Friends at our Door

It began with one friend and a pretty friend at that. A week or so later, it turned into a party.

Thanks to Tom and Tom we found they are Ailanthus Webworm Moths. If you can believe it, these are adults. They look like regular old (pretty) bugs, but when they are resting, they curl their wings into them. Below are a couple of our friends. At the last count, there are about 7 of them outside our door and on our neighbor's door as well. Aren't they neat?

A Rainy Sunday

Yesterday was a gorgeous, sunny Saturday. In a beautiful juxtaposition, today is gloomy and rainy. I have to admit I like the contrast.

My new favorite thing is make is scones. I made a batch this morning after my long run. They are delicious. I won't divulge the recipe, because it was shared with me. I will, however, tell you why I love making them so much.

1. I adore the friend who gave me the recipe.
2. I love that it has an SMU Meadows connection.
3. I love to bake. (Betcha didn't know that one.)
4. I met the pastry cutter. I love the pastry cutter.
5. They seem to be difficult to screw up.
6. They are delicious.
7. You can make them with whatever dried fruit and nut sounds good to you.

This morning's batch.

I could make these every Sunday. Too bad the long runs probably won't make up for the stick of butter! At least there is a brand new baby at Lizard's house, so I can share with them. Here's to yummy breakfast goodness and a cup of coffee!

A New Bloom First Thing in the Morning

Just another reason I love Farmer Brown.

A Pretty Experiment

The first week or two in Chapel Hill I made a fish in foil dish. It involved tilapia, a compound butter, mushrooms and broccoli. I tend to read a recipe and make the changes I think we'd enjoy. The first fish attempt was a surprising success. We both really liked it, and for some reason the foil is (corny) fun.

A few weeks ago I ate at Lucky 32 for the first time. Cornmeal Crusted Carolina Catfish was my gastronomical adventure in the Greensboro location. It was delicious. My friend and I purposefully ordered different side items, so we could taste six (yes, six) of the multiple options. They were all incredible. We had whipped sweet potatoes, pinto beans and chow chow, a fried grits cake, cornbread and pot liquor, macaroni and cheese and green beans. Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum. Thank you, Lizard, for the recommendation.

Just last weekend, we were looking for another unique place between here and Cary to dine with Tom's family. I think I was using Urban Spoon as my guide when I came across the Cary Lucky 32 location. It only took a few pairs of eyes glancing quickly at the menu before we had reservations for 8. That evening I chose fish again, but this time I went with the special. It was tilapia with a corn and tomato relish. Once again, the meal was a huge success. It also was an inspiration.

Thursday morning, I took a quick trip to the grocery for the makings of supper. In search of the bourbon-marinated salmon, I was disappointed to see it wasn't there. I asked the gentleman at the counter was he suggested, and I left with a 1-lb filet of red snapper. Had I lost my mind? I've never even eaten snapper, much less cooked it. Throwing caution to the wind, I marched forward. I grabbed some grape tomatoes, green onions, limes and frozen corn. Asparagus and black-eyed peas were my quick side kicks. The stage was set.

That evening I started the black-eyed peas dancing in some water and a touch (I promise a touch) of bacon grease. In preparation, I broke the tough ends off to the asparagus and mixed them with whole grape tomatoes and salt and pepper in a skillet and set it all to the side. In a small mixing bowl, I squeezed the juice from half a lime, added some lime infused olive oil, corn, grape tomatoes (halved) and sliced green onions. I gave that a good mix and let it all sit for a while. In the meanwhile, the fish came out of the fridge and found a home on the foil.

The fish hung out in the oven foiled up tight at 350 for maybe 25 minutes. In the last few minutes of the fish, I sauteed the asparagus and tomatoes in olive oil. Everyone was suddenly ready to be devoured.

After all, supper was a success. I think the fish needed a bit more salt and pepper, but it was great. I also personally voted for more green onions. As it was, the fish was so great that there were no left overs. Before we even sat down to eat, I was given an "A+ for visual appeal." (Must not do that too often - sounds like something to work on!)

