don’t bug me.

September 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

in honor ( or disgust perhaps?) of the amount of fruit flies that have showed up recently, I’ve decided to share this post from last year…. crazy give away later on today 🙂

barefootgirl in the kitchen

Just kidding!

I was going to title this ‘shoe fly, don’t bother me’ but since today is not only a Tuesday, but the Tuesday after a 3 -day weekend AND the official end of summer.. added to the fact that it is cold & rainy here in the northeast & some many peeps had rainy first day of school pictures of kiddos getting on school buses…..

well, I thought that don’t bug me might fit some friends’ moods today.

me? not so much.. I love rain & ADORE fall.. so I’m not so grumpy, but I know I have friends who are. Sorry 😦

Ok.. this post doesn’t have a recipe.. so if you are looking for a dinner suggestion, tonight I can’t help you. Unless you want to make THIS…

I CAN however show you how to get rid of the nasty little fruit fly.

Yup. You…

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September 19, 2012 Leave a Comment

in honor ( or disgust perhaps?) of the amount of fruit flies that have showed up recently, I’ve decided to share this post from last year…. crazy give away later on today 🙂

barefootgirl in the kitchen

Just kidding!

I was going to title this ‘shoe fly, don’t bother me’ but since today is not only a Tuesday, but the Tuesday after a 3 -day weekend AND the official end of summer.. added to the fact that it is cold & rainy here in the northeast & some many peeps had rainy first day of school pictures of kiddos getting on school buses…..

well, I thought that don’t bug me might fit some friends’ moods today.

me? not so much.. I love rain & ADORE fall.. so I’m not so grumpy, but I know I have friends who are. Sorry 😦

Ok.. this post doesn’t have a recipe.. so if you are looking for a dinner suggestion, tonight I can’t help you. Unless you want to make THIS…

I CAN however show you how to get rid of the nasty little fruit fly.

Yup. You…

View original post 283 more words

https://barefootgirlinthekitchen.com/2012/09/19/2124/

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banish boring salads

September 18, 2012 21 Comments

well… maybe not banish but know that there are options out there.

You know how when you got to a restaurant and some of the fancier salads look sooo good… but you have a hard  time shelling out 13 bucks for a salad..

yeah  me too.  Here’s the thing.. you can make these at home!!  Now I know some of you are like, “duh? is she going to seriously walk us through salad making 101?”

yes. Because I have a few friends whose diets have changed and they need to add more fruits and veggies into their diet & want to show the amazing amount options that are out there. If you already know all of this.. I apologize…. just scroll to the bottom to help answer a question about my next giveaway.

WHOA!!! wait.. YOU!… get back up here.. I’m not done yet.

We’ll start with making a dressing….  yes.. making it is super simple.. and there are 17,000 combinations that you can create… just use a basic formula and add the flavors that you like!

you will need

1~ an acid.. either vinegar, lemon or lime juice, wine….  1/8 cup

2~ an oil…. olive oil, canola oil, sesame oil.. coconut oil ( my new FAVORITE! ) 1/4 cup

3~mustard… again… SO many flavors out there… play with it! 1 tsp

4~ honey.. or maple syrup ( the real stuff) or agave…. 1 tsp

5~ (optional) herbs.. fresh or dried… or sesame seeds, or crushed garlic….. 1/2-1 tsp.. depending on how strong you would like ( always start with less then add more)

6~ sea salt and pepper…..  I have a slight salt obsession as well…..  we’ll chat about this later 🙂 remind me if I forget.

simply add everything to a small ball jars

   put the top on the jar and shake….

you just made dressing 🙂

trust me.. you can’t get that out of a bottle…. anywhere.

I don’t like overly dressed salads, so I usually use about a tablespoon per salad.. if you like more, then add more… I mix it with whichever greens I am using so that they are coated, then place in serving bowl… top with toppings…

like the quiche ‘recipe’  ( are you starting to get my method of cooking… it’s always a formula, then playing with ingredients… because I am a firm believer in  play!  <—- please read this post, it’s one of my favorites 🙂

so.. you will want

1~ green of choice… baby spinach, arugula, mesclun, romaine, butter lettuce..

2~ dressing of choice

3~ ( optional.. ) protein of choice… ( chicken, beans, salmon, beef, tofu, edamame.)

4~ other veggies.. just pile them on!

