A Life, Lived

Happy Birthday Paul!

 Good lord - has it been another year already? I think I just finished paying for the last birthday celebration!

Yes, someone turns 34 today! We'll be celebrating this big event in style on Deer Isle. No doubt lobsters will be consumed, wine un corked, and many gifts unwrapped!

Here is the birthday boy getting ready to dig into a lobster dinner the last time we were in Maine:

 1975 was quite a year.

Pierre Trudeau was Prime Minister of Canada

Bill Davis was premier of Ontario

Products labeled in grams and ml replaced those labeled in ounces and pounds.

Television cameras are allowed to film in Parliament and the antics of politicians changed for the worse immediately!

The beaver becomes an official symbol of Canada. The US can have its menacing eagle - give me a fuzzy, hard working beaver any day!

The CN Tower was completed in Toronto. Somehow having the tallest freestanding structure in the world did little to improve the city. 

Gerald Ford is president of the US.

Evacuation of US civilians from Saigon as Communist forces complete takeover of South Vietnam.

FBI agents capture Patty Hearst, who is indicted and convicted of bank robbery.

Teamster Jimmy Hoffa disappears without a trace.

First Lady Betty Ford says in an interview that she thinks her children have tried marijuana, the free world crumbled in fear and horror.

Natalie Imbruglia, Drew Barrymore, David Beckham, Enrique Iglesias, Angelina Jolie, and Tiger Woods are born.

Cincinnati Reds win the World Series

Pittsburgh Steelers win Superbowl IX

Philadelphia Flyers win the Stanley Cup

Production begins on Star Wars

Jaws and The Rocky Horror Picture Show are the top grossing films

Soul Train premieres on television in the United States - fashion immediately deteriorates.

"The Way We Were" (performed by Barbara Streisand) wins the Grammy for best song. The Grammys ceased to have any relevance.

Saturday Night Live and Wheel of Fortune premiere.

Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary, and Fennel

Last week I had some rosemary and lemons in the fridge that needed to be used up. Rather than let them go to waste I fired up the cook's best friend - GOOGLE and searched for lemon and rosemary. One of the choices that came up was from a chain of grocery stores here in Canada called Metro. After a quick glance I decided that with a few changes this would make a delicious dinner!

The chicken marinates in a delicious mixture of lemon, rosemary, garlic, and honey for 4 hours and then is cooked on the grill. I hadn't grilled chicken for awhile so this got me thinking . . .

Even better was the fact that you also grill some quartered fennel and onions as the chicken is cooking. The grilled vegetables make a delicious side dish to go with the chicken - making this a great choice for company.

If you haven't tried grilled fennel before you have NO idea what you have been missing. Run - don't walk - the the nearest grocery store and pick some up!

Enjoy

Chicken with Lemon, Rosemary, and Fennel

2 lemons (juice and zests)
2 Tbsp. (30 mL) honey
1/3 cup (80 mL) canola oil
4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 onions, quartered
2 small fennel bulbs, quartered
3 Tbsp. (45 mL) fresh rosemary, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
Salt and ground pepper to taste

Thoroughly blend lemon juice and honey in a small bowl, then add zests and oil. Set aside.

Place chicken, onions, fennel, rosemary, and garlic in an airtight container or resealable bag. Add lemon
mixture and seal the bag. Allow to marinate in refrigerator 3 to 4 hours, occasionally urning the bag to redistribute the marinade.

Preheat barbecue to high.

Remove chicken from marinade and drain. Set marinade aside.

Reduce heat to medium-low. Place the chicken on the greased grill.

Cook 10 - 15 minutes or until the chicken is done. Brush meat with marinade during the first 10 minutes
of cooking only. Discard unused marinade.

Place the onions and fennel bulbs 5 minutes before chicken is done.

Cook thoroughly.

Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon Pesto

Marcia selected this week's salad recipe. She was in luck, way back in March as we were busy setting this group up and trying to figure out who was going to post what.  She was about to reach into her recipe files, when the mail came and with it herApril Bon Appetit. This salad was on the cover. Spring popped out to her and she decided it would be "her" salad recipe.

We are so glad that she did! This was an incredibly delicious (and filling) salad!

I have that same magazine at home and never once thought of making the cover recipe. i am so glad that marcia 'forced' it upon me.

