Food:
I made this yesterday and the first loaf is almost completely gone, less than 24 after it left the oven. Excellent, and really easy too. http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Bread/Detail.aspx
And since I have a ton of apples (I bought a big basket that was going bad), I'm gonna make this today: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Apple-Carrot-Muffins/Detail.aspx
I love me some black beans and this recipe looks so good with the citrus and spicey kick. http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spicy_citrusy_black_beans/
Music:
This song is pretty "emo", but I have always loved it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GNcpuQePPA
The movie Mamma Mia has been playing non-stop on HBO down here and I can't get enough of the ABBA Gold CD.
Island Life:
I bought a family membership for $35 and have been taking Piper here once a week. It's really fun and not nearly as touristy as you would expect. http://www.coralworldvi.com/
We are off this weekend to Jost Van Dyke to camp here. http://www.ivanscampground.com/ I can not wait, we love JVD. It is such an amazing, beautiful, unique, quiet island. This is the island where we ran into Rob Lowe on the dance floor while at Foxy's, http://www.foxysbar.com/home.html
Friday, July 31, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
For Patrick
And also for Wannie who will appreciate this song.
This song has sorta become one of Patrick and I's "songs." A few weeks ago I heard it in reggae form on the local reggae station I love it even more.
This song has sorta become one of Patrick and I's "songs." A few weeks ago I heard it in reggae form on the local reggae station I love it even more.
Monday, July 27, 2009
first three
I've seen/witnessed so many strange and bizarre things since I've been back here and I've been meaning to get them all down on "paper" so I can remember them.
1. A man clipping his fingernails with a fingernail clipper AT A RESTAURANT TABLE. He was just clipping away and the bits of groodie nails were flying all around his table.
2. A woman with a single dreadlock that is so long and wide that it can only be described as some sort of duck billed palaytapus tail. It is about 8 inches wide and goes from the back of her head down to her knees. One..solid..dread. I see her everywhere and it takes my breath away (not in a good way) every time I see her.
3. A man with gigantically long dreadlocks that he wears in a really long, intricate doo-rag that he uses to cover his head and then wraps it around his dreads and loops the end to his belt. I can only guess that he is trying to distribute the weight of his dreads? But still, his hair is so long that he has to attach it to his belt. What's next...tucking his dreads into a backpack that he wears all day long? Actually, that seems like a good idea.
1. A man clipping his fingernails with a fingernail clipper AT A RESTAURANT TABLE. He was just clipping away and the bits of groodie nails were flying all around his table.
2. A woman with a single dreadlock that is so long and wide that it can only be described as some sort of duck billed palaytapus tail. It is about 8 inches wide and goes from the back of her head down to her knees. One..solid..dread. I see her everywhere and it takes my breath away (not in a good way) every time I see her.
3. A man with gigantically long dreadlocks that he wears in a really long, intricate doo-rag that he uses to cover his head and then wraps it around his dreads and loops the end to his belt. I can only guess that he is trying to distribute the weight of his dreads? But still, his hair is so long that he has to attach it to his belt. What's next...tucking his dreads into a backpack that he wears all day long? Actually, that seems like a good idea.
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
:beach:
Found: one perfect, amazing, private beach.
Complete with hidden, locals-only, super cool, steep staircase.
That went down, down...
wayyy, down.
To a perfect, beautiful little beach known as Little Magen's. We had the whole beach to ourselves and hung out for a few hours swimming, playing in the sand, checking out the massive houses built into the hillside above us and waving to sailboats as they motored into Magen's Bay.
Complete with hidden, locals-only, super cool, steep staircase.
That went down, down...
wayyy, down.
To a perfect, beautiful little beach known as Little Magen's. We had the whole beach to ourselves and hung out for a few hours swimming, playing in the sand, checking out the massive houses built into the hillside above us and waving to sailboats as they motored into Magen's Bay.
Friday, July 17, 2009
easy & AWESOME pizza dough (i don't know why this is coming across in all caps)
I've really been getting back to the basics with cooking. Making my own bread each day, making omelette's for breakfast (replacing the usual cereal and milk), homemade pancakes, handmade sandwiches for lunch on homemade bread with yummy toppings. Granted, I have more time now then I usually do, but still. I'm really enjoying getting back to the basics and making stuff from scratch.
Now, I've never had good luck with homemade pizza dough. It's one of those things that is just easier to buy frozen for $2.50 in the bakery department at Publix. Buuuuut, since I don't have a Publix here I tried making it from scratch the other day and...holy moley. It was SO EASY! And tasted so easy and professional. It puffed up perfectly, baked to a golden brown and was chewy and light and fluffy. Make this! Honestly, it was SO easy and super great.
