My Saturday 6

C

colleenmomof2

Well-known member
1. Started by watering and fertilizing tomatoes with Espoma Tomato. Picked the first two red grape tomatoes and there are a million or so green ones coming at every size (some still as blossoms!) I also have 2 other regular tomato plants in containers filling with various sized green fruit.

2. Still no zucchinis attached to the flowers but I harvested 6 nice blossoms and will be chiffonading them to add to the individual croissant quiches I'm making tomorrow. Need to defrost 2#'s of bacon today!

3. After breakfast, I'm starting on Greg's Birthday Carrot Cake Bars for my brother-in-law's birthday celebration tonight. I looked through the FK swap for the recipe but couldn't find it so here's what we love:

1 cup raisins plumped in hot water

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsps baking soda

2 1/2 tsps cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup of grated carrots

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

12 oz carrot baby food

2 cups coconut (save 1 cup for frosting)

8 oz softened cream cheese

1/4 cup softened butter

1 1/2 tsps vanilla extract

1 1/3 cups powdered sugar

toasted macadamia or walnuts (opt)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour (we use finely ground almonds in place of flour) a 12"x18"x2" jelly roll pan. Sift together the flour, baking soda, spices and salt. Set aside. 2) In a food processor, grate carrots and set aside. Change to blade. Beat sugar and eggs for 20 seconds. Add oil slowly in a stream. Process 20 seconds. Scrape into a large bowl. 3) Stir in baby food, 1 cup of coconut, raisins, and grated carrots. Add flour mixture and stir until no streaks appear - do not over mix 4) Spread batter into the pan. Bake for 20-35 minutes. Allow cake to cool before icing. 5) Make cream cheese icing by combining cream cheese, butter and vanilla extract in a medium bowl. Beat in sugar until smooth. 6) Ice cooled cake. Sprinkle with coconut and/or nuts.

4. I need to run out to the "little market" for their special ground round (and great big buns) so hubby can make his famous Auggie burgers for his little sister and her birthday-boy husband.

5. My youngest is downtown at a friend's art show and I'm "wishing" that he will call before he comes home mid-afternoon and offer to pick up potato salad for dinner - NOT! Or maybe the oldest will spring from his bed and volunteer to go - not likely. (Neither boy will eat potato salad!) I suggested to hubby that I can make layered salad - lettuce, peas, green onions, sliced eggs, more lettuce, bacon (this is the reason for the extra pound of bacon defrosting), grated swiss, and mayo/parm topping - but he said, "Too much work." So maybe he'll drive cross town to our one and only Red, Hot and Blue. Aside from my own recipe - which is too much work - RH&B's is my absolute favorite!

6. Do a final clean around the house and head out for a walk downtown around noon with hubby. I'm salivating over the chicken Greek salad we'll share! Colleen

PS I'm really, really looking forward to Julie and Julia later this week!

 
Thanks for posting the carrot bar recipe, Colleen! smileys/smile.gif Here are my six....

1. Making MelissainDallas's Plum Kuchen for tomorrow's breakfast, with yogurt.

2. Confession: I've never been able to eat sushi and maintain some semblance of decorum. Despite trying for years, and attempting to learn from pros, half of everything winds up in my shirt. IN, not on. Very embarrassing. I was shaking out rice as we walked home from dinner, last night.
Advice appreciated.

3. Did two days at a food website and decided it was just not the right time and place, for me. smileys/frown.gif Tell me, would you click all the way through a seven-page article/food review on a relatively unknown site? No? I didn't think so.

4. Tried to bribe my network with homemade cake for informational interviews. No takers. Not sure what the next step is. Pie?

5. Going to be baking up a storm for my Czech/American cooking blog, this week. I did find a great summery mint-and-ginger-ale drink recipe from my great-grandmother, though, so will add that in somewhere, as a respite. smileys/smile.gif

6. How is it already August?!

 
My Travelin' Six

Colleen, I've always loved that pea/bacon layer salad too - I think it's all that fat. Yum, good flavor!

And Erin, your mint-and-ginger-ale drink sounds interesting. Is it very complicated, and if not, can you post it sometime? Thanks. 'Sounds refreshing.

1-I just got back from the Sauerkraut (that never looks quite right to me when I type it out) Festival about 45 minutes west of here. Interesting, and pictures will follow. I tried the chocolate-sauerkraut cake, and I didn't taste the sauerkraut in there at all. And hamburgs with baked (or at least cooked) sauerkraut on there are really good!! I drew the line at watching the sauerkraut eating contest, and the cabbage bowling! It was such a small town, the fire department trucks in the parade had to pull over to make room for the fire department trucks screaming down Main St. to answer a real-live 911 call! Struck me funny.

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/DawnNYS/bowling.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/DawnNYS/sign.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/DawnNYS/hat.jpg

I just love this onehttp://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/DawnNYS/balloons.jpg

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g166/Finer_Kitchens/DawnNYS/steeple2.jpg

(teehee)

2-Thawing my frozen blueberries to make (Ang's?) blueberry crumb bars tomorrow morning - we still have 3 cups of fresh ones, saving those for ??? I am thinking about reducing the amount to 2 cups instead of 4? There are sooooo wet, I think 4 would make the cake blueish-black!

3-I am sitting in the bright sunshine, sipping a sugar-free ade kind of drink with fresh-picked mint in there - very good... why didn't I discover this in June?!

4-I made Evelyn's briami in the crockpot for last night's dinner. Turned out okay, easy enough, although did not have that "roasted" flavor, but was good, anyway.

