“As long as I live,
I’ll hear waterfalls and birds
and winds sing.
I’ll interpret the rocks,
learn the language of flood,
storm, and the avalanche.
I’ll acquaint myself with the glaciers
and wild gardens,
and get as near the heart
of the world as I can.”
~ John Muir
⚓️ Ever wish you could fit into someone’s suitcase and travel to see a majestic waterfall? ⚓️ In a few clicks, you can tag along aboard ‘The Maid of the Mist’ where you get incredibly close to Niagara Falls. So close, in fact, you practically need to wear a raincoat to keep from getting soaked in the rush of water cascading from above. Visit Smiling Notes where you get a sneak peek at Shamira’s Travel Diaries. And other interesting locales. Thanks very much for nominating me, by the way. (If I could, I’d mail you a Batch of Luscious Lavender Puff Cookies!). Sit back, relax, and take a trip from your favorite armchair at https://smilingnotes.wordpress.com No reservation needed.
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Here are the Rules:
* Nominate a few bloggers and contact them with the amazing news.
* Link back to the person who nominated you.
* Post five (5) facts about yourself.
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Here is a little information about me:
(1) Whenever I travel, I keep a journal of my experiences.
(2) I, too, have been on ‘The Maid of the Mist”. It’s exhilarating!
(3) Bugs crave my blood type. I recently had every inch of my body covered to pick vegetables from the garden and still managed to get stung on my eyelid!
(4) I’ve begun paying attention to my Bucket List.
(5) The older I get, the younger I feel. How is that possible?
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Now…..the Chosen Few:
http://puttingmyfeetinthedirt.com
http://joannsfoodforthought.wordpress.com
http://foodblogging1point0.wordpress.com
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Anchors Away!
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Driving Dill Crazy on Cedar Plank Salmon! Tired of multi-tasking? Here’s a solution to the never-ending question of “What’s for Dinner?” This is the BEST way to grill salmon when you’re at the end of a day that seemed long and demanding. Simply thaw and grill. The supermarket was featuring delicately seasoned Atlantic salmon on a pre-soaked cedar plank. Not only does it taste amazing, but clean-up is a breeze. There’s even enough for a meal later on. Stay tuned.
DRIVING DILL CRAZY ON CEDAR PLANK SALMON
Ingredients:
1 24-ounce package of Cedar Bay Salmon, Applewood with Orange and Ginger seasoning
Instructions:
Preheat grill to 425°. Place the thawed salmon and plank directly on the middle rack. Bake for 18-20 minutes. Do not over cook. The flesh becomes flakey and pink in the center. Serve with your favorite salad or side dish.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Cornbread Cornucopia! This is the perfect accompaniment to any bean dish. It’s delicious hot and savory when eaten later warmed up in the microwave.
CORNBREAD CORNUCOPIA
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal
1 1/2 cups wheat flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup olive oil
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 pound smoked sausage link, pre-cooked and diced
1 cup extra-sharp cheddar cheese, finely shredded
1/4 cup pickled jalapeño peppers, sliced
1 tablespoon pimento, diced
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 400°. Sift cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sea salt, and sugar into a mixing bowl. Blend beaten eggs and oil; add milk. Add liquid ingredients to dry ingredients stirring until just blended. Fold in meat, cheese, peppers, and pimento. Pour into an 8″x8″ pan that has been sprayed with a non-stick oil. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm with butter.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Balsamic Reduction Sauce-It’s Sweet! This is the elegant dark sauce you find drizzled over salads, cheese, meats, vegetables, and even fruity desserts in restaurants. At home, it can be made in minutes. You’ll feel like a master chef when you swirl it over your favorite dishes. I do.
BALSAMIC REDUCTION SAUCE-IT’S SWEET!
Ingredients:
1 cup imported Italian balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup pure honey
Instructions:
Mix vinegar and honey together in a reduction pan.* (If you do not have one, simply substitute a 2-quart pan instead.) Bring contents to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Stir occasionally. You will need to use the exhaust fan on the stove since the aroma of vinegar will fill the kitchen. It will take 10-30 minutes to reduce to half the amount, depending on how thick you want your sauce to be. I prefer it closer to molasses so it stands up when drizzled. Watch carefully so it does not burn. Set the timer every10 minutes to see how it coats the back of a spoon. (It is also helpful to use the markings on the measuring tool.) Once it has reduced to half, remove from heat and set aside to cool. It does thicken up as it cools. Store in the refrigerator. Drizzle on foods in teaspoon-size portions. Enjoy! You’re Welcome!
