Christmas in New York

Christmas time in New York is wonderful.  Tim planned a fabulous day filled with holiday cheer.  We avoided the tree at Rockefeller Center and the shop windows along Fifth Avenue, which we had both seen before, and opted for a more low-key day.  We did some Christmas shopping, went ice skating, and had drinks with family/friends to end the day. 

First, we ventured over to Greenwich Village to do a little Christmas shopping/look at the interesting shops.  We stumbled upon a tiny gem of a store called, Bonnie Slotnick Cookbooks.  The store is a cubby-hole filled from floor to ceiling with used cookbooks.  I found an old cookbook from the 1970s that my mom used  - More with Less.  I'm looking forward to making the granola of my childhood, a delicious lentil dish, and trying out a few others.  

Our next stop was to McNulty's to pick up some tea as a gift.  Though it may not have been the largest selection of tea and coffee, the quality was unbeatable.  I loved the aesthetics of the store.  In many ways, it made me feel like I was stepping back into time.  The wooden shelves holding tea tins and loose leaf tea were a far cry from the supermarket's tea aisle.  Accompanying the tea were glass jars filled with coffee beans and old-fashioned scales.  A gorgeous tin ceiling topped it all off. 

Our last stop was The Meadow.  This was definitely most unusual store of the day.  They specialize in gourmet salts, chocolate, bitters (for cocktails), and flowers.  Yes, don't all those items make complete sense to sell together (read with sarcasm).  I didn't even know so many types of salts existed (an entire wall of them).  The chocolates looked delicious, even though I didn't buy any.  However, the main reason we stopped by was to purchase some bitters.  Apparently, they have the larges selection of bitters in the city/east coast.  Overall, this seems like the perfect shop to buy a gift for someone who has everything and/or someone you barely know.    

While waiting for the subway to make our way over to Bryant Park for ice skating, we were surprised by a vintage subway train stopping at the platform.  It appeared without warning, didn't open any doors to allow people to go in, and then continued on its way.  The Polar Express must be its distant relative, because it carried with it a certain magic that everyone on the platform wished they could enter into and enjoy.  

After doing some research, I discovered that it is known as the Vintage Subway.   It makes appearances during the holiday season for "nostaligic shoppers".   While this one was completely empty, adding to its magical aura, you can get on the subway at designated stops for the standard metro fare.

Just as it was getting dark, we got into line for ice skating.  Bryant Park as free admission to their rink.  We just had to pay for our skates.  The setting was idyllic.  There is a Christmas market set up right by the skating rink, the library borders another side of the park, and the skyline views are stunning.  The rink was soooo crowded, but we really had a wonderful time.

Our night ended at the bar Elsa.  Their cocktail list is impressive and the mix of ingredients is strange yet delicious.
 It is a perfect way to end the night - enjoying a perfectly crafted drink with family and friends.

Bucknell Bell Choir

This is my new favorite Christmas concert EVER!!!  I can't believe I've lived in Selinsgrove, 30 minutes from Bucknell University, for the past 6 1/2 years and was unaware of this free Christmas concert.

The concert was held in the chapel on Bucknell grounds and it was decorated beautifully.  The stage was overflowing with poinsettias, real garlands hung from the balcony along with wreaths, and a Christmas tree clothed in dense lights graced the stage.

The service consisted of about 7 lessons - scripture readings.  Following the scripture reading the choir would sing a song or two and the handbell choir would perform a song or two and the audience would sing a Christmas carol.  At the end, they performed a number together which was fantastic.  I have never seen such an impressive handbell choir.  They each used about 5 bells and would bang them on the table, hit them with a drum stick, or ring them in the air.  The fast and intricate bell-work (not sure if that is actually a phrase) was stunning.


The service was candlelit, which only added to the Christmas magic.

This is a really poor home video of a Bucknell handbell choir performance that I was able to find on YouTube, but it will at least give an idea of the sound. Of course it doesn't translate as well in video as seeing it live, but it truly was amazing.

