Coming to Terms with Summer Cooking

It's that sad, hotter time of year when I have to ditch my favoring comforting soups, stews, and heavily satiating pasta dishes in lieu of lighter, more summery fare. And that's not just because swim suit season is coming up fast! Hot sweltery nights are no place for a piping hot chicken and mashed potato dish, but I feel that creativity runs thin as each of my brain cell erupts with the 90 degree weather in a non-air conditioned upper floor apartment building.

Luckily, thanks to Pinterest I have rediscovered my love of cooking and have found some great options to my go-to casseroles and hot drinks of a winter's past. The herbs are thriving, the tomato plant towering, and I'm ready to get my hands dirty with what the summer has to offer!

Lemony Sweetness Series of Very Fortunate Tastiness
In search of a summery sweet tooth satisfier, I discovered these delightful lemon bars that can be eaten hot, cold, or room temperature and basically be equally tasty at any degree. Not usually a fan of baking (too exact, I can never find measuring spoons), these were fairly easy and more like a cobbler or crumble than a full on bakery concoction. Having never had condensed milk, I can now say I'm a fan!

Full Recipe Here

Be prepared to eat all this in one sitting!

A Tale of Two Ceviches
Nothing says 'refreshing' quite like a good ceviche, and the one I concocted had both sweet little bay scallops and shrimp meat. The scallops cooked in record time (literally a flash in the pan), and combined with the tartness of tomatoes, radishes, peppers, cilantro, and shallots mixed with sour fruit juices made an amazing summer night dish that was filling without being heavy. Serve with small toasts or tortilla chips for a bit of crunch and starch.

Recipe Guidelines Here

Corn on the...Pancake?
Probably the tastiest thing I'll ever make...ever. I was shocked how light and fluffy yet filling these could be, and combined with the creamy homemade salsa it was the perfect meal for a hungry and hot night. Silly me, I only made us two a piece with some smaller ones I was "saving for breakfast". That didn't happen and I went to bed with a bulging stomach and a mixed sense of pride/guilt.

Full Recipe Here

Perfect blend of sweet, savory, and tangy!

The Dog Days of Summer Lazy Meal
When in doubt, eat Mediterranean style! A simple meal of fresh salad and toasts goes a long way, and i received a surprising dinner compliment from my eating partner when in reality I thought I was being super lazy. Never doubt the amazing combo of fresh bakery bread broiled with blue cheese, tomatoes, basil, and crisped in olive oil to keep you full and happy on those less than estatic nights when watching TV sounds much better than slaving over a stove. Top it off with a summer lager, and heaven was on earth that night with a good episode of "No Reservations".

Simple satisfaction, plus beer.

This Week in Cooking!

Thanks to my awesome deliveries from Farm Fresh to You, I get the opportunity to experiment in my kitchen laboratory with veggies I'd pass right on by in the grocery store. I never would have thought to buy sweet potatoes (except if it involved that Turkey-consuming holiday), or collard greens that just sounded like something people would eat in the south smothered in butter and bacon bits. Two of my favorite meals this week stemmed from these two new items to my fridge.

Side Dish: Sweet Potato Fries and "Burger King" dipping sauce

I found a great recipe over at Fine Cooking, that involved the least amount of prep work. After heating the oven to 425 degrees, i simply tossed the cut potato wedges in olive oil, paprika, cumin, salt, and pepper. They baked fairly nicely after being turned once during cooking, I just eyeballed it until they looked edible and browned.

The dipping sauce was strangely reminiscent of a fast food burger joint, after mixing "Lemonaise" mayo, ketchup, lemon juice, and soy sauce it tasted much like the tasty burger dressing I remember from value meals long ago (no more fast food for me!). A spicy garlic mix would have been great too, but I was short a few ingredients.

NOMMMMM! A dinner in itself

Quick Italian Inspired Meal: Gnocchi and Greens in tomato wine broth

I am now a lover of all things greens, anything that can be steamed, wilted, or sauteed I will tackle and drape over pastas, potatoes, or a white meat dish. I bought a pack of uncooked potato gnocchi, steamed some greens and in less than half an hour had a great quick meal after a long workday.

Just grill some sweet onions in a pan, then throw in a mix of collard greens and spinach to steam away. Drizzle white wine and olive oil over the top. After they were almost cooked, throw in a can of diced tomatoes for added color and to add taste to the broth. I served with grated parmesan, as I forgot to add my usual bacon to the dish and thought it wouldn't be fair if it was 100% healthy. 

