Saturday, February 4, 2012

Friday Night Frig Surprise!

Don't you love it when you open the refrigerator & think you have nothing?

So, I'll just start seeing what I can piece together I said to myself-found one of the best toss together, off the top of my head recipes ever!  

Takes about 5 minutes to make the marinade and 30 minutes - 24 hours to marinade, 30 minutes to bake and boil simultaneously!  Easy-Peasy!


If you love Salmon, flavor, rice, veggies, and beans read on!


Delicious on the grill or baked in a 350 oven for 30 minutes covered pan.


I had about 1 1/2 pounds of Salmon 
I set out the salmon while I'm making the marinade and whatever I'm tossing in the magic bullet - except the whole garlic gloves - I put directly on the salmon as the well.  


The Liquids & The Flavor!
4 tablespoons Honey, 1/4 c Soy, 1/4  cTeryhaki Sauce, 3 tablespoons chili thai sauce, 4 gloves of garlic, 1/4 c Olive oil, 1/2 a lemon's lemon juice, & 1 whole limes lime juice-I usually have fresh Ginger & pineapple chunks that I would put in this too, but I was out this night.  I put all of this in my Magic Bullet & let her whizz for about 30 seconds- (it's one of my favorite kitchen tools!)
Spices:  
Tumeric, Ginger, Cumin, Garlic Salt, white pepper, red pepper, cracked mixed peppercorns, ground mustard, dill, and curry.  I sprinkle these directly on the salmon meat and toss some in the bullet.  Whizz again about 10 seconds


Spray the bottom of a pan
pour a bit of olive oil, squeeze a little lemon juice in and drizzle a little honey in the bottom, the drizzle a bit of the magic bullet juice in 
Pop the Salmon in 
top with about 2/3 of the marinade. 
Set aside to soak up from 30 minutes to 24 hours 


Take out 
Toss in oven or on grill 


Served with it - 
1/3 cup dry jasmine rice 
1 can no salt black beans in their wonderful juice 
the 1/3 left over unused magic bullet of marinade
about 3/4 cup of water 
paprika, tumeric, cumin, curry, ground mustard, white pepper, red pepper, cracked black pepper, garlic salt to taste,
Soy and terykahki to taste 
A couple handfuls diced meat of your choosing - Tonight I used a seafood combo I buy at Sams.  It has crab, fish, shrimp, octopus, squid, mussles, & oysters!  It's frozen so i just grab out probably close to 1 1/2-2 cups.  I've used diced chicken breast or chopped up polish/smoked sausage :) or all together mmhhhmm 


Spray bottom & sides of a sauce pan 
put over med-high heat 
add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the water & the dry rice, bring to a boil 
boil soft boil for 5 minutes 
add beans, marinade, sauces & spices, stirring well reboil 
Put a tight fitting lid on and lower heat to a simmer 5 minutes 
Add in the meat stir replace lid and continuing simmering for about 10-20 minutes until most of the juice is soaked up I usually check and stir while I'm now working on veggies - you don't want it to stick.  


I served with Snow peas, red onions, diced carrots and freshly diced sweet peppers orange, yellow and red!  


If you time it just right and are lucky the salmon and beans get done about the same time - I usually put the beans on when I put the salmon in the oven.  




When they come out let sit for about 5 minutes and serve with veggies!


We had dinner for two - then took two more dinners that were left overs and tossed it in a casserole dish and will warm up and eat up after our travels today! 
DIVINE! 


Speaking of De-Vine.....
Today a group of my friends and I are are traveling to Smithville, Missouri to visit Ladoga Ridge Winery.  The are having a release party for their Choco-Cherry Kiss Wine!  It should be a great time!  Though I've only been "blogging in" on Saturdays - Sunday night post- SuperBowl I may have to share the weekends festivities while the friendships and memories are fresh in my mind. 


Here's to a wonderful weekend to you all, if you try the recipe let me know what you think - I hope you enjoy as much as we do!



















