Color Explosion!

 

This is my new favorite meal - roasted mixed vegetables.  This batch has cauliflower, carrots, garlic, shallots, onions, mushrooms, and honeynut squash. After the roasting, I add some chopped cilantro and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.  It's pretty amazing.

I toss the vegetables in olive oil, salt & pepper, and this seasoning created by Tabitha Brown who I have been following for several years on Instagram.  It's delicious!

I have served it over wild rice, Jasmine rice, and Italian barley.  I've also made it into tacos, using warm corn tortillas.  In both cases, I drizzled the vegetables with this dressing (I added the tahini to the recipe) and was in heaven.

Give it a try.  You can thank me later!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day
2022: Sorry, no post on this day
2021: Sorry, no post on this day
2020: Sorry, no post on this day
2019: Sorry, no post on this day
2018: Dam In The River Amstel
2017: Be Beautiful
2016: In The Pink
2015: None Left At All
2014: Bivalve Mollusc Hunting Illegal
2013: The Price Of Relaxing
2012: Our Tail Was Driving Triples 
2011: Where There Is Smoke, There Is Not Always Fire
2010: Ella Ella Eh Eh Eh
2009: What’s All The Glee About?
2008: Connecting Over The Mystic River
2007: Randomly Weird
2006: Eddie Acts Like A Five-Year-Old Friday
2005: From Earth To Heaven

Hot And Sweet

Ed and I have been eating a lot of salads for lunch lately.  They're filling, light, and perfect for the hot weather we are still enduring out here in Tucson.

My favorite dressing for months has been this one.  It's absolutely amazing. 

Although it has apple cider vinegar, I add lemon juice, too.  And, I add the tahini, garlic powder (sometimes fresh), onion powder, and salt and pepper.  It's soooo good.  And it thickens in the fridge so it's also perfect for dipping vegetables.  If it's too thick the next day, I just add more lemon juice and shake it up before drizzling.   

But today I made a sweet and spicy mango dressing because Ed bought enough mangoes for us to open a fruit stand.  This is the one I went with. 

I followed the recipe almost to the letter - I left out the olive oil because I'm trying to lower our daily fats, and I used a jalapeño because that's what I had on hand.  It was very, very good. 


I'm definitely adding it to the salad dressing rotation.

  

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Art At The Arroyo
2017: Natural Endorphins
2016: The Road That's Actually Less Traveled
2015: The Glowing Red Triangle
2014: I Prefer IPY To DIY
2013: Heading To Primm
2012: Fashion (And Country) Forward
2011: Slowly Meandering Through Farm Country
2010: Long Beach Lights
2009: 4423 Humboldt Avenue
2008: Eddie Tourist Friday
2007: Ripe For A Dognapping
2006: What Lies Beneath
2005: Big Sky Country

There's A New Treat In Town

I'm into a new treat these days.  They're healthy, homemade, and delicious.

Made with dates, nuts, oats, vanilla, and cocoa powder.  When the mixture is done, I typically just roll them in cocoa powder, but this time I rolled some in cocoa, some in chopped nuts, and some in coconut flakes.  

Here's the recipe:

10-12 pitted Medjool dates. (I soak them in hot water to soften them and then I chop them in small pieces)
1 cup nuts (use any kind you like)
1/2 cup rolled oats
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder

Put everything in a food processor, pulse until the ingredients are finely chopped, and start to look thick and stick together.  Once combined, roll them into balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with wax paper.  

Put them in the fridge until they're chilled.  Store in a Tupperware in the fridge.  

I will tell you that they're not going to last long.  They're delicious!



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Sorry, no post on this day.
2018: Pork Chop Express

2017: Full-Blown Wonder
2016: Saguaro Nest
2015: I Do Laundry And Bring Strawberries
2014: A Match Made In Trucking Heaven
2013: Shiny Ride Home
2012: Chow Fun And Coconut Bliss
2011: Beautiful By Nature. Dirty By Choice.
2010: Let’s Go Shopping!!!
2009: A Magnificent Place To Wait For A Train
2008: Old Blue Eyes Was Right When He Said It Was A Very Good Year
2007: The Hills Are Alive…Or Are They?
2006: Nostalgia
2005: 37 Going On 20

A Healthier Version Of A Burger And Fries

I've been trying not to eat any red meat lately so I decided to try a veggie burger.  If anyone told me last year that I'd be eating a veggie burger, liking it, and actually craving it as a meal, I'd say to them they were nuts.

