Groundbreaking Kitchens....This Is NOT Your Momma's Kitchen!

Beam ME up Scotty!

Is your kitchen starting to look a little dated? The fridge a little tired? Fixtures a bit too Brady Bunch-ish? How about your microwave? Can you hear it 'running' from across the street? Maybe it's time for a major upgrade to the second-most important room in the house. Not to worry, GearCrave's got you covered. Check out a few of the top groundbreaking kitchen gadgets! Get ready to be WOWED!

The Revolving Kitchen By Compact Concepts/CleverKitchen.com This ingenious design is, sorry for sounding like a teenager BUT, the BOMB for small condos and apartments. I can see this in a small apartment in Manhattan, it is amazing and mind boggling. It’s a way for you to expand your entertaining space in a small-sized kitchen. Want to put a King Arthur-worthy table into your kitchen space but you just don't have the room? Want to indulge your desire to cook and entertain in the same spot? This is a fully-functional kitchen that rotates 180 degrees, offering a ton of hidden storage space, a dishwasher, sink, stove, an oven and is basically facinating to look at. Moving? Pull it out and take this sweet kitchen-ette with you! Price? Gotta contact the company for a price quote based on your choice of a wide range of options and sizes.

The TurboChef Double Oven is an ordinary convection oven on the bottom, and a blazing fast super-oven on top. The top compartment cooks food 15 times faster than the bottom compartment thanks to built-in Airspeed Technology. The hype for this claims you can get fresh asparagus in 45 seconds, a frozen pizza in 90 seconds, and a whole a rack of lamb in 4 minutes. What about a Thanksgiving turkey? An amazing 42 minutes, really? WOW!  Sign me up! The TurboChef site claims “five-star quality results.” Food cooks as it would in an ordinary oven only with Sci-Fi fast results. TRULY AMAZING!

The Grill-Right Talking Thermometer will tell you when your meat is at the right temperature. The Remote Thermometer really is an asset to any high tech kitchen with its LCD screen, remote wireless probe, and five languages to let you know when your meat is ready for the next step in the cooking process. The sensor’s temperature range goes from 32°F to 572°F, and it’s programmable for many different entrees; beef, lamb, veal, hamburger, pork, turkey, chicken, and fish. You can pop it in your meat on your outdoor grill and walk away. It has a transmission range up to 430 feet away. With this gadget, you never have to worry again about overcooked meat. 

Samsung RH269LB Fridge Features Wireless ICE Pad is THE top of the line design where state of the art cooling technology meets wireless entertainment. Refrigerators no longer just do the cooling but serve as entertainment centers for your home as well. Almost every major brand has jumped on the bandwagon with their refrigerator models that feature integrated TV/cable and an Internet connection to keep you connected while you are working in your kitchen. But, Samsung stands-out with their new Samsung RH269LB Fridge that features a wireless ICE Pad that not just entertains you in home but you can also take the screen with you when going out! Besides watching TV, the 10.4 inch TFT touch panel also includes a calendar, scheduler and message board to enable you to organize your kitchen and your life with great ease! Download your favorite recipes and pull them when you are cooking. What a way to make a grocery list; pop it out and you're on your way! This is definitely NOT your mother's 'ice box'!

 Crestron Control Surfaces are not just limited to controlling kitchen lighting, climate, and exterior lights anymore. You can use this handy controller to play music, run a home theatre, close the shutters, turn on the oven and coffee pot, attain access to the Internet and even open the swimming pool. Any electronic in your home can be controlled from the 'Creston Control' surface. You can have  total control of your entire home. This is the automated home our grandparents fantasized about in the 50's.

Kitchen design is definitely light years away from where it used to be, thanks to innovations in style and substance like these. If the trends keep moving in the right directions, it’s only a matter of time until all of this is supplemented by a robotic maid and an android dog. Here’s to the future! Move over George Jetson!

Old, Classic Board Games and Rainy Days

BORED?

HOW ABOUT PLAYING A BOARD GAME?

Sorry that was a shameless pun but I just could not pass that up. Summer vacation is upon us here in Dallas. In the past our kids have enjoyed summer camp, swimming, SIX FLAGS, hanging out with good friends, many, many sleep overs, going to the movies, concerts and the mall. I'm sure I am leaving something out but you get the general idea. Our children are older now and have more responsibilities that cut deeply into their summer activity time. What do my children and your children do when they are not working or out having 'FUN'? Or on a rainy day when the younger kids can't get out and about, what then?