Jim Thorpe

Tim and I spent a beautiful October weekend in the Poconos with Aunt E and Uncle S.  On Saturday, we decided to head down to Jim Thorpe, walk around the town, and take a tour of the Asa Packer mansion.  We were surprised by sudden crowds as we entered the town.  Apparently, we came during their "fall foliage" celebration.  There was live music playing throughout the town, the shops were filled with people, and the trees were in full color.  Being nestled along the river and surrounded by the mountains serves to make Jim Thorpe a beautiful town to fully appreciate the beauty of autumn.  In fact, Yahoo ranked Jim Thorpe as one of the top towns to visit during the fall.  The town's celebration added to the "awe" factor and the enjoyment of spending  a beautiful Saturday afternoon in Jim Thorpe.


The Packer Mansion is unique among the standard historical hours tours.  It is not a restoration, but instead is a true peek into the lives of the wealthy Packer family.  Asa Packer gained his wealth in the railroad and built his mansion of 11,000 square feet for $14,000 in 1861.  Their youngest daughter then willed the house and all of its contents to the city of Mauch Chunk, now Jim Thorpe, in 1912.  Since the city did not know what to do with it, the house sat untouched for 44 years.  The house was finally opened to the public as a museum in 1956.

I was constantly struck by the level of detail and workmanship that went into all aspects of the house.  The woodworking inside the house is unbelievably intricate.  The wall treatments used sand and gravel to create textured "wall-paper" designs that were then painted over.  The ceiling of the porches was sloped like the bottom of a boat.
There was a small out-building behind the house that kept ice blocks to use as "air conditioning" during the summer.  A large block of ice would be place in the basement and then the windows in the 3rd floor would be opened.  All the hot air would rise, and exit the 3rd floor windows, pulling with it a nice, cool draft from the ice.  On a hot day, this system could lower the temperature of the house 10-15 degrees.

August - 365 Project

Whew - this 365 project is quite an undertaking.  I'm definitely behind and I've come to terms with the fact that I'll always be behind.  Also, I used to take tons of pictures of a subject, choose the best one, and then take another tons of pictures on another subject, and continue that process for each day of the month.  Too much work!  So, I'm just using all the pictures I've taken of a subject (as long as they're half decent) and using them.  I actually enjoy seeing the variations on a single subject, so I like the change for more than one reason. 

Since I had so many photos to show at once (an entire month), I created a powerpoint and uploaded it to SlideShare.

August

View more presentations from Miss Makatche.

100% Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Bread

 The bread of the month for October is Whole Grain Maple Oatmeal Bread.  This is an extremely dense, moist bread.

I cut the recipe in half and I got one loaf out of it, so the amounts listed below will allow you to make 2 loaves.  According to the recipe variations, you can also make muffins with this same recipe. 

 

Ingredients
5 cups white whole wheat flour
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup wheat germ
1 1/2 T granulated yeast (or two packets)
1 T kosher salt
1/4 cup vital wheat gluten
1 tsp cinnamon
2 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup  neutral-flavored oil
Egg wash (1 egg beaten with 1 T water)
Raw sugar

Directions

1. Whisk the flour, oats, wheat germ, yeast, salt, vital wheat gluten, and cinnamon together in a 5-quart bowl or lidded container
2. Add the liquid ingredients and mix without kneading using a wooden spoon
3. Cover (not airtight), an allow the dough to rest at room temperature until it rises and flattens on top (about 2 hours)
4. The dough can be used immediately or refrigerated in a lidded (not airtight) container and used over the next 7 days
5. On baking day, lightly grease an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan
6. Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a canteloupe-sized piece of dough and quickly shape it into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides, rotating the ball a quarter-turn as you go
7. Elongate the ball into an oval and place it into the loaf pan - you want to get the loaf pan about three-quarters full.  
8. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and allow the loaf to rest and rise for 1 hour and 45 minutes (60 minutes if you are using fresh, unrefrigerated dough)
9. Preheat the oven to 375F five minutes before baking time
10. Just before placing in the oven, paint the top of the crust with the egg wash using a pastry brush and sprinkle it with sugar
11. Slide the loaf on a rack near the middle of the oven
12. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes until richly browned and firm
13. Remove the bread from the pan and allow to cool on a rack before slicing and eating