I was equally lucky given that the tarragon in the herb garden has gone amuck. This was the perfect recipe to use up that excess herb. I know that when we return from vacation it will have grown like the delicious weed that it is and we'll be able to have 'salad, the sequel'.

 Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon Pesto

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients

1/4 cup (packed) fresh tarragon leaves plus 2 teaspoons chopped
1/4 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons chopped shallot
6 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing
4 boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French or sourdough bread
1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens
1 cup thinly sliced radishes (from 1 large bunch)
1 cup thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers (about 1 1/2)

Preparation

Place 1/4 cup tarragon leaves, parsley, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and shallot in mini processor; chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil by teaspoonfuls to thin, if necessary.

Whisk 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon, remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush chicken breasts on both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until grill marks form, skin is crisp, and chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; let rest 5 minutes. Using clean brush, brush both sides of bread with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until dark-brown grill marks appear on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Place greens, radishes, and cucumbers in large bowl. Toss with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 4 plates.

Cut grilled chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 sliced chicken breast atop salad on each plate. Spoon tarragon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts over salads. Serve with grilled bread slices.

Photo Hunt - Flags

This week's PhotoHunt theme is "flags". I had lots of pics to chose from and finally settled upon this one:

This is the balcony overlooking the Piazzza della Signoria in Florence, Italy. The political heart of Florence, it is fitting that the flags of the European Union, Italy, and Florence all fly here.

Lots of the slow travel  community members also photo hunt when they aren't traveling. You can find their posts by clicking the links below. 

• Old Shoes, New Trip
• Eden's Wanderings and Wonderings
• My Place in the Sun
• Churches in Venice – Mosaics, Marble, and Miracle-Working Madonnas
• Palmabella's Passions
• What I Really Think
• shave Ice and Gelato
• Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!
• Keep your Feet in the Street
• Baked Alaska
• That's my story...and I'm stickin' to it!
• Postcards from the Trail
• Cooking at the Whistlestop Cafe
• Candi's Corner
• Trekcapri's Blog
• Destination Anywhere

This week's PhotoHunt theme is "flags". I had lots of pics to chose from and finally settled upon this one:

This is the balcony overlooking the Piazzza della Signoria in Florence, Italy. The political heart of Florence, it is fitting that the flags of the European Union, Italy, and Florence all fly here.

Lots of the slow travel  community members also photo hunt when they aren't traveling. You can find their posts by clicking the links below. 

• Old Shoes, New Trip
• Eden's Wanderings and Wonderings
• My Place in the Sun
• Churches in Venice – Mosaics, Marble, and Miracle-Working Madonnas
• Palmabella's Passions
• What I Really Think
• shave Ice and Gelato
• Jerry's Thoughts, Musings, and Rants!
• Keep your Feet in the Street
• Baked Alaska
• That's my story...and I'm stickin' to it!
• Postcards from the Trail
• Cooking at the Whistlestop Cafe
• Candi's Corner
• Trekcapri's Blog
• Destination Anywhere

On the Road Again

This time the destination is Maine!

Our house sitter is set. The car packed . . . mom is loaded into the back seat . . . and we're off!

We have rented the same cottage on Deer Isle that we loved back in 2007.

 The cottage is located about 10 minutes form the beautiful lobster town of Stonington.

We hope to do some kayaking again.

Of course, a lot of what we'll be doing is just relaxing and taking it easy - Maine style!

It will be nice to view the Deer Isle 4th of July parade . . .

 Don't worry, we will be eating plenty of these critters:

YUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

See you'll in a few weeks.

Stupid People

I am hot. It is humid. I am tired. I start the long drive to Maine in a few hours. A huge thunderstorm is racing its way here. I might be a tad cranky.

It is time for a rant.

There have been a few folks in the news lately that have amazed me with their huge, gaping depths of stupidity. Hell, these boobs have the Grand Canyon of stupidity.

First up is Perez Hilton. You may have heard of him. He has a web site where he makes the most wildly inappropriate comments about celebrities and pseudo celebs. His web site has become so popular that it has made him into a celeb of sorts.

Trust me when I tell you that the stuff he spouts is vile. I googled it once at work, went to the site, and lived in fear for weeks that I would be fired.

