Beach

BEACH!!!!

The beach has always been my "go to" place.  The beach was my family's destination for vacations as a child.  We would load the car and pack a picnic lunch to eat along the way since fast food was a pack of crackers at the gas station. The interstate highway systems were limited so the drive was long and hot with no air conditioning in the car.  But when we arrived it was worth it!  

The beach has also been my healing place.  Facing my 60th birthday just 2 months after losing Kenny, I headed to St. Augustine with the dogs for a week.  

And now, three years later, I am buying a house at the beach!  Well, actually it is 1 mile from the beach in the Parrot Cove neighborhood of Lake Worth, Florida.  But why would I buy a second home over 600 miles away from Quail Hollow?  Because it is warm in Lake Worth during the winter and you can enjoy the beach year round.  

So today is a big day, closing day for the Flamingo NO-tel!  

Guest Room Makeover at the Beach

Yes, I am addicted to Pinterest and it has affected my life!  For several months I have been pinning ideas for The Fisherman's guest room.  He inherited the room, with painted grass around the baseboards and a garden of flowers on the walls. 

BEFORE

Let's start with the before pictures. The guest room is really small and challenging with two windows and a closet door ...

and lots of flowers and bees!

The room arrangement was less than desirable.

AFTER
The update began with paint -  Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige. Moving the bed opened up the room.  During a trip to Ikea I found bedding and curtains for an unbelievably low price.

So this is the result of three days of work.  Still to come are lamps, pictures and a mirror for the girls to use for makeup and hair!  

Kitchen Update

After many years of dreaming of a new kitchen, it has finally happened.  The ideas for my kitchen have been floating around for some time and after much research and shopping, my new dream kitchen is a reality.  There are so many people I need to thank and the first is my grandson, Reeves.  He spent many hours going to Atlanta and visiting every kitchen, appliance, and lighting store within 50 miles.

And then there are the folks at Southern Cabinet Works in Newnan.  Shanon was the designer and she took my ideas, wishes and must-haves and created a beautiful, working kitchen.  Jeff, Robert, and Matt built and installed the cabinets and did so with a lot of patience and expertise.  But before they could do their magic, Rich had to remove all the old cabinets, Tony had to install the lighting with all my dimmers, and Chris of Uptown Kitchens ran the duct work for ventilation.  And let's not forget Mike and Matt, the plumbers as well as Eddie the painter.  All did a fabulous job and the result is my beautiful kitchen!

Before

The Old Kitchen

Needs Updating!

Renovation Begins!

Cabinets Removed

Decorated for Christmas

Proscuitto, Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini

I love appetizers and this is one that is not only simple to make but quite delicious. The inspiration was the wonderful proscuitto in the frig and my homemade fig preserves. Give it a try, I promise you won't be disappointed!

 

 

Proscuitto, Fig and Goat Cheese Crostini

1 baguette
Goat cheese, softened
Fig preserves
Proscuitto

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.  Slice the baguette into 1/2 inch slices.  Place on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil.  Bake until lightly toasted, 10 to 15 minutes.  Spread slices with goat cheese.  Top with fig preserves and proscuitto. 

Chocolate Biscotti Cookies

The need to bake overwhelmed me today.  My goal was to make biscotti.  I love the crunch and soakabililty (is that a word?) of the twice baked cookie.  After a quick search on the Internet, I printed off Giada De Laurentiis' recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Biscotti.  A trip to the grocery store and I was ready to start baking with just a few changes to the recipe.  But in my haste, I did not read the recipe completely, I zeroed in on just the ingredients.  This was not a recipe for the tradition biscotti - it was a recipe for biscotti cookies.  I was disappointed, but that disappointment was quickly replaced with satisfaction because these cookies are good!  I did make a few changes from the original recipe with the addition of espresso powder and substituting pecans for walnuts.  This is a delicious cruchy cookie and very easy to make.

Nutella Biscotti Cookies

1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup Nutella
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon espresso powder
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk to mix.

In another bowl, combine the butter, Nutella and sugars. Cream the ingredients with an electric mixer until well combined, about 4 minutes. Add the egg and vanille and beat until smooth. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Add the pecans and stir to combine.

Using a tablespoon scoop, spoon the cookie dough onto a parchment lined cookie sheet about 4 inches apart.  Press with a fork and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Sunday in the Kitchen

My assignment for tonight's neighborhood Christmas party was to bring an appetizer.  My first thought was Artichoke Dip, that lucious cheese dip that has been a favorite for years.  Then I thought, why play it safe? 