HOMEMADE PIZZA DOUGHINGREDIENTS
- 1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
- 1 cup warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
- 2 cups bread flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons white sugar
- In a small bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy, about 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, combine 2 cups bread flour, olive oil, salt, white sugar and the yeast mixture; stir well to combine. Beat well until a stiff dough has formed. Cover and rise until doubled in volume, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Turn dough out onto a well floured surface. Form dough into a round and roll out into a pizza crust shape. Cover with your favorite sauce and toppings and bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 20 minutes.I'
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Pasta with Bacon, Spinach and Breadcrumbs
This dish was super fast, just like the other ones, and looked really great on the plate with golden breadcrumbs, bright green spinach and little bits of bacon. It damn near looked like a dish of pasta out of a magazine. That is about where my compliments end. I thought this dish was bland, dry and nothing special. Patrick on the other hand loved it, actually he said it was his favorite. In regards to the dryness (no sauce! I'm sorry that is just wrong), he said it was a nice change from the usual pasta dishes that are drowning in sauce and with just a few ingredients you were able to sorta enjoy the flavors a bit more. Whatev.
This is not going on my rotation, BUT if I were to make it again I would quadruple the spinach and use whole wheat noodles instead. The breadcrumbs+bacon+white pasta=carb overload for me and I needed something more.
Pasta With Bacon, Spinach and Breadcrumbs
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 30 minutes
1/4 pound bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
3 or 4 cloves of garlic, peeled and slivered
1 cup of homemade breadcrumbs (from the leftover country loaf)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional
Salt
Remaining spinach (about 3/4 pound), washed and trimmed
1 pound spaghetti or other pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, or more as needed
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated Parmesan cheese, optional
1. Put the bacon in a large skillet and cook over medium heat until it begins to brown and renders fat. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
2. Add the garlic to the bacon fat, and cook, stirring occasionally until just fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the breadcrumbs and red pepper flakes, if using, and continue cooking and stirring until the garlic is lightly crisp and the breadcrumbs are just golden. Remove the garlic and breadcrumbs from the pan and set aside.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the spinach until it’s soft, about 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the spinach from the pan with a slotted spoon or small strainer, drain well, chop and set aside. Using the same pot of boiling water, cook the pasta.
4. While the pasta cooks, add the oil to the skillet and warm over medium-low heat. Add the drained spinach and toss well with the oil; sprinkle with salt and pepper. When the spinach is warm add the bacon, garlic and breadcrumbs back to the pan and mix well.
5. When the pasta is done, drain it and add it to the skillet with the spinach, bacon, garlic and breadcrumbs; toss until well combined. If the mixture is dry, drizzle with a bit of olive oil; adjust the seasonings, and serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like.Sunday, July 12, 2009
the little bit
i miss her when she's sleeping. she is still such a dream come true. i feel like i need to pinch myself every time i see her sweet little buddha belly running my way. her cheeks jiggle when she runs and her little legs are covered in mosquito bites and she is constantly jabbering on and on (hewo, bye, nigh nigh, os-ide (outside), buube [boobies, the newest body part we've taught her], bird, boat, rarow [arrow], woof woof). she is just so perfect and spunky and unique and all ours.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Shrimp with Asparagus and Noodles
I made this meal on Tuesday night. I loved it. It was SO quick and super easy. I thought it might be a bit bland because it didn't have a whole lot of ingredients but it was excellent. I used a bag of precooked, frozen shrimp because that is all you can get down here and it worked out just fine. I blanched the asparagus for just 2 minutes and it turned out a bright, pretty kelly green and still had a good bite. And since I was worried it was gonna be bland, I added in a dollop of peanut butter at the very end when I was tossing the noodles. I couldn't really taste the peanut butter too much, but it added a nice creaminess to the dish. Can you tell that I'm trying to describe this dish in detail and not just say "it was good"?
Oh, and I don't have Udon noodles. I don't really know what they are. So I just used regular angel hair and it was perfect. I thought this was an excellent dish and I'm adding this one to my regular rotation.
Shrimp With Asparagus and Udon Noodles
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and peeled
12 ounces udon noodles
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like corn, canola or grapeseed
1/2 pound peeled and chopped shrimp
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
Soy sauce, to taste
Sesame oil, to taste (optional)
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the asparagus until the thick parts of the stalk can just be pierced with a knife, just a couple minutes. Remove with tongs and shock them in cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut into 2-inch lengths, and set aside.
2. In the same pot of water, cook the noodles until just tender but not at all mushy; drain, rinse and set aside.
3. Put the oil in a large skillet or wok, and turn the heat to medium-high. A minute later, add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they turn pink, 3 or 4 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the asparagus and noodles to the shrimp and toss a few times to blend. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil if using, taste and the adjust seasonings and serve hot or at room temperature.
