Raw Food at Oryana

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My sister is working at Oryana in Traverse City. She has long been interested in the relationship between food and health, so working at Oryana is a great fit. Oryana is a food co-op that consistently provides quality food to the community. It's an amazing store that reminds me of a smaller, better version of Whole Foods.

There's a lot going on in this store and all of it is good. They pride themselves on featuring local products some of which include produce, chocolate, wine, and bread.  There's a restaurant that serves up anything from smoothies to sandwiches and when you visit you may find yourself happily listening to live music as you sip your chai.


But back to my sister. She loves her job and its easy to see why. She demonstrates healthy, delicious meals featuring seasonal food while focusing on dishes that are easy to prepare. I visited recently with our mother and she was serving up a raw dish that could be made for lunch or dinner. It's a twist on pasta. You simply sub out the pasta for zucchini and end up with a raw, fresh, healthy, fun, good for you meal (her words). She found the recipe in the magazine,  "Whole Living,"  and it is so delicious I had to share.


Zucchini "Pasta"
Serves 2

8 ounces cherry tomatoes, sliced
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 cup chopped raw walnuts
2 T torn fresh basil, plus leaves to garnish
2 T extra-virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle
sea salt
1 zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise, slices cut into 1/4 inch long strips

In a bowl, combine tomatoes, garlic, walnuts, basil and oil. Season with salt. Let stand 20 minutes. Toss with zucchini, garnish with basil and an extra drizzle of olive oil if desired.

This photo is from the Whole Living website.


Oryana - Natural Foods Market

Old Time Religion

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Last Sunday afternoon I went with my dear friend Keith to a church ice cream social in celebration of the 175th anniversary of the Putnamville United Methodist Church.  Putnamville is a tiny hamlet around five miles south of Greencastle. To get there, we could have driven on a major road - state highway 231 to state highway 40 - but knowing how I love the back roads of Indiana, Keith chose a route on narrow county roads that wound past fields of corn and soybeans.

The church social featured grilled hotdogs with all the trimmings as well as an excellent selection of home-made pies. We shared a piece of the raspberry pie: delicious. Music was provided by a bluegrass gospel band called Upward Journey, playing toe-tapping tunes like "I Saw the Light" and "Leanin' on the Everlasting Arms."

I could have sat there listening to the music and eating pie forever, but Keith and I had to get on the road to head to Goldsmith, Indiana, population 200, Keith's home town in rural Tipton County, where we attended the Sunday night card game that has been going on for FIFTY years, since the players were small tykes hanging out at the town wallpaper store. I don't play cards but loved listening to the banter of these friends of many decades.

So first my day had old-time religion. Then it had an old-time card game of old-time friends. Gimme that old-time Indiana!

Idonis

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Day 128




Idonis3 shots out of 5

No clue what the name of this cocktail is supposed to represent......maybe the person who invented it, maybe they pulled letters out of a hat, whichever the reason.....it's a very unique name.  On that note, Happy Friday night to you Idonis!
I gave tonight's cocktail 3 shots out of 5.  I have to admit......apricot brandy..........oh my.......kinda nervous about it.  There's more alcohol in this cocktail then there is mixer, which had me not really wanting to take that first sip.  I'm glad I did though!  This is NOT my usual fruity sweet cocktail that I give my 3's to, oh no!  This cocktail has the perfect amount of alcohol to juice ration for people like me who don't like the taste of alcohol taking over their cocktail.  Don't get me wrong, I can definitely taste the alcohol, but there's just enough pineapple juice mixed with the apricot flavor in the brandy to make me like it!
I had a question of "How Do You Store All Of Your Bottles?"  Well, I figured that there are more of you wondering the same thing, so I took a picture of my bar and posted it in my New Cocktail Equipment and Supplies tab.
Here is the recipe for an Idonis:

• 1 1/2 oz vodka
• 1 oz apricot brandy
• 1 oz pineapple juice

In a short highball glass, fill it up with ice and pour in your vodka, brandy and juice.  Stir up your cocktail and enjoy!

Here is a photo of the end result:



Here is a photo of the ingredients:





Here's to trying apricot brandy again and liking it!
Cheers!!
The Cocktail Lady

Mango Berry Martini

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Day 129




Mango Berry Martini5 shots out of 5

I think I need to hurry up and type tonight's blog so that I can go make myself another cocktail!!  WOWzers this is a perfect way to end a Saturday!  We have some friends over here tonight and everyone is agrees that this is a delicious cocktail.........they're also in agrees that I need to do my blog and make more!
I gave tonight's cocktail 5 shots out of 5.  The mixture of EVERYTHING in this cocktail is AH-MAZE-ING!!  These are very dangerous cocktails......they go down smooth and quick and WOW!  If you have the Malibu Mango rum, I highly recommend that you try this cocktail.  This cocktail will definitely go on the top of my list of cocktails to make at our next party for sure.  I am looking forward to more cocktails with this rum.  If any of you have had amazing cocktails with this rum, PLEASE email them to me!  I'd love to try them.
Here is the recipe for a Mango Berry Martini:

• 1 oz Malibu Mango rum
• 1/2 oz cointreau
• 1/2 oz peach schnapps
• 1 oz cranberry juice
• 1 oz pineapple juice

In a shaker add ice and all of the ingredients above.  Shake it all up really well and strain your cocktail into a chilled martini glass and EN-JOY!!