Saturday, January 28, 2012

Bliss

In the pre-dawn stillness before anyone else arises - 

There is only me
the dogs
& the chatty News Crew for Channel 9 
who inform me of the trials and dilemmas of Kansas City 
before even the Sun illuminates the world with it's rose & golden glow this Saturday morning. 


It is blissful

My father is still asleep.  Chuckles too.  
No rushing off to work.  
These moments to savor carry me through the week.  

There is a to do list waiting to be to done.......

  But for now; I will enjoy watching the sun come up.  
     
When Drew & I first walked into this place - 
the light and the view sold us as soon as we walked into the door.  
Hard to believe that was over a decade ago.  

This morning 
as I sit here and look out over the pond and trees 
which are turning from midnight blue, to navy, then grey 
before slowly stretching into a rose raising golden view 

I am filled with the peace of that choice.  

What a great home this has been.  
So many wonderful memories made here.
Andy  & the boys play across my mind -
warming my heart and spreading outward
I am in awe of Grace.

I have been ever blessed 
.
In this moment
I am filled with the faith that 

  It is going to be a beautiful day

The peace of the moment washes over me 
as the electric salmon ball that is the sun this morning 
begins to peek out over the bare darkened limbs of the trees 
they are silhouettes against the backdrop of the sky.  


I feel the urge to don my hoodie & sweats and go out fully emerse myself in the moment
  But brrr I have to admit 
I think I'll save that for a warmer morning
It's a crisp 27 degrees outside 
making watching from the windows-

the perfect experience this moment.  


The exchange from night to day takes about 45 minutes - 
but when it is a beut like this....... it carries me through for days to come. 

 It is a meditation of sorts I suppose.  
It reminds me of the awesomeness and delicacy of our world and this life.  
It is inspires me.  
It calms me.  

It says Good Morning girlfriend, its going to be a day of hope.  

Look at this new beginning I have given you!

What are you going to do with it?  

That question is yours and yours alone to answer for yourself
I will share with you my response to this challenge

In this moment 
I pledge today 
to bring only beauty into the world
Kindness & Courtesy 
A giving spirit
I will appreciate the moments I have a chance to make 
I will remember throughout the day
To relish the beauty in life
To honor my family, friends, & loved ones 
To respect nature
To give Thanks for it ALL
Today in this moment 
I am reminded that -

I AM BLESSED

Now that my friends is how I like to start my day.

It works for me

It joins 


Nature
Faith
Gratefulness 
&
Love

I here rustling coming from the laundry room
this moment has passed

Time to start my day 

Hope if you have read this
You have a great one

Monday, January 16, 2012

Key Ingredients for a Great Day

Take a friend from your teen years, take a friend from work, mix in some wine, cheese, chocolate, & berries and mix it all up.  Plan for a new adventure - we went somewhere two of us had never been before.  Result:  A fabulous afternoon.  
  We went to Fence Stiles Winery in Excelsior Springs and picnicked!  http://www.fencestile.com/
Who can do that in January in Kansas City?  WE DID!  Mother Nature was wonderful contributing 60 degree weather to our  day.  The hosts of the winery were friendly and knowledgeable of their wine and suggested some other wineries in the area we might enjoy ... Once I find out where Rayville is we will plan a trip there as well.    My favorite wine of the day was the Sweet Enchantment.  A delightful red wine that reminds me of Welches Grape Jelly (though no peanut butter will be added). I also enjoyed their Vidal Blanc & The Enticement-which is a sparkling wine that bubbled and begged to be poured.  
  The laughter was contagious - long before the wine was poured.  The snacks were delightful & the friends made the day.  These two gals make me laugh at the drop of a hat.  I think sometimes we moms forget that we have to take care of ourselves, so last year I set a goal to reach and restablish old friendships and to identify some likely canidates for new friendships.  I struck silver and gold with these two.  You know the old song, "Make new friends, but keep the old.  One is silver and the other gold."  Friendships are so important; they nurture our souls and let us know we are not crazy or small minded.  They reaffirm us.  How lucky I am to have these gals in my corner!  Thanks for a fabulous day ladies!