Tuesday is Tasty

Pasta Night

Last night was pasta night! This is where I usually get creative in the kitchen. It is basically dinner in a bowl. I see what is in the refrigerator, and throw it together to great some goodness, and usually some amazing goodness.

Elements of Pasta Night

1. Sauce. I choose from three bases: olive oil, tomato, or Alfredo. Last night, I make a pink Alfredo sauce by  mixing the tomato and Alfredo. Delicious! I generally the America Test Kitchen Basic Tomato Sauce recipe as a guide...have never followed it....it is always good. For Alfredo, I love Our Best Bites Guiltless Alfredo Sauce.

2. Pasta. The ingredients I use for Pasta Night generally weigh spaghetti down too much, and it turns to mush. I prefer to use Penne or Bowtie, bus spaghetti was what we had last night. It worked.

3. Everything else. Last night we had broccoli, cauliflower, tomato, garlic, and green onion. Bacon is always a great option. Always! Other meats include: grilled chicken, deli ham, Italian sausage, pepperoni, etc. Other veggies to use: artichoke, asparagus, zucchini, summer squash, onion, olive, etc.

Tips: Sometimes keeping it simple is best. I decided not to add bacon last night so we could focus more on the vegetables since they were steamed, then sauteed, and finished off with olive oil, garlic, and ground red pepper. Other things can be added to the meal such as a light salad or bread. The pasta is the focus and basically it is a skillet dinner. Who doesn't like that?? Yum!

Thankful for Thursday

Today, I would like to say I am thankful for my body. 

This Sunday I am teaching a lesson in YW about how to care for our bodies. In going over the lesson, I thought it was interesting how much emphasis it put on the physical care of our bodies. How we groom, exercise, eat, and watch over this wonderful gift.

Our bodies are never perfect. It doesn't matter how many times I have painted toe nails, there is always a bubble or bloop or something. I mean, there's supposed to be adversity in all things right?? Right.

I am certainly not perfect in how I care for my body. I just want to say, Thank you, Body. Thank you for letting me enjoy my senses, helping me make memories with family and friends, for informing me when I have done too much or too little, giving joy at the smallest bit of pumpkin pie or holding a hand, going through things good and bad so I can relate to those around me, and thank you for being feminine. Because of you, Body, I get to live this life.

From preparing my lesson and writing this out, I resolve to do a little better in showing my gratitude to my body. I sure am thankful.

Tuesday is Tasty

Homemade Vanilla Extract

A few years ago, I was given some homemade vanilla for Christmas. Just smelling it delivered instant happiness! (Note: I am a huge fan of smells. Just give me some almond extract sometime.... *bliss*)  Anyway, my friend told me how she made it; knowing the process made it more of a special gift.

Recipe:

1     bottle vodka or rum, lL

10   vanilla beans

       time

Some notes before we begin: the liquor does not need to be the most expensive on the shelf. The vanilla beans are a lot cheaper if you get them online. Also, you can find other instructions online if you are curious about different ratios and such.

1. Slice the vanilla beans lengthwise from top to bottom; you do not need to cut all the way through.

2. Place the vanilla beans in the liquor bottle, swirl the contents inside and place on a shelf where the temperature is constant. Swirl every several days. The beans will need to soak for 3-6 months. The longer it sits, the more vanilla flavor seeps into the alcohol.

Ending notes: 

• Sean checked the alcohol content of the vodka we got, and the Kirkland Signature vanilla extract from Costco. Costco's vanilla has more alcohol. (That made me feel a little better...) 
• The vanilla seems to get more potent in food the longer it sits. For instance, if we are making a cookie dough and save some in the refrigerator for a day or two, it has a stronger vanilla flavor. That may be because we have Mexican vanilla beans. In those cases, I use the cheap vanilla from the store.
• I have heard you can reuse your vanilla beans. After our bottle is used up, we will try putting them in a fresh bottle of vodka and see how it works. In the long run, it seems to be a worthy investment.
• Using homemade vanilla is a happy experience. The aroma is so divine!

Thankful for Thursday

I decided to change the name of these posts. When I first thought of "thankful" I thought it might be related to the time of year and because Thanksgiving is coming up. I have concluded it has a nice ring, and we should always be looking for things that keep us grateful right?

So, I am Thankful for Thursday. What a great day! It is the day before Friday, and I have come to look at Thursday as an extension of the weekend! Thursday.

Sunsets.

I love the sun. I also love how it colors the world when it is setting. Sometimes the sky is beautiful, and other times it makes other things beautiful.