5~ (optional ) cheese

6~ (optional) something for crunch.. croutons, sunflower seeds, pepitas, sliver almonds

7~ (optional) dried cranberries or apricots or mandarin orange wedges

and  you, my dear have just made a killer salad worthy of any restaurant.

here’s your 13 buckaroos back 🙂

This salad  has

baby spinach

basic vinaigrette

topped with edamame ( I used trader Joe’s ).. about 1/2 cup

black beans .. about 1/4 cup

1/4 avocado, chopped

1/4 cup cranberry goat cheese ( if you are vegan, by choice or m=by force, eliminate it…  the avocado give the same mouthfeel… and you probably wont miss it)

1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes

finish with sea salt and pepper..

I ate this for lunch yesterday and it kept me full all afternoon!  ( and peeps ask me all the time where I get my protein from 🙂  )

so be brave…. look beyond iceburg, cukes and tomatoes ( not that there is anything with it, it’s the only way I can get my kids to eat a salad, so I still make it… ) and have fun!!!!

NEEEEXXXXTTT…

I have fallen in LOVE with Greek Yogurt. Have you tried it yet? I buy the non fat plain and it tastes just like sour cream. I sub it out for sour cream all the time.  It is also a perfect base to make granola parfait but also… to make some ‘creamy’ sauces!  like this

Chipotle cream sauce

I used about 1/2 the can of peppers.. if you like it more mild, use less

about a cup of the Greek Yogurt

half a lime

I put them all in the magic bullet looking thing and blended

if you don’t have one of these babies, you could use a blender, just keep scraping down the sides.. or use a food processor.

that’s it folks… does it get simpler than that? I think not.

The girls had this on their tacos last night & I topped my tostada with it.

the girls’ taco filling is made with lean ground chicken, then when I add the taco seasoning ( only half the package… it’s so loaded with sodium.. a little goes a long way.. you also can make your own, considerably knocking the sodium down, but I had it so I used it) and when I add the water I add a can of refried beans. They blend in perfectly… it stretches the filling and boosts the protein 🙂 I’ve been doing this for years..

It also freezes and defrosts well, so you can make double the amount and have it in the freezer for a super quick dinner…. If you need to cook for one, make a batch and freeze it into individual portions…  again.. quick dinner for one

*if you have dinner for one, please do me a favor and do it by candle light.. you are special and should have a nice dining experience.. if you want you can face time me and we can eat dinner together 😉 *

My filling was chopped mushrooms, sautéed  in oil, then  I mashed some back beans and lime juice in, seasoned with sea salt, cumin & chile powder

I placed it on a small flour tortilla that I heated in my cast iron skillet ( I CANNOT say enough how much I love  cast Iron to cook with)

top with cheese ( if vegan, try the daiya cheese shreds.. it’s very good, melts and stretches like cheese and can be frozen.. It is on the pricey side ( $5 a bag) but it does freeze, and I just pull out what I need when I need it )

the I added avocado.. fresh salsa.. Chipotle cream sauce and some plain Greek yogurt..  YUM!  ( and sooooooo easy )

As far as the rest of the chipotle peppers ( I’ve never had a recipe that I’ve used the whole can ) I take a freezer bag & label it… place in a jar

then press out the air & seal

Whenever I need some for a recipe, or a burst of flavor, I just break a piece off! No waste here.. yo!

so now that I’ve made you hungry… I have a question for all of you.

I have a fun company that has offered for me to give away one of their products.  I have the choice…

1~ 1 big gift for one lucky recipient…

OR

2~ 10 small gifts ( of the same item) so that TEN of you can win….

so whatcha all think? 1 big winner or 10 smaller ones???

smooches friends!!  oxooxo

Filed Under: Dinner, giveaway, lunch, Main dish, make-ahead, salad, side dishes Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

keep doin’ that thing you do……

September 17, 2012 11 Comments

you never know just who you are going to inspire. Sometimes without even knowing it.

Years ago I was stopped at a stoplight when a young lady in her mid-20’s ran passed me.. perfect pace. perfect gait…. oblivious to the rest of the world, simply lost in her running.. so at one with herself.  At Peace.

and she had a rocking body da boot…..  which I’m sure was as a result of perseverance.

I thought to myself.

“self, you should try to run.. let’s go get a book”

and that we did….