But I found this delicious veggie burger at Whole Foods.  It's the Black Bean Veggie Burger by a company called Actual Veggies.  

I used these buns which my friend turned me on to, and put a thin sliver of mayo on the bun and topped the burger with lettuce, tomato, and raw red onion.  On the side, I made baked french fries tossed with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. 

What a delicious treat!!

I know these types of food products are probably different for everyone.  Some love a brand, some hate it, others like one kind, some like another.  But this one was a hit for me and I'll definitely be having it again.

Nothing is a substitute for a nice meaty ground beef burger, but I was happy with this meal.  For me, it was just a healthier version and satisfied my desire for a "burger".

Try it.  You might like it!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: The Luck Of Double Sevens
2018: What Surfing Produces
2017: How To Make A Girl Feel Like She's On Top Of The World
2016: Resting Bitch Face Is Real
2015: No Rooms To Let
2014: Beautiful Brutalism In A Bucolic Bourg
2013: Have A Little Faith In The Romantic Comedy
2012: The Perfect Volunteer
2011: The Men Who Stare AT Goats
2010: A Peek At A Working Team
2009: Alligators Are Not A Girl’s Best Friend
2008: Forget Your Cholesterol. Get A Hearing Aid.
2007: Sizzling Good Time
2006: Amarillo May Smell Like Cow Shit, But They Have Some Pretty Tasty Steaks
2005: List Of Fives

Freshly Brewed

 

Ed is a brewed ice tea kind of guy.  He doesn't like it bottled, he doesn't like it flavored, he doesn't like it from a soda fountain, and he doesn't like it sweet.  Which is a shocker since he's a Texan.  Do you know how hard it is to get unsweetened tea in the South without someone looking at you like you have three heads?

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, we ate at Timber Kitchen in Maine.  I loved the atmosphere, the rustic decor, and the menu.  I was really looking forward to dinner.  We each had soup (I had French Onion and Ed had the Smoked Seafood Chowder), salad (I had the Littel Timber house salad and Ed had the Caesar), and then we both had the Surf & Turf.  It was delicious, but it was costly.  The bill for the two of us was $238.20.  And we don't even drink!    

Which brings me back to the iced tea...

Ed ordered unsweetened, brewed iced tea.  And the photo above is how it was served.  

The tea was the Ceylon Gold from Tea Forte, which comes in a beautiful pyramid-shaped tea bag.

It was served in the Tea Forte Tea Over Ice Pitcher Set, which was as beautiful as the tea bag and something I think I may be purchasing for our home.  It was so elegant and so personal and made a perfect pitcher of tea just like Ed likes it.

And I think all that beauty explains why the iced tea was $6.00.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Chill Out, They're Fine
2018: Right Of Way
2017: Not A Time For Restful Sleep
2016: Yellow Pop
2015: Union Wharf
2014: Mysterious Exercise
2013: Doris Day Spends The Weekend In Texas
2012: Evening Ball
2011: Taxes And Ta-Tas
2010: Ah, The Subtle Contrasts Of New Jersey
2009: A Fishy Pishy Is Never Dishy
2008: Before The Luck Ran Out
2006: Five Guys I’m In Love With This Week
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Wicked Good Lobstah

We're in Maine. And I'm in heaven.  The weather is right up my alley, chilly with a mix of sun and clouds.  It couldn't be more perfect for me.

Because we're in Maine, we had to have lobster.  So we bobtailed (that's driving the truck without the trailer) over to Angler's Restaurant.  It was recommended to us by one of the locals at the truck stop.

Ed ordered the clam chowder and a whole lobster.  I don't like to work for my food - cracking, picking, digging, sucking - so I ordered the broiled scallops and haddock.  I wasn't thrilled with my dish - I wish it had a few more scallops and the haddock had a little more flavor - but it hit the spot since we wanted seafood.  Ed really liked his lobster - it was sweet and meaty. 