Black Pepper Cheese Shortbreads

So today was all about trying new recipes, some with success, others not so great.  The first recipe was Kale Chips since there was kale in the garden ready to be picked.  I used the standard recipe with olive oil and seasoned salt, but I did not like the results.  I think the problem is my kale, the curly variety.  The biggest problem was not the flavor, but the texture.  But I'm not giving up.  Next time I will try a different variety and see if what happens.
Next on the list are two recipes from Virginia Willis' new book, Basic to Brillant, Y'all.  As I am writing, the Black Pepper Cheese Shortbreads are in the oven, with one minor change.  Instead of sharp white Cheddar cheese, I am using extra sharp Cheddar since that was what was in the frig.  I was "brillant" and added a pecan garnish.

The second recipe is Mini Country Ham Cheddar Biscuits.  They are hanging out on our cold screened-in porch waiting for their time in the oven.  I decided to go "brilliant" with time and make the Honey Bourbon Butter.  Who knew that adding bourbon would add such an unique flavor to the honey?

Sorry, no recipes for these, you will have to buy the book!  Thanks, Virginia for a great cookbook that allows us to take our creations from basic to brilliant!

Potato, Broccoli and Cheddar Soup

To my surprise, I have broccoli in the garden! I have planted broccoli many times before but have never had much success. This year I decided to try it again and the four plants have grown and produced some beautiful heads. The garden and the weather were the inspiration for this recipe. A cold, rainy day, where the high for the day is in the morning calls for a bowl of warm, thick soup. Serve with a simple fruit salad and you have a meal that will add some sunshine to any dreary day.

Potato Broccoli Cheddar Soup

1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, diced

2 leeks, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon sweet smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon aleppo chili
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
3 pounds potatoes, diced
1 head broccoli
2 cups grated extra sharp Cheddar cheese
Salt and Pepper
Sour cream

In a heavy Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Saute onion and celery until tender, seasoning with salt as it cooks. Add flour, paprika and aleppo chili to pot and stir until the flour bubbles. Add the broth, milk and potatoes and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and the potatoes are tender.

While the potatoes cook, cut broccoli into bite-size pieces and steam until tender crisp. When the potatoes are tender, use a potato masher to break up some of the potatoes. Reduce the temperature to low and add the broccoli and cheese and stir until the cheese is melted and the soup is heated through, adding salt and pepper as needed.

Serve with a dollop of sour cream. Serves 6 to 8.

Chocoflan

I admit, I am not a baker. Kenny will be the first to tell you that if flour is involved, there is more on me than in the cake! But Chocoflan is truly one of those easy, delicious recipes that I will make again.

When I decided to give it a try I had to borrow a bundt pan from Dale. But since then I bought Williams-Sonoma's Anniversary Bundt and it works great. The handles on the pan make it easy to remove from the hot water after baking. I also had to substitute caramel sauce for the cajeta.This is a fun cake to make and bake. Caramel sauce in poured into the buttered pan, followed by a chocolate cake batter and topped with a flan mixture. While baking the flan sinks and the chocolate cake rises.

Next time you need a dessert to impress guests, bake a Chocoflan!

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

It is a big mistake to watch the Food Network while working out. But I must admit that Guy was the inspiration for tonight's dessert. And it was seasonal, with fresh Georgia peaches from the Veggie Patch and blueberries from our garden. After a quick search on the Internet for Guy's recipe I decided to do my own version. The result was a delicious cobbler. Next time you have access to fresh blueberries and peaches, give this a try.

Blueberry Peach Cobbler

Filling
2.5 to 3 pounds ripe peaches, peeled and sliced
1 pint blueberries
3/4 cup sugar
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Mix together in a large bowl.

Crust
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 stick cold butter, diced
Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Use a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the butter is the size of very small peas.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Butter a 10-inch iron skillet. Pour in the fruit mixture and top with the flour mixture. Bake 45 minutes or until lightly brown. Serve warm with ice cream.

