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Has it been a hot, hot summer, or what!? I cannot wait for that first crisp, cool day of autumn, but I’m trying my darndest to remember that at some point in the coming winter months, I’ll be wishing for these hot days again (really?).
The past few weeks I’ve found a few little treats that have helped to make the Florida humidity seem almost enjoyable. I thought I’d pass them on, in case you might need a little help getting through the last few weeks of heat yourself.
1. Decaf Luzianne Sweet Tea
I don’t know why it took me so long to realize I could make my sweet tea decaffeinated!? Hellllooo, can we say “all day refreshment without the added insomnia of caffeine?” Yes, please!
2. Whole Fruit frozen coconut bars
Publix has had these on sale quite a bit lately and I’ve taken full advantage of these little wonders. They remind me of the coconut ice cream we’d get from the little ice cream carts in Mexico. They’re quite creamy and so flavorful! These guys are just about the perfect way to cool down, in my opinion.
3. Chocolate Chess Pie
Last, but certainly not least, chocolate chess pie. Oh boy! This has been the summer of pies for me…which isn’t really saying much. I rarely make pies (in fact, this summer was the first time I made an entire pie from scratch) since I really don’t enjoy them most of the time, and they seem to be my Achilles heel. To be honest, I can’t think of a single thing that I dislike making, more than a pie, except for this one, because the crust and filling are so easy! There probably isn’t a time in my entire clumsy life that I have looked more like a klutz, than when I attempted to make a lattice top peach pie. And that’s saying something!
My pies are ugly, with a capital U. They may taste just dandy, but they’re not winning any beauty pageants, that’s for sure. Case in point:
This poor pie is homely on the outside, but on the inside, she’s full of enough buttery, chocolate love to make you feel shallow for ever have judging her in the first place. What makes her great for a summer cool down is that she’s best served cold, straight from the fridge. You can dress her up with some vanilla ice cream, or a dollop of fresh whipped cream if you like, but I prefer her in all her natural glory.
Chocolate Chess Pie
Adapted from Southern Pies by Nancy McDermott
Crust
1 sleeve chocolate graham crackers
1 stick butter, melted
1 tablespoon sugar
Filling
7 Tbsp butter
1oz square unsweetened chocolate
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten a bit
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
*(If you’re using a glass dish, I would recommend taking it out of the fridge to warm up a bit before putting it into the oven to make sure that it doesn’t explode…or maybe I’m just paranoid)
I discovered this little delight today, thanks to Mr. Bourdain.
Is it weird that I could watch this stuff all day?
Enjoy!
xoxo
L
Make lemonade.
Literally. Go make it.
I woke up in a writing kinda mood and decided to take on the mammoth task of creating a post about my favorite dumpling recipe. Someday I’ll post it and you’ll see why it’s such a mammoth task. I settled onto the couch and started writing, editing and compiling photos all morning and I was about 3/4 of the way through when I accidentally closed the tab on my browser, deleting the entire thing! At least 2 hours worth of blogging, gone before my very eyes.
My first thoughts, in this order, were:
1. MUST-EAT-CHOCOLATE.
2. I think I have a stash in the cabinet.
3. I could really go for an adult beverage right about now.
4. I want to crawl under the covers and pretend this never happened.
That sequence of thoughts showed me that I’ve got issues, and reminded me that, like my mom always told me, I have a flare for the dramatic. I mean seriously, it’s a blog post, not a rough draft of War & Peace.
My next thought, I hate to admit, was that overused cliché about lemons.
Then I thought [I know, lots of thinking] “Hey, I have lemons and what better way to blow off steam than to squeeze a few and whip up a batch of that refreshing goodness?” Don’t eat yourself into a coma, don’t sleep away your frustration, and most certainly don’t pour a glass of wine to numb your disappointment. Make the best dang lemonade you’ve ever had.
So I did.
My mom and Nana make the best lemonade in the entire world. Honestly. You’d think lemonade would be hard to screw up, considering it’s just lemon, water and sugar, but it is. It’s all about the ratio. 1-1-5. Remember that. Engrave it in your mind, like Hurley and “4-8-15-16-23-42.”
