Moment of Joy

For some reason this picture just tickled my fancy. It makes me smile for so many reasons!

My mom still will catch my bare feet and play piggies with me. And the picture itself... that little piggy nose! That impossibly tiny puppy! It's sweet with a touch of sarcasm.

I hardly know what I want more: a BLT or my own micro-piglet.

Can I live here?

 Anyone who's read this blog knows I am... reluctant at best to grow up. So the City of Isahaya is particularly alluring to me. I don't speak the language, have no friends or family there, and I'd have no where to live.

But look at this bus stop!

I mean how cute is this little strawberry hut? It's enough to make me admire public transportation. Even better? The city has a whole bunch of adorable fruit huts on bus routes all over the city. Check them out here to see all of the designs...

In a (word?)... SQUEE!

Fresh, fast and fantastic!

Here's a great summer recipe for those hot nights when you don't want to spent a lot of time in the kitchen but want something fresh and seasonal. With the abundance of tomatoes and basil from Papa's garden, and my new incredible immersion blender with food processing attachment (Thanks, Aunt Squeak!), I have made this impromptu recipe several times this summer. From start to finish, I can have dinner on the table in under half an hour.

Simple Summer Sauce
14 oz Diced tomatoes, or about 5 or 6 tomatoes from the garden
1/2 Large carrot
3 cloves of garlic
2 small onion
Handful of fresh basil leaves
Olive oil

1 lb pasta
Salted water for boiling

First set a pot of cold, salted water to boil.When at a rolling boil, cook pasta according to directions.

 Meanwhile, using a food processor, chop the onion, garlic and carrots until very fine. Heat some olive oil in a pan and quickly saute mixed vegetables.  Chiffonade the basil and toss it into the pan. When the onions are a little translucent (5 minutes, tops) add the tomatoes, stir and cover. Allow to simmer until the pasta is ready. Once the pasta is drained, add to the sauce pan and toss until evenly covered.

Serve it up and enjoy!

Moment of Joy

One thing I noticed while traveling the UK a few years ago was that, even though the majority of the homes and flats had little in the way of land so to speak, that was no deterrent to the pragmatic and determined Brits and Scots from growing a garden in everything from window boxes to planters to plots of ground no bigger than a lawn chair.

And best of all? Each was unique, perfect and absolutely gorgeous. A rather impressive feat in my mind, especially since I can barely keep my mint plant from committing suicide (more on that sad story to follow)...

This picture happens to be one of my all time favorites!

Crockpot Beef Stew

Rabbit Rabbit!

My maternal grandfather, Papa, has always been an inspiration to me; my earliest memories of him are in the kitchen, tasting whatever he was cooking. There is no meal in the world more delectable than Papa's broccoli-rabe, beef stew and his own invention, potato pie. My offhanded, handful of  this, handful of that cooking style is a direct result of watching him throw whatever is on hand into a pot and creating something spectacular.

My quest into graduate school is also inspired by him. When I was little I was slightly awed by him and how he can talk about any subject with authority. He tells the most incredible stories about his childhood, time in the Navy, career as a police officer and everything in between. When I was in college and studying the court system he'd lend be books on Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes and landmark Supreme Court decisions. His passion for learning and desire for me to get the best education possible is one of the main reasons I went to grad school.

Consider this improvised beef stew recipe as an ode to Papa and a learning experience!

Crockpot Beef Stew
1 pound of cubed beef stew meat (or more if desired)
4 large potatoes
4 cloves garlic, chopped or pressed
1 tbs paprika (I don't have it on hand and usually substitute with taco seasoning)
2 tbs soy sauce (or Worcestershire)
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups beef broth (or whatever, bullion and water works, too)
1 cup wine (red or white, you pick)
2 carrots, cut into sticks (or chopped in a food processor to save you time)
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 cup homemade tomato sauce (or 4 chopped fresh tomatoes)
Grind to a Salt (have you noticed I love this stuff?)
Freshly ground black pepper
Some flour

Combine broth, wine, soy sauce, tomatoes, brown sugar, paprika, some seasoned salt and pepper in the slow cooker and set to high (4-6 hours cook time) or low (8-10 hours cook time) depending on when you want to eat.

Wash, peel and chop potatoes, carrots, onion and garlic. Throw them into the broth.

Take your stew meat and put it into a zip-lock bag. Sprinkle some flour over it and salt and pepper it a bit. Close the bag and give it a good shake to coat the meat (or, in the words of Weasel, "Shake it like a Polaroid picture!"). Throw this in the fridge for a few minutes while you drag out a frying pan and add just enough olive oil to coat the bottom on the pan and let the flame heat it up on high. Toss in the now coated meat and saute until nice and brown. It doesn't have to be cooked all the way, because  you will now throw it into the slow cooker with all the rest to continue cooked. Make sure the pot is covered, and walk away (cocktails, anyone?).

Enjoy!

Note: The measurements in this recipe are arbitrary. I usually just pour, sprinkle, toss and add according to my whim, what I have in the fridge, and what kind of flavor I am looking for. The beauty of this method? I have a base recipe I can work with, and I also have the freedom to experiment!