Muffin Alternative

1. Instead of placing one large ball into a loaf pan, create small, golf ball-sized   balls of dough and place them in a greased muffin tin
2. Allow them to rest for 40 minutes (20 minutes if dough is unrefrigerated)
3. Preheat oven to 375
4. Brush with egg wash and sprinkle with sugar before placing the muffin tin in the oven
5. Bake for about 20 minutes

Flamenco

Floreo

Who would have thought, in the little town of Selinsgrove, I would be able to take Flamenco lessons?  Two new stores have opened up downtown by the same owner - Peppers and Post and Lintel. Post and Lintel has a great variety of class offerings: drawing, glass blowing, jewelery making, and  flamenc (as well as a few others).   So, I'm taking the flamenco classes. 

A Bit of History on Flamenco
Flamenco originated with the gypsies in Andalusia (southern Spain).  It is believed that between 800AD and 900AD there was an exodus of a group of people from the Untouchables caste from the Punjabi region of India.  Apparently, there were two major routes of migration for these people.  The first route took them across Asia and the European continent.  The second major route took them down across North Africa and into southern Spain.  So, although the dance originated with the gypsy people, its influences include Indian, Andalusian, African, Jewish, and Arabic and have added helped to its evolution as an art form.

Flamenco Music
Originally, the music consisted of only singing (cante) and hand-claps (palmas).  The guitar, which is such a fundamental part of flamenco now, was an influence of the Arabic Oud.  Flamenco music uses the major scale, minor scale, and Phyrgian mode where the third note in the scale is sharpened.  The music consists of the rhythms of 2/4, 3/4, 4/4, and unique to flamenco, 12 beat rhythms.

Flamenco Dance
Flamenco is an earthy dance.  The focus is internal and it is expresses strength, defiance, and passion.  As I am learning it, the dance requires a combination of body movement, intricate foot-work, arm movement, and hand movement (floreo).  As I am learning each move, I have to learn it in parts.  I first learn the foot and body movement.  Then I add the arms.  Finally, I add the hand movement, which is the hardest to incorporate for me.

I've embedded two videos.
This video shows the improvisational style of flamenco with the footwork combined with arm movement and floreo.  This is more traditional of flamenco in general.  You learn basic (or not so basic) steps and then you can begin to string them together.


This is a video of the Sevillanas dance.  It is the only choreographed dance in flamenco, mainly because it is more of a traditional dance found in Sevilla.  The dance has several coplas (verses) which you will see clearly defined by the pause in dancing.

Floreo photo used under Creative Commons license from http://www.flickr.com/photos/lievensoete/3020988541/ .

Banana Bread

A few years ago, I tried about 6 or 7 different banana bread recipes.  I wanted to find the best recipe.  I forget where I found this recipe, probably online, but the intense banana taste in this bread made it the winner.

Ingredients
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 overripe bananas
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Directions
1.  In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda, and salt - set aside.
2.  Mash 2 bananas with a fork.
3.  Whisk remaining bananas and sugar together for a good 3 minutes.
4.  Add melted butter, eggs, and vanilla - beat well.
5.  Mix in dry ingredients - don't overblend.
6.  Fold in mashed bananas.
7.  Pour mixture into a buttered and floured bread pan and rap the pan on the counter to get out the air bubbles.
8.  Bake at 350 for about 55-65 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

Pancakes

I have never made pancakes before this past weekend.  I feel fairly capable in the kitchen, but pancakes always seemed like a mystery to me.  How can you tell they are ready to be flipped?  How do you flip them?  With the help of my "former Uncle Bill's Pancakes House employee" boyfriend, I have finally made a pancake.  They were also pancakes made with special flour mix made in Jamie's hometown of McPherson, Kansas. (so I'm documenting the experience). 

