Winter surprises in the arboretum

After our long drive home from California my husband and I are happy to finally be home. And, although California experienced it's share of rain while we were visiting it's nice to be back to the northwest, even if it's just to experience more rain.

We had a great time visiting family and friends and gorged ourselves for two weeks straight . That being said we ready to get back to our regular diet and get some exercise. So, we decided to go for a long stroll through the arboretum. I love the arboretum, Spring and Fall are my favorite times of year. In the winter most of the foliage is dark green and the paths can be pretty muddy.

On this particular day there were a few "sucker holes" so, we got to enjoy a bit of sun on occasion and I was able to get a few shots of some unexpected surprises. Well, being that I love nature, color and texture they were surprises for me.

I'm no botanist, so the only tree I know the name of is the Chinese Red Birch, which I call "Copper Ring Trees". These are my favorite trees in the arboretum. As the bark peels off, literally in rings around the trunk it reveals this amazing deep copper color with a smooth texture. This one was exceptionally bright.






















I also couldn't resist this friendly moss covered tree that looks as if it wants to reach out and shake your hand. And lastly, these caramel colored birch looking trees (I have no idea what their correct name is) looked as if they were just aching for someone to meander through them.

After seeing these photos I think I may just have to add "Winter" to my favorite seasons to stroll the arboretum!

Holiday leftover Brunch!

Sunday brunches are just a few of my all time faves. This morning (or shall I say this afternoon) I thought we were long overdue for a Sunday brunch. And, I just happened to have a few leftovers that needed to be eaten up.

I love doing brunch in the oven, it's so easy and it left time for enjoying the last of our Costa Rican coffee. I usually start with the potatoes, which is just a mix of whatever I have. Today I happened to have 1/2 a bell pepper, 1/2 an onion a couple red potatoes and one sweet potato. I decided to be completely evil and toss them with an olive oil/bacon grease mix (just a tiny bit gives them that little bit of bacon flavor :-), sprinkle with sea salt and parsley and roast at 400° for about 40 minutes, or until they are crispy.

Meanwhile, you can start your frittata.  I used the leftover ham my mother-in-law had sent us home with, some 12 month aged Manchego (which I might add was simply divine) and some roasted baby heirloom tomatoes. Frittatas are so easy, and you can use what ever veggies/cheeses you have on hand. Just sauté the veggies a bit, then pour over a few beaten eggs, top with cheese and bake in a 400° oven for about 15-20 mins, or until light and fluffy.

Today it was all about easy, so I decided to do the toast in the oven as well. I buttered it first and just stuck it in the oven with everything else. OMG, it was the best! It stayed light on the inside and was nice and crispy on the outside.

Oven brunches are very forgiving but usually everything ends up working out to were it's all done at the same time!

Whole Grain Heaven!

I discovered a new fave this weekend while visiting my cousin this weekend in Portland, Bob's Red Mill Whole Grain Store. I had heard of and actually used some of Bob's whole grain products before, but I didn't realize that the company was located here in the Northwest. We originally planned on going there for lunch, but got delayed and missed out since the restaurant closes at 3pm. We decided to go to the store anyway.

I had no idea Bob had such a variety of whole grain foods. They carry pretty much every grain you can think of, either pre-packed, or in bulk. I opted for the bulk as it's considerably lower in price.  My husband and I bought everything from quinoa to warm cereal blends to nuts and lentils. And, I can't  forget about the amazing pre-baked corn muffins that are to die for.

Bob's Red Mill store also carries a vast array of gluten-free items, baking items, including specialty bread making tools, pans and baskets. They even have a file cabinet in the back filled with all of Bob's recipes for you to take as you please.

Needless to say, I was in heaven! My husband and I walked out of there with a full bag of grains, nuts and baked goods for only $14, and NO tax, since it was Oregon :-)  If you're ever  near Portland or Milwaukie, Oregon stop by for a visit, you won't be sorry!

Here is a link to the Bob's Red Mill website where you read about all of their great products, their employee-owned company, or find recipes: http://www.bobsredmill.com/bobs-red-mill-whole-grain-store.html

Tomato Vinegrette

Last night while preparing dinner I realized I had an abundance of ripe tomatoes that needed to be eaten. Of course, tomato salad didn't necessarily go with the main dish (stuffed bell peppers) so, I thought why not make a tomato vinegrette? I wasn't quite sure how this was going to turn out as I did it on a whim (like most recipes). I started tossing ingredients into the food processor and blending away. A few tastes and additional ingredients later I ended up with what I thought was pretty darn tasty. I whipped up a quick Euro green salad with toasted walnuts and voila!

