Garlic ~ Garlic ~ Garlic

Hi there everyone.....guess I have been "missing in action" again. I have noticed that a lot of blog friends have also taken time off from their blogs....guess we are all busy with life.

I have been doing pretty much the same thing every day. Cooking, dishes, making cards, computer stuff, working on income tax, staying warm, walking Kylie, shopping, Doctor appointments, etc. Oh, then there is sleeping and day dreaming about spring....yeah, I will be glad when this snow is gone. I have been feeling much better compared to last year this time....not suffering from hernia problems, looking back, I can see that all my sickness was related to the hernia.

In the following pictures are some "cooking techniques" I learned. How I have always struggled with garlic....peeling, breaking a part and peeling again. Well, my world has changed. Take a whole garlic clove and place it in a container or jar and SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE!!!!! I forget where I learned this, might have been on Facebook.

And wa-la......your cloves have broken up and broken apart from each other, so much so, that the paper thin skins actually come off. This a picture of the cloves at the bottom of the container.

In this picture below, you can see how the clove broke apart....so ingenious, don't know why I never thought of this. Blue Apron always sends a whole clove of garlic in their boxes, even if the recipe calls for 3-6 cloves, you get one whole clove. So needless to say, I have lots of garlic in the refrigerator. AND I use lots of garlic in my meals. Also, added to my cooking utensils, is a new garlic press that minces and slices....paid $20 for it, but it sure works beautifully and will probably last the rest of my life..

In this picture is one of my Blue Apron recipes this past week. This was so yummy. "White Pizza with Baked Eggs and Arugula-Brussels Sprout Salad." The white sauce is 1/2 cup ricotta cheese, lemon zest, and the juice of 2 lemon wedges, a drizzle of olive oil, salt and pepper mixed together and spread on the pizza. The pizza was then topped with onions, sliced garlic and mozzarella. Bake the pizza for 10 minutes then add the eggs, bake till the eggs are done the pull out the pizza and add your salad and Brussel sprouts that were drizzled with lemon wedges, oil and salt and pepper. Yep, this was a 5 star pizza.

In this picture was our Sunday Dinner. "Roast Pork with Sauteed Spinach and Olive Smashed Potatoes." The pork was salt and peppered and browned on all sides then put in the oven for 20 minutes. The temp inside must be 145 degrees to be done. Potatoes were cooked then mashed, olives, sour cream and half the garlic chives and juice of 2 lemon wedges were added. The spinach was cooked in the pan that the pork was cooked in till wilted and the lemon zest added. Yep, another 5 star meal.

The third meal was "Chicken Meatballs and Creamy Polenta with Tomato Sugo & Lacinato Kale." Love the polenta which is just "corn meal" added to boiling water, add some butter, salt and pepper to taste. I have at times added minced garlic and Parmesan cheese for an extra touch. The meat balls were made with breadcrumbs, spice, half the Parmesan cheese and garlic. Mix together then fried till brown. The kale and rest of the garlic was added and cooked down. Tomatoes added and salt and pepper added. (I do watch the salt and pepper and do not add as much as the recipe calls for), So the meatballs, kale and tomatoes are added on top of the polenta and topped with Parmesan cheese. Yep, another 5 star recipe.

I have been busy making cards....in my next post, I will put some cards up that I have been working on. My Hospice meeting is this Friday, so I have been busy making Valentine and St. Patrick cards along with Birthday, Thank You and Thinking of you cards.

I found a few cute stamps at Michael's...a flamingo and a pineapple.....so yeah, I will take pictures of those cards for sure, they turned out really cute.

Well, I guess I will close here for now, I need to get downstairs and make a few more cards to finish up the Hospice cards for Friday's meeting.

Have a great day and keep looking up...Cheers ~ Louise

Coming Today!!!!

Hi there everyone. Just a short little post today. Today, I am looking forward to these two great meals from Blue Apron. The 3rd meal, could not get a good picture without doing it justice. When I make it, then for sure I will take a picture. These two pictures are from Blue Apron.....so no, I have not made these two lovely dishes as yet.

