Back Into The Creative Mode

Hello to all! Well the "creative juices" have leaped into action, but not in the food department. I am into being creative with my paint brush instead of a spatula. After almost 2 years, I picked up my brushes, paint, and canvases and I am back painting. The lady with the green hat has been the focus of my attention this past week and is taking shape. Hopefully I will be finished with her within the next week or so and will gladly introduce you to her at that time.

The garden is surviving our summer sun so far with 88 degree days and nights getting down to 82. That sun is HOT! Some of the herbs and peppers are loving the bright, hot and long days of summer, but not much else in the veggie department. I am sure though that the rest of you up north are starting to reap the rewards of your gardens about now. Would like to hear what is ready in your garden!

Speaking of gardens, I must go for now as I think I hear quite a few of my residents shouting for a bit of water!

Cheers!

Jake In The Key West Garden

Just in case you all do not remember, this is my best pal in the garden, Jake. Jake disappeared during hurricane Wilma a fews years ago. I was extremely upset when I went out after the storm to clean up to find that Jake was gone! Mysteriously, while cleaning out a closet in the hall a while back, I found Jake in a computer box in the closet! Not sure how he got there, but I guess he headed for safety some way or another during the storm. Jake is my magical man!

Jake cannot decide whether he wants to get all the way into the rosemary pot or not.

He does finally makes up his mind and starts to make the climb.

Jake is now thrilled that he decided to get all the way into the pot of rosemary, as he can view the whole garden from this vantage point!

Learning some lessons from Jake.

Still regrouping...back to you all soon!

Cheers!

Time For A Blogging Break

Things have been a bit hectic around here this week. All of the tomatoes have been harvested, in fact pretty much everything has been harvested except all of the herbs and hot peppers. They love the heat! So it has been a busy week with the garden. Our son Chris is packing up and getting ready to head to Maine next week, as he is going to be the chef at an artist retreat! This whole deal sounds wonderful to me and I wish I was one of the artists! Chris has been occupying our VERY small kitchen the past few weeks working on new meals so I have not had the opportunity to cook like I usually do. I am not complaining, as we are the lucky recipients of these great tasty new dishes he is creating! So, needless to say, things are busy around here. Therefore I have decided to take a blog break. I need to regroup and will be back in a couple of weeks with some more cookbook reviews, much neglected wine reviews, and some new dishes for your summer picnics!

Cheers to all and I will see you in a couple of weeks!

"Serious" In The Garden

It is another Monday, another beginning. At the REAL beginning of the day, like before the sun shines it's beautiful warm rays down upon us, this gem shines down on us.

This graceful bloom belongs to the "Night-Blooming Cereus" cactus. But to catch it's smiling face, you must be up at the break of dawn. This charming cactus resides at the edge of our property in the back where on warm summer nights it dances!

Another gem that shines is among our blogging community! I want to thank Gloria over at Canela's Kitchen for giving me this award! Visit Gloria's site and you surely can feel the love that she shares with all of us! "Thank You Gloria"!!!!

Cheers!

Key West Garden Prize Winner ?

What is smaller than an M&M ?

How about the latest ripe tomato in the garden! I must say, it takes ALOT to make a salad!

Have a great weekend! Get out there and plant something in your garden!

Cheers!

Super Supper Sides!

A few weeks ago Peter at Kalofagas-Greek Food And Beyond decided to do a few posts on side dishes since lately he seemed to be concentrating mostly on main dishes. Good idea Peter since BBQ and picnic season is upon us! Even Marie at Proud Italian Cook jumped on the bandwagon with her suggestions for a few sides. Hop on over and check on these super sides! Too yumptious guys!!!



As you can see, Mike fired up the smoker again this weekend and smoked a beef brisket that was tender and mouthwatering. He even threw a couple of our cayenne peppers on to smoke! So, I thought I would share with you the side dishes that worked well with our smoked beef brisket and would be great at any outdoor BBQ or picnic!



The first tasty side is Succotash Salad With A Creamy Basil Dressing

½ lb. green beans, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
1 cup of frozen baby lima beans
1 15 oz. can red kidney beans rinsed and drained
1 cup of frozen yellow corn thawed or you could use fresh corn, say about 2 large ears
½ cup chopped green onions
1 chopped seeded cayenne pepper
For the dressing:
¾ cup coarsely chopped fresh basil
½ cup plain Greek nonfat yogurt
¼ cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Bring a large pan of water to a boil and add the lima beans. Cook them for about 2 minutes then add the green beans and cook about 4 minutes longer. Drain and rinse under cold water, drain well. Transfer these to a large bowl and add the corn, beans, onions and cayenne pepper.
Puree your basil, yogurt, mayo and vinegar in a blender. Add this dressing to your bean mixture and toss well. Salt and pepper to taste.
This is so easy and flavorful. I make mine a little ahead of time so the flavors can really get a hold of each other!