Tomato Vinegrette Recipe:

1 cup ripe tomatoes* (cut in med. pieces)
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. dried thyme
1 tsp. dried ground mustard
1 tsp. agave (or 1 pkg. sweetener or 1 tsp. sugar)
salt & pepper to taste

Place everything except olive oil into food processor or blender and blend. Once everything is combined slowly drizzle in the olive oil while pulsing.

Dressing can be used immediately or refrigerated for a couple days. Enjoy!

*Note: if you have time to roast the tomatoes prior to making the dressing I'm sure it would taste even better.

Scentsy stripped the smell!

I absolutely LOVE our condo but a few weeks ago I noticed the bathroom seemed to always have a slight odor. Of course, I'm the only one who noticed it, probably because I was blessed with my Mom's ultra sensitive nose :( It's mold-free and I am a clean freak so after weeks of pondering we came to the conclusion that it's probably the fact that the bathroom is a very long narrow space with no windows.

While chatting with my sister, who just by chance had started distributing a product called Scentsy I mentioned the odor. She suggested I try a Scentsy in the bathroom. They are these neat little plug in lights that sort of look like a night lights only they have a little dish at the top that holds a wax scent. The scents come in cubes that melt down and release fragrance. The light bulb is a safe way to ensure nothing is at risk of catching fire, unlike other types of fragrance burners. The temperature of the melted fragrance is low enough that if you, your children or a pet accidentally comes in contact with it it won't harm you. My sister mailed me two different sizes as a gift, a large one for the kitchen, which I can't wait to put to use and a smaller one pictured above, which I might add  is working wonders for the bathroom smell!

Scentsys come in a variety of sizes, styles and fragrances. To read more about scentsy or to order visit: https://melindanease.scentsy.us/Home

P.S. I forgot to mention how cool they look in the dark!

Shrimp Tacos with Mango Salsa

I promised a friend I would post the recipe for my Mango Salsa. I created this recipe one day on a whim, I thought hmm…I have a ripe mango, ripe tomatoes and a ripe avocado and I just happen to have some shrimp in the freezer. I knew the flavors would be harmonious.

You can serve the salsa with tortilla chips, but I highly recommend you try the shrimp tacos. They are pretty low in fat and very light but, spicy enough to serve with a red wine if you like.

I just sort of winged the marinade for the shrimp so you can adjust accordingly depending on how many tacos you are making. I allow about 2-3 medium sized shrimp per taco.

Shrimp Marinade:
Olive Oil
Chili Powder
Chili Flakes
Garlic powder
Cumin
Lime Zest (save the lime, you'll need it for the salsa recipe)
Salt (to taste)

Place all ingredients in bowl mix with raw shrimp and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Cook on medium to medium high heat on a grill or on a grill pan for about 3 mins per side.

Note: if you are grilling on an outdoor grill you should put the shrimp on skewers.

Mango Salsa
1 ripe Mango (chopped)
1 ripe Tomato (chopped)
1 ripe Avocado (cut in chunks)
1/4 cup chopped Purple Onion
1 Serrano Chili (minced)
2 cloves of Garlic (minced, you can use one if you're not a big garlic fan)
1/2 a bunch of Cilantro (chopped)
juice of one Lime
1/2 tsp. Cumin
Salt & Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl except avocado. Once everything is incorporated, taste for salt & pepper then lightly stir in the avocado. I found that if you mix in the avocado last it doesn't get too mushy.

Now, to assemble the tacos. You can use steamed corn tortillas, but I like to brush them lightly with vegetable oil and bake them for a few minutes so they are lightly crisp and hold up better.

Top the tortillas with the grilled shrimp (I like to cut it up a bit first), a big pile of mango salsa and some finely shredded red cabbage for a little crunch. Olé, now sit back and enjoy with a nice red or white wine, or a cold beer!

It's DAD's turn…

Tomorrow is Father's Day, while my family will be celebrating with a traditional Father's day BBQ in sunny SoCal, I'll be thinking of my father and how much he means to me in gloomy Seattle (insert sad face here).

I love my Dad and I find as I get older I miss him more. I miss his humor, his wisdom, his never ending supply of stories and most of all his incredible smile. I won't go on an on as my Dad isn't an overly emotional person, but I love you Dad and I hope you have a wonderful day you deserve it!