Last week Perez was in Toronto where he was punched in the face by the manager of the Black Eyed Peas. Now I do not in any way condone violence of any sort however when you spew the venom about people that Perez does you'd think he'd expect to be roughed up once in awhile.

Perez screamed assault, charges were laid. Apparently the 'assaulter' has been inundated with flowers, gifts, and offers of support.

Perez . . . nadda!

Parents - there is a lesson there to teach your children.

Today came the news that Perez has sued over the assault.

To hell with anti-violence, I think I'd like to pop him one too.

Next . . .

You knew Governor Mark Sanford of South Carolina would make this list, didn't you?

So this right-wing Christian Governor from the south has been carrying on an affair with a woman from Argentina for a year. Fine. politicians do bad things. I get that.

It becomes a problem when the senior executive for the state tells his staff he is hiking in the Appalachians and he instead jets off to Argentina for a tryst over the Father's Day weekend. I am sure that his children appreciated that little facet of this adventure.

It was made even worse because no one on his staff knew how to locate him. Ol' Mark lied to his wife and kids, lied to his staff, hell, he lied to his state, all in the name of sex, companionship, and dare I wonder about it, love. One wonders what might have happened had there been some sort of state emergency while he was enjoying himself in the southern hemisphere.

Why do politicians do this crap? They know that they will get caught. They know that they will be in front of cameras crying crocodile tears and begging their long-suffering spouses to forgive them in no time at all. Why would any one take that risk? Heck, politicians are under far more scrutiny that we regular folks - why take the chance?

Let's wrap up with those horrid folk John and Kate.

It was my plan to skip Jon & Kate for at least the next few months, but I figured I would write just to kind of piece together all of the news and rumors floating around the internet. As you would expect, Monday night's episode on TLC set a new record for the show which just goes to show you that announcing your divorce on television is the new way to go for reality programming.

Kate Gosselin is on the cover of People this week and says she feels like she failed. Yes Kate, you have, in so many things. I'd list them but my fingers might fall off from the overwork.

Darn, where is my violin when I need it? It didn't take her long to martyr herself. The interview with her was actually conducted last week and People held off on the story because they wanted the exclusive and are big ass kissers even to a lowly reality star who no one will remember a year from now. Hopefully.

Continuing with the martyr theme, US Weekly is reporting that Kate is still wearing her wedding ring. I think that is to convey to all of us that she hasn't given up hope of a reunion. I think there is plenty of blame to share here. I also think that Kate has a PR person and Jon thinks PR is a place in the Caribbean you go in the winter.

If you believe the NY Daily News, then I think we may all want to tune in to the relaunch of the show in August. Why? Well they say that Deanna Hummel, the 23 year old teacher who has the best brother in the whole world is going to be on the show. Considering there have been no pictures of the couple together and that Jon seems like he wants to cruise the high schools for dates, I don't know if this is true.

Then again. I don't much care!

Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese and Grilled Pepper Relish

I read somewhere that turkey burgers were bland. I don't know what sort of nasty turkey burgers the individual was describing because I've yet to have a bland turkey burger. This recipe was NO exception.

When I saw this in the Cooking Light Healthy Summer Grillingcook book I knew right away that we would enjoy these burgers. These are ANYTHING but bland. Here the burgers are filled with flavour from fresh rosemary and parsley. After they are grilled they are topped with goat cheese and then a delicious, zesty, grilled pepper relish. The result is a burger that will have you asking, no begging, for seconds . . .

You don't have to tell anyone that it has about 1/3 of the calories and fat of a regular beef burger. SHHHH

Enjoy!

Turkey Burgers with Goat Cheese and Grilled Pepper Relish

3 pounds lean ground turkey
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Cooking spray
8 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns
4 ounces goat cheese, cut into 8 slices

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide the turkey mixture into 8 equal portions, shaping each into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; cook 5 minutes on each side or until done. Place buns, cut sides down, on grill rack; cook 1 minute or until lightly browned. Top each patty with 1 slice goat cheese. Serve on buns.

Grilled Pepper Relish

4 bell peppers (assorted colors, such as red, yellow, and orange)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons chopped pitted kalamata olives
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Prepare grill to medium-high heat.

Place bell peppers on grill rack. Grill, without lid, over medium-high heat 5 to 7 minutes, turning frequently, until peppers blister. Place peppers in a zip-top plastic bag; seal. Let stand 15 minutes. Peel peppers; remove and discard seeds. Cut peppers into 1/2-inch pieces.