 The mix made wonderful pancakes.  The batter was thick and the pancakes were dense yet fluffy.  I had all my pancake questions answered :)

 
How do you know when pancakes are ready to be flipped?
Well, I learned there are two ways.  If the batter is thinner, you can judge it just by the bubbles that form on the top of the pancake.  If, however, the batter is thicker, you cannot wait long enough to see a lot of bubbles form, or your pancake will be overcooked.  So, you also need to look for drying along the outer rim of the pancake.

How do you flip a pancake?
I'm not quite sure why I was a bit intimidated by it.  I think I was equating it to flipping an egg without breaking the yoke.  Definitely not that hard.
 

Pumpkin Chip Muffins

Delicious!  I have yet to taste a more delicious muffin (read: dessert disguised as a muffin).  So, naturally, I make them at least once every year :)

Ingredients
1 can (15 oz) pumpkin
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 cups (12 oz) semi-sweet choc. chips

Directions
1.  In a large mixing bowl, beat eggs, sugar, pumpkins, and oil until smooth
2.  Combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt.
3.  Add to the pumpkin mixture and mix well.
4.  Fold in the chocolate chips.
5.  Fill paper-lined muffin tins 3/4 full.
6.  Bake for 16-20 minutes at 400F
7.  Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack.

From My Bookshelf

Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

This title has graced my "must read" list since high school.  It took the decision by my book group to finally force me to pick it up and read it from cover to cover, and I was actually surprised to discover how much I enjoyed the story.  I also happened to be in the middle of reading Atlas Shrugged when I picked it up in order to finish it in time for our discussion group.  It turned out to be a nice balance to the sometimes heavy-handed economic philosophy preached by Rand.

Interestingly, the novel was written in only 93 sittings.  In the novel, Steinbeck chronicles the forced exodus of the Joad family from their family farm in Oklahoma to the supposed "promised land" of California.  The entire family (grandparents, children, spouses, siblings, etc.) makes the arduous journey in one car.  Upon arriving in California they find jobs almost impossible to come by, unsanitary living conditions, unlivable wages, and the threat of starvation facing them daily.

Interspersed through the novel are chapters called "interchapters."  These chapters break from the main storyline and paint a picture of a situation/place/issue.  The leader of our discussion explained that the interchapters serve as the Greek chorus.  In Greek plays, the Greek chorus always "offered a variety of background and summary information to help the audience follow the performance."  For example, the first interchapter  takes a look at a used-car lot and the shady business practices of the salesmen.  The dialogue and narrative are blended in a way that is typical of American writing and has (I learned) been compared to jazz.  I found these interchapters to be my favorite part of the book.  They have almost a rhythmic, lyrical quality that I enjoyed (even though the content was depressing).

Steinbeck was uniquely prepared to write this book.  He was a reporter and wrote on the conditions of the labor camps.  He drove along Rt 66 from New York to California and saw the families migrating.  His first-hand experience is apparent and he decidedly succeeds in engaging the reader's emotions and creating a visceral reaction to the trials of these families.  Grapes of Wrath was referred to by FDR, it created a series of Senate inquiries into the conditions of the camps, and spurred Eleanor Roosevelt to actually visit the camps. 

Steinbeck stated that, "I've done my damndest to rip a reader's nerves to rags, I don't want him satisfied ... I tried to write this book the way lives are being lived not the way books are written."  He certainly succeeded.  I was in a constant state of shock at how anyone could survive the conditions that the Joads face in their daily lives and how people could treat their fellow humans with such indignity and malice.

The people come with nets to fish for potatoes in the river, and the guards hold them back; they come in rattling cars to get the dumped oranges, but kerosene is sprayed.  And they stand still and watch the potatoes float by, listen to the screaming pigs being killed in a ditch and covered with quicklime, watch the mountains of oranges slop down to a putrefying ooze; and in the eyes of the people there is the failure, and in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath.  In the souls of the people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage.