* A reduction pan tapers from wide at the top to narrow at the base to encourage evaporation when reducing liquids. It often comes with a measuring spoon that has markings on it for accuracy.
What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? A Burst of Flavor: Angel Hair Pasta Partners! When you’re short on time and need things at your fingertips, turn to this quick weeknight dinner option. You’ll appreciate the convenience without sacrificing flavor. The texture is pleasing and the presentation is reward enough. Make this and you’ll be able to put your feet up and enjoy the evening.
ANGEL HAIR PASTA PARTNERS
Ingredients:
6 ounces angel hair pasta, uncooked
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
4-6 Roma tomatoes, quartered
1 green pepper, cut up chunks
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/8 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon marjoram
16 Italian-style meatballs, fully cooked
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Instructions:
Cook and drain pasta per package directions. As pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in 3-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and green peppers. Cook 2 minutes until tender; remove from heat. Stir in Roma tomatoes and meatballs. Return to low heat and warm through. Add drained pasta and gently toss with basil, marjoram, salt, and pepper. Serve pasta meal sprinkled with Parmesan cheese. Add a side of crusty garlic toast.
Greetings! Here is a challenge that provides a pleasant diversion from regular posting. It has no thought-provoking questions to answer and no need to dig any deeper than the tip of your tongue. Whether your blog is fashion, food, art, poetry, photography, fiction, or non….everyone has quotes that impact them, in my opinion. Perhaps you will take a moment to share those quotes with others by accepting this challenge. It’s really very simple, actually.
I have Shamira to thank for this well-deserved break. Her blog, http://smilingnotes.wordpress.com is like food for the soul. In it she shares her love of food and travel through a category entitled “FoodVentures” where her experiences of dining out take on new meaning. Ask Shamira about the yummilicious “Wafels & Dinges” cart throughout New York City!
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The Rules of this Challenge are:
– Post 1 quote a day for 3 days (can be your own or from other sources).
– Nominate 3 bloggers to participate per post.
– Thank the person who nominated you.
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My Nominations are:
http://bambaheadquarters.wordpress.com
http://chefkevo.wordpress.com
http://crossovertheroad.wordpress.com
Keep Calm, Eat Waffles, and Post a Quote! 🍓
Herbs and spices make all the difference in Gail’s Kitchen. Whether it’s fresh, dried, or a liquid extract, adding herbs enhances the flavor of any dish. And compliments it. Maybe it’s time to cut back on the salt a little bit in exchange for a little zing! Pull up a chair for “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet: A Burst of Flavor!” Within a few short months of blogging, the response continues to amaze me on this journey of the palate. Thanks very much to all of my followers on http://snapshotsincursive.com for the uplifting support, award nominations, and moving words of encouragement. What’s cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? It’s as simple as reciting your A-B-Cs. One of my passions is being at home in my own country kitchen. I love to cook, and my husband loves that I do it often. Now more than ever, since I am retired, I relish the thought of creating something delicious from scratch. I adore time-honored traditions using tried-and-true recipes. Yet, I often never think twice about tweaking old favorites or modifying others to suit the inner craving of the moment. Most of the recipes serve 2-4 people, but can be altered in any direction. The leftovers are golden morsels to be eaten again later or shared with others. And I love to share. To me, seeing a smile in gratitude is thanks enough. The recipes you will find here in the next several weeks can be prepared very easily. Feel free to contact me with questions. Now take a deep breath, inhale the aromas, and join me on a tasteful journey entitled, “EATING MY WAY THROUGH THE ALPHABET: A BURST OF FLAVOR!”
Just across the state line off of Route 121 through a bucolic stretch of rolling farmlands sits the historic town of Greenville in Darke County. (The Wild West star and folk hero, Annie Oakley, got her roots in this area.) Many of the buildings are as original in character as they are rich in personality. Take the “Coffee Pot”, for instance. They serve seriously good espresso and decadent desserts to share! It’s enough to rev up your engine and keep you going for a trip down the road to a functioning gristmill dating back to 1849. At “Bear’s Mill”, I keep supplied with fresh cornmeal ground on the original French buhr stones powered by water from the Greenville Creek. This is the same yellow cornmeal used in recipes from Gail’s Kitchen and featured often in “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet”. Some things are really worth the trip!
snapshotsincursive 