I went to Borders…. ( can I just say how absolutely devastated I am at the demise of Borders???? )

we should all pause for a moment of intention for a generation that may never know the beauty of sitting in and oversized chair in a remote corner of a store flipping through books with  big dreams in their heads.

ok…  I’m back.  Soooo I bought this book.  And read the first 10 pages. It has sat on my shelf for years. and years. I’m a -scared to read the copyright date……

Then there was that Folgers’ commercial….  you know the one… it’s early morning, her alarm goes off.. her Folgers’ coffee is brewing while she is getting all race-if-ied… then she drinks her coffee.. it’s magical and next she is crossing the finish line  with her family high fiving her at the end..

( which imoho is much better than the Maxwell house commercial where they son comes home for Christmas to surprise his family & the little sister says that she is his gift…. it really is a sweet commercial… unless your son  is deployed across the world for Christmas… then the commercial takes on a whole new meaning )

we avoided the tv that year… it was just better.. I still was not really in control of my emotions…. I’m soo much better now 🙂

I also have a lot of friends who run. Some of them I barely know, some I know well.. Each of them had inspired me which is why I bit the bullet and signed up 🙂

sooooo our race day had finally arrived…..  After spending this night at casa hagg, we stopped at Dunkin donuts for some fuel…

and eye candy

lol 🙂 .. then we headed to Providence!!!   ( did anyone get my Last Resort Lyrics in my music post yesterday ?? ) the pics are pretty much self explanitory,,, so I’ll just post… Ya’ll are probably sick of my ‘race talk’ by now….. I promise and awesome salad and mexican sauce tomorrow 😉

once you walk 40 miles in 2 days for breast cancer, you learn to love the porta potty.  true story.

LET”S DO THIS!!!!!!!

now this wasn’t all heart and flowers… for me , it was fre-a-ken hard.  I trained ans still struggled… Jodie didn’t .. and she rocked it.  Truth be told, I held her back.  She has been an athlete all of her life and I have been more of the more laid back type… ❤ yoga<3.. that whole journey is a story in itself…  My lungs hurt like HELL!!!  then I started to feel sick.

At one point I am pretty sure that I flipped  Jodie off.  I’m not proud of that, but it;s the truth.  As we hit mile 3 there was a hill. A freaken hill for the last 10th of a mile of the race.  She told me to pound it out and finish strong… I was gasping for air and told her I was about to throw up.  She yelled at me and told me that I would not throw upa and to move my ass over that finish line.

I did. and as soon as I crossed, the gagging started and I thought for sure I was about to lose my cookies allover the crowd cheering everyone on.

if I had to go even 5 more feet… that would have been it. But thankfully…I did not have to go 5  feet… there was an angel from heaven standing there with a power bar recovery bar.

I kid you not when I tell you that my arm grew 5 feet and I reached through the crowd to take said bar.

I don’t think I’ve eaten something so good in my life.

Once my breathing came back to normal, we took this pic

WE DID IT!!!

I don’t regret signing up for a second. It was just as I thought it would be and will be doing this more as my time that is mine keeps unfolding.

this has been my screen saver fo the last 4 months…… and yes. I did do it !

so why keep doin’ that thing you do? Because you never know who you are inspiring.  I can almost bet you that the people that inspired me had NO idea.  I mean ZERO idea.  But I went out of my way to let a few of them know the night before the race. And they were shocked. If I hadn’t had let them know, they never would have known just how inspiring they are..

so here’s your turn… think about someone who has inspired you.. even just a little. Reach out and thank them. Chances are they have no idea and they should know! because they have helped you become who you are 🙂

namaste friends 🙂

Filed Under: family, Run, Uncategorized Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

numerology at it’s best

September 16, 2012 11 Comments

today is the 16th day 9th month of the 2012th year

I am 41 years old and my sister is 38  years old.

today we ran our first 5k,

Jodies’ bib number was 902

Mine was 2029

(it’s alphabetical.. for those who do not know)

in case you do not know, a 5k is 3.1 miles.

my personal goal was to finish in 45 mintes.

we crossed over the finish line ant the clock said 39 :40

I was thrilled with this number.

