had sleepovers in the backyard, and more sleepovers....

 

we did the beach and the boardwalk

We made new friends...yes, on facebook...long story, but that's me...

Oh ya, and there was the big 4-0

 

Dawn flew into town and Jody, Brandt, Kel, Mark, Doug and I took a car up to Palo Alto for a fabulous Cuban dinner at La Bodeguita del Medio, complete with my beloved cubano, a mojito (recipe to come!) and heartfelt stories from old friends that my hub collected.  Sooo fun.  No huge party needed.  Got a huge complement the other day..."You don't even look forty."  "Really?  Well how old do I look then?"  "38!"  "Yes!" lol.  

Worst confession - I didn't work out for most of the summer.  And I didn't feel guilty.  Didn't feel energetic or fit, either.  Drank too much wine, too.  So next Monday, it's back to the grind!  Recipes to come!

♫Someday, we'll be together...ahhh yes we will, yes we will♪

Michael Jackson wasn't the only one who loves Diana Ross....

Seriously don't know why I've been away so long!  I've missed you and I've been cooking a lot and doing summer a lot and here we are....summer's almost over and the kids will be heading back to school!  Whoot Whoot!

So don't miss me too much lambies.  Back in a jiff!