Category Archives: Recipes

The Latest Doorstep Delivery

Posted by Lesley on August 11, 2011 None comments

We have great neighbors.  They don’t throw wild parties or leave old cars out to rust on their front lawns.  They smile as they pass by, and they share their fruit.  Toby from next door gets the shout-out today for sharing her avocados.  By the time I reached the door, she was already across the street making her rounds with plastic bags full of them.  She yelled, “If you need more, I’ve got ‘em.”  And she does…the view from our fence:

Avocados aren’t my favorite, but I found some recipes to try and an all-natural facial is now on my weekend to-do list.

I have high hopes for both pasta dishes because I really want to like avocados.  According to the California Avocado Commission, “Avocados provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.” But here’s something I didn’t know, they’re also known as alligator pears.

Rainy Day Recipe: Nutella Wontons

Posted by Lesley on July 8, 2011 2 comments

I worked all day, and it rained all night.  There was no good time to wander through the garden, but Cooper and I definitely found something to take notice of today – a recipe for Nutella wontons.  They were fun to make, even better to eat, and right on theme with our Chinese take-out dinner. 

Here’s the recipe:

Whisk together 4 oz. of softened cream cheese with 1 cup of Nutella and 3 tablespoons of flour until smooth.  Wet the edges of the wonton, put a tablespoon of the filling into the center, and fold the wonton into a triangle.  Press around the edges to seal.  Fry the wontons in hot vegetable oil until light brown on both sides.  Remove from the oil and top with powdered sugar.  

Father’s Day Picnic at Fort De Soto Park

Posted by Lesley on June 19, 2011 None comments

It’s Week Eight, and this picnic series may never end.  Each week is better than the last.  It’s either a date with John or family time with all my boys.

It’s quickly become my favorite weekly outing.  No matter where the table sits, there’s always good food and good conversation – no emails, iPods, phones, or laptops allowed!  Today the place was Fort De Soto Park, and lunch was chicken cordon bleu sandwiches.

A park with grills can really step up your picnic menu.  In the same time it takes to assemble a cold ham and cheese sandwich, you can prep a lunch worthy of dinner.

Chicken Cordon Bleu Sandwiches

  • Layer a slice of ham and a slice of Asiago cheese on top of a chicken cutlet.
  • Roll up the cutlet and secure with a skewer.
  • Sprinkle with Montreal Chicken Seasoning.
  • Pack up and find a grill.
  • Serve cooked roll-ups on sandwich buns.

Lunch was first; next up was exploring.  The park is big, its own island where the Gulf of Mexico meets Tampa Bay.  Cooper and John headed over to the 1,000-foot Gulf pier to do some fishing, while I took Lukey over to the dog beach to cool off.

When you’re only a foot tall, even the relaxed tide of the gulf can be a little too much.  It took about six tries to get Luke past the bubbles of the water’s edge, but his seperation anxiety eventually took priority over his water phobia.  By the time he got to me, he was so frenzied that he had transformed into a wind-up doll.  Even when plucked from the water, his little legs never stopped paddling.  It’s possible that if Luke was a person, he’d be seeing a therapist.  Even the other dogs were too much for him.  But in his defense, there were a lot of dogs.

For the most part, he was staring at me or rolling in the sand solo, but Luke really could have mingled more.  For how many dogs were on the beach, it was incredibly calm and enjoyable.  When we went to the dog beach in Venice, it was chaotic.  I didn’t feel comfortable even sitting on the beach.  The dogs were running back and forth in a pack.  Within 10 minutes of settling in, our bag was looted by a Cocker Spaniel.  All the dogs were peeing everywhere, but one Golden Retriever was alone in diggng the shoreline into Swiss cheese.  I was stung by a jellyfish at the beach once; this was worse.  It never occured to me in a million drops of dog drool that I’d ever see another dog beach again, but this was a completely different experience…still, my flip flops stayed on.

Fort De Soto Park
3500 Pinellas Bayway S., Tierra Verde, FL 33715
Park Office (727) 552-1862
Campground Office (727) 893-9185

Even Parking Lots Offer the Opportunity to Picnic

Posted by Lesley on June 12, 2011 None comments

We didn’t splurge on the $17 times three for admission, but we still spent the afternoon enjoying much of what Selby Gardens has to offer - a waterfront view and a variety of plants and trees.  Good thing there were no picnic tables left at Marina Jack or I would have never thought of this spot.  Just beyond the parking lot for Selby Gardens is a surprisingly serene spot overlooking a canal and totally shaded by exotic trees.  