Garden Update

For the last two weeks we have been planting the garden with lots of success and a couple of failures. The tomatoes and peppers are thriving, growing daily and enjoying the warm weather and recent rain. The butter peas and scalloped squash are up and growing. Purple hull crowder peas are slowly peeking through the soil. The failures include the La France green beans and zucchini and yellow squash. They were planted early and it looks like they will need to planted again. The cucumbers are questionable. We were unable to find seeds so we bought a few plants. I'm not sure how they are going to do. We have always had more success when planting from seed.
Everyday the garden changes. Kenny is working on the irrigation and then we will begin mulching.

Tending to the garden is a lot like tending to your children. You work hard to provide the perfect environment so they will grow and flourish.

Chicken Salad

Every good Southern cook has a favorite recipe for chicken salad. For years, my

chicken salad of choice was seasonsed with curry. When deciding on a menu for Bunco, I decided to create a menu that could be made ahead and served with little effort. After my technique class on chicken at Williams-Sonoma, I had lots of chicken and

Chicken Salad

2 chickens, cut up
Olive oil
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
1 cup pecan pieces, roasted
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup lowfat sour cream
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
2 cups grapes, halved

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the chicken pieces on baking sheets. Rub with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast for 1 hour, or until done. When cool remove the skin and chicken from the bones. Cut into chunks.

Mix together the mayonnaise and sour cream. Add the nuts, vegetables, fruit and tarragon to the chicken. Add mayonnaise and sour cream mixture, adding just enough to moisten the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 1 hour before serving. Serve on croissant rolls with lettuce. Yield: 10 - 12 servings.

Guacamole with a Twist

In a search for an appetizer for Bunco, this one caught my eye. I already had many of the ingredients on hand and it was such an interesting twist on the traditional guacamole that I had to try it. One thing I really liked was the fact that it used oregano and parsley in place of cilantro. I know I should give credit for the source, but I don't remember where I found it! I did make a few changes to the original recipe, substituting Vidalia onions for the red onion and adding fresh lime juice. It was a hit and will be one of my "go to" recipes in the future.

Guacamole with Feta

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 avocadoes, diced

1/2 cup Vidalia onions, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh oregano, chopped

1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Juice of one lime

4 ounces feta cheese

Combine all ingredients and serve with taco chips.

Tomatoes in the Ground!

On April 21st, our first tomatoes were planted in the garden. Thanks to Marshall, we have lots of heirloom varieties. Each plant received a dose of Kenny's Recipe for Healthy Tomato Plants and a drink of water. Now is the hard part, waiting for the plants to grow and produce.

Smoked Salmon with Tarragon Herb Sauce

One of our favorite things to eat is Houston's Smoked Salmon. Even though it is considered an appetizer, Kenny and I often order it for our entree. We have tried to duplicate the recipe at home. I brined the salmon overnight and will do that again, adding more brown sugar to the solution. As for the Tarragon Herb Sauce, it was spot on! The combination of herbs and anchovies adds lots of flavor to the mayonnaise and is a perfect accompaniment to the salmon. The measurements in the recipe are not exact, but I'll work on perfecting the measurements and posting those later.

Smoked Salmon

4 cups water
4 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 3-pound salmon fillet

Combine the water, sugar and salt in a 2-gallon bag. Add the salmon, seal tightly and refrigerate overnight. Remove from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Let the salmon sit at room temperature for 2 hours before smoking. Smoke at 225 degrees F. for 1 1/2 hour and the internal temperture is 145 degrees F.

Tarragon Herb Sauce

2 cups mayonnaise
4 ounces anchovies (can use anchovy paste)
3 - 4 cloves garlic, peeled
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 cup chives
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until the herbs are chopped fine. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight before serving.

Spring is Here!

After a cold, wet, dreary winter, spring has arrived! And with spring comes new beginnings for our Canada geese. This year we have two sets of babies, born about one week apart. The geese have been with us for years, nesting in the same place and providing us with hours of fun watching the babies grow.

This picture was taken within hours of their hatching!

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

My favorite time of year for salads is over. With no more fresh tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden, I am looking for a some new ideas. Tonight's salad is a started with a can of black beans with lots of flavors and color added. The highlight of the salad is the sweet, Silver Queen corn, fresh cut from the cob and used raw.

Tonight's salad is a variation of the Guacamole Salad

Black Bean, Corn and Avocado Salad

1 (15 oz.) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3 ears corn, cut from the cob
3 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely minced
2 cups chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
Zest from 1 lime
1 1/2 limes, juiced
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
Salt and fresh ground pepper

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and allow to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Yield: 6 servings

Woodfire Grill

It doesn't get much better that having a Top Chef cook your birthday meal! And that is just what happened for Cheryl and me. Nan arranged an evening at Woodfire Grill and my favorite Top Chef, Kevin Gillespie, was kind enough to stop by our table for photos and questions about his experience in the competition.