Here is a photo of the end result:



Here is a photo of the ingredients:





Here's to a VERY VERY yummy cocktail and a great Saturday night with friends!!
Cheers!!
The Cocktail Lady

Buttery Nipple Shooter

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Day 130




Buttery Nipple Shooter5 shots out of 5

WOW, tonight's cocktail brings back some good memories!  I was introduced to the "non-shot" version of this cocktail years ago and it was our thing to drink there for a while.  When we had that version of the cocktail there was a third ingredient (if not fourth......but I doubt it) mixed in too, but I can't remember what it is for the life of me right now.
I gave tonight's cocktail 5 shots out of 5.  This is a nice smooth shooter to have.  If this was the "penalty" shot in some of those drinking games, I could take them all night long!  The half/half of both ingredients is perfect in this shooter.  You can taste both liqueurs and they compliment each other nicely.  I like shots like this one that don't force you into that "squinched up alcohol face".  If I'm going to do a shooter, give me one that goes down easy, and this one does!
Here is the recipe for a Buttery Nipple Shooter:

• 1/2 shot Irish cream
• 1/2 shot butterscotch schnapps

Pour each ingredient into your shot glass.  Enjoy!!

Here is a photo of the end result:



Here is a photo of the ingredients:





Here's to some great memories!  Love it when a cocktail can do that!
Cheers!!
The Cocktail Lady

Baby Woo Woo

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Day 131




Baby Woo Woo4 shots out of 5

Here we are, another Monday night.  Hello week!  I am still having a problem understanding that next week will be JULY!!  I mean.......I remember when I was a kid and my parents and their friends would say "Just wait until you're older, the years fly by, especially if you have kids of your own!".  I remember thinking "Yea sure.......do you realize how long my school year is?  It takes for-ev-er to get through!"  WOW, were they right, I swear my boys school years just started and here we are already  2 1/2 weeks into summer vacation....and having 4 kids makes these years absolutely FLY by!
I gave tonight's cocktail 4 shots out of 5.  If you remember I did a cocktail called Silk Panties aka Woo Woo back in March.  I gave that cocktail 2 shots out of 5....maybe it was the proportions that I didn't like that much, or maybe it was the amount of cocktail I had to drink.  Tonight's cocktail being a shooter with an equal amount of each ingredient made it different enough to enjoy.  This would be another good "penalty shot" for some of those drinking games we play, just like the Buttery Nipple I made last night .  I'll have to remember these two for the future!
(Check out my New Cocktail Equipment and Supplies tab to read about my "New Glassware".)
Here is the recipe for a Baby Woo Woo:

• 1/3 shot vodka
• 1/3 shot peach schnapps
• 1/3 shot cranberry juice

In a shaker add ice and all ingredients above.  Shake it up good and strain it into a shot glass.

Here is a photo of the end result:



Here is a photo of the ingredients:





Here's to liking the shooter version of this cocktail more than the actual cocktail itself!
Cheers!!
The Cocktail Lady

Desert Margarita

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Day 132




Desert Margarita5 shots out of 5

Hello Tequila!  Tonight........we are friends!  We are so very much friends that I just might make myself another of your fabulous Desert Margaritas.........and one for my husband too!  Tonight I will be enjoying you and you add much to tonight's cocktail!
I gave tonight's cocktail 5 shots out of 5.  Tonight's Desert Margarita is QUITE yummy!!  Husband agrees and is eyeing my cocktail right now.  I never would have thought of the flavor of prickly pear in a margarita, but as of tonight I will be looking for them in restaurants.  I have to admit the first sip.....I wasn't sure about, but then I gave it another sip and all of the flavors just worked.  I think I had LIME JUICE on my mind because of how much of it I had to put in this cocktail and that's what threw me off on the first sip......I think I was expecting to taste a super lime flavor that I made myself believe that it was really limey.  This is definitely a cocktail that I will be making again!
Here is the recipe for a Desert Margarita:

• 1 oz tequila
• 1/2 oz orange liqueur
• 2 oz lime juice
• 1 1/2 oz prickly pear syrup

In a shaker add ice, and all of the ingredients above.  Shake them up really well and strain your cocktail into a margarita glass.

Here is a photo of the end result:



Here is a photo of the ingredients:





Here's to a very enjoyable tequila cocktail!
Cheers!!
The Cocktail Lady

Nancy's Boy

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On our way home from New Harmony, Cheryl and I stopped to pay tribute to young Abe Lincoln at the memorial to his boyhood home maintained as a National Historic Site.  The Lincolns moved from Kentucky to Indiana when Abe was seven.  It was here in Indiana that his mother, Nancy Hanks Lincoln, died, here that his father brought his new stepmother home as a bride, here that he learned to read and write by the light of the fire on the kitchen hearth, here that he also buried his beloved older sister. 

Visitors can wander along a peaceful path to a working farm on the land where the Lincoln cabin stood.  Cows and sheep sleep peacefully under old trees.  Roosters scratch contentedly in the dirt.  You can also see Nancy Hanks's grave, marked with a newer, more impressive stone than the one the Lincolns would have placed there to honor her.

Seeing Nancy's grave made Cheryl and me remember this poem, which we read as children. It's hard not to have to blink back tears, reading it:


Nancy HanksIf Nancy Hanks
Came back as a ghost,
Seeking news
Of what she loved most,
She'd ask first
"Where's my son?
What's happened to Abe?
What's he done?""Poor little Abe,
Left all alone.
Except for Tom,
Who's a rolling stone;
He was only nine,
The year I died.
I remember still
How hard he cried.""Scraping along
In a little shack,
With hardly a shirt
To cover his back,
And a prairie wind
To blow him down,
Or pinching times
If he went to town.""You wouldn't know
About my son?
Did he grow tall?
Did he have fun?
Did he learn to read?
Did he get to town?
Do you know his name?
Did he get on?"

- Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet

April Is for Authors

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Greetings from West Palm Beach, Florida, where I'm spending a delightful four days at an event called April Is for Authors.  Twenty-three authors are here, many of us nominees this year for the Florida Sunshine State Young Readers Award, as well as a number of local Florida authors.  The event itself took place yesterday at Palm Beach Gardens High School.  Each author gave at least one talk and took part on at least two panels, as well as signing heaps of books in the media center.  Attendees included children and their parents, teachers, librarians, aspiring writers, anybody who has an interest in children's books and the people who write them.  In addition, some of us are doing author visits to Palm Beach County schools.  I spent Friday at Heritage Elementary; Monday I'll be at Morikami Park; today I'm just catching my breath at the lovely Embassy Suites Hotel, with its pair of swans swimming about in little pond in the the four-story atrium.

The book of mine that is on the Sunshine State Young Readers Award list is How Oliver Olson Changed the World.  As I told the children on Friday when I visited Heritage, I got the idea for the book when I visited an elementary school in Colorado.  Prowling the hallways for book ideas (as I do assiduously these days, now that my own children, at ages 20 and 23, are no longer providing me story fodder, or at least no longer providing me fodder for children's chapter books), I came upon a display of student work: their ideas for how they would change the world.  And so the book was born.

Two classes at Heritage Elementary on Friday presented me with their own written and illustrated ideas for how they would change the world.  Here are some of my favorites (spelling corrected!):

We can donate toys, money, shoes, clothes, to poor children.


My world changing idea is to only have police and the army to have weapons.  Because they use them to kill people and it's not fair, people have to lose their lives for no reason.


My life-changing idea is to supply real homes for the homeless.


We should have more time for recess.  (Great picture of empty slide and climbing bars.)


Stop putting chemicals in food.


Get a robot to do your homework.


My world changing idea is to make paper out of something else to save the trees.


My world changing idea is stop throwing thrash into the ocean or the animals will die.


My world changing idea is nobody should bully people.


My world changing idea is helping collecting money to help buy things we need for the Earth.


Pick up your trash at the beach.  (Great picture with GOOD and BAD behavior displayed.)


My idea is No Killing Whales!


My world changing idea is everyone should get a chance to do something they want to do even if their parents won't let you.


I think people should use their turn signals when they're supposed to because they could get in a car accident.


I think kids should not have work to do on summer, spring, and winter break.

Excellent ideas, Heritage Elementary!  Grownups of the world, are you listening?

Q & A

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I have given many, many talks to elementary school children, almost always followed by a question-and-answer period.  I am invariably asked the following questions:

"How many books have you wrote?" (Yes, never "How many books have you written?")
"What is your favorite book that you've written?"

Sometimes I get asked how much money I make (it's fun to explain the royalty system of payment, where authors get 10 percent of the list price of a book - kids are amazed at how little money the author makes from the whole process). Sometimes I get asked how old I am, which I don't mind answering.  Often I get asked where I get my ideas or what inspired me to write, questions that irritate me a tiny bit as I've just finished spending forty minutes explaining in considerable detail where I get my ideas and what inspired me to write.

One kindergartner once raised his hand to ask me a question.  "Now, is this really a QUESTION?" the teacher asked him?  "A question, and not a STORY?"  He nodded.  "A question, meaning something you really want to know the answer to?"  He nodded again.  And then he asked his question, which was indeed a question, and indeed was something he wanted to know the answer to: "Can you tie my shoe for me?"

Today I visited Morikami Park Elementary School in Florida.  I think the fourth graders today asked the best bunch of questions I've ever gotten from schoolchildren:

"What do you do when you and your editor disagree?"
"What do you do when you get stuck in the middle of a book?"
"What do you do when you get to the end of the book and don't know how to end it?"
"What do you do when you get writers' block?"
"What do you do if you don't like the pictures made by your illustrator?

Thanks for the great questions, Morikami students.  It was lovely to meet you today!

Indiana Insomnia

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I have always been a sleeper of legendary talent.  I would go to bed, place my head upon the pillow, fall asleep moments later, and sleep until I would awaken eight or nine or ten hours later, more out of guilt than wakefulness.  I have often said that I wouldn't mind dying if there could be a clock somewhere on the inside of my coffin that I could check periodically with the welcome thought, "I don't have to get up yet!"

This has changed since I moved to Indiana. For the first time in my life, I am having trouble sleeping. I wake in the middle of the night, obsessed with Indiana, all the Indiana places I want to see, all the Indiana adventures that yet await me.  I have several guidebooks that I read before going to sleep at night, which doesn't help: My Indiana: 101 Places to See (I want to see them all!) - Scenic Driving Indiana (I want to drive all of it!).  My friend Keith loaned me an Indiana guidebook published in the 1940s, written by FDR's Public Works Administration: delicious!

I was relieved two weekends ago to visit New Harmony and Lincoln's boyhood home with my sister: I could cross off that corner of southern Indiana.  But then my friend Linda told me that I hadn't yet seen the West Baden Springs Hotel, dubbed the ninth wonder of the world.  How could I have missed it?  Now I need to go back to southern Indiana again.  And there is so much of the rest of Indiana left to see!