Maybe in other cities, the parking lots are drab, barren slabs of concrete, but this Sarasota lot is complete with a grassy area and wood bench, so it’s basically a miniature park.  Luke and I have been there before because it’s a stop on the recreational trail that runs along Sarasota Bay.  Even when not visiting Selby Gardens, it’s nice to walk the sidewalks outside.  The plants are marked the same as they are inside, and sometimes there are plant displays outside the horticulture building.  

Today’s most talked about tree was the Sausage Tree, more formally known as Kigelia pinnata.  The large orchid-type blooms hanging from the branches are what caught our attention initially, but then we remembered the tree from our visit to the Edison Estate.  

We couldn’t figure out the connection between the common name and the tree until we spotted some fruit hanging.  They look like giant sausage casings and are apparently quite dangerous.  The fruit can weight up to 15 pounds and have not only knocked out car windows but animals and people too.

Lunch was as good as the spot thanks to an old and new menu favorite.  The old favorite, ham and basil pinwheels, are an appetizer I make for parties because they’re such a cinch.  Spread cream cheese on a tortilla and top with raddicchio, basil and Black Forest ham.  Roll, cut and done.  The new favorite, Daily’s Daquiris, are a freezer to cup insta-cocktail.  I said it in my last post, and I’ll say it again…it’s going to be a long, hot summer.  Daily’s will be helping me get through it.

{this moment} Backyard Smores

Posted by Lesley on June 3, 2011 None comments

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. -Soulemama

Cheap and Clean Pineapples

Posted by Lesley on May 4, 2011 None comments

Call me a snob, but I wouldn’t normally buy produce at Walmart.  It’s great for bargains, but I’m not looking for bargains on produce.  I’m looking for freshness, flavor and a lack of chemicals – see my last post on King Family Farm and Market.  But I’m still human, and one of my flaws is the inability to resist a good deal.  When a pineapple is priced at $1.98, any rational, pineapple-loving person adds one to their cart.  Pineapples usually cost double that if not more, and I had an inkling that they were on the Clean Fifteen, a list of non-organic fruits and vegetables that contain the least amount of pesticide residues.  I was right.  Not only are pineapples on the Clean Fifteen, they are Number Four on the list.  Only sweet corn, avocados and onions beat them for having lower pesticide counts.  Not bad for under two bucks, and it sure beats waiting two years for my plant to fruit.

Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen Lists

Of course, the two-dollar pineapple didn’t taste as good, but I planned ahead by picking up a bag of charcoal.  Grilled pineapple always tastes sweeter; the high heat carmelizes its natural sugars.  Dinner was delicious – grilled teriyaki chicken kabobs with pineapple, onions and bell peppers. 

The ingredients listed below combine to make my favorite teriyaki marinade.  When I first started cooking, this recipe was one I could always count on to turn out right, and the kabobs can be grilled or broiled.  I didn’t grill back then…still don’t, but I have John now.  Just mix everything together and marinate your choice of meat.  Keep the meat marinating overnight for the most mouth-watering results.

  • 1/4 Cup brown sugar
  • 1/2 Cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 Cup oil
  • 1/4 Tsp. fresh ginger
  • 3 Cloves garlic
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice     

King Family Farm and Market

Posted by Lesley on May 2, 2011 4 comments

This morning’s breakfast was blueberry jam with lavender on wheat toast.  It was my first time trying the jam, and the flavor threw me a little.  It had my senses crossed for a minute.  As I spread the jam over the toast, there was a faint scent of lavender.  Tasting it intensified the scent, and somehow it was like eating a smell for the first few bites.  But then the flavor of the lavender settled in, and the jam was less strange and much more tasty.  It’s made by Chef Eric Bein of Station 400, a posh breakfast and lunch restaurant on Lemon Avenue in Sarasota.      

I bought the jam at King Family Farm and Market in Bradenton where the blueberries and lavender are grown.  I met my sister there last week.  King Ranch is a regular stop in her afternoon pick-up route; she brings the kids into the market to get their after-school snacks.  This time, they picked fresh flowers too.

The flowers cost 35 cents a stem; just grab the scissors and snip.