On the way home, by brilliant sister and I started talking about how the clock read that, but those were the first runners…. the fast runners.. and that in fact it took us a good 4-5 minutes for us to start our race

*keep in mind, we are newbies here*

so alllllllll day we have waited for the final results to be posted… 5 minutes ago.. they were

34 minutes and 26 seconds!  yeah baby!!!  we ran a n 11:05 mile!!  WWWAAAAY beyond what I could  that I could ever do!!

I will post more on this whole experience tomorrow, but I have a hubby who is in actually in town and some legs that need some rest 🙂

Onto the giveaway..  42 of you  qualified.. thank you for every share that you made. The only way for me to help my blog grow is for those who like it to share it with others. If you don;t like it.. that is ok.. I don;t want to bully anyone ( except my sister… it’ s a God-given right ~ thanks, mom and dad :)..I owe you both for this!!!!)

*evil grin*

when I went to random .org.. it turns out that I had to pay for it… I just bought my domain this week

I’m broke.

So I yelled to Scott ( who was in the kitchen )  scottinthekitchen stories up soon? possibly 🙂

me : hey hon pic a number between 1 and 42 ( I had the paper way away from me with every name having a number attached)

him : 42

me: really

him : what’s wrong with 42?

me.. nothing.. it;s the winner….  let’s see who won….

Kathy with a K…….. !!!! congratulations!  I will need your address…email at barefootgirl27@comcast.net

Thanks to all who shared and entered. Details on the next giveaway tomorrow 🙂 This one will be quite bigger !

thanks again for all the race love

and thanks, Jo…  for running with me despite the fact that I bullied you into it! I could not have done as well I I did without you by my side  smoooooooocheroni!!!!!!

Happy Sunday evening, friends!

oxoxox

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race day

September 16, 2012 10 Comments

race day is here..  I am excited and scared and nervous and extatic all at once.  *squeal* I can’t believe that today is the day!!

You can read about why this has been so important to me here  🙂

My little sister and I are as ready as we are going to be… and that is in thanks to many friends along the way who have answered even the silliest questions about running for me.

so THANK YOU!

and yes, I did go out and buy new sneakers yesterday…. because everyone who knew anything about sneakers told me that mine were way too small for me & my ‘toe box’ would end up hurting my toes.

I also started to get really bitchy  nervous  yesterday afternoon…. so I took my patootie to the running store, where I was surrounded by runners who didn’t even know and still answered questions for me.

Thank you for everyone on my personal facebook page for the music suggestions… I appreciate them all and her is what I ultimately came up with..

St.Elmos’ fire? why yes…. it is where I fell in love with the jeep Wrangler and knew I would someday drive one…

Prince?  why, yes.. because I am still ( and probably always will be looking for the purple banana….)

Flashdance? well, honestly, wouldn’t you be more surprised if it wasn’t on my playlist? 🙂

thought so 😉

Today is also the day that I announce the winner of the giveaway !!  And i know that I said the deadline was last night, But I’m feeling all warm and generous this morning…  So I will extend your chances to win Until I arrive home from the race….  ( I have a complete list of everyone who was entered based on how you could enter as stated in that post.. some of you have multiple entries! Thank you!!

So same as before..  like barefootgirl in the kitchen on facebook

Share a status update from barefootgirl in in the kitchen on your own facebook wall…

Sign up or have a friend sign up for email alerts from the blog.. or by wordpress.

Have a friend like barefootgirl in the kitchen on facebook. ( then write n the wall your name so that I know who sent them over 🙂 )

You guys are all the greatest…  I’m off to the city where the old world shadows hang heavy in the air…

I’m such a lyric junkie 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂

I’ll be back around dinner with race results and giveaway winner!  good luck friends!!!

I gotsss to run!!!!

Filed Under: Run Tagged With: , , ,

quick and easy quiche

September 14, 2012 4 Comments

quiche scared me.  for years. for real.

I don’t know why I was so scared to make it, but it was so intimidating ..  but lets be real… it’s eggs, and cheese and cream and crust. could it get simpler?

no.

PLUS.. it’s like when you make pizza  you can have fun disquzing your leftovers  I mean… being creative with ingredients 🙂 

And you can have it on the table in under an hour

AND  you can have it for breakfast, brunch, lunch, linner, dinner, snack. 3 am munchies  ( who am I to judge? ) whatever your little heart desires…

 

Mine is based off of this recipe.

