slice of life

For the first time in many months, we had our very first full week of school.  March Break, Easter, PA days and storm days have given us many short weeks.

Admittedly, I was starting to enjoy these short weeks.  They were like little vacations...one less school lunch/homework/commute to prepare for.  And I love the days when my kids participate in the school's "hot lunch" program.  I almost feel like I'm on vacation the night before "hot lunch" day...not having to prepare a packed lunch gives me the feeling of freedom, like I've won the lottery!  (ok, maybe I'm exaggerating a little, but it's a chore that's almost as mundane as laundry).

I guess doing mundane things is a good thing.  As much as it pains me to actually do it, it is a part of life that is predictable, regular and a normal part of every day routine.  And it is this predictability that makes me feel safe.  This past week, if there is any feeling that I (and many of us) wanted to feel, is safe.  Safe in knowing that we still live in a world of good people.  Knowing that we can still enjoy going to the  movies, going to school, cheering for friends in a marathon because this is part of our everyday life that we know.  The freedom to be able to do these things because we worked so hard for that freedom, working and doing all those "mundane" chores of life, so we can experience a slice of enjoyment.

So when I prepared my kids for their full week back at school, it felt like it was my first day back from a vacation.  Rested, grateful and ready to go back to the normal routine.  And I know that after a week of doing all those mundane chores, everything will feel normal again...and at the end of the week, my kids will kick off their shoes and enjoy the (hopefully) warm spring weather, and I will once again, feel a little slice of freedom on the weekend.  

Hasselback Potatoes
(serves 4-5 people)

The trick to slicing these potatoes almost right through, while still keeping them intact is using a pair of chopsticks.  It's an easy and quick way to slice the potatoes.

Ingredients

• 5 large baking potatoes
• 3 tbsp. Olive oil
• 2 tbsp. butter
• 2 tbsp. minced garlic
• 2 tbsp. parmesan
• Salt, pepper to taste 
• Chopped herbs to taste (dried is fine)
• Shredded cheddar (optional)
• Sour Cream with or without chives (optional)

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 425F.
• Place a potato between two chopsticks.

• Thinly slice the potatoes (about 1 cm each slice), cutting almost all the way though, but leaving the whole potato intact.
• Dizzle with olive oil and melted butter
• Sprinkle with minced garlic, parmesan, seasonings and chopped herbs.
• Place the sliced potatoes on a cast iron skillet.
• Bake for approximately 1 hour to 90 minutes until the potato skin is brown and crisp, and the inside of the potato is tender.

Top with shredded cheddar or sour cream. Serve with any BBQ meal.

meat pack

Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary.  I am very blessed to have met the person that I will spend the rest of my life with, and we both cherish the time we've spent together.

Since we went on our honeymoon around this time of year, for the longest time, we've always felt that NOW is the best the time to pack and get ready to travel.  We travelled Italy, France & Spain after our wedding, and the fall season in Europe is so beautiful...the temperature is still warm but not unbearably hot, and the crowds of kids are back at school.  For the first few years of our marriage, we always travelled at this time of year, I guess more as a default as it was when we had our honeymoon, but we couldn't ask for better weather.  Perfect for exploring or just relaxing and enjoying the sights and culture.

Now with kids, we're now unpacking after a summer filled with beaches, pools and lazing around, and preparing to pack school backpacks and lunches.   Part of me still wants to travel right now, and the urge to repack our clothes and hop on a plane to Europe is fierce.

Well, Europe will have to wait...for now.  I've always dreamed of taking the kids to see Europe, so maybe it's something we can incorporate with our summer travel plans next year? (fingers crossed)

In the meantime, we'll just have to suffice with packing our BBQ with the glorious flavours of what is remaining of THIS summer.

Meat Medley Kebabs

(serves approx. 6 people)

Chicken (Souvlaki style)

• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed in 1" cubes
• Red onions, sliced in large slices

Marinade: 

• 1 lemon juiced, approx 3 tbsp
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed or chopped
• 1 onion, sliced.

Mix marinade in non reactive bowl (glass) and toss with chicken.  Marinade at least 3 hours or overnight.  Grill on lightly oiled grate on medium high heat for about 10-15 minutes or until desired doneness.

Pork (grilled apple style)

• 2 pounds of boneless sirloin pork chops (already in strips at Whole Foods, just cut into 1" cubes).
• 6 apples, peeled, cored and cut into bite sized chunks

Marinade:

• 1/4 or small onion, sliced
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped or crushed
• 1 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary (or 2 tbsp. fresh)
• 1/2 tsp. allspice
• 1/4 tsp.  nutmeg
• pinch of cloves
• 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Mix marinade in glass bowl and marinade pork or 1 hour at room temp or 3 hours in the fridge. Add pork, alternating with apple chunks, on skewers.  Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side or until pork is just done.

Beef (Asian style)

• 2 pounds of sirloin tip steak, cubed
• Red, orange or yellow peppers, large slices.

Marinade

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger (optional)
• pepper to taste
• 1/2 a lemon (or 1/4 cup) lemon juice
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch

Mix marinade in a glass bowl.  Add meat 30 minutes prior to grilling (this is a fairly salty marinade). Add meat, alternating with peppers on skewers.  Grill on medium direct heat for about 4 minutes.

Enjoy the summer flavours!

turning a new leaf

Autumn is a beautiful time of year. The sun casts a warm glow, the leaves turn colour, and the weather becomes more comfortable.  You can feel the end of summer warmth greet the chill of the autumn air.

Many people think summer is the only BBQ season, but there is nothing more comforting than eating something cooked over the fire, something to take the chill out of the autumn air.  The smoky scent fills the air like a warm blanket, while your hands are warmed by hot chocolate.

For the longest time, my husband would only BBQ meat with only a little seasoning.  He's a BBQ purist.  However,  this is a tasty recipe, which doesn't require overnight marinating.  I think I've changed his mind.

Quick Marinade

This also works well with all kinds of meats...pork, chicken, and even fish.

Ingredients

• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sesame oil
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
• 1 small sliced red onion
• 1/2 lemon
• 1 tbsp. cornstarch
• 4 pieces of meat, approx. 8oz each.

Preparation

• Mix the marinade. 
• Place your meat in a large glass pyrex baking pan.
• Stir in the marinade, turning to coat.
• Cover and let sit in then fridge for approx. 30 minutes (or at least 15 minutes).  Do not marinade more than 30 minutes, as the salt from the soy sauce makes this recipe quite salty.

Grill and enjoy the first day of Autumn.