The field was filled mostly with Snapdragons, but we saw a few other varieties as we strolled through the rows – lavender, some sort of really tall gladiola-looking flowers, and one towering sunflower.

But don’t just go for the flowers and jam, go for the produce.  A lot of what is grown at the farm is picked that morning, so it doesn’t get fresher.  The produce also has low to no pesticides.  The farm isn’t certified, but their practices are organic.  Still, read the labels while shopping because some of the produce and products are sourced from other local businesses. 

My choices for the week were blueberries, bell peppers, peaches, corn, cucumbers, celery, onions, and patty pan squash.  And even more so than freshness and flavor, the invaluable part of shopping at a local farmer’s market is knowing where your food comes from.  I can rest easy knowing the cucumbers in my fridge are sans salmonella.  Eat local!  

Google Map of King Family Farm and Market

Get Your Bibb On

Posted by Lesley on April 20, 2011 3 comments

Our Bibb lettuce patch was a huge success this year.  It was already two weeks ago that John looked at me and said, “I am so sick of salad.”  And still we have a whole row left. 

A month after the first head was plucked and I can’t remember a time when we didn’t eat salad.  John has started going door-to-door offering the beautiful Bibb heads to our neighbors.  Three gladly accepted, and one said he was allergic.  For some reason, possibly an inner caveman desperation to move on from salad to meat and potatoes, I don’t believe him.  If anyone has a lettuce allergy, comment and I’ll bring him some beans when they’re ready.      

No matter how much salad I eat, there’s one recipe that never tires.  I’ve posted it before; the recipe is for a homemade raspberry vinaigrette dressing.  Basil is a main ingredient, and my sweet basil is just starting to come in.  The dressing is delicious tossed with the unlikely pair of grapefruit and green beans for a quick side dish.  It completely tempers the sourness of the grapefruit.  

This time the dressing was drizzled over a side salad of Bibb lettuce, strawberries, cucumbers, and pears with a main entree of Chilean sea bass.  It’s as good as it looks and the perfect weeknight meal because everything besides the fish can be washed, chopped and prepared ahead of time.  The minute you walk in the door, toss the fish (it doesn’t have to be sea bass) in a bowl and cover it with low-sodium soy sauce.  Marinate for at least 15 minutes, then dip the fish in tea leaves, and broil on both sides.  Celestial Seasonings has a line of Zinger teas.  Tear open a few of the bags and coat the fish as if the tea leaves were bread crumbs.  Tangerine Orange Zinger is my personal favorite but lemon, raspberry and red zingers work well too.  Bon appetite!     

{this moment} Discovery

Posted by Lesley on April 15, 2011 6 comments

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. -Soulemama

Celebrating Springtime with Some Me-time

Posted by Lesley on February 21, 2011 None comments

Last week was extremely busy.  Between work, a sick dog and a visiting sister-in-law, there was no time for blogging or gardening.  But today was my day.  Lukey is starting to feel better and the absolutely gorgeous weather lasted into a new week.  It looks like winter is past us here in Florida.  I felt giddy wielding my clippers!  The mums, butterfly garden, roses and succulents all got clipped, snipped and plucked.

While cleaning up the Mother-of-Millions garden, formally known as the rock garden, I uncovered one tiny orange Kalanchoe blossfeldiana survivor peeking through the millions.      

After putting the clippers down, I planted sweet basil and climbing nasturtiums, prepped most of our meals for the week, and spruced up a couple of containers.  Oh, the things we could accomplish each week with just one extra day…     

In an effort to combine beauty with duty, I planted these two 95-cent Verbena plants from Walmart with a couple of Jalapeno seeds.  My other pretty and edible combo is Gazania and carrot seeds.  

Here’s my super-easy menu for the week if you’re looking for ideas.  The dishes are easy because every one can be prepared in advance when you actually have the time and energy.  And they taste good because most of the oven cooking is done day-of.  The meals, even if prepared three days in advance, are served steamy and fresh. 

Have a good week, and get ready to garden next weekend!  I’ll be posting an entry on butterfly gardening tomorrow…another thing I had time to work on today.  One thing I couldn’t do today was to say Happy Birthday to my mom.  I tried to call, but she’s busy swooshing down the slopes this week.  So when you read this, Mom, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!  I LOVE YOU!  And you can expect a big box of grapefruit Florida love when you get back.