 

I have  loosely included the ingredients, because each and every time that I make it I make it different. Use what you like.. just follow the base of the recipe & you’ll be good to go 🙂

 

quick and easy quiche

1 pie crust un-baked ( I use the Pillsbury roll out brand near the dinner rolls)

1/2 cup of cheese of your choice ( I used goat cheese with dried cranberries)

1/2 cup of another cheese of your choice ( I used feta)

1/2 cup to a cup of veggies of you choice ( I used baby spinach & diced onion)

1/4 cup bacon, ham, sausage… whatever you have ( omit if vegetarian) <– I did that

1 cup heavy cream or light cream ( both work, heavy cream just makes it richer) I had heavy cream.. now I have a quiche baby.. If I don’t judge your 3 am munchies then you can’t judge my quiche baby. I called it.
First so I win 🙂

fresh herbs.. chives, parsley, thyme.. whatever floats your boat.. if you don’t have fresh use a smaller amount fo dried, but rub it between your fingertips to release the scent. ( I used fresh parsley and chives)

 

local friends, I have fresh (organic chives, mint and rhubarb up the whazzooo if ever you want some.. let me know )

Sea salt and pepper ( I used sea salt and pepper 😉

 

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Roll out pie crust, place in pie plate and crimp edges really pretty for the camera. ( oh wait, maybe that’s just my house) just crimp. ( unless you want to take a picture and send it to me… that could make me smile 🙂

sprinkle cheese on the prepared pie crust.

 

In a bowl, beat eggs lightly, add cream. herbs veggies and meat. lightly mix together. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour mixture into prepared pie crust..  finish with an extra grating of pepper.

Bake at 400 for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 for 35-40 minutes or until quiche is set and lightly browned.

 

Kiss your pup a lot while it’s baking.. because that is way more fun than cleaning the kitchen 😉

Let sit a bit before cutting.

( the cooler it is the easier it is to cut)

I love to serve it with a light salad with lemon dressing & parm cheese.

 

( did you know that I love cheese? like so much that I named my car after cheese? true story. I’ll tell you about it sometime)

 

so you know what an awesome food blogger I am? Tian and I ate the whole quiche before I realized that I forgot to take a picture of the finished quiche.

yep…. I’m classy like that.

 

and since it’s almost FALL  ( my very favoritest time of the year..I come to life in the fall).. I enjoyed one of these while staring at my four-legged bundle o joy.

This might just be my favorite  pumpkin ale.. I love what the box states…

off centered ales for off centered people.

 

it’s like they knew me when they brewed this 🙂

 

Remember, there is still time to enter for the 1803 wax melter give away contest consider sharing with your friends.. it will make me happy and if they win then it will make them happy 🙂 

t-48 hours until the race….. I must be crazy…

 

xoxoxox~shel

 

Filed Under: breakfast, Dinner, giveaway, lunch, Main dish, make-ahead Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

quaintness overload.

September 13, 2012 32 Comments

seriously.

be ready.

Yesterday after my mom & I had a most wonderful lunch, we went to Christmas tree shops (❡❡ dontcha just love a a bargain ❡❡)  to browse through things that we didn’t need to find things that we couldn’t live without.  I bought some super-de-duperly cool fall napkins .

Ali’s lunch is stylin’ today, I tell ya 🙂

Mom asked me if we could stop at this little shop that she had always wanted to… it is called Cinnamon Sticks and Candlewicks  it is tucked into a little shop on route 28  at a bend in the road in lovely, West Dennis, ma.. on the Cape. 

If you think it is quaint from the outside….. just hold onto your pants, cause the inside is downright charming 🙂   :if you are a boy in your teen years that still thinks that your bum hanging out makes you look cool… the for the love of God.. PLEASE hold those pants!!!!:

and it smelled HEAVENLY!  The first thing that we saw were 1803 candles. These are the nicest candles that I have ever had my hands on, and let me tell you, I’ve had my hands on A lot of candles!  They are made of Soy wax…. grown by AMERICAN farmers!  how cool is that?

The packaging had my heart instantly, being ball jars and all….. ( I have a slight obsession with ball jars) 

what’s so cool about soy you ask??

well here ya go…

Soy Wax is made of soybeans grown in the United States.  It is a renewable resource and environmentally friendly.

 clean burning
 non-toxic
 non-carcinogenic
 biodegradable

Soy candles will leave your home free of soot on your walls, curtains and furniture.

and… they smell amazing!  And they have the coolest names..  Cabin on the hill, barn raising, grandpa’s trees, north woods cabin.. just to name a few…  The gentleman behind the counter told us that once we burned one of these candles, we would never go back to any other candle. I think he is right 🙂

the store had all sorts of tiny cubbies with a mix of antiques

LOVE! the rolling pins!!!