Philly Half

Somehow running the Philadelphia Half Marathon in September has become a yearly tradition in our family.  It has dwindled a bit each year, and I think this may be the last year that we do it, mainly because of the cost.  The first year William, John, Anna, Dad, Rachel, and I all ran.  The second year Anna, John Aunt Beth, Dad, and I ran.  The next year Anna, Dad, and Aunt Beth ran.  This year, Anna, Tim, and I ran.  Cheerleader, Mom, and Organizer/Motivator, Anna, have been the only constants at every race.  As you see, we are slowly putting this torturous, and yet somehow fun, tradition to rest.  Although, I'm sure Anna will see to it that it lives on.

The race is always on a Sunday and the day before is the expo were you pick up your race number and timer.  It is quite an event with tons of vendors.  Tim and I had our feet, ankle, knee alignments measured with the help of a laser.  Of course we both "needed" the expensive inserts the company was selling ... maybe another time.  We were in line to run on a treadmill and have our video-taped foot-strike analyzed, but out parking meter was about to expire.  We did get a few free samples, but mainly the expo gets you excited for the run the next day.

The actual race is a lot of fun.  I'm always glad that I did it, as much as I grumble about it during the months of training beforehand.  It's unbelievable to me that tens of thousands of people sign up for this race.  We started in corral 16 and it took about 25 minutes for us to reach the starting line after the gun went off!  The course is beautiful.  The run begins through old city, continues up Kelly Drive, and then finishes down MLK with the finish line in front of the art museum. 

While this was not my best time ever, I was thrilled to finish as strongly as I did, considering my lack of consistent training.  Something crazy happens to me at the end of each race.  I suddenly believe that I love running.  I think, "How could I have ever not wanted to go on a training run?"  The result is, then, at my sister's encouraging, I sign up for another race.  A much longer race.  A marathon.  I decided to run my first marathon right after my first half marathon.  Now, for some reason, I agreed to run another marathon.  I'm not sure this one will actually happen, though.  I haven't quite fully forgotten the pure torture of running miles 20 through 26, and I'm less well trained than last time I agreed to do it.  I haven't officially signed up yet, so, we'll see.

Update:  From the time of initial writing to publication, I have decided against running the full marathon.  I need a much better training base than what I had.   I'll run another one some time, it just wasn't to be this time.

Governors Island

Governors Island used to be a residential community for the Coast Guard as well as a base of operations from the mid-1960s through 1995.  The buildings are still there, empty and in most cases locked up.  So, it is a sort-of a ghost town that doubles as a park.  The high-ranking officer's houses are beautiful to walk through.  Some are used to display artwork.

View of Manhattan from the Ferry

You can only access it by taking the Governors Island Ferry.  The ferry is free and the building is beautiful, a sharp contrast to the Staten Island Ferry building that sits next to it. 

Breanne, William, Tim, and I headed there for the Brews, Blues, BBQs event that is held there on Saturdays during the summer.  After enjoying a few hours of craft beer and BBQ explored some more of the island. 

In addition to the vacant buildings, some of which host art exhibits, there is are beautiful walkways along the river and through the island. 

 

 

crazy bubble playground feature

We happened upon a fairly unconventional playground.  Kayaks in a merry-go-roundesque setup, steel drums, tables with building blocks, "bells" made out of recycled plastic bottle caps, along with other oddities.  There was something creepy, yet enchanting, about the playground.  It felt like something straight out of Alice and Wonderland ... I would have loved this place as a child!. 


I'm looking forward to visiting Governors Island again.  Next summer I want to take advantage of the free bicycle rentals on Fridays. 

Ratatouille

Going to the local farm stand and picking out a bag full of fresh produce is one of my favorite things about this time of year.  Zucchini + tomatoes + onions + eggplants + peppers + fresh herbs = time to make some ratatouille.

I've tried a few recipes, some use the stove while others use the oven.  This time I decided to try Julia Child's recipe.  It is definitely more time consuming than some recipes, but absolutely delicious.