Now I know that we live in the age of technology and the kids have access to all sorts of video games, iPods and cell phones with apps. They can spend endless hours playing video games or listening to music...in their own little world. What did we DO before all of this technology? We played board games, at least we did in my house.

Wedged way back in a closet, that may or may not have been organized in quite some time, you just might find a few old cracked and split boxes of worn out board games from years gone by. The flashy 70's print boxes have long since faded leaving dusty yellowed remains. You may find old instructions, broken pencils and homemade scorecards.

Take a deep breath. Do you smell it? Smells like a rainy Saturday afternoon circa mid-70's. Well at least to me it does.You know how the smell of something can trigger all sorts of memories. It's that musty scent that takes me back to the sound of young girls giggling and having a good time indoors on a wet and dreary day.

Why do you suppose we love old board games? What do we find so appealing about them in this age of technology in which we live? It may be hard for you to pin down, but for me I think it's because board games are social. You need an opponent to play against. Someone to judge yourself against, someone to congratulate you when you do well, someone to tease you when you do poorly. Simply put old board games are socially fun and full of memories.
For old time’s sake, let’s look back fondly on ten of the greatest board games of all time or at the very least MY favorites!

10. Connect Four.  Quick set up time, easy rules, and fun game play. Connect Four is a game of checkers and tic tac toe with a twist. The rules are simple: try to build a row of four checkers while keeping your opponent from doing the same. Sounds easy, but it's not! The vertical strategy creates a unique challenge: you must think in a whole new way to block your opponent's moves. It only takes two players, my sister and I used to love this game.

9. Battleship. You are the commander of your own fleet.  Prepare your strategy and lead your troops to victory. Calling out your coordinates and mark your hits and misses. The object of Battleship is to destroy your opponent's fleet first. Not always the easiest thing to do. Only requires two players making this another good game for a rainy summer day, just me and my sister.

8. Risk. Widely accepted as the first mainstream war game. Players are given tons of little army units to place onto the map of the world. When it's your turn, you use your units to attack other players' positions, hopefully with superior numbers. Combat is a simple roll of the dice away. Such a popular game that there are 'special edition' games now made.  Lord of The Rings to Star Wars, you too can dominate the world in an hour.

7. Candyland. This is the classic "child's first game", and preschoolers love it. Children draw colored cards, and move their plastic gingerbread playing tokens to the next square of the same color. Passing the peppermint forest and the ice cream sea on the way, the first one to reach the candy castle wins. No need to read to play this game. 2 to 4 players Great game if you have little ones.

6. Trivial Pursuit. A board game in which progress is determined by a player's ability to answer general knowledge and popular culture questions. Game is easy to learn but has a lifetime of questions to ponder (6000 questions). A great game to play. From 2 to 24 players.

5. The Game of Life. Classic board game breaks down an entire lifespan into a series of choices and chance. Practice makes perfect. Try marriage, kids, and more. Will you go to college and take out student loans? Or join the working force and collect on payday? Will you go bankrupt, or earn millions in stock and real estate? Any thing's possible with a spin of the Life wheel! One of the most popular family games.

4.Yahtzee. A classic dice rolling game where the opponents try for the highest score. This game is fun for all ages and holds a special place in my heart. Mr.P and I played this game while dating. It DROVE my mother nuts! That rattle of the dice just wore on her last nerve, but it was a great way for us to learn more about each other and fall in love. It is still a much loved game in the Porter house.

3. Scrabble. A word game in which two to four players score points by forming words from individual lettered tiles on a game board marked with a 15-by-15 grid. The words are formed across and down in crossword fashion and must appear in a standard dictionary. Scrabble is a classic and has sold over 150 million world-wide in 121 countries and 29 languages. It's a classic and a favorite of families. Mr. P and I played Scrabble on our honeymoon! Now that's an endorsement!

2. Clue. Who, Where, When and Which weapon. For generations, around the world, Mr. Boddy has met his end at the hand of one of six infamous suspects in this family game. As you search the mansion's nine rooms and secret passages, be on the lookout for those murderous suspects and watch out for those deadly weapons. The mystery changes every time you play. If you can collect the right clues and make the right deductions, you'll solve the mystery... and win! This was our GO TO game on rainy, steamy, summer days! Still love it! For 3 to 6 players. 

