Wordless Wednesday-Fourth Of July 2009

Here's my little one all decked out in patriotic colors. Having fun at her Aunty and Uncle's annual Fourth Of July party.

Making Tuesday Tasty-Marinade

This marinade is great for veggies, seafood, poultry, and meat! It's Summertime which means lots of grilling going on. This will zing up any meat you want to put on the grill and gives a nice Mediterranean feel.

Ingredients

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon coarse salt (kosher or sea), or to taste
4 strips of lemon zest
3 cloves garlic, crushed with the side of a cleaver or minced
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh basil, cilantro, dill, oregano, or a mix of all four
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

Preparation

Combine the lemon juice, hot pepper flakes, cracked pepper, and salt in a nonreactive (glass, ceramic, or stainless steel) bowl and whisk until the salt crystals are dissolved. Add the lemon zest, garlic, parsley and basil. Stir or whisk in the olive oil. The virtue of this marinade is its freshness: Use it within 1 to 2 hours of making. Stir again before using.

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/The-Only-Marinade-Youll-Ever-Need-103749#ixzz0sGcpuXX3

I'm Really Excited

Recently I reviewed an item from CSNstores.com and I'm happy to say there's gonna be another awesome review coming soon!

There are literally so many items from CSNstores.com and their sister stores that it's difficult to decide which item to check out. CSN has over 200 online stores where you can find everything from cookware to cribs and even your most specific needs such as a bathroom vanity or a bird cage!!!

Wordless Wednesday-Fairy Princess

"I'm a fairy princess mommy"! My daughter having fun with her tutu and her swimsuit, and let's not forget her strawberry shortcake socks

Making Tuesday Tasty-Lemon And Chives Pasta

I don't watch Rachael Ray show much but, this was too irresistible not to post! She made a pasta with a lemon butter sauce and fresh farmers market veggies. Right up my alley. I would have loved some cherry or grape tomatoes thrown in here for more color and bite.

Ingredients

Salt

1 pound egg tagliatelle, such as Delverde brand or other thin, wide pasta or egg pasta

1/2 pound thin asparagus, trimmed of tough ends

1/4 to 1/3 pound of thin green beans, a couple of handfuls

1 cup frozen green peas

1 tablespoon EVOO – Extra Virgin Olive Oil

3 tablespoons sweet butter

1/2 cup finely chopped chives

2 cloves garlic, finely minced or grated

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 Meyer lemons or 2 ripe organic lemons

Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese to taste, plus some to pass at table

Pepper

2 cups mache or other baby lettuce

Preparation

Bring a large pot of water to a boil for pasta. Cook pasta to al dente according to package, about 7-8 minutes. Slice asparagus in 1-inch pieces on an angle. Cut beans into thirds, also on an angle. Midway through cooking the pasta, add asparagus and beans to water so they cook 3-4 minutes in boiling water with the pasta. Add peas to the pot 1 minute before draining. Reserve about 1/2 cup starchy cooking water just before you drain the pasta.

Meanwhile, heat EVOO in pan and melt butter into it over low to medium-low heat. Add chives and garlic and stir a minute or two. Then add wine and gently reduce a couple of minutes more. Stir in Dijon and lemon juice and turn off heat. Add pasta and remaining starchy water and toss to coat evenly 1-2 minutes. Add some cheese and pepper to taste. Fold in baby lettuce and serve with extra cheese on top.

*recipe courtesy of Rachael Ray show*

Winner-Fibers.com!

Thank you to all who participated! The random.org winner is...

Amanda June 8, 2010 1:13 PM 4
I entered a few designs into the Father's Day contest. I don't have a shot of winning, but I enjoyed it.

http://www.fibers.com/contests/fathers-day-2010/definition-of-dad.D7545

An email has been sent!

Wordless Wednesday-Three Year Old Fashion!

Making Tuesday Tasty-Quiche Lorraine

I grew up eating this particular quiche. I don't like eggs by themselves much, but when they're in a yummy grouping like this I love them! You could make your own dough or you could be crust challenged like me and use your favorite refrigerated dough from the grocery store. If you're going gluten free, I've seen some pre-made pie crusts at some specialty grocery stores. This is yummy and easy to make, so make some for a brunch or dinner for a treat. I like to serve this with something light like a salad or fruit.