Ingredients
1 large eggplant
3-4 medium zucchini
1 large onion, thinly sliced
2 peppers, sliced
2 cloves garlic, mashed
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and juiced (see instructions below)
thyme 
salt
pepper

Prepare Tomatoes

1.  Drop the tomato in boiling water for about 10 seconds


2.  Remove the tomatoes, cut out the stem and peal off the skin starting from the stem hole.

3.  Cut the peeled tomatoes in half crosswise (not through the stem) and squeeze each half gently to extract the seeds and juices from the center


Directions

1.  Peel the eggplant and cut it into slices, lengthwise.  Each slice should be around 1/4 inch thick, 3 inches long and 1 inch wide.

2.  Slice the zucchini the same way and size as the eggplant.

3.  Place the vegetables in a bowl and toss with 1 T of salt.  Let the vegetables stand for 30 minutes, drain, and dry the slices on a towel.

4.  Saute the eggplant and zucchini one layer at a time in hot olive oil until each side is lightly brown.  Remove to a side dish.

5.  In the same skillet, cook the onions and peppers slowly in olive oil for about 10 minutes, or until tender.

6.  Stir in the garlic and season to taste.

7.  Slice the tomatoes into 1/4 inch strips and lay them over the onions and peppers then season with salt and pepper.  (I found some beautiful orange and purple peppers to use.)

8.  Cover the skillet and cook over low heat for about 5 minutes or until the tomatoes have begun to render their juices.

9.  Uncover and baste the tomatoes with the juices, raise the heat and boil for several minutes, until the juice has almost evaporated.

10.  Place a third of the tomato mixture in the bottom of a large pot. Sprinkle some fresh thyme over the tomato mixture.

• Julia recommends a 2 1/2 quart fireproof casserole, but I did not have one that could be used on a stovetop, so I just used a large wok-type pan that I had (although, I'm sure any large pan would be fine)

11.  Arrange half of the eggplant and zucchini on top, then half the remaining tomatoes and thyme, finishing it off with the rest of the eggplant and zucchini topped with the remaining tomatoes and thyme.

12.  Cover the casserole and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes.

13.  Uncover, correct seasoning if necessary, raise the heat slightly and cook uncovered for about 15 minutes or until the juices have evaporated leaving a few spoonfuls of liquid behind.   

Zucchini Flatbread

I've finally broken out my bread book again.  Being away for the summer made me miss out on trying a new bread in June and July, but I'm going to squeak this one in before the end of August.

The recipe is in two parts, first you need to make the bread and then you cook up the zucchini topping.


DOUGH
Ingredients
2 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose, unbleached flour
1 packet granulated yeast
1/2 T kosher salt
1/8 cup vital wheat gluten
2 cups lukewarm water
cornmeal for pizza peel

Directions
1.  Measure dry ingredients and mix together. 
       *I like to do this in a plastic container with a lid for easy dough storage.

2.  Add water and stir with a wooden spoon.

3.  Cover the dough with a lid (not airtight) and allow the dough to rise at room temperature for 2 hours.  (If it rises for longer, that is fine.)

4.  Place dough in the refrigerator.

ZUCCHINI TOPPING
 Ingredients
1/4 cup olive oil
2 scallions, sliced thinly into rounds
3/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 small or 1 large zucchini
1/2 cup Parmigiano0Reggiano cheese, grated
freshly grated pepper
2-4 T raw pine nuts or almonds

Directions
1.  Heat the olive oil over medium heat.

2.  Add the scallions and saute until softened and fragrant.

3.  Add the parsley, zucchini, salt, and pepper.
     *I didn't have any parsley on hand, but it was absolutely delicious without it.

4.  Cook until everything is wilted and the liquid has mostly evaporated.  This should take about ten minutes.

5.  Remove from the heat and let stand for about a bit minutes ... Then, add cheese.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
1.  Preheat oven to 450 F with the pizza stone inside.