1. Monopoly. Everybody remembers the Monopoly game - that's why it's still the most popular, most widely played, and best-selling board game in the world! It brings back so many memories of wheeling-and-dealing family fun. No other game has turned so many game playing moments into memories! Whether you're discovering the fun for the first time or reliving the carefree days of youth, get out there and Buy! Sell! Mortgage! Build houses and hotels! And collect those rents! That's what makes Monopoly the number one board game in the world and 'America's Game'!

Huddled around the kitchen table waiting on a long pause in Scrabble, sitting in a friend’s basement late at night waging merciless war in Risk, or gathering the family together for a classic Saturday night game of Monopoly, whatever your style — there’s just something about those old, classic board games. They bring us together for some laughs, some ups, some downs, and some plain old good times.

AWESOME!

The Cinque Terre, Hiking, Pesto Shrimp and Mixed Greens

Tossed mixed greens in a light but bright lemon vinaigrette topped with savory grilled shrimp makes a terrific simple, light dinner. We LOVE grilled shrimp here at Porter South. It makes for a quick and easy meal on a busy Saturday. For this recipe you can save time by buying peeled and deveined shrimp and prepared pesto. I keep a bag of large shrimp in the freezer at ALL times. If the P's decide they want shrimp for dinner I pull them out of the freezer and set them in cold water. Shrimp thaw quickly this way.                                              

                                       

If you have never tried pesto, you are missing out on a fantastic taste sensation! The Cinque Terre region of Italy is the birthplace of Pesto. Basil grows in abundance there, so much so that it has to be cut back. Basil is to Pesto as Lemon is to Lemonade. If someone has just cut back their basil and kindly unloads their burden on you.....by all means make some Pesto! I'm sure many centuries ago, the Italians had to come up with an ingenious way to use this pesky weed called Basil. Sometimes desperation and a load of Basil is the mother of inventions and before you know it pesto is being served and it's wonderful!

  Here is a tip from me to you: Pesto freezes well. I make mine all at once when the basil is needing to be cut back. Pour your prepared pesto into ice cube trays and freeze. Once frozen, just pop them in an air-tight freezer bag and you have ready made pesto quickly. If you prefer not to make your own pesto you can do the same with store bought. Keeping your shrimp and pesto in the freezer makes for a delicious impromptu meal your family and friends will enjoy. BE PREPARED at all times and entertaining friends or family can be extremely easy and rewarding!
  When I serve this meal I always add pasta on the side. A salad and grilled shrimp will not satisfy the hungry Porter men. I cook a simple pasta, usually Angel Hair, and serve the shrimp on top with this great salad on the side. It's wonderful however you choose to serve this dish and best of all is does not keep me in the kitchen all day. Quick and Easy works for me!!
                                  

Pesto Shrimp

Ingredients:

• Grated zest and juice from 1 large lemon
• 2/3 cup olive oil
• Salt, to taste, plus 1/4 tsp.
• Freshly ground pepper, to taste, plus 1/2 tsp.                              
• 1 1/2 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined,
  tails intact
• 3 Tbs. homemade or purchased pesto
• 1/2 lb. mixed salad greens                                                                   
• 1 cup grape or cherry tomatoes

Directions:

  Make the lemon vinaigrette.

In a small bowl, combine the lemon zest and juice. Gradually whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

  Grill the shrimp.

Prepare a medium-hot fire in a grill.

In a bowl, toss the shrimp with 2 Tbs. of the lemon vinaigrette, the 1/4 tsp. salt and the 1/2 tsp. pepper. Skewer your shrimp and grill, turning once, until the shrimp are firm and opaque, about 5 minutes total. Transfer the shrimp to a bowl, add the pesto and stir to coat the shrimp.

  Make the salad.

In a large bowl, combine the salad greens and tomatoes, drizzle with the remaining lemon vinaigrette and toss. Divide the salad among 4 plates, top with the shrimp and serve immediately. Serves 4.

  Optional: Cook Angel Hair pasta, drain and add to the bowl of shrimp, coating the pasta with pesto. I always use an extra 2 tablespoons of pesto when I cook pasta. Plate and serve your salad on the side.