The top picture is a spinach and mozzarella pizza....now that is right up my alley, looks like it is seasoned with some kind of oil and spice with lemons. That should be tasty.

This second lovely meal is mushrooms and avocado tacos......I think this one might be on a regular weekly menu....don't you think so??? I like that this uses two different mushrooms......yum!!!

The 3rd meal is a cauliflower salad with a fried egg on top. Will be interesting to see if the 2 eggs make it in the shipping from New Jersey and don't break in transit.

I always love when my shipment comes from Blue Apron. Here is their site. So far, I have been very happy with this product and the fact that the food comes to your house is a big plus. I don't have to go hunting for anything. Although when I find something I like from any one of the recipes.....I end up going hunting anyways, just trying to find that product. Like polenta, where you make your own, instead of using the already made polenta....another one was "Cracked Freekeh" a traditional grain of the Middle East. I found the polenta at Copps and the Freekeh at Festival in the health food section. Yeah....I have to do the hunt....but that is part of the fun, isn't it???

The other night I made chicken the way Blue Apron did it, using Panko crumbs, flour and egg....it turned out wonderfully tasty....then I fried up some corn on the cob (shaved off the cob, of course) in olive oil, salt and pepper, a little garlic and sliced up little tomatoes with the corn and put that on top of the chicken along with some mashed potatoes. Oh yum.....a very good meal, inspired by Blue Apron.

Today, seems like one of those days (cloudy and rainy) where I need to spend some time in the basement and make some cards. I have an idea for my Christmas cards this year...so it will take time to put the idea together. After I do this post, I shall head down there. Maybe tomorrow I will post a few of the cards and my pizza from Blue Apron.

You all have a good day and keep looking up, better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

My New Blanky, Some Flowers and Blue Apron Invite

Hi there everyone. Welp......it's the last day of August....someone please tell me, where has this month gone????? Remember that song that Frank Sinatra sang...."and the days dwindle down, to a precious few...September, November....."  Now what was the title to that song. Always think about it this time of the year, fall is in the air. 

Well as you can see, I bought my new blanky at Shopko. It was a $50 blanket and I got it for $21...not a bad price. Kylie likes it very much as it is soooo soft and cuddly. I love the color.

Here are some flowers I picked to sit on my table....pretty huh?? Oh and some zinnias too.

These are my volunteer Brown eyed Susans......they love coming back every year in different places of my garden. I wish I could get them to grow in my back yard....but I guess there is too, too much shade back there.

This is my second planting of petunias....the first crop died out and these petunias came free to us. So, wah-lah a new place to grow.

Three days (9/3) till my hernia operation....I have to be at the hospital at 5:30 am....uge, not looking forward to this little field trip at all. You would think I would be used to this after going through two cataract eye surgeries (July 22 and Aug 5), but no, I am not. Fear of the unknown grips my spirit. I would like to have that peace that passes all understanding....the kind of peace that Jesus gives, not what the world gives. Although I cannot say there is much peace in this world, so yeah, I will take the peace that Jesus gives any day or hour.

I have some good news.....Blue Apron (here is their site) just gave me 3 free invitations to invite 3 friends to try out Blue Apron. You will receive 3 free meals with meat, vegetables, spices and directions that come in a refrigerated box with ice on the bottom. It is delivered to your front door and you can start cooking one of the meals that night. I have already invited one blog friend, so I have 2 invitations left.

I really like this concept...as I am trying new foods and spices that I would not otherwise buy at the store....because I did not know how to use it or make it. One of the previous meals called for coconut rice...man that was good and the chicken stir-fry that topped the rice was delish.....JP wanted a second helping and so did I.

Another item I liked and have actually found at the store after much hunting was Polenta. I have seen the rolls of polenta, but not the kind you make yourself. I might make that tonight with the pulled pork I made the other day.....sounds like a tasty meal.

So if you are interested in receiving a box of free food from Blue Apron (again here's the site) please leave a comment, saying you would like to try this out. Even if you are not  interested....still leave a comment. The only stipulation I have is that I must know you and you are a regular visitor to my blog....oh and you like to cook for your family.....thank you. I will email you to get your email address, then send it on to Blue Apron and they will contact you for your address and when the best delivery date is. I think this is so nice of them.