The Woodfire Grill is a warm and inviting restaurant filled with the wonderful aroma of the hardwood burning in the open grill. The menu is planned daily around the freshest available ingredients. Our meal started was a tasty tarragon and fall veggie amuse-bouche.

The first course featured one of my favorite vegetables, fried okra served with white acre peas and tarragon aioli.

Pan seared scallops followed, cooked to perfection on a blackeyed pea puree with fried carrots and braised bacon.

Kenny selected the wood-grilled strip loin with horseradish greens and duck fat roasted fingerling potatoes while I had the wild Alaskan halibut both beautifully plated and equally delicious.

Cheryl's dessert was the most interesting dish of the night. The moist banana bread was topped with a bacon butter cream icing. Yes, I said bacon butter cream! The sweet icing included the smokey taste of bacon.

It was a lovely evening spent with good friends enjoying good food.

Skillet Apple Pie

It is apple season in Georgia and on a recent trip to Elijay, Kenny and I came home with an assortment of fresh apples. For the pie, I used a mixture of apples, sweet and tart. Serve warm with ice cream for the perfect ending to a fall meal.

Skillet Apple Pie

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced, tossed with 1 tablespoon lemon juice

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

¼ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

2 tablespoons flour

Sugar

Topping:
1 ½ cups all-purpose flour

¼ cup sugar

1 ¼ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup unsalted butter

2/3 cup half and half

3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Melt butter in a 10-inch cast iron skillet. Add the apples and cook, stirring frequently for 5 minutes. Mix together the remaining filling ingredients and add to the apples. Continue cooking for 5 minutes or until the apples are soft.

For the topping, mix together the dry ingredients. Cut in the butter with a pastry blender. Add the wet ingredients and stir together.

Spoon the topping over the apples. Sprinkle with 1 to 2 tablespoons sugar. Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 25 to 30 minutes and golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

Barefoot at Quail Hollow

Today started out as one of those dreary, cold days in the South. The skies were overcast and the damp wind was a sure sign that my days of blogging outside were numbered! But what started out as a nasty day, turned into a warm afternoon and evening. This could possibly be my last blog on the back porch until spring.

Dinner tonight was delicious, thanks to the Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics book. The menu was simple, Roasted Tomato Caprese Salad and Baked Shrimp Scampi served over Grits Cakes. I always gauge the success of a meal by Kenny's comments. I was pleasantly surprised that he loved the tomatoes since they weren't from the garden. I followed the recipe as written and Ina was right, the long roasting brings back memories of a good summer tomato.

The Baked Shrimp Scampi was easy and tasty thanks to Mike the Shrimp Man. Mike delivers the shrimp fresh from the coast of Georgia and they were perfect in Ina's recipe. The Grit Cakes were made from leftover Nora Mill's Stone Ground Grits. The leftovers from last night's supper were pressed into a pan and refrigerated. For tonight, I cut them into wedges and browned in a non-stick pan and served with the shrimp to soak up the juices. After a meal with new recipes, I always ask Kenny if I can make it again and tonight his response was "Absolutely!"

Thanks Ina and Mike for a great dinner!

Basil Onion Pepper Jelly

In my search for a better pepper jelly, this one is a milder version with a wonderful sweet, herb flavor. The peppers are a blend of cubanelle, red cherry, sweet banana and tiny yellow bells from the garden. The basil and red onion add a depth of flavor that is wonderful when served as an appetizer on cream cheese with Ritz crackers.

Basil Onion Pepper Jelly

11 ounces peppers
5 ounces red onion
20 basil leaves
1 1/2 cups white vinegar
6 1/2 cups sugar
1 pouch Certo

Sterilize the jars and prepare the lids according to manufacturers directions.

Chop the peppers, onion, and basil in the food processor finely. In a large stainless steel pan, combine the pepper mixture with the sugar and vinegar and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Bring to a full rolling boil and add the Certo. Bring back to a full rolling boil and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and skim off any foam. Ladle into hot jars, wipe rims clean and secure the lids and rings. Place jars in a canner covering completely with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and cool.