Mom and I spent quite a bit of time walking around and taking it all in… enjoying the incredible smells:)…  This business is run by a lovely husband & wife team, JoDee& Bob Harvey.  ( their adorable granddaughter was there as well as their pup and a sweet little kitty cat 🙂  ( I forget their names 😦  )

~ Btw…. the first weekend in December they host a holiday festival with clam chowder, pulled pork, dips.. and a whole lot more.. if you are in the area and want more info… leave them your email on their home page and they will keep you up to date.. I’ll be there 😉

Something else kinds cool happened…  While checking out , Mom started talking to Bob and it turns out that Bob’s family grew up RIGHT across the street from my stepdad, John’s family!  ( North of Boston).. small world, eh?

While Mom & Bob were reminiscing  about the good ol’ days, I thought it would be fun if I wandered around & took some pics.. and bought a small gift to share with one of you!!!

YOU’RE always on my mind 🙂 

so that’s exact-alatally  what I did 🙂

My favorite scent from all that I had to choose from was called ‘barn-raising’.. the description states

Everyone has a job to do on barn raising day…(blend of barnwood, redwood, cedar)

so here is what I have for you ! a six pack of 1803 melters. Each soy cube is infused with fragrance, essential oil and botanicals…  You can melt each wax sube in a wax melter for hours of scent.

yeeaaah…. I debating on telling you this, but since we are friends and all…. I bought a set of wax melters for me in a different scent … and I went to smell it lsat night and the wax and essential oil blend is SOOO  soft.. that I broke off a tiny piece and massaged it into my dry heels.

Now you REALLY think that I’ve lost it… It’s ok.. I get it… I live with me too… le sigh.

I’m certainly NOT recommending that the lucky winner try this…  but I’m also not certain that I won’t do it again tonight 🙂

I really did fall in love with this scent… and to prove it to you ….  here is my barn raising candle next to my birds nest of sea glass

( sea glass is sea glass that Ali has been collecting for me for years and the birds nest is from a mama bird who had her babies right out side of my window… I watched them grow actually fly away… months after the nest had been abandoned, I took it as my own to hold treasures 🙂

the label on the candle reads…. ‘Men women and children have a job to do on barn raising day’.. I mean, how could you not love that? you can get your kids to do work!

ps.. if you want see see more pics of this adorable store… click here

SOO…   down to business… what do you have to do to win? I’m offering you a lot of chances!

1~  LIKE barefootgirl in the kitchen on facebook.. then leave a quick comment there..( on barefootinthekitchen’s facebook page)  it can be one word. just let me know that you were there.. if you already like me *flips hair* then just leave me a quick comment… again.. one word is fine… you could even just say booger. I would take that.. because I know that that is your secret way of professing your undying love to me  .. *swoons*

2~ refer a friend that you think might like barefoot to my blog and follow either by signing up for emails ( click the white box on the left above the facebook like box)  or following though wordpress…Have my new found friend ( thanks to you ) Leave a quick comment with who it was (AHEM… YOUR NAME)  that referred them. You each will get an entry into the giveaway.. you refer  ( I keep spelling reefer by accident.. this could be bad)  let’s try that again…. you can refer as many friends as you want.. and you will receive a separate entry for each  one of my new friends… AND  your friend can get an extra entry ( or 10) if they refer one of their friends and do exactly the same thing…. leave a comment about who loved who first… I promise , I’ll keep track.

3~ and if you don’t think that you have any friends that want to love me, or you just want to hoard may awesomeness all to yourself, I understand.. I’m a girl 😉 If this is you, then all that you have to do is leave me a comment in the comment area.

you are welcome to say booger too.. there is no food in this post 🙂

AND!!!!  you can do ALL of these for multiple entries!!!!  because you are my friend… and you rock my world!