Next up: Pasta with Spinach, Bacon and Breadcrumbs
Oh, and I don't have Udon noodles. I don't really know what they are. So I just used regular angel hair and it was perfect. I thought this was an excellent dish and I'm adding this one to my regular rotation.
Shrimp With Asparagus and Udon Noodles
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 20 minutes
1 pound asparagus, trimmed and peeled
12 ounces udon noodles
2 to 3 tablespoons peanut or neutral oil, like corn, canola or grapeseed
1/2 pound peeled and chopped shrimp
1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
Soy sauce, to taste
Sesame oil, to taste (optional)
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it. Cook the asparagus until the thick parts of the stalk can just be pierced with a knife, just a couple minutes. Remove with tongs and shock them in cold water to stop the cooking process. Cut into 2-inch lengths, and set aside.
2. In the same pot of water, cook the noodles until just tender but not at all mushy; drain, rinse and set aside.
3. Put the oil in a large skillet or wok, and turn the heat to medium-high. A minute later, add the garlic and cook until just fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until they turn pink, 3 or 4 minutes. Raise the heat to high, add the asparagus and noodles to the shrimp and toss a few times to blend. Drizzle with soy sauce and sesame oil if using, taste and the adjust seasonings and serve hot or at room temperature.
Next up: Pasta with Spinach, Bacon and Breadcrumbs
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
10 Ingredient Shopping List
Patrick sent me a link to this great New York Times article about making a week's worth of dinners on just 10 items from the grocery each week.
I tried it this week. I checked to make sure I had all the pantry suggestions and then went and hit Plaza Extra which might possibly be the WORST, most dirtiest, scariest grocery store in all of the Caribbean. Oh what I would give for a moment in my beloved Publix. With their free cookies for Piper, clean bathrooms, sale items, recipe cards, fresh flowers, kind and friendly staff, pristine white floors, bright, clean lighting...I could go on, but I'm afraid I might cry.
Ahm, where was I?
So here is the suggested list of pantry items that every wanna-be gourmet cook should already have on hand:
spices
good cooking oils and vinegars
long-keeping carbs like pasta, rice and udon noodles
(no idea what Udon Noodles are, so I'm just using regular angel hair)
soy sauce
garlic
lemon
butter
Parmesan cheese
The 10 Ingredient Shopping List:
Chicken breasts (4 boneless)
Bacon (1/2 pound)
Shrimp (1 pound)
Spinach (1 pound)
Tomatoes (6)
Ginger
Onions
Asparagus (2 pounds)
Button mushrooms (1 pound)
Loaf of good country bread (if you guys were smart you would be making the 5 Minute Artisan Bread that I have been begging you to try. I have made a loaf every.single.day since we've been in St. Thomas. I don't think I can go back to regular store bought bread now. Patrick agrees with me, right Patick?)
So last night (Monday) I made this recipe:
Stir-Fried Chicken With Asparagus
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Rice from the pantry for steaming or boiling
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks or thin slices and blotted dry
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
1 pound asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Cook the rice while you prepare the chicken and vegetables.
2. Put a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add half the oil, swirl it around, and when it’s hot, add the chicken. Stir once, then let it sit for 1 minute to sear. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken has lost its pink color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and lower the heat to medium-high.
3. Put the remaining oil in the pan (it should heat immediately) and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, then add the asparagus. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus scorches a little in places and just starts to become tender, but not soft, about 2 minutes.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and return the chicken to the pan, and toss once or twice. Add the sugar if you’re using it, along with the soy sauce, and toss again. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly and you’ve scraped up all the crisp bits of chicken and vegetables. Serve over the rice.
It was SO GREAT! Super easy - I'd say the entire process took me 20 minutes, start to finish. I added some sesame seeds at the end just to make it look nice and served it over brown rice. I thought it would be a bit boring and bland with just sugar and soy sauce as the stir fry "gravy" but it was actually really nice not having the sauce all bogged down with the usual stir fry stuff like cornstarch/terriyaki sauce/oyster sauce/etc. Patrick and I both had seconds and ended up eating the entire pan full of stir fry (bummer, no leftovers).
Tomorrow night: Shrimp with Aspargus and Noodles
I tried it this week. I checked to make sure I had all the pantry suggestions and then went and hit Plaza Extra which might possibly be the WORST, most dirtiest, scariest grocery store in all of the Caribbean. Oh what I would give for a moment in my beloved Publix. With their free cookies for Piper, clean bathrooms, sale items, recipe cards, fresh flowers, kind and friendly staff, pristine white floors, bright, clean lighting...I could go on, but I'm afraid I might cry.
Ahm, where was I?