The restaurant is family-owned and during our dinner, the owner came over to check in on us.  We told him we were truckers and drove over from Bangor for lobster.  

"Is that your truck out there in the parking lot?" he said.

"Yes," we said.

"Wow.  It's a cawkah." he said.

"A cawkah?" I said.

Yeah, a cawkah."  

I just smiled.  I had no idea what he meant. We chatted a few more minutes about trucking and food and then he moved on to the next table full of guests.

If you know anything about Maine, you know they have a bit of their own language.  I mean, a lot of words and phrases you've never heard anywhere else.  More, I think, than any other part of the country.  Corker?  That means something amazing or remarkable.   

But what do I know?  I'm from away.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Grapes, Raisins, Or Wine...All Delicious
2018: Dominion Over Copper Mining
2017: Getting Served
2016: Bringing 1946 Back To Life
2015: Vintage Heaven
2014: No Wonder China Is The Exporting Superpower
2013: 109 Miles Of White Knuckle Passengering 
2012: Strong
2011: The Man Unmasked
2010: Fingers Crossed For All Things Motorized!
2009: Eddie Forces A Smile Friday
2008: A, B, C, D, DD: No Matter What The Letter, The Trauma Is The Same
2007: How To Watch American Idol The Right Way
2006: Dings And Hos
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Souper Tasty

 

I saw this soup on Instagram and on one of our cold Tucson days I decided I had to make it.  I made a large batch, serving it that night for dinner, then making up several containers.  I brought a few containers to my mother and froze the rest. 

It was delicious!  If you're interested in trying it, the recipe is below:

Sweet Potato and Carrot Soup with Coconut Milk

Ingredients
1.5 pounds of sweet potatoes, washed and cut in half
1 pound of carrots, peeled
5 tablespoons of olive oil
2 onions, peeled and cut in half
1 full head of garlic (cut the top off the garlic bulb to roast with the vegetables)
2.5 cups of vegetable stock
1 can of coconut milk (13.5 oz. can)
Salt & Pepper to taste

Instructions
Place the halved sweet potatoes, peeled carrots, halved onions, and head of garlic into a baking dish.  Drizzle olive oil over all of the vegetables.
Season generously with salt and pepper.
Cover the roasting pan with foil.
Road them in a 350-degree oven for 30-40 minutes, or until they are tender and caramelized. Depending on their size, cooking times may vary.
Once the vegetables are done roasting, remove them from the oven and let them cool a bit.
Add all the vegetables to a blender.  Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skin and add to the blender.
Add vegetable stock and blend.
Transfer the mixture to a large pot.  Stir in the coconut milk.
Add more salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Heat the soup until it's hot, but avoid bringing it to a boil.
Spoon into bowls, top with a swirl of coconut milk if desired, and serve.


This soup is excellent with a loaf of crusty bread.

Enjoy!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Sorry, no post on this day.
2022: Sorry, no post on this day.
2021: Sorry, no post on this day.
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Soaking In European Bubbles
2018: Roasted And Tossed
2017: Only A Boob Drives Into A 'Boob
2016: A Citrus Oasis Awaits Me
2015: Ed Travels Light
2014: La Ventanita
2013: Big Fat Proof Of Your Weight
2012: This Could Be Very Confusing For Men
2011: The King Of Thrift
2010: Dances With Sheepskin
2009: The Seat You Offer Your Arch Enemy
2008: The Man With The Silver Handbag
2007: Silver Snowscape
2006: Let Go Let Flow
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

Olive You

 

Olives at one of the vendors in the Mercado Central in Valencia, Spain.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2023: Where The Turia River Meets The Mediterranean Sea
2022: A Hail Mary, Lucky Horseshoes, And Some Really Good Trip Planning Are All That's Needed
2021: Beautiful Freak Of Nature
2020: Sorry, no post on this day.
2019: Ring The Bell For Tips
2018: Snacks & Bar
2017: So This Happened Today
2016: Agrarian
2015: Tied Off
2014: Seek And Ye Shall Find
2013: Frantically Trying To Get Back To Indonesia
2012: I’d Like Some Snow For Dessert
2011: Getting A Little Carried Away
2010: On A Need To Know Basis
2009: Something Has Gone Terribly Wrong
2008: Flying Into The Sun
2007: Riding The Rails
2006: Keeping Me Quiet With A Chocolate Snap
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn’t start until May 2005!