2.  Dust the surface of the refrigerated dough with flour and cut off a grapefruit-size portion.

3.  Shape the dough into a ball by stretching the surface of the dough around to the bottom on all four sides.

4.  Flatten the dough on your pizza peel (dusted with cornmeal) with your hands or with a rolling pin until the dough is about 1/8 thick.

5.  Cover the surface of the dough with the sauteed zucchini.  Sprinkle with almonds (or pine nuts).

6.  Slide the flatbread pizza from the pizza peel onto the pizza stone in the oven.

7.  Bake it for 12 to 15 minutes or until nicely browned.

8.  Finish with a grinding of salt and pepper.



Let cool a bit before serving ... then enjoy!



 

Shrimp Scampi

This shrimp scampi recipe is from my favorite Food Network host, Ina Garten.  I find her philosophy of bringing out the natural flavors of food instead of doctoring it up with tons of sauces and spices so refreshing.  I have never been disappointed in any of her recipes; they are always amazingly delicious.

One of the great things about this shrimp scampi is that I can make it with just my pantry items ... no grocery trip necessary.  However, it tastes so bright and fresh that it seems like you put a lot of work and ingredients into it.  The fresh ingredients, shrimp and lemons, are easy to have on hand, so I usually do.  If you needed to use lemon juice from a bottle, I guess you could, it just would not taste as fresh.   

INGREDIENTS
3/4 lb linguini or spaghetti (you can use a whole box too)
salt
pepper
3 T unsalted butter
2 1/2 T olive oil
1 1/2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb large shrimp, deveined and peeled  (I use frozen shrimp)
1/2 lemon, zested
1/4 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed ( ~ 1 1/2 lemons)
1/4 lemon, thinly sliced into rounds
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

DIRECTIONS
1.  Bring water to a boil and add salt and a splash of oil - add pasta and cook according to package

2.  Heat butter and olive oil over medium-low heat


3.  Add garlic and saute for about 1 minute

4.  Add shrimp with 1 1/2 tsp of salt and pepper - saute until shrimp turn pink




5.  Remove pan from heat and add lemon zest, lemon juice, lemon rounds, and red pepper flakes

6.  Toss with pasta and serve!

Brooklyn - Prospect Park

Brooklyn Bridge

I spent a fair amount of time in Brooklyn this summer visiting Tim.  Before this, I had maybe step foot in it for a few minutes after crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.  However, it is a wonderful place, at least the Park Slope area, which is where I spent most of my time.  It has a more intimate and quieter feel than Manhattan, but is just as culturally rich and vibrant.  So, since I really knew nothing about Brooklyn, as it seems to be a forgotten step-brother to Manhattan (along with Staten Island, Queens, and the Bronx), I decided to read a little about it on ... Wikipedia.  (disclaimer:  yes, even though I'm a librarian, I do use wikipedia and love it)

A few interesting tidbits about Brooklyn:

• Eendraght Maeckt Magh is its official motto, which when translated from the Dutch means, Unity makes strength.
• Brooklyn is the most populous of the five buroughs.
• The first major battle in the Revolutionary War following the signing of the Declaration of Independence was fought in Brooklyn. 

Two of my favorite Brooklyn activities this summer both occurred in Prospect Park.  They were spending a lazy afternoon in Prospect Park,  the Central Park of Brooklyn, and attending two free, outdoor concerts in Prospect Park.  The park is probably a 10 minute walk from Tim's apartment.  There are plenty of trees and open grassy areas where you can spread out a blanket.  The summer concert offerings are amazing - the Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of each weekend ... 3 different performers each night.  Our first concert we went with my Anna, William, and Breanne to see a blue grass band, the Punch Brothers.  Our second concert was with my good friend from college, Marisa, to see a new band formed by two of the former Dixie Chicks.  Yes, these two concerts happened to be a little more "country", but the offerings are very eclectic from jazz to reggae to Latin to indie rock to gospel and more.

I'm looking forward to exploring more of Brooklyn because the little bit that I have experienced has been wonderful!

