Have you ever "Bing mapped" your childhood home? http://binged.it/LUEjhl I did and I was sad, sad that the giant garden we had as kids was filled in and now just more sod, sad that the old full service gas station up the street had been bulldozed to make way for some other giant change store, and sad that well it just wasn't MY childhood home anymore. It brought back a flood of other memories though. The two great big Locust trees in our front yard and how every fall they would create a mess of tiny yellow leaves that would stick to everything after a rain; the memories of the shared suburban driveway leading to two tiny single car garages and learning to navigate the numerous protrusions while backing the car out when I learned to drive. The early morning visits with my wonderful retired neighbors in the wee hours of the morning when I was little; the garden window with its sharp corners that my Dad always managed to smack his head on at least once a year. The cedar siding that was more work than it was worth and the carefully crafted 10 ton wood front steps my Dad built. So many memories came flooding back and I realized what an awesome childhood I was blessed to have. If you haven't Google Earthed or Bing mapped places from memories past I recommend you do so. It can give a sense of where you've been and where you want to go.
After a sabbatical from the blog it became very obvious to me that I am great at starting things just not so great at keeping up with things that have no intended end point or goal. I think we all like to feel a sense of accomplishment, I know I do. The older I get and the more gray hairs I discover the more I realize I am at a point in my life where my goals are to keep my kiddos happy and healthy, teach them manners, respect, and how to fend for themselves. While I'd love to be climbing some corporate ladder or earning some higher degree I figure maybe just maybe with any luck I'll have lots of time to reinvent myself when they are older. Excuse, yeah probably, reality most certainly.
I figure with the amount of cooking shows I am addicted to and had watched as a kid I should have the equivalent of a culinary arts degree in about 20 years. I find GREAT joy in my culinary creations and honestly I'm not sure I would love it as much if I did it for a living. I work well under pressure when it's something someone needs me to produce for someone else, but turn the table and I get antsy and ornery and well kind of mean when the pressure is self-inflicted to produce something fabulous for others. (Make sense?) See we had a group of friends over for a casual get together and while I grilled wonderful pork tenderloins, made all the sides from scratch, and even produced dessert I was a mess and testy with everyone, who dared to cross my work zone, all day. My Food Network inspired dinner was a great outlet for my culinary prowess (kind of became my own personal version of Chopped), however why the heck did I put so much pressure on myself? It all turned out great and we all laughed and had a wonderful time.
Today's lesson: lighten up!
(Totally random blog post but eh who cares.)
Here's the menu from our summer adult bbq!
What does a nosey pepper do? Get's jalepeno business! (bwahahaha)
These jalepeno poppers have become a huge hit (thanks to my other half's sister for discovering them).
http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/cheese-bacon-jalapeno-rellenos-53897.aspx#.T_L8cqm1R4w.facebook
Use the full 8oz of cream cheese if you dare. I've discovered baking them for 10 minutes then about 2-5 minutes under the broiler works best for a nice crispy top.
Marinated Grilled Pork Tenderloin
I used four tenderloins for eight people. Increase the oj and let them marinate overnight. These are fabulous and soooo easy. I prefer my pork done to about 145 degrees and slightly pink (which is now acceptable), no you won't get worms.
Smokin' Potato Salad
http://shar.es/teQeg
This is fantastic potato salad! I used quite a bit more smoked paprika but the beauty of this is making it to taste. I dressed the potatoes while they were still warm so they would absorb more of the flavor and also pureed the capers. (I have someone in my life who is anti-caper, though he never knew the difference once I snuck them in there.)
Long Beach Coleslaw
http://shar.es/teF0q
This was a totally new take on your traditional coleslaw and received rave reviews from the peanut gallery. It's a great "make-ahead", then just cut up the iceberg lettuce right before serving, mix and enjoy.
Killer White Peach Sangria
And by killer I mean yeah its so good you'll swig it back and realize you're going to have a killer headache the next day good. This is my own concoction and had everyone cheering for more.
1 giant bottle Pino Grigo or your other favorite white wine (about 8 cups)
1 regular bottle peach vodka (about 4 cups, eh or just use the whole thing like we did)
4-8 cups Sprite (for the sissies who like their booze diluted)
1 can frozen lemonade (do not dilute)
1 bag frozen fruit cut into bit size chunks (I used peaches, pineapple, and strawberries)
Freeze the Pino and Vodka overnight, then mix everybody together in a large pitcher and serve over ice.
Dessert (shhhhh I lost the recipe but I'll add it as soon as I find it)
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