My recipe for Homemade Pesto

Ingredients:
2 cups packed fresh basil leaves
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup freshly grated Pecorino cheese

Directions:

Combine the basil, garlic, and pine nuts in a food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add 1/2 cup of the oil and process until fully incorporated and smooth. Season with salt and pepper.
 If using immediately, add all the remaining oil and pulse until smooth. Transfer the pesto to a large serving bowl and mix in the cheese.
 If freezing, DO NOT add the cheese. Transfer to an air-tight container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese.

ENJOY!!!

                   VILLAGE OF MANAROLA                     

CINQUE TERRE

The Cinque Terre, meaning Five Lands, are the five small towns of Monterosso, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore. These villages, that seemingly cling to cliffs, are sandwiched in between the Mediterranean Sea and the mountains on a small stretch of beautiful Italian coast. They are hard to reach, this fact alone has kept mass tourism out of this small corner of Italy. It does however attract many daily 'hikers'. There is no coast road and the coastal walking path gives you a real feeling of remoteness as you walk in between the villages. Even today, the only way to get from one town to the other is along these ancient footpaths that wind along the cliffs or by train. You are rewarded for your walking/hiking efforts with dramatic vistas of cliffs, sea, sky and picturesque villages. It takes about five hours to walk from the first to the last of the five towns, but what fun is that? If you happen to find yourself in the Cinque Terre take time to walk these paths, village to village. Stop and explore each little village, spend the night along the way and dine on some of the best Italian food in the country. The Cinque Terre should be on every one's list if traveling to Italy. It's NOT to be missed!

The Cinque Terre can be found in the top left hand corner of this map. I wanted you to see how closely it is located to Pisa, Lucca and Florence (Firenze). Ristorante Vulnetia in Vernazza is known

for it's pesto dishes. The Trofie al Pesto is divine. This little gem is tucked away in the back left corner of Piazza Marconi. So worth the wait. Locals line up to eat here. Not only for the Pesto but the anchovies as well. Let me just stop right here and say these are NOT your mother's version of anchovies. Sealed in a tin full of oil!  NO!  These sweet fish are caught on a daily basis and so fresh they are addictive! SO, if you happen to find yourself in the area, stop and enjoy the beauty around you and feast on the local, freshly made pesto, pasta and sardines!  

You'll Be Glad You Did!

The Vernazza Harbor is lovely in the daytime, but isn't this enchanting? Not many tourist left in the city as the sun goes down, you and the locals have the streets to yourself. This is when you fall in love with Italy. Go take a look for yourself, it should be on your 'bucket list'!

The Perfect Hello To Summer! Eatin' S'mores And Mores!

                        

Camping just would not be complete without this simple, gooey dessert we so lovingly call s'mores. The whole experience of making s'mores is enjoyable: you sit around a campfire watching the flickering flames as you toast the pillowy sweet marshmallows at the end of your stick and when the marshmallow is golden and just about to melt right off the stick you make a marshmallow and chocolate graham cracker sandwich. Yum!

If you are over the age of 10 and live in the US, you have eaten a s'more. They are ingrained in our memories with loving fondness. Bringing back to mind summer camping trips, sitting by a bonfire in the cool crisp air of Fall or even on a Winter's day when the family is trapped indoors sitting around the fire keeping warm as it snows outside. Fond memories of family, friends, laughter, the smell of woodsmoke, hay and roasted marshmallows brings a smile to my face.

Camping was a tradition in our family. We began camping when my sister and I were 4 and 2 or somewhere very near then. Our parents drug us across America as kids, sometimes we loved it sometimes not so much. Our parents thought this was a good way to travel on a budget...and you know what? IT WAS GREAT! It taught us to love traveling and to always want to learn about new people and places.

Most nights Daddy would start a fire as my sister and I looked until we found the perfect sticks for marshmallow roasting. We all sat around the fire and proceeded to have a s'more feast. It's one of those treats you can't help yourself around. We would get a little giddy, oohing and aahing, licking our fingers and giggling like kids do. I'm sure we were one big ooey gooey mess! Mom taught us how to roast our marshmallows without roasting our arms! She LOVED, and still does, the burnt marshmallows. You know what......my sister and I do too, something we picked up from mom.