1 part lemon juice
1 part sugar
5 parts ice cold water
This number will comfort your many disappointments. It will taste like sunshine on a cold, cloudy North Dakota winter’s day. It will crush your neighborhood lemonade stand competition. It’s perfectly sweet, tangy goodness will make you smile, and that my friends, is better than any blog post.
I don’t know about you, but when it comes to BBQ, I’ll take it any which way I can get it. East Carolina vinegar, Western Carolina dip, South Carolina mustard sauce, Texas sauce, sticky sweet KC sauce, Memphis sauce or even Alabama white sauce—I don’t discriminate when it comes to barbeque. I like it all, yessiree.
This right here is a South Carolina mustard sauce that will knock your socks off. It’s spicy, tangy and sweet, all rolled into one. Feel free to make it more or less spicy, depending on your preference, by adding or subtracting a bit of the dried mustard and/or cayenne.
Ingredients
Directions:
Melt your butter on medium heat. Once melted, add your grated onion and sauté it for about 3 minutes. Stir in the rest of the ingredients until fully combined. Turn heat down to medium low and simmer for 30 minutes or so.
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups
Enjoy!
xoxo
L
Books I wanna be reading:
Book I hafta to read:
This past Saturday Cody, Butch and I loaded up the car at 4:00am and made the six hour trek to Alabama to celebrate a very Dixie 4th of July.
We have a tradition of going to Fort Rucker Army Base (where my step-dad works) for the Freedom Fest and I think this year was one of their best shows yet. They had the Lt. Dan Band perform before the fireworks which really got the crowd in the mood! I somehow caught a second wind and was dancing around like a huge dork while most of my family stared in embarrassment. I’m sure onlookers thought I was inebriated, but no, if anything, I was sleep drunk, and having the time of my life!
There’s something about being surrounded by thousands of active duty men and women, and vets alike, that really reminds you of how blessed we are to live in a free country. It was a fabulous night and a great way to start the holiday weekend.
The next day I went out and explored mom’s growing garden and picked a ton of these blue gems:
which mom later turned into a yummy ice cream. I so wish I had gotten my paws on more of that before we left!
My sister Jessica came over in the afternoon and gave me a little ballet lesson which probably looked a little like Anna Pavolova teaching Lucille Ball how pirouette. Comical.
After that, the whole family (minus the brothers who were M.I.A.) got to work making dinner, the way we always do when we’re together. It’s so fun to work in mom’s new dream kitchen—we have so much more space than when she was in her makeshift-kitchen-purgatory (though I’m sure sharing cutting board space on top of a washing machine does have it’s perks).
Jerry was frying catfish, so I decided to try my hand at making hush puppies which happen to be one of my favorite parts of a fish fry.
The recipe I used was from Donald Link’s Real Cajun. They turned out fairly well for a first try, but next time I probably would use yellow medium grind corn meal (not fine white) and either fresh thyme, or none at all. Here’s half of the final product:
And my beautiful, brave sister about to bite into one, still hot from the oil!
Jerry’s catfish did not disappoint. That man is a fry-master {grill-master too}! I mean seriously—amazing. It was so good that I made Baja fish tacos out of the leftovers. yes, I know. This may have been the first time catfish has ever been used in fish tacos. I’m a ground breaker, what can I say?
Cody was busy in the kitchen whipping up a batch of hot sauce since mom had a bumper crop of jalapenos this year. Man that stuff was HOT {just like the chef} but tasty. He might just put Crystal out of business!
Jessica was in charge of steaming up the crab claws:
I’m drooling just thinking about how good they were! So good I broke them open with my bare hands; couldn’t be bothered with tools.
While we were all busy about our culinary tasks, mom was making peach ice cream {from her tree} and eggplant parmesan with yet another offering from her garden. This woman is amazing.
Dinner that night was a feast, to say the least. That’s what holiday weekends are all about! Relaxing together and making memories with the family. I hope you all got the chance to do the very same!
xoxo
L
Picnic season is in full swing now that summer has made it’s grand entrance.
If there’s one thing Americans know how to do well, it’s eat…outside. We’ve managed to perfect the art of bringing yummy meals outdoors, something (and trust me on this one) many civilized nations have struggled with.
Picnicking, while it can be done with much civility, is best enjoyed when politeness is thrown to the wind. You’ve got to feel comfortable licking sauce off of your fingers, getting corn stuck in your teeth and sharing your meal with a stray ant or two (or twenty). When you can achieve that level of al fresco dining zen, there’s not much that can get in the way of having a good time.