Collards are my new best friend

How To: Make a Planter Box on a Budget

There are some things that are much better left to the professionals, and then there are the things that just take a little bit of planning, musing, procrastinating, and that are really easy to execute in reality! Building a planter box just seemed like one of those things where the contents were more important than the actual object, but it could look nice and serve its purpose for much less than the finished store product.

Budget: $20-$30 for two planters
Time: 2-4 hours depending on skill

Step 1: Measure away
Even just getting an approximate size is important for when you go into the lumber/supplies store. In our case we had size restrictions, but just getting an idea will help vastly. Get the dimensions for the two long sides which will also be the bottom, and then the two short sides that will be the width. If you opt for a pre-sized lumber like fence board, it will help keep your piecing together work simple as it will already be the correct height.

Step 2: Timber! Getting the Lumber
Checking out the wood is a good time to see just how much you can build by using the minimal amount of materials. It's always good to have a little extra for those cutting mishaps, but don't go overboard and waste precious wood. Fence board was an excellent option for planters, as they are easier to work with than 2x4s that are thicker and less straight. Redwood fence boards were a mere $4 a piece (not sold by linear foot), and you can more than likely use one board to get the 3 long sides needed (if aiming for smaller boxes). Our purchase of four boards yielded two 30 inch long by 8 inch wide boxes with a third of the plank to spare for mistakes (for once I didn't make any!)

Step 3: Tooling around
You will need some sort of saw, wood glue, a drill, straight edge, measuring tape, and nails. The best saw would be a table mounted miter saw for making straight cuts, but a hand saw would work just as well if you can cut a straight line to save your life. But, this is not about being exact as it is a simple DIY project!

Step 4: The down and dirty work

-Measure out all your cuts, 3 of the boards for each box will be the same size, counting both sides and the bottom. The long sides will be fitted against the outside of the bottom board so it fits inside, and not resting underneath the long sides. Then measure the two short sides to fit across the width of the long sides' edges plus the bottom board.

-Sand all the boards on the sides that will be facing out and along the edges that will face out. This gives a nice smooth base for your stain and brings out cool wood grains. 

-Drill holes or punch nail holes through the bottom board for water drainage purposes. We used a quarter inch drill bit and made 5 holes across the bottom since this was for a sensitive food garden.

-Fit the cut pieces together with wood glue to set, then nail into place with a nail gun or hammer. Use finer nails that will not split the thin wood. It's as easy as putting together a box, because that's all it is!

Above: The shorter sides should rest on top of the edge of the long sides, and the bottom should be resting inside snugly between the two long sides so no edge is showing at the base. You can use scraps of wood to make small feet for the box to rest on, just cut them to the length of the box and glue/nail in place.

-Stain the wood any color your heart desires! I used an oil based redwood color stain / wood protector for outdoors, and brushed on using a simple boar bristle paint brush. Let dry, and fill with plants!

Plants On the Ground: Lookin so COOL with Plants on the Ground!

Well it appears winter has decided to skip right over us, leaving me to the straight conclusion that nature wanted me to start my long-awaited veggie and herb garden boxes a few months early! I'm so excited to get started on sprucing up our barren deck, that so far boats a rusted air con unit and the nice patio set my mom got me as a housewarming gift. The lemon tree we bought a few months back is starting to happily bloom after some trial and error with the watering and fertilizing. My first plant child has survived, onto the next!

After being aghast that a fully built TINY planter box was nearly $50 at Home Depot (for shame!) we decided that a simple wooden box wouldn't be rocket science to construct. After pricing out lumber at the same location, we could roughly build two larger boxes for around $20 in lumber, and maybe some extras for nice wood stain. Luckily we have a wealth of tools such as mitre and skill saws, my PaintShop blueprint skills and my boyfriend's manual labor contribution. But hey, who says girls can't use a table saw?

The initial blueprint calls for some simple boxes with holes bored in the bottom for drainage, and some thinner wood board pieces to make a more decorating border edge and small raised feet. Still working out the size logistics we will probably make these about 4 feet long by 8 inches wide, as our deck is very long but still narrow for walking areas:

I plan to use one for my favorite herbs such as mint, thyme, basil, and chives, and the other filled with small veggies such as cherry tomato, peppers, and a lettuce.