Our long summer vacations and weekend trips seem so wonderful as I look back now. I'm thankful to my parents for taking us out into the quiet serenity of the wilderness. I can still smell the pine trees and hear the babbling river and all of that abundant fresh air and a sky so big and full of stars that it never seemed to end. As we drove away from our campsite to head home we were always just a bit melancholy, but we knew there would be another weekend another summer to roam under the stars free and barefoot, eatin' s'mores and catching lightening bugs!

SUMMERTIME S'MORES

INGREDIENTS

• Marshmallows
• Sticks
• Hershey Chocolate Bar
• Graham Crackers

WHAT TO DO

• Arrange two squares of graham cracker on a paper plate. Top one cracker with a good size square of Hershey's chocolate.
• Roast the marshmallows by placing one on a skewer and gently rotating it over an open flame of a campfire.
• When the marshmallow is golden and soft on the inside, remove it from the flames and place it on the chocolate cracker. Top it with the second cracker and SMASH IT GOOD! Let the chocolate  melt and warm the crackers, EAT while warm! ENJOY!

My youngest, Elizabeth and her boyfriend Bradley making S'mores last summer. A tradition which she has carried on for the family!

                                                                                

               

Place tablespoons of dough on each graham cracker square.

Here they are almost done...not quite all the way melted yet.

S'MORE BARS

I've seen these floating around the web, I'm sure you have as well. I just had to give 'em a try. These cookies have a graham cracker base with a chocolate chip cookie sprinkled with chocolate and marshmallows topping it. The crunch of the graham cracker with the gooey cookie is the perfect combination. They are the Perfect Hello to Summer.

INGREDIENTS

• 11 Tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 ½ cups flour
• 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup mini marshmallows
• 3 regular sized Hershey’s bars, broken into pieces
• 1-2 packages graham crackers, broken into squares

WHAT TO DO

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt to combine. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter with white and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until combined.
• Add the flour mixture to the butter mixer and combine on low speed.
• Fold in the chocolate chips and marshmallows. Chill dough in refrigerator for 1 hour to overnight (I did one batch right away and another after chilling overnight and found there was no difference.)
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line baking pans with parchment paper. I used one 11x17 pan and one 9x13 pan but you can really use any sized pans you want.
• Lay out graham crackers side by side on the pans as close as possible (they should be touching). I used 16 graham cracker squares on one pan and 10 squares on another. You may have to add or remove graham crackers according to how much dough you have. If you want your cookies thicker you will use more dough and less graham crackers.
• Place tablespoons of dough on graham crackers about 1 – 1 ½ inches apart. I averaged about 1 1/2 tablespoons of dough per graham cracker square as seen in the picture above. Press down slightly with fingertips.
• Bake for 5 minutes then remove from oven to press Hershey’s bar pieces on to the top. You can place as many pieces or as little as you want depending how much chocolate flavor you want.
• Bake for 5 – 7 more minutes or until dough is beginning to turn golden brown at the edges. Remove to a wire rack to cool. For clean cutting make sure cookies are completely cool and cut with a sharp knife.

THERE'S NOTHIN' BETTER THAN SUMMER S'MORES, ENJOY EATIN' THESE AND HAVE FUN WITH YOUR FAMILY THIS SUMMER. GO CAMPING...... TAKE THE KIDS AND START YOUR OWN SUMMER TRADITIONS. THANKS FOR STOPPING BY!

                                                   HELLO SUMMER,

WELCOME HOME OLD FRIEND!

ENJOY!

~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~

For the LOVE of a Tomato!

           Good Morning Dear Readers!

 

I don't know what the deal is, but I've been craving tomatoes lately. I buy my favorite tomatoes at the Dallas Farmer's Market. There is a woman from Canton, TX that sells THE most divine tomatoes. She knows everything there is to know about a tomato. From planting to harvest to recipes to eating. I guess you could call her the Rain'woman' of tomatoes. They are the best and I just can't seem to get enough of them. I must have some sort of deficiency. My favorite way to eat one of these luscious tomatoes is simply sliced and warmed by the sun. I keep them on my kitchen window sill. I slice my tomatoes thick,  and sprinkle them with a little Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. I eat the whole tomato by myself...no sharing here. Maybe that gives you an idea of how super delicious they really are. I thought I'd share a TOMATO recipe with you today so that you can revel in all the yumminess too!

                     Bruschetta

Ingredients:

3 or 4 Roma Tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 baguette
freshly grated Parmesan cheese


                  
                    Garlic Butter
Ingredients:

1/4 cup of butter, softened
1 clove of garlic, minced
a little salt and pepper

To make the bruschetta topping, mix together the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Set aside. To make the garlic butter, mix together the butter, garlic, salt and pepper. Slice the bread and top with a little bit of the garlic butter. Either broil or toast in a skillet for a few minutes until it is lightly browned. Put tomato topping on bread, sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and pop it in the oven for a few minutes until the cheese just slightly starts to melt.       EAT!

If you're family is like the P's, this does NOT last long in our house. It's every man for himself. YUM.

ENJOY!

*I decided to amend my tomato post by including a blurb about the Tomato Festival in Bunol, Spain. La Tomatina is one massive food fight held on the last Wednesday of August each year in the sleepy village of Bunol near Valencia, Spain. Thousands upon thousands of people make their way from all corners of the world to fight in the 'World's Biggest Food Fight' where more than one hundred tons of over-ripe tomatoes are thrown in the streets. Yeah, you read that correctly....100 tons, that's a lot of tomatoes! Trucks haul the bounty of tomatoes into the center of  town to the Plaza del Pueblo. The festival or 'tomato fight' does not begin until one brave soul has climbed to the top of a two-story high, greased-up wooden pole and reaches the coveted ham at the top. REALLY? The purpose of this would be.......? I have absolutely NO idea! Let me just stop right here and insert that I WOULD have participated in an event like this when I was in college. AND I would have thoroughly enjoyed every minute. I know there are friends of mine that are reading this and shaking their heads agreeing with me. They know it's true. So I'm thinking these are mainly young people that come to Bunol yearly for this event. Okay so, when the coveted ham has been captured they fire the cannons, and the chaos begins! TOMATOES EVERYWHERE! Once the battle begins it is every man, woman or child for himself. After exactly one hour, the fighting ends. When the water cannons are fired no more tomatoes can be thrown. They bring in massive hoses to flush the tomato 'puree' out of town. Again.....a purpose please..anyone? Well at least it spikes the tourism trade in Bunol. I do believe if I ever attended such an event, I would NEVER eat another tomato! Thank you and have a great day!

                                                                              

Angel Hair Pasta with Scallops and Arugula

 This is such a wonderfully easy Summer meal to prepare and serve...the P's really love the flavor of this dish. Being a quick dinner to pull together makes it ideal for a crowd dining al fresco. After you finish cooking divide it among warmed large decorative pasta bowls. You can find great pasta bowls online at Crate and Barrel, they come in beautiful Summertime colors!

Again, as I have written before, I cook off-road....meaning unless I'm baking I hardly ever stick strictly to a recipe. This gem has morphed several times over the years and as of 2012, this is the recipe I use. So as you cook throw in whatever ingredients that are desired. Don't like Scallops? Try shrimp and for those of you that don't like seafood use chicken. I always cook extra Scallops because I know Mr.P and our son will hog them all! That's the great thing about this pasta seafood meal. You can ADD or TAKE AWAY ingredients depending on how many people you are feeding. I just guess-ti-mate!

The best Italian capers come from Pantelleria, a small island close to Sicily. They are packed in salt and have a sweet, floral fragrance, not like the sharp tasting brine-packed varieties. Thankfully, Sicilian capers are becoming easier to find. Central Market and Whole Foods stock their shelves with these delights.

Try this most perfect dish on a hot Summer's Eve. Your family will be glad you did! 

                                                                    DELICIOUS!!

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs. large sea scallops, side muscle
  removed
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Grated zest of 1 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, finely minced 
• Leaves from 2 or 3 large fresh thyme sprigs,
  minced
• 4 Tbs. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 3-4 shallots, minced
• 1 lb. angel hair pasta
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1/4 cup capers, preferably salt-packed, rinsed
  and drained
• 1/2 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
• 1 large {and I do mean LARGE} bunch arugula, preferably
  small leaves, washed, dried and stems removed
• grated Parmesan cheese, opt.
• Italian parsley or Basil, rough chopped, opt.

Directions:

Rinse the scallops and dry well with paper towels. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. In a large, heavy fry pan over high heat, warm the olive oil until hot but not smoking. In batches without crowding, add the scallops and sear until nicely browned on one side, about 2 minutes. Turn the scallops over and brown the other side, about 1 minute more. Return all the scallops to the pan, add the lemon zest and thyme, and cook for a moment. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the scallops to a warmed bowl. Reduce the heat to low and add the butter, garlic and shallots to the pan. Sauté until softened, about 4 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Generously salt the boiling water. Add the pasta and cook until al dente, tender but firm to the bite, 3 to 4 minutes.

While the pasta is cooking, add the lemon juice and stock to the fry pan and deglaze the pan, stirring to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom. Simmer until slightly thickened, 3 to 4 minutes. Drain the pasta well and add it to the fry pan. Add the scallops and any juices that have accumulated, then add the capers and pine nuts. Toss over low heat to finish cooking the scallops and mix the ingredients, about 1 minute. Taste and adjust the seasonings.
                                           
Transfer to a warmed large, shallow bowl, add the arugula leaves and toss gently. Top with grated Parmesan and chopped pasley or basil, if desired. Serve immediately with a green salad and good crunchy Italian bread!
Serves 4.

                                ENJOY!

..........and thanks for stopping by and sittin' for a spell...........

                                           

A Garden Of Herbs

To plant an herb garden is to plant a piece of history. Books have been written about them, poets have penned poems and prose. Herbs seem to be more than just ordinary greenery you might throw in a pot for flavor, they seem to be mysterious and mystical. Herbs are steeped in folklore by years of oral histories past from generation to generation. For centuries they have been used by cooks and 'healers' alike. They are symbols of such virtues as courage, friendship, fidelity and remembrance. Did you know that when you move into a new home you should plant a hearty rosemary bush by your back door or gate? It is a symbol of remembrance and friendship and welcomes all who come into your home. I like that, whatever the reason. I am fascinated by the old tales, and folklore and believe that there are many gems of knowledge and understanding in the old ways. Have you checked out the vitamin isle lately at your local pharmacy???

I just love this little round herb garden.
Easy to care for with bountiful results.

I really love cooking with fresh herbs. There isn’t a chef alive who wouldn’t agree that the use of herbs plays an important roll in cooking. These wonderfully fragrant plants enhance our foods in a natural and fresh way. If you have never used fresh herbs in your cooking try it sometime. You can pick them up in the produce section of your local grocery store. You will be completely amazed at the difference it makes in the way your food tastes. If you and your family discover a new taste sensation during mealtime buy 2 or 3 plants to put in your kitchen window. Who knows before long you may just be planting your own herb garden! Herbs are hearty plants and will grow easily in pots on a patio or even on a window sill in an urban location, make sure to choose a sunny location. If you already have a garden full of flowers you can plant herbs in and among your beauties. No self respecting Kitchen Garden would be complete without them! 

These are wonderful and easy ways to grow herbs. The raised bed will contain your herbs so they will not spread into other areas of your garden. Mint can really get out of control if you do not contain it's space. The little window box, set of six herbs, is perfect for the avid cook with no outdoor space and using pots on your patio makes for easy access. How do you know which herb to use when you are cooking? There are some well known combinations which may help you to choose which herb to use with a particular dish. However I think it all comes down to personal taste, what you like and don't like. I am not crazy about sage. The only time it is used in our home is Thanksgiving when it's time to make our favorite dressing/stuffing, and then it is used ONLY sparingly! Trial and error I think is your best course of action as with anything else in life. Just remember, once cut, fresh herbs will only last a few days in the refrigerator so only pick or buy as much as you need for one or two days.

I’m a big fan of cooking with herbs. Whether they be fresh, or dry, they can bring so much flavor and life to your dishes. Below are some of my favorite herbs and simple ways to use them.

BASIL 

 Basil is an annual and grows in full sun. It is a hearty plant, you can't kill it! It will reseed itself easily. You can see the beginnings of the flowers on the top of the plant here in this picture. PINCH that off! Leaving the white flowers on top will stunt the plants growth. It has a hint of anise and spicy pepper flavor. It is the main ingredient in pesto. Great in Italian dishes and Purple Basil makes GREAT red vinegar! Basil is the symbol of love and devotion.

   ROSEMARY 

                                             

Rosemary is a perennial and grows in full sun to partial shade. This herb is a KEEPER, I grow it in my kitchen window on a heart topiary....which needs attending badly. Rosemary goes with just about any meat or veggie dish. My personal favorites are to throw it in while I am roasting small red potatoes or make slits in a beef or pork tenderloin and stuff with a mixture of chopped rosemary, Italian Parsley, garlic and olive oil. Great in marinades and makes wonderful infused oils and vinegar. Rosemary is a symbol of Love, Friendship and Remembrance....remember the bush by your backdoor?

 TARRAGON

   

Tarragon is a perennial grown in full sun to partial shade. It is a delicate plant and if you have excessively hot summers like we do in the Lone Star State, or frigid winters, you may have to replant every year. It is worth it! This is my GO TO herb for seafood. I love the taste of Tarragon, Lime and Sweet Butter on baked, poached or grilled fish. To make a compound butter you must start with room temp unsalted butter, add as much chopped tarragon as you like, and the zest and juice of a lime. Mix them together and pour out onto a piece of plastic wrap. Fold the wrap over your butter and shape into a log and pop in the fridge. You can slice this and put it on your fish before cooking,  during cooking or after...as you are plating it up for dinner. YUM!

OREGANO

                                               

Oregano is a perennial grown in full sun, no shade for this plant. Fairly hearty plant with intense flavors of balsam and clove. I think we all know what to do with oregano.....Italian dishes. Anything with tomatoes tastes better with oregano. Throw it on pizza, in stuffing or scrambled eggs. You can't go wrong here.

PARSLEY

                                                  

Parsley is an annual in my neck of the woods and sometimes needs to be planted more than once in a growing season. It can take partial sun, preferably morning sun afternoon shade. It's flavor is mild, savory and slightly peppery. I cook with parsley quite a bit. When I am cooking green beans, or other veggies and most main dishes as well. I find Parsley's biggest asset is that it doesn't have an overwhelming flavor and when added to any dish it gives it a POP! Brightens it right up. I Love it, my favorite being Italian Parsley, flat-leaf parsley. It's good and compliments most any dish.

MINT

 

 Mint is very much a perennial, once you plant it you better love it because it will NEVER go away! It grows in full sun to partial shade. PLEASE dear readers make sure you do not plant mint among other herbs or plants. Plant it in a separate container or it will over take your herb garden....I have experienced this and there is no getting rid of it. Okay, that being said, I love mint! It is so fresh and smells wonderful cut in my kitchen. It just brightens up my day. It's flavor varies from peppermint to spearmint. Add mint to fruit salads, tea, lemonade for a refreshing boost of flavor. The obvious choice where mint is concerned is in making jelly or sauce to serve with lamb. Mint is the symbol for Virtue and made the Mint Julep a Southern superstar! I have never tasted one. Anyone else?

DILL

                                             

Dill grows as an annual and in full sun. It's flavor is a cross section of parsley, anise, celery and a hint of lemon. That's pretty good. Add to salad dressings for cucumbers and tomatoes. Dill is delicious in  potato, tuna, egg and pasta salads. Dill seeds have an intense flavor and are used in the picklin' process.

THYME

                                               

 Thyme is a perennial and grows great in full sun but will tolerate a bit of afternoon shade. Thyme has a pungent, spicy, savory flavor. Lemon Thyme is a bit milder, with a lemon flavor. Thyme, Lemon or otherwise, is wonderful with fish, meats, most veggies and soup. It makes great compound butters to top steaks, grilled chicken or fish. Thyme is the symbol for courage.

 If you have an abundance of herbs at the end of your growing season by all means dry them. You will have fresh dried herbs all winter long. Cut your herbs and bundle with string, raffia or even a rubber band. Bend a large paper clip and hook your herbs upside down in a cool, dry and dark area, preferably in a room not used often.  Just remember that a dried herb is stronger in flavor than a fresh herb. Usually 1 teaspoon dried = 3 tablespoons fresh chopped herbs this is a good rule to follow.

I hope you will try herbs in your cooking. Start out on a small scale and take it from there. I love growing them AND sharing them. I have a neighbor down the road that comes and cuts mint from my garden. I mentioned how mint gets out of hand.....this little lady has full reign to come and cut as much mint as she wants!

 Enjoy Miss Susan's artwork on Herbs!

This pretty little page was written and published by Susan Branch, one of my favorite artistic authors. This is from her Summer book, check her out

at

www.susanbranch.com

ENJOY!!....

......and plant a little garden of herbs, you'll be glad ya did!!

THANKS FOR STOPPING BY AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

~THE DOMESTIC CURATOR~

RONDA