For instance, the arches in Arches National Park are know to look the best at sunset. It makes the red rock look brilliant!

We hiked Delicate Arch last week and saw it at sunset - a first for us. Everyone was cleared from under the arch so everyone could get an unobscured view of it. It was brilliant! After the sun set, everyone clapped as if to say, "Thank you sun. Thanks for the great show!" It was a cool experience.

Other things look better or inspriring when the sun is setting too. It's now wonder photographers like using that time for picture taking and family portraits. Not that the sun isn't great at other times.



Sunset is just a special time, and I am thankful for it.

Tuesday is Tastey

Sorry for delay. The internet wasn't cooperating, but we have a new provider so things should stay on schedule.

Salad - The Good Stuff

I'm not sure what to call this one. It is one of those delicious salads tossed in poppy seed dressing. Please view the goodness:

This little baby was divine! It was a shame we only had 5 minutes to eat it. We did our best to savour each bite as we scarfed it down. Thankfully, I was still able to get a picture before it was gone!

Recipe: You can wing this one. It was so fresh and delicious and photogenic, I couldn't resist sharing.

     Half head of romaine

     Half bunch of spinach

3   Green onion, sliced

1/2 recipe of Our Best Bites poppy seed dressing

1/2 cup candied walnuts

1/2 cup strawberries, sliced

1 chicken breast cooked, seasoned to taste

1. Wash and cut romaine, spinach, and green onion. Toss in poppy seed dressing and set aside.

2. Cook walnuts until candied to perfection. (I followed instructions on this, and it took a lot more time than I was planning. The basic recipe is to put the nuts and sugar in a pan over medium heat, constantly stirring, until the sugar liquefies, caramelises, and looks amazing. To speed up the process, add a little butter and the sugar dissolves a lot quicker.) Do not put the warm, candied nuts on a paper towel sheet. Lesson learned...

3. Cut the chicken into good eating sizes. Use your judgement, but I like to cut the chicken in half to make it thinner before I slice and dice. It just makes it go farther.

4. To assemble, layer everything on and put the strawberries toward the top so they don't get mangled.

 If we had more time, I would have served a small bread on the side like bread sticks or muffins. Adding chicken to this salad made it suitable for a meal, and it was very filling. Did I mention delicious??

Thankful for Thursday

This is another scheduled post I will be doing now. It will be my thoughts, comments, reviews, and opinions of basically anything.

Today for Thankful for Thursday: Tow Truck Drivers

I am very thankful for these individuals. My general experience with them has been as follows: I see them. They are nice to have around, but do you really need one everyday? No. It's probably a good thing since they would be far too busy to take care of everyone and everything.

My story.

This past summer, I was running a quick errand up in Utah County. Quick. Meaning I spent a total of 45 minutes there and went back on my way to Moab (after grabbing some food at Cafe Rio, of course.)

I was trying to get back as quickly and safely as possible. I was prepared with an audio book, and my delicious food. I got stuck behind a fellow going a few miles under the speed limit. It was frustrating. He was driving a large tow truck too, so it was difficult to see if the way was clear to pass. In such situations - like when you are on a two lane highway - it can get frustrating. I was trying to pass this guy for a good 20 minutes. 

I finally got my chance! I took it. It felt wonderful. Then I heard a strange noise. I thought, "that can't be me, but I should probably pull over just to be sure....since the noise is getting louder..."

I quickly got back in the right lane and pulled off. I was trying to slow down as gently and quickly as possible, Just as I gave a final nudge to the brakes, the front tire on the drivers side blew.

Remember those tire changing lessons? Remember where the spare and jack are? Remember, keep breathing?? Since husband is out of cell range, do I need to call Dad? Oh hey, that tow truck that was so annoying pulled off and is turning around!

The man was a miracle worker. There is no way I could have gotten those lug nuts off! After resisting the urge to burst out crying and saying thank you a zillion times (thinking it may be inappropriate to kiss him [Note from Sean: You bet your sweet patootie it would be inappropriate >:(]), I was back on the road. I didn't care that what normally takes 50 minutes at regular speed now took over 2 hours while hugging the emergency lane with flashers on. The dear, dear man came to my rescue and kept me safe (even after I was a jerky girl driver trying to pass him.)

Here's to Tow Truck Drivers! They don't get paid for everything they do. Mine was certainly an angel sent to me in my hectic and untimely hour of need.

Tuesday is Tasty

I decided it is time to set up a more structured calendar for posting on this blog. Tuesdays and Thursdays will have specific topics. Other days may become more structured, but for now I am trying this out. 

