I Lobster Maine!
Posted: August 29, 2010 Filed under: Maine | Tags: maine, vacation Leave a comment »We have traveled to Boothbay and to our favorite place Southport. Unfortunately our time has to come to an end tomorrow.
More good times in pictures.
Taffy pull. I have been watching them make this longer than I can remember. I also remember the two summers I had braces and I could not eat it.
I lobster this sign.
View from our B&B.
Swingin’
Harbor House B&B in Boothbay. I lobster B&Bs.
Lobster and a sunset at the Lobsterman’s Co-op.
Mom, don’t hate me for posting this…I know you have corn on your face and no make-up on, but it is Maine!
Whoa, food?! Eggplant, hummus, lettuce, tomato, onion and feta…you can find this on an island of 100 people!
Dinner view! We are off to watch the sunset and get some Round Top Ice Cream!
I lobster Maine!
Maine, the way life should be.
Posted: August 27, 2010 Filed under: Maine | Tags: maine, vacation 1 Comment »I have been coming to Maine at least once a year since I was born. I have posted about the place many times; mainly for my grandfathers b-days and Thanksgiving. My mom and I finally got to come back to Maine for a short visit late in the summer like we used to. So far we have enjoyed the blue sky and ocean, plus making one trip into Freeport for some outlet shopping.
In pictures:
Time to get ready for dinner!
Enjoy your weekend!
White Bean Burger
Posted: August 25, 2010 Filed under: dinner, recipe | Tags: bean burger, spelt, white beans 2 Comments »I am on a burger kick lately! I seem to have all of the fixin’s around the house. I even have some frozen beef and if I were going to be here tomorrow they would be on the menu.
Tonight’s burger featured the lovely cannellini bean.
I used Angela’s In A Jiffy Spelt Burgers (I love these!) as inspiration but I subbed in and omitted based on what I had.
White Bean Spelt Burgers
- 1 Can white beans, rinsed
- 1 carrot chopped
- 1/2 and onion roughly chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 jalapeno with or without seeds depending on your heat
- 1 tsp dried dill
- 1 tbs fresh basil
- 2 shakes of the salt shaker salt
- 1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
- 1 tbs chia seeds
- 3/4 cup spelt flour – loving this stuff
Preheat over to 375. Mix all items but seeds and flour in food processor. Throw in a bowl and add seeds and flour. Mix it all up. Form 6 larger or 8 smaller burgers and bake 15min. Flip and bake 15min more.
Serve plain or with tomato paste, on a roll, or crumbled over a salad. Anyway you eat them you are sure to enjoy!
In the Can
Posted: August 24, 2010 Filed under: dinner, recipe | Tags: Arnold Sandwich thins, carrot fries, Foodbuzz, salmon burger 2 Comments »Thanks to the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received 2 packages of Arnold Sandwich Thins and a challenge: Create my ultimate grilled summer sandwich and post it.
Now, honestly I don’t have a grill, but I do have a Griddler!
I am also trying to use things up in my apartment so I pulled out something new.
Canned salmon? Yep, and it was delicious! Nick thumbs up as well!
It smelled liked tuna when I opened the can, but NOT like the sardines.
Salmon Burgers
- 1 can wild caught safe salmon
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 1/2 onion diced small and sautéed and cooled
- 1 tbs fresh/dried oregano – 1/2 for dried
- 2 tbs fresh parsley – 1/2 for dried
- 1 tsp brown mustard
- sprinkle of pepper
- juice of 1/2 lemon
Mix all together in a bowl and let the mixture sit and soak up the moisture.
Fix your salad or veggie side. I made up some carrot fries and a small side salad.
Make two patties from your salmon mixture and heat up your grill/griddler.
Oil the surface, or lay down a piece of tin foil on your grill.
Cook for 3min a side or until browned on both sides.
Serve on top of an Arnold Sandwich thin with a roasted red pepper and tomato paste.
Take a big bite and enjoy some healthy and safely harvested fish on the cheap!
Enjoy!
Veggie Lentil Toast
Posted: August 23, 2010 Filed under: dinner | Tags: bruschetta, lentils, Meatless Monday, zucchini 2 Comments »It is Meatless Monday and I am trying to eat up my kitchen before leaving for Maine on Thursday. It was time to get creative.
Loaded Bruschetta
- 2 slices of any artisan bread – I used a Kalamata olive loaf that I had leftover from last weeks farmers market.
- 1 tbs tomato paste
- basil leaves to cover bread
- 1 small zucchini sliced thin
- 1/4 cup cooked lentils
- parm cheese
Slice off two pieces of bread and lay them on a baking sheet. Spread the tomato paste evenly over the two pieces of bread. Layer basil leaves to cover. Do the same with the zucchini. Divide and spread the lentils over the zuc. Sprinkle with parm cheese and bake for 15min at 350.
Delicious! Pair it with a nice side salad for some raw veggies and you are set!
I’ll let you know if I make anything else crazy with what is lurking around here. I am going to the FM so that Nick has some fruit while I am gone.
Cheers!
Shrimp and Potatoes
Posted: August 22, 2010 Filed under: dinner | Tags: dinner, recipe, shrimp 1 Comment »Yep, they don’t really should like they should go together, but I promise you, they do.