For this weekend, I'm frantically planning outings for both Saturday and Sunday.  Saturday: a drive with Nicki to the farmers' market in Bloomington, and then on to scenic Brown County and the historic home of Hoosier Impressionist T.C. Steele.  Then on a future trip I'll have to return to that part of the state to visit the town of Columbus, Indiana, ranked the sixth most architecturally significant city in the United States because its public buildings have all been designed by famous architects.  Sunday: the world-class Children's Museum in Indianapolis with colleague Rachel. 

I need to work today, I really do, but I can't stop peeking in my guidebooks to plan my route for Saturday so I don't miss any other wonders of the world along the way.  And I have a feeling that tonight may find me awake at 3 a.m., thinking: artists' colonies in Brown County?  Brown County State Park?  Little shops in Nashville, Indiana? 

Don't Make It Worse

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Yesterday I had, to quote Judith Viorst, "a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day."  A big project that I had screwed up royally occasioned a tense conversation with someone I love, and I don't handle conflict very well - actually, I can't deal with conflict AT ALL - so when I have conflict, I cry, which never improves matters, for what is more pathetic, really, than a 57-year-old crybaby?  So at 4:30 I left work and slunk home to spend the evening wallowing in misery.

Here is the important thing: I wallowed in misery for the next several hours, but I didn't do anything to make things even worse.  I had already had a huge late lunch, but I could have driven to Dairy Castle and bought myself a cheeseburger AND a hot fudge sundae with their wonderful black raspberry ice cream, thereby undoing a week's worth of careful eating monitored by My Fitness Pal.  I didn't do that.  And there is a certain person I was tempted to call, thereby undoing two weeks' worth of resolve not to call this person.  I didn't call this person.  Instead I got in bed and read for the entire evening: Beverly Cleary's two memoirs,  A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet, reading that I need to do to revise and expand my paper on Cleary's Henry Huggins and Ramona books for the book being made out of the papers from the China conference. So in a small way, I actually made my life better.

But making things better is more than we should expect of ourselves when it's wallowing time. It's enough that we just don't make things worse. This morning I woke up and weighed myself and had a pleasant number to record to My Fitness Pal. I felt glad I hadn't made any phone calls to regret afterward.  I walked to the Greencastle farmers' market and had a blissful hour sitting in the shade chatting with the knitters and crocheters who congregate there. Now I'm going to drive to Bloomington with my friend Keith to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and have an early dinner.

Things are going to be okay. They always are, sooner or later. But because I didn't make things even worse on my bad day yesterday, things can be better sooner rather than later. And I'm grateful for that.

Hoosier Happiness

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Today in my quest for my fill of Hoosier happiness, I organized an outing with my friend Nicki, who is always a most agreeable companion on my Indiana explorations.

First stop: the Bloomington farmers' market, with fresh salad greens, asparagus, and dead-ripe strawberries galore, as well as artisan breads, Amish cheeses, and more.  We both bought greens and strawberries; I also bought an extraordinarily delicious bowl of hot, steel-cut oatmeal cooked with raisins, dried apricots, cinnamon, and vanilla for a lovely late breakfast.

Stop number two: lost from taking the wrong turn at a poorly signed detour, we found ourselves at the Tibetan Cultural Center and wandered around a bit there.  Nicki had just told me, when we were lost, that she learned on study abroad in Ghana to be contented wherever you ended up, even if it wasn't where you had intended to be, so she enjoyed seeing that philosophy of life so appropriately confirmed mere moments after she uttered it.



Stop number three: the best stop! -the home and studio of famed Hoosier Impressionist artist T.C. Steele and his second wife, a fellow artist.  Their House of the Singing Winds has carved over the fireplace these words: "Every morning I take off my hat to the beauty of the world."  The beauty of the world was everywhere around us, in green rolling hills, gardens of peonies, choruses of birdsong.



Stop number four: lunch at the Muddy Boots Cafe in the charming touristy town of Nashville, Indiana, a restaurant recommendation we solicited from an artist painting on the grounds of the T.C. Steele historic site.  After that, we stopped for home-made ice-cream, of course, and poked into a  few shops.

Then we drove home: Brown County to Monroe County to Owen County to Putnam County.  Indiana, from now on, I plan every morning to take off my hat to your beauty!  

Last Day Party

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Today is the final day of my class on Feminism and the Family.  We've been having student presentations for the last few classes, with each of the 9 students in the class giving a half hour presentation on the topic of her final paper for the course.  Students are addressing such questions as: Is it ethically permissible for white women to adopt black children? Should adoption be open or closed?  How directive should parents be in their child rearing, given respect for children's emerging autonomy?  What is meant by the concept of "unconditional love"?

Today is our class party.  I always like to have a subject-matter-themed party if I can.  Last semester, for my Rousseau class, we ate foods Jean-Jacques mentioned in his Confessions: crusty baguettes, Swiss and French cheeses, ripe cherries.  This time, because we had shared together so many stories about our own families and how they raised us, I asked student to give me a list of their childhood favorite foods and drinks.

So this is the shopping list for my trip to Kroger's this morning:
lemonade
Hawaiian punch
goldfish crackers
Smarties
gummy bears
M&Ms
Kit-Kats
Sour Patch Kids
apple cinnamon rice cakes
zebra cakes

As I decided we also need to have what might be called "real food," I'm getting a Subway party platter as well.  Then we'll indulge in some nostalgic treats. And another semester will be over.