Tuesday is Tasty.

Stuffed Tomatoes

 

 

 

Sounds like stuffed peppers right? I would say it is a lighter dish, not quite as hearty. We ordered a box of large tomatoes from Bountiful Basket, and I wanted to try something new with them. Not that a fresh tomato sauce cooked or uncooked, salsa, pico de gallo, and gazpacho aren't great options.

I have to say, I was nervous to try this one out. Not that America's Test Kitchen isn't reliable. I just felt like I was going out on a limb.

Verdict? It was amazing! Our mouths were doing little happy dances! The tomatoes are packed with flavor and goodness! I would suggest serving these with or over a plain or light pasta and maybe a small salad. These lovely stuffed tomatoes can stand on their own, but they need a little more substance if you are making them as a main dish.

Stuffed Tomatoes
By: America's Test Kitchen

Serves  6

Prep Time  10 minutes

Total Time  1 hour 15 minutes (includes 1 hour salting and baking time)

Avoid store-bought breadcrumbs for this recipe-their fine texture makes the stuffing dry and gritty. Extra-virgin olive oil is our first choice for good flavor here, although regular olive oil can be substituted.

6     large, firm, ripe tomatoes (8 ounces each)

       salt

3     slices high-quality white sandwich bread

1/3  cup grated Parmesan cheese

1/3  cup minced fresh basil (I only had dried, and it still turned out. Fresh = better.)

1/4  cup extra-virgin olive oil

2     garlic cloves, minced

       pepper

1. Using a sharp knife, cut off the top 1/8 inch  of the stem end of the tomato. Using your fingers or a paring knife, remove and discard the core and any seeds of the tomato. Sprinkle the inside of the cored tomatoes with 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pace upside down on several layers of paper towels and let drain for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, adjust an oven rack to the upper-middle position and heat the oven to 375 degrees. Pulse the bread in a food processor to coarse crumbs, about 6 pulses. Spread the breadcrumbs over a rimmed baking sheet and bake until dry and lightly golden, about 10 minutes. Toss together the dried breadcrumbs, Parmesan, basil, 2 tablespoon of the oil, and the garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

3. Pat the inside of each tomato dry with paper towels. Arrange the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a 9 by 13-inch baking dish lined with foil. Brush the cut edges of the tomatoes with 1 more tablespoon of the oil. Mound about 1/4 cup of the breadcrumb mixture into each tomato. Drizzle the remaining 2 tablespoons oil over the tops of the tomatoes. Bake until the tops are golden brown and crisp, about 20 minutes. Serve while hot.

September Birthdays

There are several Gowen birthdays at toward the end of September. To celebrate, we had a gathering in Moab.

Everyone came down Friday night and we started exploring Arches National Park Saturday Morning.

We started at Sand Dune Arch:

Made our way to the Delicate Arch Entry:

And moved onto Double Arch:

Don helped me capture this picture. These two made us giggle.

It was Jay's birthday the day before, so we skyped with him, dance danced, relaxed and ate lots of food.

Sunday morning, we were getting ready for the day. Us girls realized we were wearing similar dresses...

After the Brigham City Temple dedication and food, everyone else headed for home. It was a fantastic weekend with the family. Thanks to the parents, Don & Lauren, Billy & Rob, and Dale & Liesel for coming down.

There were other Gowen birthdays in September too: Natalie, Max, and Emree!

September Walks and Hikes

Sean and I went up to Salt Lake for the Walk for Life (http://www.utahaids.org/). We went over to see Travis and Jessica before their little girl was born:

 I am going to take a moment to brag about these two. They are such a good looking couple/growing family! Jessica let me take some pictures of them a month earlier. It was my first time taking such pictures, and they were very patient with me.

The next morning, we met with our family at Liberty Park, and walked the 10k. It was fun to be around the family on such a beautiful day.

After the Walk for Life, the 9th on 9th fair/festival was going on, and we got donuts at Banbury Cross.

On to hiking. For another health incentive hike for work, we went on a 6 miler. We have decided not to hike during the peak heat of the day....

That same day, we walked over to a concert for the Moab Music Festival. The performers were very good, and it was refreshing to have the concert at an old park.

Two more work hikes for September. The first was the Mattheson Wetlands Preserve. It was such a beautiful evening, and we never knew this place existed. So, so beautiful.

The last work hike for the month was Negro Bill Canyon. It is a hike we have started twice, and never finished. We finally finished the hike. Who knew there was an arch at the end!