Art(ish)

Y'all know when I was in Italy last month, I had a chance to spend some time with my watercolors, making art(ish). I finally got my paintings framed~ and I think they look perfect in my kitchen. I am not an artist~ but with Liz's help, I created art! A part of our week with Gail's Great Escape are art lessons with Liz Cochrane . Last year I posted about our lesson's with Liz. She is a well know artist in the Montisi area, and we are lucky to have her spend time with us. Her patience and calming influence are just what we needed to try our hands with watercolors. She guides us with careful suggestions... and is always right! Her sense of humor is delightful, and helps keep everyone at ease. Her stories of being British in a small Italian village are always fun. I am almost embarrassed to show them... My artwork is no reflection of Liz's talents.
It IS a reflection of my warm memories!

Now I have these little paintings to remind me of my time in the kitchen in Montisi. I smile every time I glance that way... That is a better souvenir than anything I could have bought at the Uffizi.

Thanks Liz, mi amici.




Ciao y'all!
Sandi

We are in print...

This is soooo us.

Fun on the 4th!

We had a fun day on the fourth. The weather held out and it was a beautiful day to share with family and friends.

Our Sunday Salad this week was perfect for the 4th of July party. Nancy at A wine lover's wanderings picked a watermelon salad. She gave us several suggestions for a variety of ingredients, check out her blog for several different recipes. Since my garden overflows with mint and basil... I used those.

Watermelon Salad

1 seedless watermelon

1/4 cup thinly sliced purple onion

1 cup fresh basil and mint leaves

2 Tbs olive oil

2 tsp lemon juice

1 cup feta cheese crumbles.

Make a pesto paste with the olive oil, lemon juice and herbs in the blender- or mince the herbs and whisk together. Pour over the feta and allow it to marinate.

Cut the watermelon into bite sized pieces. Slice the onion very thinly.

Toss everything lightly in a large bowl, garnish with freshly torn mint and basil.

It looks beautiful and the flavors blend so well~ The sweet watermelon, the salty feta, the peppery basil and olive oil.

But... in this southern family, guess which watermelon went first!

Why ruin a perfect thing?

Y'all enjoy!

Sandi

Photohunt~ Pink

The photohunt for this week is 'pink'.
I could just see me zipping around Rome on this hot pink vespa.
NOT!
Happy Hunting y'all,
Sandi

What's for breakfast?

Are y'all wondering what to have for breakfast on the 4th?

You have to have something hearty... that will hold over until the low country boil is ready. Something that will last through the swimming and hot sunshine.

Bacon and biscuits!

It can still be patriotic!

Happy 4th of July y'all~

Sandi

How Time Flies~

How time flies!

Happy Anniversary~

Sandi

Have you got some extra mint?

Do you have any extra mint growing in amongst the weeds? Y'all know that here in the south, once you plant a little mint, it goes crazy. You could easily pull up a couple of handfuls.

This is the perfect time to plan to make some mint ice cream for the 4th of July. This is from David Lebovitz's The Perfect Scoop... the best source for ice cream recipes!

Fresh Mint Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk

1/4 cup sugar

2 cups heavy cream

pinch of salt

2 cups fresh mint leaves

5 egg yolks

Warm the milk, sugar, half the cream, and salt in a small saucepan. Add the mint leaves and stir. Cover, remove from the heat and let sit for 1 hour.

Strain the cream, and discard the mint leaves.

Rewarm the mint-infused cream, slowly incorporate the egg yolks after mixing in another bowl. Constantly stir over medium heat until the mixture thickens and reaches 170°. Pour through a strainer into a bowl with the remainder of the cream. Cool thoroughly in the fridge. Freeze in your ice cream maker according to the instructions.

I served mine with some fresh strawberries for a light and sweet dessert. Perfect for a hot summer's day!

Y'all enjoy~

Sandi

Red, White, and Blue!

I love the 4th of July!

This is a holiday that shouts family! to me. For years and years, we have spent the 4th at the beach. This year we are sticking close to home... so I am working hard to bring out the red, white and blue.

Or maybe I should accent the red and white~ to avoid the blue!

A day spent making holiday cookies always does the trick. I have posted this recipe a dozen times... but it is the best!

Y'all enjoy!

Sandi

Lemon Chicken Salad

This is a recipe for chicken salad for those who really don't like chicken salad.

I made it for my friends at work... and got raves from the un-chicken salad eaters. It is fresh and lemony~ perfect for these hot summer days. (is lemony a word?)

Lemon Chicken Salad

2 cups cooked chicken

1 lemon

1/4 cup diced onion

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup capers

1 small jar artichokes, drained

2-4 Tbs mayo

2 Tbs pickle relish

Chop cooked chicken into small chunks. In a mixing bowl, toss chicken, the zest and juice of one lemon, diced onion and parsley. Add capers juice and all. Drain artichokes and chop into bite sized pieces. Stir to combine. Add mayo and pickle relish~enough to hold it all together. Salt and pepper to taste. (I also used a bit of my favorite Italian spice grinder)

This chicken salad has all my favorite flavors. You can't go wrong with lemon, capers, and artichokes!

