Thursday, September 06, 2012

The menacing skies of Florida

We went to Universal studios in Orlando Florida and there was a  lot of clowning around

My daughter said we were not in the sunshine state but the looks like rain state, the storms were so menacing looking 

clowning was not a word I would use for these skies

but I had to grab a few shot before I duck inside

wondering how many storms we can have in one day( 8 was the  last count) 

darted inside the clown

there was a storm(of sorts) on the inside as well

and as quickly as it rolled in it was rolling out once  again

Monday, September 03, 2012

Farmers Market in Connecticut Ruby Tuesday

These top few pics are from a sidewalk grocery










they also had tummy jams and maple cream
Add caption








overview


Sunday, February 26, 2012

Kirstie Alley's Green Soup


Recipe created by Kirstie Alley and Sean Prenter
Oprah.com  | February 25, 2010

  |  

Kirstie Alley's Green Soup
Recipe created by Kirstie Alley and Sean Prenter
In her quest to lose weight, the actress eats this green soup made with as many organic vegetables as possible.
Servings: Makes 23 cups
Ingredients
·                               6 to 8 big chunks shallots
·                               8 leeks (Cut leeks just above their white part, about 2 inches. Peel the outer layer off and then slit them open lengthwise, but not completely severed clear through. Rinse them out well.)
·                               1/3 cup organic olive oil
·                               2 big bunches asparagus (cut the hard ends off about 3 inches)
·                               3 big bunches broccoli (cut the stems off halfway up the shafts)
·                               2 big bunches spinach (cut off the tiny part of the dirty ends)
·                               6 containers (32 ounces each) organic chicken broth (for vegetarians, use vegetable broth)
·                               Sea salt (at least 3 tablespoons of coarse grain)
·                               Pepper , to taste
Directions
Peel and slice shallots thinly.

Put all the olive oil in a very large, deep pot. Turn the heat to medium-high. Put the shallots into the oil and sweat the shallots. "Sweating" means to cook the vegetables to tenderize them without browning them. Adjust heat as necessary to ensure they do not brown.

Add 1 tablespoon of coarse, ground, good quality sea salt to shallots to absorb while they are sweating. Cut the leeks into thin slices and toss them into the oil with the shallots. Sweat the leeks along with the shallots. Chop the asparagus into small bits and then add them to the mixture and sweat them, along with the shallots and leeks.

When the shallots, asparagus and leeks are fully sweated and tender, break the broccoli into small chunks and throw them into the soup pot. (If the shallots, leeks and asparagus combo gets too dry before they are tender, just add small amounts of chicken broth to the mix and keep on sweating.)


Let the broccoli sweat a little while (about 2 minutes) and then add half of your organic chicken stock. Cook this for about 10 minutes.

Add remaining chicken stock and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes. (You want the broccoli to be tender, but not overcooked, and you want the color of soup to always remain a nice, bright green.) Add all the spinach and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Turn the flame off the mixture and season to taste with sea salt and pepper.


Transfer the soup into a blender by increments and puree the mixture. Put the pureed soup mixture into one big pot. Then taste and season it to your liking. Only season with salt and pepper. If you desire any other seasoning, create an individual serving, not in the whole pot.

Split the soup into 2 equal parts, one for you and one for your Chubby Buddy or for storage. Cool the soup before refrigerating and/or freezing.
You are basically adding the vegetables in order of their hardness. The spinach is so soft, you would never want to add it too early. If you do, it can make the soup turn brownish…ICK!

Eat this soup once or twice a day or whenever you are hungry. Green Soup is 62 calories per cup.
This recipe yields about 23 cups of soup, enough for you and your Chubby Buddy for an entire week. Make sure your cooking pot is big, or you can halve the recipe.