Ingredients: Serves 2
- 6 fingerling potatoes
- 1 onion
- 1 clove minced garlic
- 1 pint baby bella mushrooms
- 2 cups of spinach
- 12 count large shrimp
- oregano
- S&P
- juice of one lemon
- EVOO
- squirts of hot sauce (optional)
Sauté the onion in a medium to pan with the oil. Dice the potatoes into rounds and throw them in the pan along with garlic. Cover and cook for about 5min. Add the mushrooms and stir. Turn down the heat to med-low re-cover and cook for another 5min. While this is cooking sauté the shrimp in oil, S&P in a separate pan. Add spinach and juice of lemon and cook for 2 more min. Plate potato mixture and top with shrimp and hot sauce.
Serve with a veggie filled side salad.
Enjoy!
Happy Birthday Miss Pants!
Posted: August 21, 2010 Filed under: Sicily | Tags: birthday, Sicily 1 Comment »Sissy’s Birthday isn’t actually until the 24th, but I picked up some birthday presents for her today and I just couldn’t wait to give them to her! She seems to like her new scratcher.
Sissy came to us on September 22, 2009 and has been special member of this house even since.
Shaved belly, skinny kitty the day we brought her home.
Special paws.
Chillin with daddy.
My favorite three pictures of her!
Yes, I am obsessed with my cat!
Happy Weekend!
Recipe to come later today.
Toasty Tomatoes
Posted: August 18, 2010 Filed under: dinner | Tags: chickpeas, oven fried green tomatoes Leave a comment »Hello!
Tonight I tried something new for dinner inspired by Emily
I have always loved the movie Fried Green Tomatoes, but the idea of actually frying tomatoes dipped in cornmeal really didn’t excite me. I love how sweet tomatoes get when they are roasted but the grease was a big turn off.
Enter oven friend tomatoes.
Easiest recipe ever!
See the link above or just..
- Slice tomatoes
- Lay on paper towel
- Mix cornmeal with S&P and chili powder
- pour out small bowl of milk
- Dunk maters in milk then corn meal mix
- Place on greased cookie sheet
- bake 20min, flip
- bake 20min more
- Enjoy!
Crispy corn coating with warm sweet tomatoes in the middle. I will be making these again!
Along with my tomatoes I had a lovely mixed of chickpeas, mushrooms and leeks
and olive bread with homemade EVOO blend with S&P, oregano and red pepper flakes.
Good Deal!
Good wholesome ingredients making a perfect meal.
Running update: I had some serious foot pain after my race, but it is getting better and I hope to get in a run on Friday and yoga tomorrow.
Slow Dinner Sunday
Posted: August 16, 2010 Filed under: dinner | Tags: fish, rice, squash, stuffed sole 1 Comment »It was cold and wet yesterday, and I knew I wanted something comforting for dinner.
I knew it was the perfect time for me to cook up the squash I picked up at the farmer’s market last Tuesday.
They called it a pumpkin squash, but it wasn’t a pumpkin? I didn’t really understand, but I am up for trying any squash. I roasted it in the oven for an hour (a little too long) before carving it out.
What else is on the plate?
The object to the left is long grain brown rice mixed with roasted red peppers, rosemary, feta and S&P.
The one to the right is stuffed Dover sole.
I got the sole on sale at Whole Foods and stuffed the fillets with the rice mixture before cooking them all rolled up for 20min at 350.
Although this meal took a little longer than my weekday meals, it was nice to sit back and do other things around the house while this baked in the oven.
It seems to make settling into the work week a little bit easier.
Cheers.
So Close!
Posted: August 14, 2010 Filed under: racing | Tags: 10k, racing, River Valley Ranch, running 2 Comments »This morning I ran my first trail 10k. Well actually it was my first trail race EVER.
I drove about 40min away to a ranch is northern Maryland.
That is the finish line being set up. Yeah, there were hills too. I was excited, this was something different and I was doing it alone. I had wanted to run in my vibrams, but I was worried about my calves. I am glad I didn’t wear them because there was a small road portion and lots of large gravel.
There were bison, but I didn’t see them, they were on the 5k track. I did hear them! They were crazy loud.
So trail running, definitely practice your hills. I think the hills are where I passed most people. I don’t walk during races unless I am about to die, which so far has been never. The thought that kept going through my head was, “where would my horse step?” I used to ride on a lot of trails, and I know that footing for a horse is key. Sometimes you need to go down a hill sideways. There were people falling all over the place going down hill, and I had good luck shuffling down the steep ones. There was a point of the trail where you could run through the water or go over a bridge. I had debated over this issue for a long time, but when it came down to it I had 1.5 miles left and I wasn’t running it in soggy shoes. I crossed the bridge (got a nice photo I think) and was able to sprint in front of the runners that were in my pack with their wet shoes. The last mile I was hauling and it was really hard for me to do the final sprint. I usually am flying fro the last .2 miles, but today I just tried to keep a fast pace.
Soooo how did I do?
55/362 overall
6th woman
4/48 in my division – 16sec away from placing, grrrrrr.
8:29 pace
52:41 chip time
I think I did pretty well for my first trail race!
My only other 10k was 49:?? so considering this was a trail and had serious hillage, I am proud of myself. Only problem is, I want to place now! I think a perfect run for me would be a hilly road race. I am not a very fast pacer, but I dominate hills thanks to where I train. Woohoo! Where can I sign up?
The only other race I have so far is the Baltimore Running Festival Relay. I will be running some hills there, but I want to get faster. I guess I need to get some speed work in.
Best moment of the race? – Passing a guy who was talking about how he has been training at Oregon Ridge for the race (hilly State Park). Quality not quantity dude. I hadn’t run since Monday.
Nick had a great morning too. His flag football team won their 3rd championship and I was able to make the game after my race.
Good day!
Now I think I need a nap.
