I’ve been trying to incorporate quinoa into our diet more frequently since it is packed with nutrients. My latest dish was a quinoa salad. This is a recipe you can play with. Use whatever you have on hand or what you’re in the mood for (ideas include cucumber, carrots, green beans, etc.). My herb garden is currently suffering a setback (it was trampled by some workers we had here), otherwise I would use fresh herbs: dill, cilantro, parsley, oregano, mint, or basil would all be fantastic in this little salad.

4.0 from 1 reviews

Quinoa Salad

 

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Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 1½ cups cooked quinoa
• ½ cup frozen corn, or fresh corn cut off the cob
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 2 avocados, diced
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 3 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon dried Italian herbs
• salt and pepper to taste
• ½ teaspoon sugar

Instructions

1. Mix quinoa and vegetables in a bowl. Mix oil, lemon juice, mustard, herbs, salt, pepper, and sugar and pour over the salad, tossing to coat.

3.2.1230

I’ve been trying to incorporate quinoa into our diet more frequently since it is packed with nutrients. My latest dish was a quinoa salad. This is a recipe you can play with. Use whatever you have on hand or what you’re in the mood for (ideas include cucumber, carrots, green beans, etc.). My herb garden … Read more →

I’ve tried to make baked beans from scratch a few times. (This very memorable attempt was a complete fail). It’s never worked out. I thought I would give a recipe in Food Network Magazine a go since it started with canned beans (as opposed to dried beans) and it uses root beer. While the beans were not horrible, they just tasted very bland and very much like plain beans. I think cannellini  beans are a mistake  – they are just too big. So I ended up dumping in ketchup, yellow mustard, Worchesterhire sauce, and brown sugar to doctor it up. Once I did this, it was ok, but still pretty mealy. It did not get a thumbs up from my house baked bean enthusiast (teenage son). I can’t seem to top the store brand of baked beans in his eyes.

I’ve tried to make baked beans from scratch a few times. (This very memorable attempt was a complete fail). It’s never worked out. I thought I would give a recipe in Food Network Magazine a go since it started with canned beans (as opposed to dried beans) and it uses root beer. While the beans … Read more →

We refer to our GPS as Gypsy. When Gypsy first joined our family, I was resentful of her. Was my map reading and navigating not good enough? Soon I learned to love her, and we rely heavily on our GPS whenever we go somewhere unfamiliar. We started with a GPS that sat on the dash, but now use apps on our phones.

We often find that Gypsy is not completely trustworthy. There was the time we were driving home from a vacation and she  had us circling in a residential neighborhood in Pennsylvania, in an endless loop. Then there was the time she thought the best way to get home from another trip was via slow and windy backroads – for 3 hours – when there was an interstate nearby. Then there are the times when we’re driving along and she thinks we are not on actual road.

Lately I was ready to toss her out the window when she could not find a street I needed to go to. It didn’t exist, according to her.

I’m not alone apparently. Michelin recently did a survey and found that 63% of Americans who use a GPS say it has led them astray at least once. Most drivers say it’s been wrong 4.4 times. 7% of users say it’s misdirected them more than 10 times.

Whenever we are traveling, I always make sure I have a back up map because I don’t feel I can completely trust the GPS not to get us lost. The other issue with a phone app is that if we lose our signal, the GPS is lost also. A backup map is still necessary in my mind.

What are your experiences with the GPS? Do you bring a backup map?

We refer to our GPS as Gypsy. When Gypsy first joined our family, I was resentful of her. Was my map reading and navigating not good enough? Soon I learned to love her, and we rely heavily on our GPS whenever we go somewhere unfamiliar. We started with a GPS that sat on the dash, … Read more →

One of the things I’ve missed since going gluten-free are croissants. So I decided it was time to make my own. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I thought I would try some of the recipes that exist out there already. My first attempt is using a recipe from Baking with Collette.

Her instructions are a little confusing. She refers to “body water” when she means to use warm water that is about at body temperature. I used Cup4Cup flour in my batch.

I do not have a “proofing bag” so I used the proofing setting on my oven and put a big glass measuring cup of water on the bottom shelf. That seemed to work well.

She says to cut them into rectangles, but gives no size. So I basically sliced the dough into rows, the short way, then cut each row in half. One I set them on the baking sheet, I curved them into a crescent shape so they would appear a bit like croissants. I did not use a filling in mine.

When they came out of the oven, they were swimming in grease and the bottoms were very, very brown.