Lesson Learned (Again)

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In books, especially in books for children, the main character faces some problem that is usually solved by her coming to learn some truth about herself, or about the world, or about her place in the world. I love these epiphany moments in books, if they aren't too heavy-handed and didactic.  These are the moments when, as a reader, I get joyful tears in my eyes at the rightness of what is being learned, particularly if it's something that speaks to me on a deep personal level, addressing some demon I've been wrestling with in my own life.

But here is one key difference between literature and life. In literature, the main character learns a lesson, and it stays learned; if there's a sequel, she goes on to learn some different lesson in the next book. In real life, we have to learn the same lesson over and over - and over - again.

I remember that a year ago I blogged about learning how to delegate, as I was cleaning up a devastated property for sale and desperately needed and welcomed the assistance of an army of brilliant, hardworking graduate students who came to my rescue.  Delegating is the key to success!  I think I wrote something to that effect in this very blog.

Today I learned that same lesson again. I'm working on the logistics for the conference on Ethics and Children's Literature that I'm organizing at the Prindle Institute for Ethics this coming September. It's to be a major and wondrous event. I have three keynote speakers: Susan Campbell Bartoletti (award-winning children's author who writes about ethically charged subjects like youth who worked for and against Hitler, and the Ku Klux Klan); Claudia Nelson (prominent historian of children's literature,who can talk about changing approaches to shape children's ethical behavior through children's literature over the years); and Thomas Wartenberg (philosopher who uses children's literature in school settings to get kids to talk about ethical issues).  I put out a call for papers to children's literature scholars, philosophers, and authors, and I got a terrific batch of submissions and reviewed them with an insightful colleague and then sent off acceptances.

But now I have to do the actual work of making it all happen. Being still of a fatal do-it-yourselfer cast, I muddled along for a while, but then it became clear to me, abundantly clear, that it was time - well past time - to have a meeting with my fabulous coworkers at the Prindle. Well, within a very few hours, I had a real working budget for this event (a budget I wish I had made sooner, but oh, well), and an amazing color-coded spreadsheet for all the participants (a spreadsheet I wish I had made sooner, but, oh well). 

Oh, my darlings, delegate! When you are surrounded by people with better budgeting and spreadsheet-making skills than yours, delegate! Do it before you mess everything up, rather than after! And if after,do it as soon as possible after! You will be so glad you did!

Don't Make It Worse

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Yesterday I had, to quote Judith Viorst, "a terrible, horrible, no-good, very bad day."  A big project that I had screwed up royally occasioned a tense conversation with someone I love, and I don't handle conflict very well - actually, I can't deal with conflict AT ALL - so when I have conflict, I cry, which never improves matters, for what is more pathetic, really, than a 57-year-old crybaby?  So at 4:30 I left work and slunk home to spend the evening wallowing in misery.

Here is the important thing: I wallowed in misery for the next several hours, but I didn't do anything to make things even worse.  I had already had a huge late lunch, but I could have driven to Dairy Castle and bought myself a cheeseburger AND a hot fudge sundae with their wonderful black raspberry ice cream, thereby undoing a week's worth of careful eating monitored by My Fitness Pal.  I didn't do that.  And there is a certain person I was tempted to call, thereby undoing two weeks' worth of resolve not to call this person.  I didn't call this person.  Instead I got in bed and read for the entire evening: Beverly Cleary's two memoirs,  A Girl from Yamhill and My Own Two Feet, reading that I need to do to revise and expand my paper on Cleary's Henry Huggins and Ramona books for the book being made out of the papers from the China conference. So in a small way, I actually made my life better.

But making things better is more than we should expect of ourselves when it's wallowing time. It's enough that we just don't make things worse. This morning I woke up and weighed myself and had a pleasant number to record to My Fitness Pal. I felt glad I hadn't made any phone calls to regret afterward.  I walked to the Greencastle farmers' market and had a blissful hour sitting in the shade chatting with the knitters and crocheters who congregate there. Now I'm going to drive to Bloomington with my friend Keith to see The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and have an early dinner.

Things are going to be okay. They always are, sooner or later. But because I didn't make things even worse on my bad day yesterday, things can be better sooner rather than later. And I'm grateful for that.

The Geography of Bliss

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In the pleasant afterglow of the Prindle Institute happiness retreat that I attended two weeks ago, I have been on the prowl for more insights into how to be happy. Browsing in the surprisingly well-stocked bookstore in Logan Airport on my way home from the Children's Literature Association conference in Boston last weekend, I stumbled upon The Geography of Bliss: One Grump's Search for the Happiest Places in the World, by Eric Weiner, and snapped it up. It proved to be a delightfully entertaining and insightful read.

A veteran foreign correspondent, Weiner decided to spend a year traveling the globe, "seeking out not the world's well-trodden trouble sports but, rather, its unheralded happy places." Working off the World Database of Happiness, he selected ten countries to visit in order to figure out why they were happy, or in some cases (Qatar, Moldova) unhappy. For each country he distilled some core lessons on happiness, always with witty commentary about the various characters he encountered along the way and the stories they shared. The full list of countries: The Netherlands, Switzerland, Bhutan, Qatar, Iceland, Moldova, Thailand, Great Britain, India, and America.

His ultimate conclusions, summarized in one short paragraph:

Money matters, but less than we think, and not in the way that we think. Family is important. So are friends. Envy is toxic. So is excessive thinking. Beaches are optional. Trust is not. Neither is gratitude.