So here is the suggested list of pantry items that every wanna-be gourmet cook should already have on hand:
spices
good cooking oils and vinegars
long-keeping carbs like pasta, rice and udon noodles
(no idea what Udon Noodles are, so I'm just using regular angel hair)
soy sauce
garlic
lemon
butter
Parmesan cheese
The 10 Ingredient Shopping List:
Chicken breasts (4 boneless)
Bacon (1/2 pound)
Shrimp (1 pound)
Spinach (1 pound)
Tomatoes (6)
Ginger
Onions
Asparagus (2 pounds)
Button mushrooms (1 pound)
Loaf of good country bread (if you guys were smart you would be making the 5 Minute Artisan Bread that I have been begging you to try. I have made a loaf every.single.day since we've been in St. Thomas. I don't think I can go back to regular store bought bread now. Patrick agrees with me, right Patick?)
So last night (Monday) I made this recipe:
Stir-Fried Chicken With Asparagus
Makes: 4 servings
Time: 30 minutes
Rice from the pantry for steaming or boiling
2 tablespoons peanut or vegetable oil
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1/2 pound), cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks or thin slices and blotted dry
1 onion, halved and sliced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon grated or minced fresh ginger
1 pound asparagus, sliced into 1-inch pieces
1 teaspoon sugar (optional)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Cook the rice while you prepare the chicken and vegetables.
2. Put a large, deep skillet over high heat. Add half the oil, swirl it around, and when it’s hot, add the chicken. Stir once, then let it sit for 1 minute to sear. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken has lost its pink color, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and lower the heat to medium-high.
3. Put the remaining oil in the pan (it should heat immediately) and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring, then add the asparagus. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring occasionally, until the asparagus scorches a little in places and just starts to become tender, but not soft, about 2 minutes.
4. Turn the heat down to medium and return the chicken to the pan, and toss once or twice. Add the sugar if you’re using it, along with the soy sauce, and toss again. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add 1/2 cup water. Raise the heat to high and cook, stirring and scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly and you’ve scraped up all the crisp bits of chicken and vegetables. Serve over the rice.
It was SO GREAT! Super easy - I'd say the entire process took me 20 minutes, start to finish. I added some sesame seeds at the end just to make it look nice and served it over brown rice. I thought it would be a bit boring and bland with just sugar and soy sauce as the stir fry "gravy" but it was actually really nice not having the sauce all bogged down with the usual stir fry stuff like cornstarch/terriyaki sauce/oyster sauce/etc. Patrick and I both had seconds and ended up eating the entire pan full of stir fry (bummer, no leftovers).
Tomorrow night: Shrimp with Aspargus and Noodles
MJ
Okay, I'm just gonna go ahead and be honest. Michael Jackson: you were great, talented, an incredible dancer and obviously very devoted to your children. You also were weird, creepy, way too devoted and inappropriate with other peoples children and grabbed your crotch so much that women all over the world were both grossed out and insulted.
The world lost a fantastic musical icon and it is true what people have said that folks like Justin Timberlake would be working in a McDonald's in the San Fernando Valley if it wasn't for you.
You are gone, and yes that is sad. We've had a week to mourn and now let's move on to other more pressing issues like, oh i don't know, the serial killer loose in South Carolina, the fact that California is bankrupt yet still paying tons of $$$ for your funeral, Honduras, the war in Afghanistan....
The world lost a fantastic musical icon and it is true what people have said that folks like Justin Timberlake would be working in a McDonald's in the San Fernando Valley if it wasn't for you.
You are gone, and yes that is sad. We've had a week to mourn and now let's move on to other more pressing issues like, oh i don't know, the serial killer loose in South Carolina, the fact that California is bankrupt yet still paying tons of $$$ for your funeral, Honduras, the war in Afghanistan....
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
life list
I'm really inspired by the chick at this blog, Mighty Girl, who made a list of all the things she wants to do before she dies. She had some really cute goals like; Give $100 bill to street musician... Go dog sledding. The list was all pretty realistic stuff, sprinkled with some extraordinary things that will take some major planning, $$ and time. We all get so bogged down in the day-to-day life that it's hard to remember all of our dreams and goals and fun stuff we've always wanted to try.
I think I'm gonna start working on a list and get it down on paper so I can be reminded of it. Being here in the islands reminds me of how quick and fast life changes.
Or maybe it's the fact that in just a few dozen hours I'm gonna be 31 and I'm feeling O-L-D and want to keep myself hip and spunky and fun.
I think I'm gonna start working on a list and get it down on paper so I can be reminded of it. Being here in the islands reminds me of how quick and fast life changes.
Or maybe it's the fact that in just a few dozen hours I'm gonna be 31 and I'm feeling O-L-D and want to keep myself hip and spunky and fun.
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