Y'all enjoy~

Sandi

Sunday Summer Salad

This salad is a favorite of Marcia at Happy Trails to Us another fun slow travel blog. I am so glad she posted this one, the Tarragon Pesto is awesome!
This makes a hearty salad... perfect for these miserable hot summer days.
I did change it up a little~ I have a hard time following rules. Especially with salads! I used a spring salad mix, and quickly grilled some chicken breasts with WhistleStop marinade and olive oil. No bread for me, and some beautiful yellow summer tomatoes on the side. As I said, the pesto is the star of this dish... I followed Marcia's directions on that. I whipped it up in my favorite magic bullet.
.



Grilled Chicken Salad with Tarragon Pesto
1/4 cup (packed) fresh tarragon leaves
1/4 cup (packed) fresh Italian parsley leaves
4 tablespoons pine nuts, divided
5 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons chopped shallot
6 tablespoons (or more) olive oil, divided, plus additional for brushing
4 boneless chicken breast halves
4 1/2-inch-thick slices country-style French or sourdough bread
1 5-ounce package mixed baby greens
1 cup thinly sliced radishes
1 cup thinly sliced Japanese cucumbers
To make the Pesto: Place 1/4 cup tarragon leaves, parsley, 2 tablespoons pine nuts, 1 teaspoon lemon juice, and shallot in mini processor; chop coarsely. With machine running, gradually add 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season pesto to taste with salt and pepper. Add more olive oil by teaspoonfuls to thin, if necessary.
Whisk 2 teaspoons chopped tarragon, remaining 4 teaspoons lemon juice, and 3 tablespoons oil in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper. Brush chicken breasts on both sides with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Grill until grill marks form, skin is crisp, and chicken is cooked through, 7 to 8 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface; let rest 5 minutes.
Toss salad with dressing. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide salad among 4 plates. Cut grilled chicken breasts crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Arrange 1 sliced chicken breast atop salad on each plate. Spoon tarragon pesto over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons pine nuts over salads. Serve with grilled bread slices. As I said~ the tarragon pesto is wonderful. I have some left over and will use it on pork or maybe on grilled salmon.
Y'all enjoy!
Sandi

Photohunt~ flags

The photohunt for this week is 'flags'.

This is a close-up of a pretty centerpiece a few years ago... the flag's in the background!

Happy Hunting y'all~

Sandi

Poppy Seed Risotto

I was thinking about my poppies, and found this recipe just the other day on Brownie Points. I promised to make it, and I'm glad I did!

Poppy Seed and Sweet Onion Risotto
2 Tbs poppy seeds
2 slices bacon
1 sweet onion diced
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
white wine
1 Tbs butter

3 cups chicken broth simmering on a back burner.

In a small bowl soak poppy seeds in just enough white wine to cover. In a deep frying pan, fry bacon- fry a couple of small onion rings for garnish. Reserve a small amount of the bacon grease and pour off the rest. Saute onion until translucent, add rice and stir for a couple of minutes. Continue making the risotto as you normally do... add wine to deglaze the pan. Add the broth one cup at a time. Cover and simmer until the liquid is absorbed. When all the broth is used and the risotto is tender, add the poppy seeds and wine, crumble the bacon into the pot, add 1 Tbs butter and stir until creamy.
I served it with my favorite lemon-caper chicken. It was perfetto and tasted of Tuscany!
Ciao y'all,
Sandi

Sunday Salad on the Grill

This week's Sunday Salad Sampler comes from Cindy Ruth at Baked Alaska~ I just love that name for a cooking blog from the Alaska wilds... I say 'wilds' because she has been keeping us up to date on a grizzly bear that comes a visiting.

I thought it was something to brave the heat to turn on the grill... better the Alabama heat than a bear!!



GRILLED ROMAINE SALAD
2 heads romaine lettuce
Extra-virgin olive oil
Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette, recipe below
Parmigiano-Reggiano
Chopped tomatoes
Homemade croutons, if desired
Preheat grill to med-high. Rinse and pat dry the lettuce. Cut the 2 heads in half lengthwise. Brush surface with olive oil and grill about 4 to 5 minutes total, turning occasionally. Place each wedge on a salad plate and drizzle with Citrus Caesar Vinaigrette. With a vegetable peeler, shave some pieces from a wedge of Reggiano-Parmigiano over each salad. Top with chopped tomatoes and homemade croutons and serve.

CITRUS CAESAR VINAIGRETTE
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons anchovy paste
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Place all ingredients in a pint jar with a lid. Secure the lid, then shake to blend. Store, covered, in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Bill was convinced that I had totally lost my mind. Grilling Salad??? While I was at it I grilled plenty of vegetables for our Father's Day at G-daddy's.
This was really very good! I added some grilled fennel and forgot the croutons (opps). The citrus dressing is great~ I'll be using that again.

Happy Father's Day y'all!
Sandi

Photohunt~ Creamy

The photohunt for this week is 'creamy'. How 'bout some cappuccino from L'Orso80 in Rome.

Happy hunting y'all!
Sandi

just a bit of whining

Opps... spell check.
I meant wine-ing!

You can't go to Italy without enjoying a glass of wine~ or two. I saw this sign before I left.

So true!

We visited a couple of great wineries in Tuscany. This is il Paradiso di Frassina, an organic winery in Tuscany where they play classical music to the vines. Beautiful doesn't even begin to describe the sounds of the music playing over the fields as you drive down the windy road.
We tasted a little red
and a little white.
Now that I am home, I will have to stick to my 2 buck chuck.
(and save up for next year!)
Ciao y'all,
Sandi