5-Cleaning out my too-full refrigerator

6-Making the Mexican Nutella Crepes (thanks GayR!) to take to and warm up for a baby shower brunch in Albany today, along with my blueberry bars

 
My weekend Six plus a bonus...

It is really hot this summer and the AC seems to run nonstop so I’ve been doing more and more of my meals in the gas grill to keep the heat out of the house. Friday I made Pork Balls with Raisin Sauce, Parmesan Potatoes and roasted a whole onion in tinfoil for the next day. All in the grill. OK, this one doesn’t count cause it’s Friday.

1. Saturday I used the onion to make an Onion Relish to go over Pork Burgers. Delicious! The recipe is from my Weber’s Real Grilling Cookbook. Great recipe.

2. Made a fruit salsa with peaches, jalapeno, red onion, lime juice, honey and salt and pepper this morning. Cooked apple flavored sausages in apple juice and water for 5 minutes and then grilled them until browned. Put them in a hot dog bun and scooped over the peach salsa. Nice lunch!

3. Reported the icky stuff that has recently showed up on the basil to the website that Curious pointed out a few days ago that wants to track the spread of some kind of moldy ick. Is that the longest sentence you have ever read? I’m leavin’ it just like that.

4. Reported the swarm(?) of bumblebees hanging out around the seed clusters on one of our Palm trees to the people who are tracking Bumble Bees. I’m all about helpin’ out.

4. I’ve got chicken thighs marinating in Unbelievable Chicken Marinade (Charlie?) for the grill tonight. I think I’ll make some tinfoil packets of potatoes and onion to go on the grill at the same time. Steamed Cauliflower and a salad.

6. Drained the pool again because of all the rain we’ve been having. Just means more chlorine expense. Stop raining!

 
Dawn, those photos are fantastic! Here's the mint drink recipe: smileys/smile.gif

(Or, as it's titled in my great-grandmother's writing, "Drink Mint.") smileys/wink.gif

2 cups sugar
1 quart water
juice of 3 lemons
rind (zest?) of 1 1/2 lemons

Cook all 10 minutes.

2 cups mint leaves
Pour boiling water over mint leaves. Let stand all night. Then strain. Add equal parts to ginger ale. Color with green food coloring (!). Float pineapple sherbet in glass.

Festive! (True confession: I haven't tried it yet!) smileys/smile.gif

 
now... if you were REALLY "all about helpin' out", you'd invite us for dinner - it sounds delish!

 
The extra bedroom is ready, the pool is warm and we wait for your visit..

When do you arrive? Welcome to my home....

PS: It's really hot right now, you might want to wait a bit...but we are here for you. ;0)

 
where are you? I know my DD in Austin is hot right now and I hear Oregon and WA are getting hit.

 
orchid, recipe for the onion relish, please. I love love onions. wish I would think to throw onion

packets on the grill. so easy.

 
great pics Dawn. Love how you captured the small town event. now I'm craving sauerkraut!

 
Awww....you bet and I'm so glad you ask because this is really good.

Because I just got home and I'm exhausted I did a quick Google and found some guy had already posted it and so I grabbed it. First is the original recipe that is in my cookbook, "Weber's Real Grilling" which I highly recommend, and then the downed size version that I came up with after running it through my MasterCook to get it down to a smaller size. Since I hadn't made it before I didn't want a huge amount left over for the 2 of us. I'll make more next time. I can see other uses for it. We loved it.


Pork Burger "Sliders" with Roasted Onion Relish

Relish Ingredients
3 medium sized yellow onions
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt (divided)
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Burger Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground pork
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
For Relish:
1. Peel onions and cut off both ends.
2. In a medium bowl, coat onions with olive oil and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and pepper.
3. Wrap each onion in aluminum foil and grill over indirect medium heat for approximately 1 hour or until they are softened.
4. Allow to cool.
5. Peel the onions. Cut off and discard the stem and root ends. Cut the onions in half lengthwise and then chop into 1/2 inch pieces.
6. Place in medium sized saucepan over medium-high heat.
7. Add 1/2 teaspoon salt, ketchup, wine, vinegar, and Tabasco sauce.
8. Stir mixture and bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated (about 10 - 15 minutes)
9. Remove from heat, stir in parsley.
The relish made be made up to 24 hours in advance and refrigerated. Remove from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature prior to serving.
For Burger:
1. In a large bowl, combine pork, ketchup, salt, allspice, mustard, pepper and Tabasco sauce
2. Shape into 8 equal sized patties, each about 1/2 inch thick.
3. Lightly brush or spray each side with olive oil.
4. Grill over direct medium heat 10-12 minutes, turning once, until done.
5. Serve on a toasted bun with onion relish.
Makes 4 - 6 servings.

Down sized Recipe:

Serving Size : 2

1 whole onion
2/3 teaspoon oil
1/3 teaspoon salt
2/3 dash pepper
1 3/4 tablespoons ketchup
1 3/4 tablespoons wine
1/3 teaspoon vinegar
2 drops Tabasco sauce

 
South Florida cheez. West of Ft. Lauderdale on the edges of the Everglades.

Come and I'll take you on a Everglades tour at the Indian reservation. But seriously, you need to do it in the winter months. Wish I could include a video of the Air boat in motion with it's airplane engines in full force. Whooooo! Such fun! And the Alligator bites.....taste like chicken.

http://www.ride-the-wind.com/

 
There ya go! Lots of fun and if you have a good Pilot who knows his

stuff he will show you how you can eat what is there. It's a huge salad bar!

 
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