July 15-31

As usual, I'm playing catch up again.  So, here are the pictures for the second half of July.  Once school starts back up again, hopefully I'll be able to post more regularly since I will be home!

July 15-21 on PhotoPeach



July 22-31 on Animoto


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Curried Chicken Salad

A few years ago I had the most delicious curried chicken salad wrap at on of my favorite places, Selin's Grove Brewing Company.  So, my mission began ... to make a curried chicken salad that was as delicious.  I started by trying a few that I found on the internet, but it didn't have the same intense curry flavor.  Finally, after at least 4 to 5 different recipes, I stumbled upon Ina Garten's recipe for curried chicken salad ... amazing!!!


Ingredients
3 whole chicken breasts
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup Major Grey's chutney
3 T curry powder
1 cup celery, medium diced
1/4 cup scallions, chopped (white and green parts)
1/4 cups raisins (I like to use golden raisins)
1 cup whole roasted, salted cashews

Getting your chicken ready
You have two options for preparing your chicken:  
Option 1
Preheat your oven to 300F.
Place the chicken on a sheet pan and rub the skin with olive oil then salt and pepper vigorously.
Roast for 35-40 minutes, until the chicken is just cooked.
When cool enough, remove meat from bones.
Option 2
Place chicken in a large stock pot.
Salt and pepper the chicken and then fill the pot with water until the chicken is 3/4 covered.
Heat on high, bring to a boil, and cook for about 30 minutes and then remove chicken from pot.
When cool enough, remove meat from bones.

Dressing
Combine the mayonnaise, wine, chutney, curry powder, and 1 1/2 tsp salt in a food processor.  Process until smooth.

Throwing it all together
Combine the chicken with enough dressing to moisten well.  Add the celery, scallions, and raisins.  Mix well.  Refrigerate for a few hours to let the flavors mingle.  Finally, add the cashews and serve:)

Kayaking on the Susquehanna

 I've lived a 10 minute walk from the Susquehanna River for the past 6 years ... and I only kayaked on it for the first time this week.  There is a new business that opened up on the Isle of Que, the island between Penns Creek and the Susquehanna, that rents kayaks for an extremely reasonable price.   I noticed it on one of my runs this summer ... then I had a torturous 40 minutes left to think about how great it would be to be kayaking instead of running.


So, when Tim came to visit, I was finally able to cross "kayaking on the Susquehanna" off my list of things to do!  We took a 2 hour kayak trip that the owner recommended. 

We paddled up one side of the river with a short detour through a marshy island in the center of the river.  The river was so low that we were able to get out at one point and walk our kayaks up the river for a few feet.  We also discovered an inlet off the main river.  As we entered the inlet, I felt like I was entering newly discovered land.  We were surrounded by trees and bushes on either side.  Suddenly, though, a hint of civilization appeared in the form of a tire swing.  It was a quintessential Americana summer location. 

Shortly after leaving the inlet, we paddled over to the opposite side of the river.  After going under an old railroad pass, we found an island with a nice beach to stop at for lunch.  Just as we sat down to dig into our chicken salad wraps, we saw a bald eagle.  It was both of our first time seeing a bald eagle in the wild and it was pretty impressive.  After lunch it was time for a swim, of course!

We ended our trip with an enjoyable, and easy, paddle downstream.  Next time a 4 hour trip is in order.  We also want to check out the fall foliage tour that this place offers.  They also have photography tours, which I may look into as well! 

July 8-14

Behind my apartment is a park that is used all the time.  There is a pavilion, benches, a grassy field that is used for pick up games of football, a basketball court, and playground equipment. 

Playground on PhotoPeach

July 1-7

Now that I am all caught up on my photos for the 365 project, I am definitely not going to get so far behind again!  As of this week, I am officially over 50% finished with the project.  This week we have a blue/Americana theme in honor of the Fourth of July.

365 Project - June

Here are my photos from the month of June.

June 1-7

June 8-20

June 21-30