The verdict? These were good rolls, but did not equal croissants. There’s no flakiness, but they are moist and flavorful. Everyone enjoyed it and I froze the leftovers which we will enjoy again sometime. I will probably try out a different recipe next time to see if there’s anything better out there, but these are certainly good.

One of the things I’ve missed since going gluten-free are croissants. So I decided it was time to make my own. Rather than re-invent the wheel, I thought I would try some of the recipes that exist out there already. My first attempt is using a recipe from Baking with Collette. Her instructions are a … Read more →

So many of you liked my post about my lightship baskets that I thought I would share another basket in my collection. This is called a sweetgrass basket and it is from South Carolina. Charleston is considered the home for this particular type of craft. Sweetgrass baskets were a skill brought to this country by slaves from West Africa. It’s one of the oldest African art forms still created in the U.S.  Baskets were made on plantations for agricultural use by male slaves. One of the most common types of baskets was a rice winnowing basket, for separating out the rice. Baskets were also made for home use by women slaves who used sweetgrass for its pleasant smell.

Sweetgrass baskets are a specialized artform. It can take months to make just one basket. Sweetgrass itself is becoming scarce, making the materials expensive and harder to find. Antique sweetgrass baskets sell for hundreds of dollars. The skill is one that is passed down from generation to generation within a family.

If you visit Charleston, you’ll see stands selling these baskets on Highway 17. I bought mine in this area. The gentleman who sold me the basket explained that his wife makes them and it was a craft that was passed down in her family. He told me that once a year I should soak my basket in water then let it dry in the sun (I confess I have not done this – I’m afraid of ruining it, but it really isn’t dirty at this point).

I love this basket because the pattern is beautiful, but also because it has the very unique untied ends decorating it. It has a very solid and substantial feel to it even though it is incredibly lightweight.

Before we went to South Carolina, I researched the local handcrafts and knew I wanted to buy a sweetgrass basket as a special trip souvenir. Fortunately, we were on a road trip and could just put this in the car. It would have been hard to fit this into a suitcase without damaging the fragile ends.

So many of you liked my post about my lightship baskets that I thought I would share another basket in my collection. This is called a sweetgrass basket and it is from South Carolina. Charleston is considered the home for this particular type of craft. Sweetgrass baskets were a skill brought to this country by … Read more →

Suddenly I’m in love with fruit for dinner. Here’s my latest creation. This will work with any grilled white fish. I used snapper, but feel free to substitute anything. Grill the fish as you normally would, then serve with the salsa. The salsa is also really good with tortilla chips (that’s how our leftovers got used up the next day!). You can also use these ingredients to make fish tacos.

5.0 from 1 reviews

Grilled Fish with Watermelon Salsa

 

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Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

• 1½ cups cubed watermelon
• 1 nectarine, pitted, diced
• 1 small cucumber, peeled, diced
• ½ small onion, diced
• 1 tbsp green chilis (substitute fresh jalapeno if you like - I used canned. Also use more if you like your food spicy - we don't)
• 4 basil leaves, chopped
• juice of half a lime
• zest of one lime
• ¼ teaspoon garlic salt
• ½ tbsp sugar

Instructions

1. Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Allow to rest for at least 20 minutes before serving so the flavors meld.

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Suddenly I’m in love with fruit for dinner. Here’s my latest creation. This will work with any grilled white fish. I used snapper, but feel free to substitute anything. Grill the fish as you normally would, then serve with the salsa. The salsa is also really good with tortilla chips (that’s how our leftovers got … Read more →

My pal My Kids Eat Squid recently posted about Hungry Girl’s 2 ingredient brownie recipe. Obviously I had to try it! The recipe is so simple. Mix one box chocolate cake mix (I used gluten-free) with one 15 ounce can of canned pumpkin (I used organic). Mix it and divide among 12 muffin cups. Bake for 20 minutes at 400. Here is the range of opinions in my house:

– College age daughter: “I like these! I can’t tell there’s pumpkin in them.”

– Teenage son: “What is wrong with these? It tastes like bread or something.” Then I disclosed the recipe. He said it did not taste like pumpkin, but he didn’t like it.

– Me: I think these are a decent substitute for brownies if you’re trying to make them healthier. You do NOT taste the pumpkin at all. I kept them in the fridge and I think it made them taste a little better. If you want easy brownies, just make a mix – this isn’t really all that easier and you do have to scoop into muffin tins.

My pal My Kids Eat Squid recently posted about Hungry Girl’s 2 ingredient brownie recipe. Obviously I had to try it! The recipe is so simple. Mix one box chocolate cake mix (I used gluten-free) with one 15 ounce can of canned pumpkin (I used organic). Mix it and divide among 12 muffin cups. Bake … Read more →

Two pieces of exciting news in our garden. The rose bush we planted flowered and looks great. And (drumroll please!) our apple trees have little tiny apples on them! This was simply thrilling for me!

Two pieces of exciting news in our garden. The rose bush we planted flowered and looks great. And (drumroll please!) our apple trees have little tiny apples on them! This was simply thrilling for me!

Here’s a great recipe for grilling that requires very little effort. I love the combination of the chicken with the fruit. If you can’t find mango vinegar, substitute 1/8 cup tropical fruit juice and 1/cup white vinegar.

Fruity Chicken with Quinoa

 

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Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• ¼ cup mango vinegar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon tamari sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 4 nectarine, halved with pits removed
• 1 cup quinoa, cooked according to package instructions

Instructions

1. Mix the garlic, vinegar, mustard, oil, salt, pepper, tamari and honey in a medium bowl and add the chicken, turning to coat. Refrigerate and marinate at least 4 hours.
2. Grill the chicken until it reaches 165 degrees. Add the nectarines to the grill when chicken is close to done, turning once and cooking until the fruit has grill marks and it heated through.
3. Serve the chicken and nectarines with quinoa.

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Here’s a great recipe for grilling that requires very little effort. I love the combination of the chicken with the fruit. If you can’t find mango vinegar, substitute 1/8 cup tropical fruit juice and 1/cup white vinegar. Fruity Chicken with Quinoa   Print Serves: 4 Ingredients 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts 1 large garlic clove, … Read more →

Nantucket lightship basket

I love to travel, but I also love the thrill of the hunt while traveling. I like to bring home items that are handmade from the place I’m visiting, and failing that, at least something that reminds me of the locale.

Several years ago when we rented a cottage on Cape Cod, we took the ferry to Nantucket for the day. (We also went to Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket won, hand’s down). I was in love from the moment the ferry neared the shoreline. Nantucket town is quaint with cobblestone streets and stern Yankee architecture. At the time we visited, there were some artisan shacks near the dock. We took a tour around the island and saw the cranberry bogs, the cute towns, and the lighthouse. We had only a few short hours to

Non-Nantucket basket

enjoy the island, but in that brief time, it spoke to me. I’ll go back some day, but for now every summer I read Elin Hildebrand’s latest Nantucket chick lit novel to tide myself over.

Lining

I also have an authentic piece of Nantucket to keep my longing in check. I bought a lightship basket while there. A lightship was a ship that anchored over a shoal to warn other ships of the shipwreck danger. It was like a mobile lighthouse. Nantucket has many shoals, so lightships are a big part of her history. Lightship baskets were handmade baskets made by the sailors on these ships, as a way to pass the time, and to make some extra money. The era of the lightship basket was in the late 1800s (I would love to own an antique basket!). The baskets had a solid wooden base that was made ashore. The sailors wove the rattan baskets aboard the ships. In the 1900s, the baskets were made onshore and became a local island industry.

By the mid-1900s these baskets were used as purses (called friendship baskets and given to girls) and carved decorative pieces were added to the lids. They became a symbol of the island. Today you can still buy lightship baskets from craftsman on the island. And as you walk around Nantucket Town, you are likely to see women carrying them as purses. It has become a statement on the island and there’s something very kitschy about using a small basket as a purse. It also somehow just screams summer.

I bought one during our visit. The shop I bought it from allowed me to choose my basket shape and carved piece for the top. They customized the basket and we picked it up before we left the island. I don’t remember what it cost, but it was not inexpensive. The basket has a hinged lid, handle, and closure on the front. It is one of my most treasured souvenirs. I don’t use it as a purse though! It is displayed in a cabinet in our family room.

The second and third photos are of a similar basket that I couldn’t resist. I bought this basket at Plimouth Plantation a few days after we visited Nantucket. It’s not an authentic Nantucket basket, but I love it anyhow. It’s lined with cloth and the top is meant to look like scrimshaw. I display the two of them together.

I love to travel, but I also love the thrill of the hunt while traveling. I like to bring home items that are handmade from the place I’m visiting, and failing that, at least something that reminds me of the locale. Several years ago when we rented a cottage on Cape Cod, we took the … Read more →