As I write this post, I realize I need more pictures. Pictures from the Lucky 32 experience, pictures of the preparation, pictures of the plated dinner. It is fun to finally have some time to do this again with some regularity. Thanks to anybody who is breezing over the adventures. Hugs!

Gloppy Squash and Rice Casserole

On a regular basis dinner around here looks like a meat, two veggies and possibly a salad. Sometimes a salad replaces one of those veggies. Sometimes it is too predictable, and last week I'd had enough. I needed gloppy. I needed several items mixed together and baked. I needed a casserole.

Enter Pinterest.

Dang Pinterest. It is virtually a rabbit hole. Enter at your own peril. I fall in every time I log on. One morning, I found myself actually reviewing the pin boards I've made myself. I was also digging around and seeing what more there was to add. I can across a pin with x number of recipes under 300 calories.

Enter stage left: Squash-Rice Casserole from Cooking Light in 2002...

I gave Tom a choice. We could have this or black bean and sweet potato salad. He didn't hesitate. (It appears I'll be making the potato salad without his prior approval one day.) He also went down to the farmer's market that comes to the dental school every Wednesday. He came home with oodles of squash and fresh green beans. Yum!

The recipe called for zucchini, onion, rice and some binding agents and seasonings. I was to boil the zucchini and onion in chicken broth and then puree it. The puree would then be added to the rice, cheese and sour cream to be baked.

I decided I wanted to see and chew my veggies in this dish. I also wanted squash instead of zucchini. Let the interpretation begin!

The original recipe can be found here. What follows is my version.

Ingredients

8 c sliced squash	¼ c Parmesan cheese
1 c sliced onion	¼ c Italian-seasoned breadcrumbs
2 c cooked rice	1 t salt
1 c shredded gourmet cheddar cheese blend	¼ t black pepper
1 c light sour cream	½ c Three Cheese Eggbeaters
cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°.


Melt the butter in a large skillet while you chop the squash and the onion. When ready, saute the squash and onions until desired texture. I like them a little more squishy, but I still had some firm pieces. The onion could have used longer.

Coat a 13x9-inch baking dish with cooking spray. Combine the squash and onions with the remaining ingredients. Stir gently and pour into the baking dish. I just did all the combining in the baking dish. Why dirty up more than necessary?

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until golden brown. I think it only need 20 minutes. I cut it off after 20 and let it sit in the oven until the other pieces of dinner were ready. 

Initially I was unsure of my opinion, but after going back for seconds (and Tom going back too) we decided it was a keeper. It was deliciously gloppy and uncomplicated. It had the consistency of macaroni and cheese with a little less guilt. I think we'll be making it again. See what you think.

My Life in Chapel Hill

The pace of things are different here, and I am very grateful for that. Instead of running around like a crazy, I have recently found that I have time to read. I haven't done this in years!

My last book was Promise Me, a memoir by the founder of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. It was really a great read. I shed my share of tears (as with any book recommended by Gwen), but the read was worth it.

Now I am working on My Life in France by Julia Child and her nephew Alex Prud'homme. I am enjoying every paragraph. It centers on the four years that Julia and her husband Paul spent in Paris and the culinary awakening, journey and education she experienced there. The book constantly leaves me hungry. I want to cook. I want to cook fatty things. I want to cook things with bacon and butter and wine and homemade stock. (Where does "I want to be skinny" fit in here?)

Much of Julia's days (at this point in the book) are spent pouring over cookbooks, saturating her brain at Le Cordon Bleu, obsessively trying to nail mayonnaise when cold weather is her foe, making friends with vendors at the market and accruing every kitchen tool one could ever desire. Luckily for me, I feel like I am getting to live life a little more too. I actually have time to read a book, to find a new recipe, to write this post. I am very happy that I have time to cook and someone to share the calories.

So here's to enjoying the little things... like having a little more time to enjoy everything.

A Weekly Letter

When I went to college Cranmommie sent me a card every week with $5 in it. I told her once that I loved fresh flowers, and she told me the $5 could help with that.

Anytime I have them on my table, I think of her and my weekly letter.