Ingredients

Flaky Butter Crust, recipe follows

6 ounces thick cut bacon, cut into narrow strips

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

1 1/4 cups half-and-half

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper

Pinch freshly grated nutmeg

1 cup grated Gruyere or Swiss


Directions

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to an 11-inch circle. Fit into a 9-inch fluted tart pan with a removable bottom and trim the edges. (Alternatively, a 9-inch pie pan can be used.) Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Line the pastry with parchment paper and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake until the crust is set, 12 to 14 minutes. Remove the paper and weights and bake until golden brown, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. Leave the oven on.

In a medium skillet, cook the bacon until crisp and the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Discard the fat or reserve for another use.

Arrange the bacon evenly over the bottom of the baked crust.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, yolks, and half and half. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Pour into the prepared crust and bake until the custard is golden, puffed, and set yet still slightly wiggly in the center, 30 to 35 minutes.

Remove from the oven and let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes before serving.

Flaky Butter Crust:
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
7 tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and cut into pieces
1 to 2 tablespoons ice water, or more as needed

To make the dough in a food process , combine the flour, salt, and butter in the processor and process until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs, about 10 seconds. With the machine running, add the ice water through the feed tube and pulse quickly 5 or 6 times, or until the dough comes together and starts to pull away from the sides of the container. Gather the dough into a ball, flatten it into a disk, and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

To make the dough by hand, combine the flour, salt, and butter in a medium bowl, and mix with a pastry blender or your fingertips until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add the water 1 tablespoon at a time and mix until the dough comes together and is no longer dry, being careful not to overmix. Form into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface according to the recipe, fit it into the pan, and allow to rest again in the refrigerator before baking.

Yield: one 9-inch tart or pie crust

*photo courtesy of bbcgoodfood.com*

CSN Stores Review

I recently posted a teaser post about reviewing an item from CSN stores. Well, I'm about to tell you about my experience ordering, and receiving merchandise from them. I recently had a chance to spend a certain dollar amount at any of their stores, which I can attest is a HUGE selection of items. CSN offers many different items and subjects. I live in Arizona so I spend at least half of my year in sandals. I needed a new pair so instead of going crazy, I thought I would order and review an everyday item that people would want to hear about.

CSN currently has over 200 stores online full of items. They were friendly and accommodating. I had some trouble with my coupon code, and my contact processed my order for me quickly, and efficiently. There are a number of items that have free shipping, I thought that was a huge plus since shipping can really add up!

I ordered a pair of Aerosoles, I've never owned a pair before and I'm gonna give a shout out to them right now because these are amazing shoes. Very comfortable and supportive, especially since I have a pair of flip flop style sandals! This is just one type of name brand item CSN offers it's customers.

The only negative I would have regarding this experience is that I had to go down a list of sandals I liked before I could order in the size and color of my choosing. This may have been isolated, since the Summer is upon us and I have a very popular size of shoe. I found a number of cute sandals I liked but, was unable to order them due to being out of stock. I settled on these which I liked also, and am very pleased with my choice. I can also say the choice was hard because there were so many sandals to choose from. I like the search functions on the site because they allow a person to narrow their search a great deal. Color, size, style, etc. is awesome for a person that has something in particular in mind.

Overall, a great experience between my previous giveaway and the review I've been able to do this time! They are a great company to work with.

Fibers.com Giveaway!

Happy Monday everyone! I thought I would kick it off by offering a giveaway to fibers.com. Fibers is a site that allows you to create or shop for custom t-shirts, Hoodies, and more. Shipping is quick, and they have thousands of designs to choose from if you don't have a custom design in mind.

Father's Day is coming up and that means getting our dad's awesome Dad t-shirt's to say how we really feel about him. It's a way to reflect dad's personality and give him something he can actually use.

Buy It

Go to fibers.com for an affordable and fun gift for dad this year

Win It

One winner will win a $25 credit for fibers.com to get dad something special!

Rules

-Please tell me what you would put on your t shirt(doesn't have to be for father's day). Leave your email address or I will have to pick another winner.

Extra Credit

Enter fibers.com Father's Day Contest benefiting the National Fatherhood Initiative! It gives you an additional chance to win an iPad!!! Woohoo. Come back and post the link to your t-shirt design.

Tweet this contest out and leave a link to your tweet for extra credit

Anyone can enter, you must leave a way for me to contact you or your entry is invalid!!! Contest ends June 14, 2010 11:59 P.M. Arizona time.