The country that appealed to me the most, from Weiner's portrait of it, was Iceland, which he visited in the dead of its dark, dark winter. He summed up his lesson from Iceland as "Happiness is failure."  One of the reasons Iceland is such an enjoyable place to live is because it produces more artists and writers per capita than any other nation. Why so much creativity?  One of Weiner's interviewees, Larus Johannesson, tells Weiner that "It's because of failure. . . Failure doesn't carry a stigma in Iceland. In fact, in a way we admire failure." If you're free to fail, Weiner realizes, this means you're free to try. He decides that while Americans like failure, as an appetizer to whet our hunger for the story of spectacular subsequent success, "For Icelanders, failure is the main course."

Weiner explains that, "There's no one on the island telling [Icelanders] they're not good enough, so they just go ahead and sing and paint and write. One result of this freewheeling attitude is that Icelandic artists produce a lot of crap. They're the first to admit it. But crap plays an important role in the art world. In fact, it plays exactly the same role as it does in the farming world. It's fertilizer. The crap allows the good stuff to grow."

Okay. Off to write some fertilizer. And make myself a bit happier in the process.

TSRI's Signature Barbecue Sauce

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Welcome to TSRI's Summer Grilling Celebration!  It has been an amazing few weeks of grilling recipes.  But, what is a season of grilling without your own signature BBQ sauce?  We keep coming back to use this sauce again.  It is amazing!  We have used it on the Bacon Bourbon Barbeque Chicken Kabobs and the Lil Texas Barbeque Sliders it is delicious on everything!  We use it as a dipping sauce, on ribs, burgers, chicken and so many other ways.

We have an amazing burger coming up in a few weeks that uses this barbecue sauce again.  It is our go to sauce.  It seems like a daunting task when you look at it.  But, it is really simple.  It is made in one pan and everything this recipe calls for I keep in my pantry all the time.


It is a well balanced smoky barbecue sauce with a mouth watering aroma.  Its perfectly sweet, with just enough spice to warm your palate.

Trust me, once you make this sauce you won't want to buy store bought ever again.  Enjoy!  Make a double batch and put it in the fridge.  I will share more recipes using this sauce really soon.



TSRI's Signature Barbecue Sauce
makes approximately 4 cups

2 tablespoons canola oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 cups ketchup
2/3 cup water
¼ cup ancho chile powder
2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 chipotle chiles in adobo, chopped
¼ cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons molasses
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon kosher salt

In a large saucepan heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook until soft, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add ketchup and 2/3 cup water, bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining ingredients simmer for 10 minutes, or until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor; puree until smooth. Pour into a mason jar; cool to room temperature.

Click here fora printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com  

All recipes, photography and content are copyrighted by The Slow Roasted Italian and e3studios.com.  No commercial use is authorized, without written consent from The Slow Roasted Italian and e3Studios.com.   All rights reserved.  The Slow Roasted Italian © 2011-2012.

Herb Roasted Cheesy Bacon Potatoes and a Giveaway

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Hi Slow Roasters, thank you for joining us to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of The Slow Roasted Italian during TSRI's Summer Grilling Celebration! Today I am very happy to be sharing these amazing Herb Roasted Cheesy Bacon Potatoes with you.  They were the perfect side to go with our Tuscan Summer Sun-dried Tomato Burger that we had yesterday.

A fast and simple dish that will disappear in the blink of an eye.  Seconds, thirds, all gone...  You bet! A delicious red potato covered in olive oil, garlic and fresh herbs.  Cooked to perfection and tossed with enough crispy bacon and ooey gooey cheese to make you weak in the knees!  I know you are going to love these.  If you are looking to add a "WOW" factor to your meal, this is it!

Just a reminder as part of our 1 Year Anniversary celebration we are having an amazing giveaway from Mooney Farms Bella Sun Luci fabulous line of sun-dried tomatoes.  Today we are adding a bonus entry.  

Earn this bonus entry by Tweeting about our giveaway.  Click here for more details. 



Herb Roasted CheesyBacon Potatoes
3 pounds red potatoes, washed and cut into 1” pieces¼ cup extra virgin olive oil3 cloves garlic, grated2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary (about 3 sprigs)2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil (about 8 large leaves)1 teaspoon salt12 ounces bacon or pancetta, cooked and cut into bite sizepieces 1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
Preheat oven to 475°.
Lay potatoes on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Set aside.
In a small bowl combine olive oil, garlic, rosemary, basiland salt.  Pour herb mixture overpotatoes and toss to coat.  Place bakingsheet on the center rack in your oven for 20 minutes, turning once half wayduring cooking time.
Remove from oven and sprinkle bacon and Parmesan overtop.  Toss to combine and serve.
Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com  
All recipes, photography and content are copyrighted by The SlowRoasted Italian and e3studios.com.  No commercial use is authorized,without written consent from The Slow Roasted Italian ande3Studios.com.   All rights reserved.  The Slow Roasted Italian © 2011-2012.

Simply Delicious Classic Fresh Basil Pesto and Giveaway

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Does your mouth water when you think of fresh basil pesto?  Oh, mine does.  I love summer for all the fresh fruits and vegetables, but mostly for the fresh basil in my garden and the reasonably priced large packages of basil at the market. 
Hi Slow Roasters, thank you for joining us to celebrate the 1 year anniversary of The Slow Roasted Italian during TSRI's Summer Grilling Celebration.  We shared an amazingly delicious Tuscan Summer Sun-dried Tomato Burger with you that had an fantastically flavorful and bright pesto on the toasted ciabatta bun.  
This Simply Delicious Classic Fresh Basil Pesto was amazing using Bella Sun Luci's Extra Virgin Olive Oil. A fruity and fragrant olive oil that is a treat to the palate, combined with the rich and spicy, slightly peppery flavor of the fresh basil, it is a perfect match.  A Tuscan Summer Sun-dried Tomato Burger served over a bed of Simply Delicious Classic Fresh Basil Pesto would then be a match made in heaven.

