Posts from — March 2012

Look at the crazy weather forecast! A blazing 93 degrees today and then a drop of 20 degrees by Sunday, and a lovely 73. What the heck is that?!?! 

This does not bode well for our neighborhood party, this evening.  The screenshot you’re looking at above was taken last night (Friday) at 10:00 PM, and it was still 82 degrees outside, at 10 PM!! That is seriously hot when you’re planning on wearing black polyester bell-bottoms and a long-sleeved polyester disco top!  And when you have made a lovely hanging flower arrangement consisting of delicate roses and ivy.

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As I cook up a storm today for our 1970’s Progressive Dinner, I am listening to music from the decade of my youth. Let’s see, in 1970, I was in 3rd grade and by the end of the decade, in 1979, I was graduating from Saguaro High School.

The ’70’s were not ALL disco, as most people seem to think. In fact, disco didn’t hit it really big until the end of ’75 (Donna Summers’ Love to Love You Baby) and early ’76 (Disco Inferno by The Trammps)

Here is a list of the number 1 songs from each year. As you can see there’s a mix of good old rock and roll, rhythm and blues, disco, and even a little reggae.

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What to make for a 70’s themed dinner party? The choices are endless, but are they really great choices? That depends on your level of nostalgia compared to your level of good taste!

Honestly, there were some yummy foods that were popular in the 1970’s. Quiche. Fondue. Fruity Discotheque Cocktails. OK, that’s all I got!

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I’ve shared with you several times before that our neighborhood hosts a Progressive Dinner at least once a year. You don’t remember that? Check it out HERE, Here, and HERE.

The next dinner is this Saturday night and our theme is The 1970’s.  Why the ’70’s? Because that is when our community, Equestrian Manor, was developed.

It’s a pretty fun theme – especially if you’re over 40 and remember some of it first-hand. Does this image of an avocado kitchen bring up scary memories?

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Yesterday I told you that I found the recipe I posted on Pinterest and that it was pinned by my friend, Gwen. Coincidentally, while I was whipping up that batch of Lemon Rolls, Gwen emailed me.  When I responded, I let her know I was making the rolls she had pinned and that she NEEDED – NO, not just needed, but actually owed it to me, to come by and take some of them off my hands.  She refused! Imagine that! Refusing free Meyer Lemon Rolls…OK, she had a good excuse as to why she could not, but still…

So today, in retaliation, I’ve decided to make one of Gwen’s most famous recipes… a version of her granola. Yes, Gwen is famous for her granola, you can check out her blog post HERE to find out why and see Gwen’s recipe.  But the real honest-to-goodness reason Gwen is famous for her granola is that it is so darn good.

Below is my version of Gwen’s Granola with a few tweaks of my own.  I’ve taken the name the of the Good Witch of the North, from Broadway’s Wicked, which also happens to be a combination of our two names – Gwen and Linda… and named it…

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I found this recipe on my friend, Gwen Walter’s, Pinterest page. I immediately repinned it and knew I’d be making them someday – today is that day! I have revised the recipe a bit, re-writing the confusing parts and eliminating 1/4 cup of butter… now they are so much healthier … NOT!

No, these are a once-a-year (at the most) treat… super high in fat and calories, but over-the-top delish!!! As in, “OMG – those are flipping amazing!” They would be perfect for an Easter brunch. They are made like a cinnamon roll but without a drop of cinnamon.

You will only use 3/4 cup of the nearly 2 cups of Meyer lemon curd you make. (Don’t have Meyer lemons? Just use regular lemons, it will still be fab!) Cover and refrigerate the rest of the curd and use on your morning toast and try to keep yourself and family members from sneaking in and devouring it with a spoon. To eliminate this serious threat, I used what was left to make a half batch of THESE lemon bars and have frozen them for when Connor comes home in a couple of weeks.  To do the same – just make half the amount of crust the recipe calls for and use an 8×8-inch baking dish. Then substitute this leftover lemon curd for the filling in the original recipe… yum!

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It looks as though I won’t be able to tour the “urban farm” for another week or so. To fulfill my garden tour desire, Kim took me to Sandy’s gorgeous garden with a lovely Garden Arch. Kim and Sandy are longtime BFF’s and live only a few blocks from each other. Although Kim’s neighborhood is not horse property, Sandy’s is. But instead of horses in the corral, Sandy has a huge, beautifully planned, and lovingly maintained raised vegetable garden.

Since a picture is worth a thousand words – I will keep my words to a minimum and just let you admire what I had the pleasure of not only visiting but also the delight of harvesting from.

There are lettuce, arugula, and celery “volunteers” all along the west edge.

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The days are long but the years fly by too quickly!

If you are a parent, whether it be of a newborn infant or adult children – such as my 24 and nearly 21-year-old – that is the most profound, real, true, accurate, undeniable, honest statement.

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Our sweet little cold spell has come to a screeching halt… it’s going to get up into the low 80’s today and up to 85 throughout the weekend. Darn, I was soaking up as much of the cold as I could. Yesterday’s hot soup may have been the last for quite a while. OK, enough lamenting, back to “Kim Week”.

Kim’s friend with the urban farm, Chris, sent over eggs from her chickens and duck. Or maybe it’s ducks, as in more than one. I haven’t visited the garden yet, so I’m not sure. But look at those gorgeous eggs! Kim said that the two white eggs on top were the duck eggs, they look a bit small for duck eggs to me, but maybe they are small ducks! Hopefully, I will learn more soon, after a tour.

Doesn’t that basket look sweet in my fridge? Makes me wish I still had my chickens and a cool chicken coop.  There are so many pretty coops on Pinterest, it has me dreaming of one of my own.  Speaking of Pinterest, I’ve added a “Pin It!” button at the bottom of each post, so if you see something you’d like to share, feel free to pin away!

Even though the basket of pretty brown and colorful Araucana eggs in my fridge makes me feel quite wealthy, I had better use them up. And there is almost no better way to use up eggs than to bake up a quiche or two… or a half-dozen individual quiches.

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For day two of “Kim Week,” I am going to go where I have never gone before.  I am going to make and then eat cabbage soup.

Yesterday I said that I trusted Kim’s taste 100%. That was put to the test when I discovered that not only did Kim’s cabbage soup contain, well – you know – cabbage, but also sauerkraut! I despise sauerkraut!!! Even the smell of it makes me sick, bringing back horrible childhood food memories.

I was over at Kim’s house yesterday morning, picking up more bounty from Kim’s friend, Chris, who has an urban farm in her backyard. Kim is working on setting up a tour for me! Can not wait!

Anyhow, Chris gave Kim a big bunch of carrots, nearly 3 dozen freshly laid eggs, and a bag full of limequats to give to me… oh my, I am over the moon with these generous and fun gifts.

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