In Remy's World

This is Remy.

She is my brother and sister-in-law's German Shepherd, pet. I'd like to think she is now my pet too. 

 There are key words that make Remy very excited: "park", "ball", "walk", "cookie", and "ride". 

"Without a dog, squirrels won't have any reason to come into your yard to taunt." 

"Without a dog, no one will think you are the most amazing cook in the world just

because you can open a can." 

"Without a dog, I would have tassels on my throw pillows instead of little stubs of yarn 

that look like small worms." 

"A dog thinks everything you have to say is absolutely brilliant and fascinating, 

especially if you're holding a piece of food while you're talking." 

(Quotes courtesy of: W Bruce Cameron)

Grilled Vegetable Toastie

Servings: 2

Ingredients

1 tomato, cut into 8 slices

4 whole  mushrooms, sliced

6 slices fresh  mozzarella cheese

Olive oil

Balsamic Vinegar

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Mayonnaise 

4 slices french bread 

Directions

1. On stove top grill, lay the slices of tomato and mushrooms. Drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and sprinkle salt and freshly ground pepper. Grill until the vegetables are tender, 5 minutes.

 Remove from grill, set aside. 

2. Lay 4 slices of bread on a cutting board and spread with mayonnaise. 

Top with the the grilled vegetables and fresh mozzarella cheese. 

3. Preheat a panini grill (if you don't have a panini grill, you can use a skillet, as if you were making grilled cheese). Grill sandwiches 5 minutes, or until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted.

Through Sophie's Eyes

This is Sophie Amelia. 

She is so funny, (her mother tells me stories about
 her that make me roll with laughter!)

witty, and... kindhearted.

Sophie's father works at a homeless shelter and
she loves to go with him. At Christmas, one of the
presents Sophie received was a gift card. Do you
 know what she said? She said she wanted to take it
to the homeless shelter because she knew there were
people there who needed it. 

I love who this little girl is. 

(Photos courtesy of: Tina Lamm) 

Emma

On Thursday, January 26th at 9:44 p.m. my third niece was born. 

7 lbs. 11 oz

21 inches.

Hello, beautiful Emma. 

In The Loop

My sister, Susan, has been making The Loop scarf. Last week when 

she was visiting, we were in a clothing store when she saw one that was two toned. 

Do you know what she did? She went home and made her own... yep, if I didn't love her I'd almost dislike her for her talent:)  

I think these are fantastic! 

The Yellow Loop

The Gray Collar

I think you would agree, she is talented, oh and photogenic! 

(photos courtesy of: Susan Brak)

Apple Crumble

For Christmas, my family gave me Gordon Ramsay's Maze (recipes by Jason Atherton), cookbook. I love to cook and one of my favorite things to to do at the bookstore is to pour over cookbooks. 

Yesterday, I tried my first recipe from Maze. It was a simple apple crumble recipe, and I loved how it turned out. 

*This is a very good recipe to use when you have apples that are going soft. 

Apple Crumble with Hazelnuts

Apple Compote:

4 lb (10-12 whole) apples

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Crumble:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup granulated sugar

pinch (1/8 tsp) ground cinnamon

3 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter 

1/3 cup toasted hazelnuts, lightly crushed 

(Optional: I used chopped pecans, which were very good)

First, peal, core and chop the apples. 

Put the chopped apples in a wide skillet with the sugar, butter, and vanilla. 

Cook over medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes until the apples are just soft, but still holding their shape. Spoon the apple compote into a shallow ovenproof dish, and let cool. 

For the crumble, put the flour, sugar, cinnamon, and butter into a food processor, and pulse until the mixture resembles fine bread crumbs (Alternative: use a pastry blender, by hand).

Stir in the crushed hazelnuts or pecans, then spread over the apple filling. 

Preheat the oven to 400 F. Bake for about 25 minutes until golden brown and crisp on top. 

Spoon  and serve with vanilla ice-cream, or fresh whipped cream. 

Fruits In Season

Growing up my mom had us eat a lot of fruits and vegetables. Most I liked, a few I did not (for some reason I had a disgust for celery that lasted into my adulthood. It changed when I found out how delicious it could be smothered in blue cheese with spicy wings!)  

Now, I am trying to learn the best times to pick out my fruit and vegetables (in season) for two simple reasons: Flavor and price (oh, and so I can also tell my child one day, "Eat your celery sweetie, one day, you'll like it...smothered in blue cheese ") 

December, January, February

Clementines
Grapefruit

Kiwifruit
Mandarin Oranges
Oranges

Pear
Persimmons
Red Banana
Tangerines


March, April, May
Apricots
Honeydew
Mango
Oranges 
Pineapple
Strawberries

(Courtesy of: http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org)

(Photos courtesy of: steamy kitchen and me)

The Man Behind the Grinch

Growing up I loved having Horton Hears A Who!, Yertle the Turtle, and How The Grinch Stole Christmas, being read to me by my mom.

After the 2001 movie I Am Sam, where the main character reads Green Eggs and Ham to his daughter, I returned to Dr. Seuss on my own.

*Dr. Seuss' name real name was Theodor Seuss Geisel

*While at Dartmouth College, Geisel was caught drinking gin with nine friends in his room. As a result,  the Dean insisted that he resign from all extracurricular activities, including the college humor magazine, Dartmouth Jack-O-Lantern. To continue work on the Jack-O-Lantern without the administration's knowledge, Geisel began signing his work with the pen name "Seuss"

*Dr. Seuss' first book: And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street, was rejected 27 times

*He went on to publish and illustrate 46 children's books

(Courtesy google, wikipedia, npr)

http://www.npr.org/2012/01/24/145471724/how-dr-seuss-got-his-start-on-mulberry-street

For the Love of the Game

Who would have thought I'd find myself on a Sunday night, saying "Come on!" or throwing my hands up in the air because I was so excited a certain team had won? That's what watching American football has done to me. To be completely honest, I find the game fascinating and fun to watch. 

I don't think you'll ever find me with my face painted in a certain team's  colors, but you will find me looking forward to watching The Superbowl and not just because of the half-time show and snacks
 (I do still love the snacks though).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3hUpMgfMFc&feature=relmfu

* The American Professional Football Association, which later became the NFL, began in 1920 at a Canton, Ohio car dealership.
* The NFL is the world's richest professional sports league, bringing in close to $1 billion each year.


(photos courtesy of:google)

The Joy in Eating Out

Tonight, after I got done with work, I went out to eat with my family and some friends. Ever since I was little, I've always loved eating out, especially for dinner. When I was growing up, I always knew eating out was a special treat, and it still feels like that now that I'm grown up. 

My family use to tease me because I would order the same thing every time. Even when I would say "I'll try something new this time" I would always order the 3 piece fried, chicken dinner. 

I think what makes eating out so special is you get to choose a dish that makes your stomach smile, you don't have to do any of the dishes and it's shared with people you love or care about. 

I hope this week you will be able to share a meal with the ones you love and laugh with. 

(photos courtesy of:weheartit.com)