There are two other Companies that do this, "Plated" and "Hello Fresh" Have not heard the reviews of Hello Fresh....but Plated I have. I think I will stick with Blue Apron....thank you again.

Well, guess I will close here for now, you have a great day and keep looking up.....yes, I am trying to do that too!!
Cheers ~ Louise

Some Blue Apron Meals & A Warm Cuddly Blanket

Hi there everyone. Hope you are having some nice cool fall days.....it sure does feel like fall out there. I am starting to pull up some plants that are dying out.....gosh, I may  even put some things away for the winter....less to do for fall clean up, I guess.

I am not exactly sure where the spring and summer went to...but it sure went by fast. Must be the older we get the faster time goes by and as the Bible says, "we are all but a vapor" and vapors or puffs of smoke don't last long, do they?!?!?!

Today I am going to show you some of the meals I have made with my "Blue Apron" meals that I have so far received. Here is the link to Blue Apron if you would like to check it out. So below are 5 meals....not sure what happened to the sixth one....must not have taken a picture of it for whatever reason.

In the above picture is the "Chicken Milanse with Summer Corn, Cherry Tomato and cucumber salad. I liked the way the chicken was made and have already bought some panko breadcrumbs to make this again. The chicken was dunked in flour, then a mustard/water mixture then into panko crumbs and fried in olive oil. Very tasty.

In this picture is the "Cod and Miso Soba Noodles with multicolored Cherry Tomatoes and Eggplant." JP liked this meal as he is a "Cod-fan" Me not so much. I am also not caring for the eggplant either. This dish was just okay in my taste pallet.

In this above picture is "Summer Ratatouille and Parmesan Polenta with Heirloom Eggplant and Garlic-Cheese Toasts" a really yummy meal. Polenta, which was an interesting dish to make. I shall be looking for Polenta in the store now....hopefully I can find it. Again there was eggplant in this dish, not my favorite. Zucchini would be my choice. The garlic bread is always luscious!!!

NOW this was really a good meal...."Spiced Meatballs with Garlic Toasts and Summer Squash Salad" The recipe says, spiced meatballs served in a warming tomato sauce are a North African specialty. One of the defining features is a hint of lemon. The salad included green olives, mint, lemon, Parmesan cheese and the squash. The meat balls were really tasty. Yes, I would make this again.

OH YUM....I made this last night and JP wanted a second helping. I was hoping to have enough to freeze for a meal while I am convalescing after surgery......but nope, not this meal. This meal is a "Stir-Fried Ginger-Basil Chicken with Tinkerbell Peppers and Coconut Rice." The coconut rice was made with a coconut milk powder that was mixed with water then added to the rice to cook. Need to look for this product for sure. The stir fry had such a good sauce...we both enjoyed it immensely. Most definitely will have to make this dish again.

Tomorrow will be my final visit to the eye Doctor to check my eyes....I have 6 more days of drops....it's be a long hard haul....but I am almost done. I shall celebrate by buying a warm cuddly purple blanket I saw the other day at Shopko. Oh my, it was so soft, I could see myself cuddled up in it during those long cold nights....it's on my list to buy, SOON like this week!!! 

Also tomorrow, I will be making a dish that will be coming in my Blue Apron box on September 3rd...the day of my surgery. I told JP to just put all the food in the fridge....hopefully in the following week I will be able to cook a little.

The recipe is called "Tomato & Goat Cheese Pie with Sweet Pepper and Basil." I have lots of tomatoes and basil from my garden, bought the goat cheese and pepper and will buy a pie crust tomorrow. So, I am all set. Hopefully I will be able to freeze some too. I did make some lasagna soup on Saturday....I should try and freeze a couple of containers there. That's if JP has left some in the pot.

I made him a rhubarb/strawberry pie on Saturday....I am surprised there is still some left. He is slacking a little.

Well, time to close here, don't want to wear you out and make you hungry with all my ramblings. Have a great couple of days and keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise