Panang style Thai Curry with Shrimp

Oh my goodness this stuff is to die for!

Squid Salad

Delicioso! Squid is Super!

Seaweed Salad

Yummo! Its delicious Seaweed!

Momma Tea!

So, my midwife has suggested that I drink Red Rasperry Leaf Tea because it helps with tissue elasticity (we all know I need that right now!) which includes helping to prevent stretch marks and also helps with the softening and flexibility of pelvic muscles and the effacing of the cervix as well as toning/effectiveness of the uterus. Yep! I went there. Deal with it.

So, I have here Traditional Medicinal's Organic Raspberry Leaf Tea. Problem is, I don't like tea. I can stomach it and all.. I just don't have much of a taste for it. So, here's my concoction...

Starts with 6oz of the above tea

3oz of Cranberry juice

4oz of Josh's hand squeezed lemon aid he made earlier today... then I tasted it to see how it was coming along (that removed a couple ounces :-)

And I topped it off with 7up! About 4oz I would guess.

And it was really yummy! Various combinations of those ingredients should help me get my 1-3 servings of Red Raspberry Leaf tea each day for the remainder of this pregnancy (even though I'm not a tea drinker I really enjoyed this combo) so that I can get the WOMANLY benefits of it's herbal contents... So, I call it Momma Tea.

Jackson/Hansen Spagghetti

Partially following my mother's very loose recipe and with some improvisations of our own... we made a very yummy Spaghetti dinner tonight!

First we browned 1lb of hamburger in the pan with a bunch of chopped Hermiston Sweet Onion and some chopped garlic! When it was browned we added some Italian Seasoning, salt and pepper.

Then it was 23oz of Tomatoe sauce and 3 cups of chopped tomatoes (mostly Roma and a few Sweet 100's all from Mom and Dad's Garden)!

Along with some shredded up basil (via Chris' garden) we chopped in the chopper with some of that tomato!...

We added a few sprinkles of the Dried Tomato & Garlic Pesto mix in the above picture (Tastefully Simple product) and 1/4c brown sugar.

There's our spaghetti noodles all cooked and such.

Josh felt he needed to add some pizzaz. So he added a jalepeno and a garden salsa pepper from Chris' garden in his.

Josh's spicy scetti

Brittany tossed together a salad of baby spinach, sweet 100 cherrie tomatoes, chopped apple, and chopped cucumber (also from Mom and Dad Hansens garden)

And we have a meal!!

It was delicious!!!

(Also, there's Brittany's yummy drink concoction.... to be posted)

Chicken Noodle Soup

Well, I've been sick. Which sucks, but then again... it could be worse! We did score some home-made chicken noodle soup, complete with carrots and whole wheat noodles!

Avgolemeno (Greek chicken and lemon soup with Orzo)

8 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup Orzo (or long grain white rice)
1/2 lb boneless skinless Chicken cut 1/4 inch thick
3 eggs
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
Salt + fresh ground white pepper
2 Tbsp finely chopped Italian flat leaf parsley

In a large saucepan, bring chicken stock to boil over medium - high heat. Reduce heat to medium –low. Add Orzo and cook uncovered until very tender (15-20 min). 5 min. before Orzo are done add sliced chicken. Place eggs in bowl and whisk while slowly adding lemon juice. Stir in zest. Whisking continuously, slowly pour a ladleful of hot stock into the egg mixture to temper (being careful not to cook eggs). Reduce heat to very low. While whisking the soup in the pan, slowly pour in the tempered egg mixture. The soup should thicken slightly. With salt and fresh cracked white pepper, season to taste. Remove from heat and ladle immediately into warmed bowls. Garnish with parsley.


O.k. now take some fresh Oregano...

and some fresh mint.

Salt and pepper some country style ribs and rub with minced Garlic, chopped Oregano and mint. Now, drizzle with some olive oil and red wine vinegar. Direct grill about 6 minutes a side like a pork chop.

And serve with a nice salad of cucumbers, tomatoes, onions and Feta cheese topped with more chopped Oregano and Mint. A little salt and Pepper, E.V.O.O. and red wine vinegar never hurts either...

Lake Ribs

Sometimes when you are blessed to be at Mike and Colleens beautiful lake place and you've been hiking, fishing, shooting, chopping wood, and taking down dead trees; and you need a good hearty meal. Like ribs. So, we smoked some up. Delicious

Blueberry Pancakes

First ya mix 'em

Then ya fry 'em.

Then ya eat'em...

Smoked Lake Trout (Mackinaw)

Catch a fish / Clean a fish.

Brine a fish. For the brine Chris uses a really basic recipe. Usually 1 cup rough salt (like kosher), 1 cup brown sugar, mixed with one gallon of water.

And you thought smoked fish came from the grocery!

Smoking on up.

For the smoke we use Alder. Although fruit woods such as apple and cherry turn out pretty well too.

Breakfast Bass

Bass, it's what's for breakfast.
With just a touch of lemon pepper.

It's Chipotle Season Again

It's that time of year again... Chipotle time.

Why yes, yes that IS 30 lbs of red jalapeno peppers...

Josh and Brittany stopped by with their little monkeys... Can you tell Jay is Josh's kid?

Seaweed Candy

Seaweed Candy, Yummo! Not to sweet, but mucilaginous.

mucilaginous –adjective
1.
of, pertaining to, or secreting mucilage.
2.
of the nature of or resembling mucilage; moist, soft, and viscid.

Related words - gluey, glutinous, gummy, pasty, sticky

The Only Way To Eat A Tomato

The tomato, fresh from the garden, the way God himself intended them.

Slice said tomato...

A little salt...
A little pepper...