Combine bell peppers and remaining ingredients in a medium bowl; toss well.

Napa Cabbage Salad

I am sure that everyone must have their favourite cabbage salad (or cole slaw) recipe. One can't go to a family BBQ over the summer without serving up a big bowl of the stuff made with the family secret recipe (chopped cabbage, shredded carrot, and a huge glump of kraft miracle whip! LOL) Is there any wonder that most folks will run, not walk, from the bowl Aunt Helen places on the table?

I had some napa cabbage in my fridge and needed to do something with it before it spoiled. I found this recipe by Bobby Flay at the Food network site and decided to give it a try as the side with our turkey burgers I grilled last Saturday night.

WOW, was it good.

I should have known that it would be. There are few chefs that can handle a grill like Bobby. There are few things that say summer as much as cabbage salad. Bobby + grilling+cabbage salad - it HAD to work.

We really liked the dressing - it was nothing like that cloyingly sweet miracle whip! This dressing packed a tang with its asian influenced ingredients.

If cabbage salad frightens you and brings back memories of family picnics you'd like to get past, you might want to give this spicy twist a try.

Enjoy!

 Napa Cabbaga Salad

1 lime, juiced

3 tablespoons rice vinegar

2 tablespoons Asian chili oil

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon soy sauce

3 cups finely shredded napa cabbage

1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced

1 orange bell pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 cup thinly sliced snow peas

3 scallions, thinly sliced

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Whisk together the lime juice, vinegar, chili oil, mayonnaise and soy sauce in a large bowl. Add the cabbage, peppers, snow peas and scallions and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow flavors to meld.

White Chocolate Dried Blueberry Cookies

The other day I was searching a cookie recipe to bake . . . I had lots of white chocolate chips that needed to be used up and had found three packages of dried blueberries (don't bother to ask how that happened!) I found a recipe that would allow me to use up some of both - how efficient is that?

These cookies were very easy to make - really they were just like traditional chocolate chip cookies except with the addition of white chocolate chips and the dried blueberries. The taste was incredible - the combination of white chocolate and the strong blueberry taste was amazing!

Enjoy!

White Chocolate Dried Blueberry Cookies

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 white chocolate chips
2/3 cup dried blueberries

Preheat oven to 375F. Line  baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Mix in the flour mixture, followed by the white chocolate chips and dried blueberries.

Drop tablespoonfuls of dough (1-inch balls) onto prepared baking sheet. Flatten with a flat-bottomed glass (dip the base of the glass in flour so the cookie won't stick to the bottom)

Bake for 10-12 minutes, until cookies are just beginning to turn a light golden color around the edges. Cool for about 5 minutes on the baking sheet until cookies are completely set, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Store in an airtight container

Makes about 4 dozen.

Grilled Romaine Salad

 This week the Sunday Salad Samplers learned how to grill lettuce. The salad was a grilled romaine salad. It was selected by Cindy.

She wrote:

I chose Grilled Romaine Salad with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette. I adapted this recipe from one I found on FoodTV. One substitution that I often use when making this is to substitute part of the olive oil in the dressing with lemon-infused olive oil. It's not necessary to do it, but if you happen to have some of the delicious lemon olive oil, this is a great place to use it.

This was an incredible salad. It was quick to prepare and impressive to serve. No one could get over the fact that I was grilling up romaine lettuce - apparently my grill has gone vegan! EEK

I followed the recipe as written - which was somewhat of a first for me.

Enjoy! You'll LOVE this one.

GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD

2 heads romaine lettuce
Extra-virgin olive oil
Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette, recipe below
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped tomatoes
Homemade croutons, if desired

Preheat grill to med-high.
Rinse and pat dry the lettuce. Cut the 2 heads in half lengthwise. Brush surface with olive oil and grill about 4 to 5 minutes total, turning occasionally. Place each wedge on a salad plate and drizzle with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette. With a vegetable peeler, shave some pieces from a wedge of Reggiano-Parmigiano over each salad. Top with chopped tomatoes and homemade croutons and serve.

CITRUS CAESAR VINAIGRETTE
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a pint jar with a lid. Secure the lid, then shake to blend. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.