The Makings Of A Feast Under One Beautiful Unique Roof

The Mercado Central (Central Market) is a three-minute walk from the apartment we are staying at in Valencia, Spain. It was built between 1914 and 1928.  The market is one of the largest in Europe, with more than 86,000 square feet under its roof. It’s built in the Valencian Art Nouveau style.

Most of the vendors sell food items but there are a few souvenir stalls. We bought some amazing produce, cheese, and bread from the market and had a little merienda (afternoon snack) with items from our haul. And, the food here is muy barato (very cheap)!

Here you can see the tiled exterior of the market building - between the palm tree and the Iglesia de San Juan del Mercado (Church of San Juan del Mercado).

One of the aisles in the market.  Look at the beautiful details on the ceiling.

The fresh fruit was insane.  Gorgeous.  I bought fresh squeezed orange juice which I drank as I shopped.  We bought some of these beautiful strawberries to add to our breakfast meals at the apartment.

More than ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall of this beer vendor.

Jamones (hams) are very popular in this area.  Few things are more important to Spanish cuisine and culture than jamón ibérico, the celebrated ham made from Black Iberian pigs.

The vegetales (vegetables) were impressive.  Look at the size of the celery in this photo!  They were at minimum, two feet long!  And check out the leeks right next to them.  And that head of romaine lettuce!  Everything was amazing and what we bought was fresh and fantastic!

¡Olivos! (Olives!) So many varieties it was hard to choose.

This is the cupola and ceiling in the center of the market. The design of the market is said to be an amazing example of Valencian Art Nouveau and looks more like a Cathedral than a market.

Ready-to-eat dragon fruit, cherimoyas, and beautiful oranges.

A cool dried blowfish.

Italian Pimientos (peppers) and beautiful berenjena (eggplant).  One of the dishes we had in Valencia - which was amaaaazing, was Berenjenas Fritas Con Miel (Fried Eggplant with Honey).  Oh.  My.  God.  You must make this dish!

And last but not least, look at these spectacular Pimiento Rojos (Red Peppers).  They were gigantic!  We bought several of them, which I sautéed with garlic in olive oil and then heaped on fresh bread that we also bought at the market.  I'm salivating just remembering how delicious they were.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2022: Taking A Ship To See A Queen
2021: Dignity Of Earth And Sky
2020: When Life Gives You Lemons
2019: Istanbul Cobble
2018: Circulating The Morning Air In The Lonestar State
2017: It's The Real OLD Thing
2016: Stopping In Style
2015: Patiently Waiting
2014: Find Out Where You Can Dine With Giraffes
2013: Sputtering With Excitement
2012: Water May Not Be The Only Liquid Nourishing These Flowers
2011: Nappy Time
2010: Dick. Not A Dick. Which One Are You?
2009: First The Poultry, Now This
2008: California Moon
2007: Ryno And Rob
2006: Living The Dream
2005: Sorry, no post on this day. The blog didn't start until May 2005!

Hello, Gorgeous

Today we drove sixteen miles for a bagel.

A New York style bagel.  Yes, there is a difference.  And in Tucson, a half-hour drive for a bagel of this quality is worth it.  

We went to a new place called Bubbe's.  Located on the East side of town.  There's almost no reason to go to the East side of town because generally, they have everything we have on our side of town....except New York style bagels.  

Bubbe (pronounced Bubbee) is Yiddish for Grandmother.  And there were a few touches in this place that might remind you of your Jewish grandmother.  Like the Juicy Fruit gum.  Although, I think that's a staple for all New York grandmothers.  And Scrabble.

The Juicy Fruit sits on a shelf with other Jewish standards....the picture of Barbra Streisand Streisand being a standout among them. 

Hello, Gorgeous.  

Ed and I each ordered two bagels - one plain, toasted with buttah, and the other with a schmear.  I tried the chive and green onion, Ed went with plain.

The bagels not only look beautiful, they were also delicious.  Just like a New York bagel - a glossy crust with a bit of a bite, and chewy inside but not doughy.  I don't know how or why I walked out of there without taking a dozen with me.  I guess I was in a rush to eat the one in my hand I just didn't think of it.