Monday, February 13, 2012

BANANA CupCAKE(s) W/ PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

BANANA CAKE W/ PEANUT BUTTER FROSTING

Ingredients


2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
2 egg yolks
3 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
3 crushed bananas
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 egg whites, beaten
Directions
Combine the sugar and butter and beat on low speed until completely combined.Add the egg yolks and beat on high speed until the mixture is smooth and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients — flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt — and whisk thoroughly. You’ll want the baking soda to be well distributed throughout the flour before adding to the wet ingredients. Alternate adding dry and wet ingredients (milk), beating each time until it is just incorporated. Start and end with dry/When you’re done, you should have a nice, soft, fluffy batter. Now mash the bananas and add them to the batter. Add the vanilla and beat until combined. Whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks, but not so much you dry them out. Carefully fold the egg whites into the batter, trying not to deflate them too much.Pour the batter into three greased and floured round pans. Bake at 350° for 35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.FOR Cupcakes I baked for 15 minutes
Peanut Butter Icing:
1 c. powdered sugar                                                   ¾ tsp. vanilla
1 c. creamy peanut butter                                          ¼ tsp. salt
5 TBS unsalted butter, room temp.                            1/3 c. heavy cream

Place the powdered sugar, peanut butter, butter, vanilla, and salt in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Mix on medium-low speed until creamy, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula as you work. Add the cream and beat on high speed until the mixture is light and smooth.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

PROGRESSIVE DINNER RECIPES












  I had the first portion of a progressive dinner here tonight and this is what we served mmmmmmmmmmmm

 

Strawberry and Feta Salad

"This unusual combination of strawberries, feta cheese, toasted almonds and romaine lettuce in a sweet and tangy dressing is sure to please your guests. A guaranteed pleaser for any potluck

Prep Time:
15 Min
Ready In:
15 Min


 
Original Recipe Yield 10 servings
 

Ingredients

  • 1 cup slivered almonds
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1/4 cup raspberry vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 head romaine lettuce, torn
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
  • 1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

  1. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the almonds, stirring frequently, until lightly toasted. Remove from heat, and set aside.
  2. In a bowl, prepare the dressing by whisking together the garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, raspberry vinegar, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and vegetable oil.
  3. In a large bowl, toss together the toasted almonds, romaine lettuce, strawberries, and feta cheese. Cover with the dressing mixture, and toss to serve.

Green Bean Bundles

Paula Deen

Green Bean BundlesRecipe courtesy Paula

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh green beans
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Bacon       added a small cube of Irish dubliner cheese in the bundle center

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Blanch green beans for 3 minutes. Toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper. Bundle about 5 green beans and wrap a piece of bacon around the bundle. Place in a roasting pan and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until bacon is cooked.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh green beans
  • Olive oil
  • Salt and pepper
  • Bacon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Blanch green beans for 3 minutes. Toss them in olive oil and salt and pepper. Bundle about 5 green beans and wrap a piece of bacon around the bundle. Place in a roasting pan and roast for 10 to 15 minutes, until bacon is cooked.

Mouth-Watering Stuffed Mushrooms



prep Time:
25 Min
Cook Time:
20 Min
Ready In:
45 Min

 
Original Recipe Yield 12 large mushrooms
 

Ingredients

  • 12 whole fresh mushrooms
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon onion powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray. Clean mushrooms with a damp paper towel. Carefully break off stems. Chop stems extremely fine, discarding tough end of stems.
  2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and chopped mushroom stems to the skillet. Fry until any moisture has disappeared, taking care not to burn garlic. Set aside to cool.
  3. When garlic and mushroom mixture is no longer hot, stir in cream cheese, Parmesan cheese, black pepper, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Mixture should be very thick. Using a little spoon, fill each mushroom cap with a generous amount of stuffing. Arrange the mushroom caps on prepared cookie sheet.
  4. Bake for 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until the mushrooms are piping hot and liquid starts to form under caps.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

skywatch friday My favorite photostop in Cashell Ireland (my second favorite photo)

The sky is often foggy and gray which makes picture taking tricky :) one of my favorite things to capture in Ireland were the sheep --on camera that is not physically catch:)

Monday, October 17, 2011

MY World and RT

I went to Ireland and had a wonderful time visiting the land of my forefa thers; the music from this Bunrattycastle performer was hauntingly beautiful

we traveled w/ my sister and her hubby but not the horse

lots of quint colorful cottages warmed my heart
hubby and I having castle fun

It was wet and cold but the stone work was so magnificent