2 last things……   I only mention this because when I first started reading blogs..this I did not know… ( don’t laugh ) but many times in a post I will refer to something that I’ve written in the past & I will type a hyper link this will take you back to that post that I was talking about… if something that I wrote did not make sense, then perhaps the past post will clear things up ( keep in mind, I’ve been at this for a few years, so some of you may have read things that others have not)  I try to make sure that you see the hyperlinks by making them a different color.. so if you see writing that isn’t this lovely black, there’s your sign 🙂 If the word is a purty color then click on it… It might make my post make a whole lot more sense…. then again, maybe not.

Once in awhile I will change the color just for fun, so if you roll over a colored word and when you click it it does nothing… then just move on.. there is always tomorrow.

and lastly, my dear friends…. I will keep the contest open until midnight on Saturday.. this gives everyone time to share the love. Think Woodstock here…

I will choose the winner at random  using random.org  when I get home from runningmy first 5 k on Sunday…….and promptly ship out to the winner on Monday morning. 

I have 6 other prizes for upcoming give aways… and waiting to hear back on many more… some are home made and some are donated and kinda funky &  fun stuff 🙂

have a great night, invisible blog world friends 🙂

Filed Under: giveaway, quaint Tagged With: , , , , ,

how much is too much?

September 12, 2012 19 Comments

that my friends is what I ask of you. The majority of you that are reading what I write know me pretty well… so I’m asking you , my core followers & friends a favor…

Over my years of blog reading, I have read some blogs that when I’m done reading a post , I kinda feel down about myself. Some blog posts that I’ve read seem to really just focus on the positive in lives and makes life  look just a little too perfect… When I would sit back and compare, I was feeling a little bit like I have not achieved enough

..Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not knocking anyone’s style of writing, to each their own…that’s what makes the internet the internet. But part of what has made me able to be able to be so accepting of the path that has taken me to where I am today is by living that path.. and trust me, it has been anything but easy.

 

I want to write and to share, because I find things out along the way that I like to pass on… much they way that I would share with a good friend.. because you are a good friend 🙂

Along the way mistakes, will be made and trust me…. you’ll read about them …. I assure you.

What I’m looking for from you is that if my writing seems to be going in an unfavorable direction, please drop me a message and let  me know.  I’ve gone back and forth on pursuing this blog.. my new project… new ‘baby’ if you will.. and after the response of my first few days re posting & the messages that some of you have sent, I feel like I can do this. I want to do this 🙂

I may succeed, I may fail… but either way I will be giving it my all.  And I would love your suggestions along the way. This is way more than just a food blog. This is me putting myself out there..

 

Sure I may joke about how ‘awesome’ I am… but TRUST me.. it is all in a joking matter and in fact how I really talk in real life.  In no way shape or from do I think that I am better or worse than the person next to me, just different… And while I do like my ‘different’ understand that comments that I make like that will ALWAYS be meant in a joking term.

So please…. keep after me to go in the right direction

barefootgir27@comast.net

Real quick, before I go… I spent an amazing day on Cape with my mom. She took me out for a nice lunch where she bravely tried a veggie burger and instantly fell in love 🙂

We did a little bit of light shopping and bought a few trinkety things…. more on this tomorrow… and guess what???

I bought a little present for one you YOU!!!  All of the detail tomorrow.  It’s not much, but *I* love it and it is first in a series of give -aways in the weeks to come 🙂

oh.. one last note..

 

How about a HUGE shout out to my mom…. who after many many years has QUIT SMOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

GO MOM!!!!  I am SOOO Proud of you! I know what a huge hurdle that was for you!!!

 

LOVE  you oxoxox

 

g’night friends 🙂

Filed Under: family, Uncategorized

watermelon times three

September 11, 2012 8 Comments

Ya’ll may have given up on me posting tonight.. I mean it’s almost 9 pm .. where the heck has she been?

Training for a race, that’s where 🙂 🙂 🙂

So let’s talk watermelon. It’s a melon. It’s made of water. Lots and lots of water.

It’s fun to eat in the summer. It’s fun to have it drip all over you bbq shirt. it’s a BLAST to spit the seeds. It is summer in a food

It’s PINK!

I have always loved watermelon. As an adult I started to appreciate it back in the early 90s when I read the book Fit for Life .

(anyone else read it? show of hands? oh.. only me.. that’s cool  :))

Anyhoooo… The preface is that your body is made of mostly water so you should eat mostly food made of water. Also, you should never eat a protein and a carb together, never eat fruit with anything other than fruit..  that you get out int the sun and soak up the free vitamin D.. and most importantly, only eat fruit until noon.