This pesto is wonderfully aromatic and scrumptious with the fresh flavors of basil, toasted pignolis, garlic, olive oil and a hint of Parmigiano-Reggiano.   Whether it is poured over a bowl of fresh pasta, spread on bruschetta, or served with your favorite burger, you are going to LOVE LOVE LOVE this pesto!   
Don't forget about our amazing giveaway this week, sponsored by Mooney Farms Bella Sun Luci fabulous line of sun-dried tomatoes (and this wonderful olive oil).  Today we are adding a bonus entry.  

Earn this bonus entry by LIKING Mooney Farms on Facebook.  Click here for more details. 

BE SURE TO CHECK BACK TOMORROW.  When you can earn 2 BONUS entries!!! 
Simply Delicious Fresh Basil Pesto3 cups (packed) fresh basil leaves
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
3 garlic cloves
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil (I used Bella Sun Luci)

Combine all ingredients (except olive oil) in the bowl of a food processor.  Pulse until it forms a smooth paste.  Scrape down the bowl (if necessary) and through the pour spout with the processor running, slowly add the olive oil.  Pour into an airtight container and refrigerate until needed or serve immediately.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com

All recipes, photography and content are copyrighted by The SlowRoasted Italian and e3studios.com.  No commercial use is authorized,without written consent from The Slow Roasted Italian ande3Studios.com.   All rights reserved.  The Slow Roasted Italian © 2011-2012.

Cherry Limeade Cocktail

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 Summer heat and sunshine bring memories of lip smacking, icy cold drinks on the sandy beaches of southern Florida.  Lemonade, iced tea, orange coolers, pink grapefruit cocktails and luscious cherry limeade still bring a smile to my face and wonderful memories to my mind.
Chad, our mixologist, developed this Cherry Limeade Cocktail for my Mom and I during our vacation.  We agreed that it is a refreshing cocktail to tantalize your taste buds.  We certainly kept him mixing up these cocktails during the vacation.  Cherry Limeade Cocktail features a delightfully mouth puckering cherry vodka that is tart and sweet at the same time, with the sweet and sour zing of lime.  This drink will make your mouth water and your cheeks pucker and believe me, you will ask for seconds!
Do yourself a favor and use a bigger glass and make it a double!
Don't forget today is the last day to enter!  As part of our 1 Year Anniversary celebration we are having an amazing giveaway from Mooney Farms Bella Sun Luci fabulous line of sun-dried tomatoes.  Today we are adding 2 bonus entries.
Earn one bonus entry by following us on Pinterest and Pinning this Cherry Limeade Cocktail.
Earn one bonus entry by LIKING this post on Facebook (see the Facebook button at the bottom of this post).  Click here for more details. 
Cherry Limeade Cocktail1 ½ ounces Pucker Vodka Cherry 1 ½ ounces On the House Sweetened Lime Juice½ tablespoon grenadine2 ounces club soda ice lime wedgemaraschino cherry
Fill a cocktail glass with ice, add vodka, lime juice, club soda and grenadine.  Stir to combine.  Garnish with lime wedge and maraschino cherry.  Serve and enjoy.

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.com


Recipe printed from http://TheSlowRoastedItalian.com/Copyright ©2012 The Slow Roasted Italian – Allrights reserved.

All recipes, photography and content are copyrighted by The SlowRoasted Italian and e3studios.com.  No commercial use is authorized,without written consent from The Slow Roasted Italian ande3Studios.com.   All rights reserved.  The Slow Roasted Italian © 2011-2012.

Scrumptious Strawberry Banana Popsicles

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Nothing says summer quite like a luscious fruit popsicle on a warm summer day.  I love to watch my munchkin devour these, it makes me think of summers when I was a kid.  Bomb pop in one hand, running in the back yard, playing by the water.  Right arm dripping in red, white and blue.  How much fun was that?  I can't say that I have had the enjoyment of watching my munchkin dripping in ice pops, she devours them too quickly.  But, with temps of 110 and climbing here in the valley of the sun, I am sure it won't be long.

These Scrumptious Strawberry Banana Popsicles are there and gone in an instant.  So delicious!  The vibrant, sweet and tart strawberries wake up your taste buds and carry you into the surprisingly more mellow, tender banana yogurt and then round it out with the mouthwatering strawberry again.

Truly a summer experience you don't want to miss!!!

Don't forget about our 1 Year Anniversary celebration.  Due to an amazing response we are extending the deadline to enter.  Winner will be drawn Monday 6/25 at 12:01am.

We are still having an amazing giveaway from Mooney Farms Bella Sun Luci fabulous line of sun-dried tomatoes.  Today we are adding 3 bonus entries!!! 

Earn one bonus entry by following us on StumbleUpon and Stumbling these Scrumptious Strawberry Banana Popsicles (click SU button at bottom of post).   

Earn one bonus entry by following us on Pinterest and Pinning this Scrumptious Strawberry Banana Popsicles (click PIN at the top of the post).  
Earn one bonus entry by SHARING this post on Facebook (see the Facebook button at the bottom of this post).  Click here for more details.
Be sure to leave a comment for each entry you complete.