Whether you’re eating ham sammies by the pool, subs on the beach, enjoying a more European style picnic in the park, or opting for a backyard BBQ, here’s a potato salad that’s sure to compliment each meal quite nicely. It’s not your traditional creamy spud salad, but light and a bit tangy. Enjoy!
Mom’s Potato Salad
For dressing
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp dry white wine
2 tsp salt
1.5 lbs small red potatoes (Yukon Gold work well too)
For topping
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
1-2 finely minced shallots
1 Tbsp minced chives
1 Tbsp minced parsley
——————
Scrub, then boil potatoes until tender (about 15-20 minutes, depending on the size). Whisk together dressing ingredients in small bowl and set aside. Drain, and cool the potatoes a bit, until you’re able to touch them without burning your paws off. Slice them 1/2” thick and put into a large bowl. Pour the dressing over potatoes and toss gently. Let this sit for 20-30 minutes.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients for the topping. Before serving, pour the topping over the potatoes. Serve at room temperature.
{Sometimes I like to mix chopped, crispy bacon in for an added depth}
{Also, I find that this is best served the day after you make it, if you can keep your hands off of it that long!}
xoxo
L
This is happening tomorrow morning at 6 a.m.
It’s been far too long.
I’m learning that my wishing to be the best gets in the way of me trying to be my best.
Just for today, allow yourself to try something, even if you’ll never be the best at it.
Cody left for Fargo, by way of Minneapolis on Saturday to visit friends and family. I’m not gonna lie, I’m pretty jealous. North Dakota (and MN) summers are the best. I mean really, truly, magical.
The days are hot, perfect for thawing out your bones from a long winter. The nights are balmy, even cool, which is perfect for an evening outside sitting around the fire. There’s something about being outside, looking across the prairie, that really puts life in perspective. That vast expanse stretching out in front as far as the eye can see makes you feel so small, and God, so big. It’s a refreshing feeling…something you can’t get in the hustle and bustle of urban sprawl.
Each time Cody leaves I try and psych myself up with a list of things I can get done while he’s gone, meals I can make that I know he wouldn’t enjoy as much (namely more vegetarian dishes and more pasta) and chick flicks I’ll watch to pass the time.
But then reality hits me. I turn into a lump of blah when he walks out that door. The “to dos” don’t get done because I’m less motivated, the recipes don’t get made because I lose most of my appetite, and the chick flicks just don’t do the trick. I’m pathetic, I know.
Butch and I spend the day missing our favorite guy…
I mean how could you not miss this face?
Ho-hum, he’s wonderful.
Alright, enough of this pitiful babble, I’ve got a To Do list to do and recipes to make!
xoxo
L
It’s June in Florida, which means temperatures are well into the nineties, sweet tea is a daily necessity and I’m thanking God daily for creating Willis Carrier. I can barely stand to turn on the oven, let alone be bothered to blow dry my hair, so this means I walk around looking like a damp, frizzy Komondor more often than not.
{my Komondor lookalike}
Last week I found something worth turning my oven on for….twice!
This cake is a little bit of magic and a whole lotta yummy goodness. When I first had a go at it, I couldn’t find any good looking strawberries (it’s a little late in the season, admittedly) so I picked up some blueberries and tried those instead. It turned out very nicely, but it still left me with the itch to try it with strawberries. My friend Elaina told me that I don’t have to be too picky with the strawberries because the sugar ends up baking them down into a delicious jammy goodness.
After giving the strawberries a go, I decided that I definitely prefer it that way, but really, you could try this cake with quite a few different summer fruits! Maybe fresh apricots, raspberries, blackberries or even cherries.
One of the things I love about this cake is that it’s quite easy to make. The also sugar forms this amazing crusty on the top that is delightful and maybe a little addicting! I would suggest baking it in either a 9” or 8” cake pan (springform or regular) instead of a pie plate. You could certainly serve it with fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, but it’s really fabulous on it’s own.
I would post this recipe, but because Martha {I’m so sure} did such a great job of creating it, I’ll just send you right on over to get the recipe from her!
Strawberry Cake by Martha Stewart
xoxo
L