If you have an opportunity to visit Bubbe's, I say do it.  It's worth the trip from any side of town. 

But be prepared to stand in line.

You can find them in El Dorado Village at 1101 N. Wilmot Road.

Enjoy! 



~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 
2020:  Sweet And Petite
2019: Sorry, no post on this date
2018: Stepping Outside Of The Comfort Zone
2017: Fall, Falling, Fallen
2016: Twisted Monday
2015: The Bitchy Beast Of Strijen
2014: Montana Moments
2013: Scanning Comes To A Mouth Near You
2012: Go Ahead, Judge Me
2011: Con Los Años Que Me Quedan 
2010: Ten. Ten. Ten. A Perfect Score! 
2009: Lighting The Testosterone Torch 
2008: Eddie Helps The Economy Friday 
2007: Talk About A Thorn In Your Side 
2006: My Sentiments Exactly 
2005: Mason? Dixon? Line? BELOW It.

Jesus Is Keeping An Eye On All The Yummy Goodness

I recently organized my storage area and came across a bunch of cookbooks and magazines in a Rubbermaid bin.  That bin also contained my grandmother's recipe box.  

I was delighted to see tons of recipes written in my grandmother's hand, in addition to many typed on index cards.  Likely on the same typewriter, she taught me how to type on.  That machine was old and although she taught me correct hand placement on the keys, I still used the hunt-and-peck method until I mastered typing by touch.  

Also in the box were recipes she cut out of magazines and recipes neighbors, friends, and family had given her with dates and notes like, "Mrs. Brigandi's sour cream coffee cake".  The pink card on the side of the box was written by my cousin, giving my grandmother a recipe for Chicken Chow Mein that was a specialty of my teenage cousin at the time.  Other cards had notes about holiday gatherings and who attended family functions.  Those were very interesting.  

On this one, she writes who was present - "Dad, Joya, and I".  So that means, my grandfather, my grandmother, and my Aunt Joya.  My grandmother had four daughters and at this point in 1967, the oldest three were married, my Aunt Joya being the only one who was still single.

You'll notice I got a mention, "Salena 2 mos. old today".  I was the first grandchild in the family and don't tell the others, but also the clear favorite.

She kept these notes for every holiday from Thanksgiving on November 23, 1967 - the photo above - until the early eighties.  Christmas of 1967 is shown on the card below, where  I made another appearance - 3 months, 2 days old!  She also notes, "All Family Here", meaning everyone attended.

I really loved seeing her handwriting again, it's been 24 years since she passed, but I was a bit sad seeing notes about the holidays my grandparents spent alone.  All of their children had moved from the Bronx to upstate New York in the early seventies and they often didn't make the hour-and-a-half trip back to the city for the holidays.  Between spending time with their new families and attending holidays at the in-laws' houses, sometimes my grandparents were alone.  And I hate that. 

But, I'm glad to have all these recipe cards and I can't wait to make some of the meals that she wrote cards for but didn't specifically teach me how to make.  A lot of her specialties I already make, the recipes verbally handed down to me.  It'll be interesting to tackle some of the other things and see if they measure up to what she made.

This is her meatloaf recipe.  Notice she included the Italian word for it - polpettone.  I'm not a fan of meatloaf AT ALL but the only one I'd ever eat was hers.  I might have to give this a whirl.  It's super basic, which is why I probably liked it.  Thankfully, she never added pignoli, raisins, or the hard-boiled eggs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
2020: Boundless American Optimism
2019: The Movies Have Always Been An Escape
2018: Nowhere Near As Cute As A Kitten
2017: Celebrating Seven And A Half Decades
2016: Makes Complete Sense
2015: I'm Always Hoping It's The Last Time
2014: Apes At The Hitching Post
2013: History On Water Street
2012: Do It Like The Settlers Did. With Whiskey.
2011: No Vacancy
2010: Imperial Sand
2009: How Many Twenty Year Olds Have A Seventy Pound Head?
2008: My First Time
2007: I’ve Been Everywhere Sunday
2006: Text Me
2005: Eddie Dines Out Friday