Scrumptious Strawberry Banana Popsicles
makes about 12 popsicles2 pounds ripe strawberries, washed and hulled
3 tablespoons sugar, divided
2 tablespoons lemon juice
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Combine strawberries, 2 tablespoons sugar and lemon juice in a blender.  Blend until smooth.  Divide half of the strawberry mixture between your popsicle molds (about 2 tablespoons each).  Set aside.

In a small bowl combine bananas, yogurt, 1 tablespoon sugar and vanilla.  Stir to combine.

Add banana mixture to popsicles, filling molds about 2/3 full.

Pour remaining strawberry mixture on top.  Freeze 4-24 hours until completely frozen.  I freeze for 24 hours.  Remove from molds, serve and enjoy!

Click here for a printable version of this recipe - The Slow Roasted Italian.comAll recipes, photography and content are copyrighted by The SlowRoasted Italian and e3studios.com.  No commercial use is authorized,without written consent from The Slow Roasted Italian ande3Studios.com.   All rights reserved.  The Slow Roasted Italian © 2011-2012.

Hummus

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I got this recipe from some Heart-healthy magazine, years ago. It has a lot less tahini and oil than most conventional hummus recipes do.

1-1/2 c. chickpeas
1/4 c. water
3 T. lemon juice
1 T. tahini
1 t. olive oil
3/4 t. garlic powder
1/2 t. cumin
ground red pepper

Mix all in the food processor.

You can add some kick by flavoring your hummus with additional ingredients. Here are a few ideas:

cilantro
roasted red pepper
kalamata olives
red pepper flakes
sun dried tomatos

Green Rice

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I fix this rice anytime we're doing Mexican for dinner; it's a nice switch from traditional spanish rice.

2 anaheim peppers
1 jalapeno
1 T. olive oil
1/4 c. green onions
1/4 c. cilantro
1 recipe Arroz Blanco (below)
1 t. oregano


Mince the chiles in the food processor. Saute 1 minute in the olive oil, add onions and cilantro. Cook a minute. Mix into Arroz Blanco, and stir in oregano.

Arroz Blanco

1 T. margarine
1/2 c. chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 c. uncooked rice
2 c. chicken broth

Spicy Shrimp

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The fresh dill in this recipe gives this shrimp cocktail a different twist.

2 lb large raw shrimp
2 T. sweet butter
1 T. olive oil
1 T. minced garlic
2 T. finely minced shallots
salt & pepper to taste
2 T. lemon juice, or more to taste
2 T. finely chopped fresh dill

1. Peel & devein the shrimp.

In a large skillet over low heat, melt butter with the olive oil. Add the garlic and shallots and saute 2 minutes, without browning.

Add the shrimp, increase heat slightly, and cook for 3 minutes, until just done. Add salt & pepper and toss well. Remove to a bowl, scraping in all of the sauce.

Add lemon juice and dill. Toss together well. Cover and refrigerate 3-4 hours before serving. Adjust seasonings to taste.

I usually serve this as a shrimp cocktail on a bed of fresh lettuce and sliced red & yellow peppers, or on the ends of long bamboo skewers, as an appetizer.

Mexican Chicken Lime Soup

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Advil's keeping my tooth pain at bay, but Clint spent most of the day snoozing under the influence of Sudafed. Steak dinner put on hold for the 3rd night in a row, I decided Clint would be better off with chicken soup for dinner. Because I'm the boss of him. When he's too sick to argue.


I caught up with Momo on the phone while I diced vegetables, and she made me promise to send her the recipe if it turned out good. It was easy to make, and it turned out great, so here's the recipe.

• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 onion, diced
• garlic
• 1 t. cumin
• 4-6 c. chicken broth
• chicken--I boiled a few boneless skinless chicken thighs with onion and garlic. I diced the chicken and saved the broth for the soup. In a pinch, stripping a store-bought rotisserie chicken would work great for this soup.
• 1 c. long-grain white rice
• juice of 2 limes
  
• 1 bunch cilantro, separated into 2 bunches
• 1 tomato, diced

Saute pepper, onion, and garlic, and cumin for about 5 minutes. Pour in the chicken both, diced chicken, and the rice. Add lime juice and 1/2 of the cilantro.

Simmer until the rice is cooked. Just before serving, toss in the fresh diced tomato, and the rest of the cilantro.

Next time I make this, I'll punch it up with some diced jalapeno, and serve with more lime.

It may have been Clint's second 12-hour Sudafed that alleviated his cold symptoms just after dinner, but I like to think that the soup had something to do with it also.

Red Beans 'n Rice

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I recently had a hankerin' for some down-home, to-die-for, simmer-all-day-long, kick-yer-butt beans and rice. I perused cookbooks and settled on a recipe: Salt pork, tomato sauce, crockpot.

Blyech! I ended up with a giant pot of bland beans to serve over over bland rice.

I grumbled about it on Facebook, and it paid off BIG time. My friend Carla is thankfully on good terms with her ex (my friend also), Bruce. Cajun Bruce! Misplaced-in-the-Midwest Bruce.

Bruce delivered!

1 lb red beans—soak overnight.

Disgard water and add beans to crockpot.

Add:

2 c. chopped celery
2 c. chopped onion
1-2 green peppers, chopped
2 bay leaves (a must!)
2 (at least!) cloves of fresh garlic
salt
water

Let it cook all day with plenty of liquid, until, as Bruce says, "everything breaks up into a sludge of unidentifiable ingredients." Add smoked sausage and simmer a little longer.

Serve over rice with shallots/green onions and Louisiana red sauce or Tony Chachere's cajun seasoning.

This really hits the spot!