Next up is a Summer Black Bean Pasta Salad

¾ cup uncooked elbow pasta – cook this, drain and rinse under cold water, drain and set aside.
1-1/2 cups of halved grape tomatoes
1 cup peeled and diced avocado
1 cayenne pepper chopped
½ cup chopped cucumber
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 heaping tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
1 15 oz. can of black beans rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons of lime zest
2-1/2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon of cider vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon of bottled minced garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

In a medium bowl add your tomatoes, avocado, pepper, cucumber, onion, cilantro, beans and pasta, toss.
Combine your lime zest, juice, vinegar, garlic and oil in a bowl and mix well with a whisk. Add this dressing to your veggie bowl, toss well.
I let this one set also and WOW, those flavors are a real picnic in your mouth!



Last, but definitely not least, have on hand for a real treat, fresh cherry tomatoes from your own garden!!!! What a harvest those have been this year for me and, of course, they all come ripe at the same time! But, these little gems are just wonderful to snack on while you are firing up the grill!

Hope everyone is enjoying Spring !!!!
Cheers!

Smokin' Chicken

Bummer! Due to “inclement” weather, mainly THE WIND, no kayaking this weekend. Saturday’s winds were 25-30 mph and Sunday in the morning we had rain, of which we could use as it has not rained in weeks but, it has to do it the day we plan to head out on the water! So instead, we fired up the ol’ smoker again! We cannot kayak, but we sure can eat!

I must tell you, if you do not have a smoker, you might just want to think about investing in one. They are very inexpensive and put out some pretty darn good food. The nice thing about them, they can be used as a grill or smoker! One of my favorite books to go along with my smoker is “Smoke and Spice” by Cheryl and Bill Jamison. They have lots of great recipes for rubs, mops, marinades, side dishes, desserts and a few good drink recipes to sip as you are smokin’ your dinner!

I wonder what these two birds are saying to each other before the lights go out and the heat cranks up? Whatever it was must have been good as these birds were terrific!

I was reading “Smoke and Spice” the other night and came upon “Chicken on a Throne”! This is a classic recipe as you grill or smoke your chicken atop a can of beer! Now how cool is that! The night before smoking the birds I made a rub from paprika, black pepper, salt, sugar, chili powder, garlic powder, onion powder and a nice heap of cayenne pepper. Next I made an injection liquid from beer, coconut oil, cider vinegar and some of the rub. I injected the birds and then rubbed them down with the rub mixture, sealed those guys in plastic bags and into the fridge for the night.
Next afternoon we cranked up the smoker with charcoal and hickory wood blocks that we soaked for a few hours, opened 2 beers, drank one and then divided the beer between the two cans. To that I added a chopped onion, chopped garlic and a bit of cider vinegar. Placed chickens “on their thrones”, lid on and lights out for the birds, for about 4 hours.

Birds are complete and resting on their thrones in the kitchen awaiting the platter where they will rest and then be consumed! These chickens were smoky, but not heavily, and so moist and tender. No dry chicken at all!

With the smoked chicken I served a simple potato salad, a cucumber salad and a warm dish of:



Black Eyed Peas & Tomatoes

1 Can of Black Eyed Peas, rinsed and drained
1 Medium onion chopped
2-3 Cloves of garlic chopped
2 Tablespoons of coconut oil
2 Teaspoons of dried thyme
1 Heaping tablespoon of fresh thyme (optional)
1 Bay Leaf
1 14 oz. can chopped tomatoes with juice
½ cup of white wine
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1-2 Cayenne peppers chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat adding the onion and cayenne pepper. Sauté for about 4 minutes. Add garlic, bay leaf, and thyme and stir for another minute. Now add the tomatoes and wine. Simmer until sauce thickens, about 25 minutes. Add the black eyed peas and parsley, cook until heated through. Discard bay leaf, add salt and pepper to taste.
This is a tasty easy side dish that goes well with any of your favorite BBQ recipes.

Now our week moves along with plans to attempt kayaking again this weekend! We will get there!!!!
Cheers!