iMagiNe cReAtiVe nAme hERe

Chesco S&Bers ROCK!

 

I have been absolutely blessed with the BEST knitting group in the world!!! They threw a "Meet Baby Lukas Party" on Saturday and showered Lukas with much attention & presents galore! Thanks again, you guys!  I've posted a few (borrowed) photos (thx Lauren & Kate) and will eventually take & share more as Lukas cooperates. (It's taken me three days to get this entry posted so I better not delay any longer trying to add more now.)  

beautiful group squares blanket

Julie holding guest of honor Ann's clever clothesline Kate's adorable Monkeys quilt amazing handknit sweater by Cindy

stamps...

Aren't these fun?!

Timothy picked them out today at the post office.

blog fodder....

Way back at the beginning of the summer I had started this post and never finished it, so here  it is in it's unfinished glory (ha)...

What a lovely weekend we had! The highlight was the Memorial Day Pig Roast we went to at Sarah & Tom's! YUM! I took the salad below (doubled though). It's from Giada's new cookbook. Frances took some of the leftovers in her lunch today so I know it was a hit with her! I used some fresh mint from our garden but our basil is too little to start picking from it yet. I did the garbanzos the night before in the crockpot (about 4 hours on high in 6 cups of water - salt to taste after cooking). Very easy and tasty dish!

Orzo Salad
Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

4 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups orzo
1 (15-ounce) can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups red and yellow teardrop tomatoes or grape tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint leaves
About 3/4 cup Red Wine Vinaigrette, recipe follows
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover the pan and bring the broth to a boil over high heat. Stir in the orzo. Cover partially and cook until the orzo is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring frequently, about 7 minutes. Drain the orzo through a strainer. Transfer the orzo to a large wide bowl and toss until the orzo cools slightly. Set aside to cool completely.

Toss the orzo with the beans, tomatoes, onion, basil, mint, and enough vinaigrette to coat. Season the salad, to taste, with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature.

1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons honey
2 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Mix the vinegar, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Yield: 1 3/4 cups

Episode#: EI1F01
Copyright © 2003 Television Food Network, G.P., All Rights Reserved

another year begins...

another year begins...
Originally uploaded by iMagiNe cReAtiVe nAme hERe.

this and that...

My girls have been visiting their fraternal grandparents in Virginia this week so the house has been much quieter. Timothy hasn't had anyone to squabble with or chase up and down the stairs. Admittedly he's been a tad mopey, but not me. :) They go back to school next week too! Woot! Terrible, aren't I? We went to Target last week to purchase their eight billion school supplies (Target had a great sale going). I got them each a drink Thermos and a jar Thermos for their lunches so they can take hot or cold items. I've been inspired by this blog to get out of my usual lunch making rut. Frances is envisioning ravioli for lunch each day now (her favorite meal) - ah...no.

Our CSA box was bursting with fresh produce this week. I had three bags of tomatoes (plum, heirloom, and the regular kind). I made some gazpacho yesterday (James Beard recipe) with Timothy's help (he pushed the button on the blender - believe me this is indeed a thrill for a three year old). I love cold gazpacho! Last night we dined on gazpacho and BLTs. Mmmm... I need to get motivated to do some veggie blanching and freezing and baking today...maybe zucchini bread. I should roast some eggplants too (I love how Nigella calls them aubergines!) for some Baba Ghanouj. This is my current recipe for that:

BABA GHANOUJ

"Your readers would love the food at Stella's," writes Annoria Tohrm of Richmond, Virginia. "This Greek cafe in Richmond serves all the standards — moussaka, taramasalata, and baklava. But I can't get enough of the baba ghanouj, and I want to make it at home."

This Middle Eastern eggplant spread is also a delicious dip for raw vegetables.

2 1-pound eggplants, halved lengthwise

1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup tahini (sesame seed paste)*
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (my note: more to taste)
1 garlic clove, chopped (my note: I add a couple more cloves.)
Pita bread wedges

Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously oil rimmed baking sheet. Place eggplant halves, cut side down, on sheet. Roast until eggplant is very soft, about 45 minutes. Cool slightly. Using spoon, scoop out pulp from eggplant into strainer set over bowl. Let stand 30 minutes, allowing excess liquid to drain from eggplant.

Transfer eggplant pulp to processor. Add 1/4 cup oil, tahini, lemon juice, and garlic; process until almost smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to small bowl. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.) Serve with pita wedges.

* Available at Middle Eastern and natural foods stores and some supermarkets.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

Bon Appétit
R.S.V.P.
September 2002

shh...

Shh...the baby is sleeping. Now's my chance to check email and blogs. My fingers are itching to knit today too despite the forecasted 102 degree temp. We went to our CSA farm yesterday and were overwhelmed at the abundance of produce we had in our box. I'm excited to figure out what to do with it all! Lots to do today! Dh took the kiddos to a movie this morning so I have a quiet house too. Ahh...