Famous Cool

Ok....I have to admit that I am a closet hollywood junkie.  I don't know what I would do if I shared an elevator ride with a famous actor or actress.....probably just stare at the doors, afraid to start a conversation or say something incredibly stupid like "slow elevator huh....." with a goofy smile and leftover lunch stuck between my teeth (this is my own personal nightmare so just stay with me....).  I just found a new blog by Gwyneth Paltrow....www.goop.com.  As I read through the site and enjoy the newsletters, I find that her questions, concerns and care for her family are really the same as mine....pretty normal.....except she is staring in a blockbuster movie set for release, married to a superstar rocker, living in the UK and jet setting back and forth to the states.....yeah, the simularities are amazing!!!!

Burning Read

Ughhh.....so sorry for my hiatus.  How can I grow my blog visitors if I don't post on a regular basis?  Just a rhetorical question....no answers needed.  Well, I am back....for now.....and I have a great read to recommend.  Michael Connelly's 9 Dragons, his newest Harry Bosch series.  Great, entertaining, twist at the end (quick) read that you will blow through in a weekend (so don't pay full price.....).

Harry Bosch is a L.A. police detective who carries as many demons around as the criminals that he puts behind bars.  I have enjoyed other Connelly novels through the years, but the Bosch series include my favorite characters (some familiar folks show up in this story as well and some new that I expect will crop back up again in another novel or two).

The story is set in L.A. and Hong Kong with Harry chasing an Asian Triad....be ready for the twist!!!

Enjoy..... 

"Hot" Lemon Pepper Shrimp

I love shrimp and I am so fortunate to live in the backyard of "Shrimp Heaven."  In Pensacola, we have one of the top tourist attractions in the state, but I prefer to call Joe Patti Seafood "my seafood market" (me and 100,000 other Pensacolians).  Ever since I discovered that (for only $1 more a lb) I could buy "fresh" shrimp already shelled and deveined with the tails on, I have been in "shrimp" love.  I created this dish after I stopped by the fish market one Friday night and left with a lb of shrimp.  When I arrived at home, I took a peek in my pantry and just started pulling cans, boxes, etc....out.  The result below.....yummy!!!

box thin whole wheat spaghetti noodles (about 1/2 lb)
3-4 cloves fresh garlic
1 onion
1 16oz can artichoke hearts (quartered)
1 whole lemon
lemon pepper seasoning
1 lb shelled and deveined shrimp
3 tbs olive oil
3 tbs butter
2 tbs white wine
breadcrumbs

Cook the noodles according to package directions and drain and set aside.  Add 3 tbs. olive oil to large saute pan.  Saute chopped onion and garlic until tender then add artichoke hearts and saute for about 3-5 minutes.  Add 3 tbs. butter and 2 tbs white wine and juice of whole lemon.  Saute for 3-5 minutes longer.  Sprinkle some lemon pepper seasoning.  Add cooked pasta and mix well.  Take off heat and cover.  In a cast iron skillet or another saute pan, spray lightly with olive oil.  Rinse shrimp and dredge in breadcrumbs mixed with about 2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning (breadcrumbs on shrimp should be a light coating).  Saute shrimp for approx. 2- 3 minutes on medium heat on both sides (turn when shrimp looks pink....keep your eye on this process).  When finished, plate the spaghetti and veggies and add shrimp....top with freshly grated parmesan cheese and garnish with chopped italian parsley.
Enjoy.....

 

Hot Read

While, I love to cook, taste wine and experience fun adventures with my husband, my true "passion" is the written word.  I can't remember a time when I didn't have a book by my side.  Some of my earliest memories are of a wonderful "old" library in the California Bay Area (probably Castro Valley or Hayward), where I would experience the freedom of my own imagination putting life into someone else's creation (if I close my eyes and think back, I can still "smell" the ink on the pages).  Nothing allows me more pleasure than a stack of books and the time to read.  For my recent birthday, I asked my husband to buy me a novel by Stieg Larsson, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.  I didn't know much about the author, but I knew it was crime fiction (my favorite genre) and the title had me hooked from the start.  I finished the 465 pages in just under a week (what took me so long???).....it was riveting material.  The story is actually a trillogy so I went immediately (did not pass "GO") to Barnes and Nobles and bought The Girl Who Played with Fire and I have preordered, through Amazon, the final in the series The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest.  One of the two main characters is a grown-up version of Pippi Longstocking (actually Larsson based his creation on the idea of Pippi as an adult....a girl with ADD and very much on the fringe)....Lisbeth Salander is the hero that I have been waiting for all my life.  Very strange, introverted and ready to kick some....well you know the rest.  But, she is also desperately searching for something.....maybe love and acceptance....or maybe not...hmmmmm.  Mikael Blomkvist is the protagonist that is the yin to her yang.  Along with Larsson's eccentric characters frought with indiosyncracies, the story also grabs you and slaps you awake.....one that you can't put down.....I promise.....go out and get your copy today!!!

As a side note, these books were published posthumously (to my deep regret) because Stieg Larsson passed away in 2004 (heart attack in his early 50's).  They were first published in Sweden and then translated into English by Reg Keeland.  The reading is interresting, beyond the crime mystery, because the first novel is set in Sweden and allows the reader a great understanding of the political climate, the culture and the geographic terrain.  For those of you that believe in the mysteries of life, the prologue mentions Pensacola, FL just briefly (my hometown) and then never returns to the states......dodododododododo....

Smoothie "Cool"

Dare I say it?  Is the sun actually trying to wrest winter away from the earth?  I sure hope so....  In honor of some warmer days, I include, today, my favorite way to get my day started....

Fruit and Yogurt Smoothie (recipe for 2, cut in half if for 1)

1 banana
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup orange juice
1 cup frozen mixed fruit (don't let it thaw before mixing)
2 tbsp wheat germ (available in the cereal section of your grocery store--this is a high powered good for you food!!!)
1 tsp honey (use a local honey from your local farmer's market....not the grocery store brand--I promise eating the local honey will help your allergies)

Then use an immersion blender (preferred method, but it would work in a blender as well.  It will become thick and frothy and oh, what goodness!!!!

Enjoy!!!!

Hot Finds

I have the bad head today (stuffy, coughing, sneezing....well you know the drill) and I can't rest because my head is about to explode so nothing else to do but explore the net.  I recommend a visit to http://foodzie.com/ to check out hard-to-find gourmet food stuffs....vinegars, olive oil, cheeses....well you name it, they have it.  The neat trick is that you can order anything you want, as much as you want for a flat rate shipping fee of $7.00 AND free shipping for orders of $100 or more (easy to do when you are caught up in a frenzy of foodie delights).  Don't wait until you too are home sick with the creeping crud....visit the site today!

Sweet Valentine's Treat

I am a bit tardy in posting my Valentine's Day treat, but if you will indulge my story and enjoy my suggestion for an excellent weekend adventure.  Spur of the moment, we decided to spend the weekend in one of our fave places....Destin, FL.  Courtesy of a few Marriott rewards, we stayed in San Destin at the Courtyard Sat and Sun.  I highly suggest getting away for a few days with your Valentine.  We explored (Seaside), shopped (Outlets), listened to music (Brass Jazz Band at Stinky's fish camp....better than it sounds), ate some excellent food (again, Stinky's fish camp and although I am not a chain restaurant fan, the food was great at P.F Changs) and watched the smallest Mardi Gras Parade ever....

Enjoy....