And the fruit should have high water content. Like watermelon. Because it’s made of water.

Are you gettin’ where I’m going here?

Are you smelling what I’m cooking?

watermelon is chock full of water.

*ducks* ok. ok. I get it…  you know what I am trying to say..

soooooo our first recipe will blow you away. Or at least it did me. I saw this earlier this summer on the Rachael Ray show and I was like, ” GENUIS!”

*side note.. I was on the Rachael Ray Show last year.. yeah.. I’m famous ~~  :inspects manicure like I’m important)*

So Rach (I can call her, that, we’re buds)was talking about how watermelon was made of….ok.. you get it, I know, I know!!!

do you know where I’m going with this?

Let’s play a game. Let’s look at some pictures.

look liked plain old cubed watermelon, right?

look again

getting cooler warmer?

ok.. I’ll give it to you… I’m nice like that 🙂

SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!  you have figured it out, haven’t you… you are a genius.. you are… YOU ARE!!   She made watermelon ice cubes!!!!  because #$%^&  melon is made of #%$%^ which freezes! GENUIS! 

so to make these watermelon cubes even better.. I added them to this…
tea that Amanda and I found while she was here..( on clearance!).. although I think that you could use any fruit tea.. truth be told, it was her idea to use this tea with the cubes… she also comes from great jeans genes.

brace yourself..

I’ll give you a minute… I understand…

So the next recipe…. Years ago I came up with a brilliant idea to make a watermelon salsa. I was SOO proud of myself and promptly made some for my mom proclaiming my obvious talent.

And while we were eating it, a chain restaurant advertised on tv their ‘new watermelon salsa’

Really? REALLY?  yeah, really.

But in my heart of hearts,. even if the rest of the world was already doing it, I came up with my own in my kitchen, so I’m ok with that 🙂

Watermelon Salsa

2 Cups cubed seedless watermelon

1 bunch cilantro, rinsed, chopped and soaked like we did for the leeks

1/2 red onion, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

Zest and juice of 1 lime

Sea salt & pepper

~ everyone in the pot~

and mix :).. seriously…  you CAN do this!

volia!  done 🙂 I like it if it sits overnight but it is reallllllly hard to do… cause it’s

so

darn

good

You can top grilled chicken with this, tofu. Top a salad… or eat it alone. 

Maybe if you live on the wild side like me, you could put it on vanilla ice cream

*note to self.. buy ice cream tomorrow*

here’s a napkin for you 🙂

Okkkeeddookee…. last recipe…

we are going to get smoky.. and sultry.. and tangy

with watermelon?

um. yes.

Grilled Watermelon Salad

1 thick piece of watermelon, about 2×4.. sprinkle with salt & drain on a paper towel ( I tried to use my tofu press, but it didn’t do much) then rinsed after 10  min

1 tomato, sliced, sprinkled with salt, drained on paper towels ~ I did not rinse the salt of these babies ( I chopped the end up for topping)

1 thick slice of red onion

A few chunks of feta cheese

2 wedges of lime

Olive oil & a pastry brush

Grill pan

Sea salt and pepper

start by making sure that everything is as dry as it can be. Then using pastry brush, brush all veggies with olive oil. Preheat he grill pan until it is super hot then place watermelon, tomato and onion in the pan. then let the pan do it’s work.. don’t play with it!  After about 5 minutes, using tongs, carefully flip them. ( my tomatoes didn’t look so purty.. but they did taste good 🙂

Place the watermelon on a plate, pretty side up, then arrange remaining ingredients ( except lime) on the plate..  Squeeze on wedge of lime over the salad and garnish with another.

this recipe is sensory overload. The smokiness from the watermelon with the sweetness of the onions, the depth from the tomatoes and the zing from the lime juice & saltiness of the feta….. I loved this!

Ic ame up with the idea after seing one of the contestants on Hell’s Kitchen the other night ( don’t tell me the winner, I had to DVR it until Scott comes home this weekend )

I saw a similar combo on the show and have obsessed over it since then.

’cause sometimes I do that..

like with watermelon 🙂

night friends…..

I have a kitchen to clean!

oxox

Filed Under: beverages, make-ahead, salad Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,
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