The planters came out as planned, and even looked nicer than expected! My mitre saw skillz are not up to par with Holmes on Homes, but i managed to live by the adage 'Measure twice, cut once' and everything was shipshape. The boxes had a night sleek modern look, so I decided against any decorative trim since it would hide all the knots I spent time sanding to bring out the layers. The redwood oil stain we used will help keep the elements from causing a premature breakdown of the box, and it brought out all the awesome natural knots and grain variants. I can't believe that we spent a total of $20 on lumber and $10 for stain to make two good sized planters! Plus an afternoon of carpentry is both relaxing and calorie-burning.

Tasty veggies to keep the lemon tree company

Fragrant and decorative herbs with Mr. Owl

Plants: Nature's Accessorizing

I  think I have a disease, called Frequent-moving-itis. It consists of me slapping down a deposit and hauling mounds of possessions every year or so (if I'm lucky!) and thus creates an aversion to "owning" things. I think a healthy sense of possession is what I've been  missing from my life as a renter, and though I will forever avoid being materialistic and hoarder-y I would like my home decor to reflect my tastes and display my knowledge of design from watching countless hours of HGTV.

I finally moved into a place that let me paint (at last!) so I could further personalize my space and keep my boyfriend's masculinity in mind. However, the effect was still overall bare, with sharp lines from my scant amounts of furniture and my hatred of all things uselessly decorative. Throw pillows helped. A few gifted ornaments helped. Pictures were very useful indeed. But it was when i realized what my house was missing that it dawned on me to do something pretty AND useful.

Plants. Those things that clean the air. Those things I miss from my years of woodland dwelling as I now mire in my new city life. They aren't expensive, they aren't obtrusive, don't collect dust to fuel my noxious allergies, and they can fit just about anywhere to make a room softer, more inviting, and just FRESH.

My personal taste...modern, clean,
but too barren wasteland-esque!

Ok, so I painted, bought furniture, attempted some decorative shelf organization, now what? I don't think having a horde of dust collecting ceramic animals on every shelf is the answer to my atheistic predicament. I probably spent around $60 on 4 plants and cheap pots from Ross, plus had leftover potting soil. Now if I can just remember to water my preciouses they will be thriving decorations for years to come!

Plants ahoy! Finished room at last

Chic ceramic pot from Ross for $6.99
and the plant at Home Depot for $3.99

Drab Driveway De-Uglification

After finding this home for sale this weekend, I've pretty much become obsessed with it. Who wouldn't want an adorable (yet oddly affordable) mountain home beneath the magnificent semperviren forest, though I'm sure when the first storm hit I'd head down to my hastily constructed bomb shelter. Buy nay, it is actually the driveway that has my attention most, and brought me to thinking about the cost of updating this behemoth causeway. What would look the nicest yet last the longest, especially in this rain-soaked woodland paradise where the threat of earthquakes constantly looms? Is there a better way to get the expensive paver-stone look with asphalt budget?

Hmm...entering the 'landing port', should the renovation stop here? In these tiny mountain roads parking for friends is as good as gold, and I'd definitely want to take advantage of the lower end of the drive, even if it means some extra grading and additional paving costs.

After the landing pad the grade drops significantly, rendering the need for those slipshod looking stairs and precariously angled Beemer. To keep the stairs, or just grade the drive to make it more accessible for all? Future proofing for any ski or snowboard accident days when walking up the staircase isn't an option!

And finally, to keep that lovely bum garbage can as a makeshift fire pit, or pave a nice patio for the future kids and dogs to play? Such a tough call. Building off that existing patio will be easy, making a little mini oasis in the front yard with a privacy pergola, twinkling lights, potted (shade) plants, and some comfy furniture.

Putting my insanely rudimentary photoshop skills to the test (and hurriedly at that in case a coworker walks by), i tried out a few different looks with my non-future driveway. No one wants to be 'those' people on the block with trash cans, scrap lumber, and a bare dirt driveway, except maybe these people according to Google Street View. Hmm...

 The easiest and most cost-effective option would be to just gravel over the entire driveway, from start to finish. This also serves as the base for any future upgrades, as gravel is the main base for paving stones anyways. If you chose a higher end mixed stone look you could get rid of the muddy morning walks to the car and cover most of the weeds trying to sprout up. Also this is an environmentally friendly method as rain water is able to easily seep through and not create gushing torrents of soil runoff. What would those redwoods trees think of us THEN??

Man, how awesome would a fully paver stone parking pad be, going right up against the existing road. You can set an air of elegance as your friends drove up and found ample parking. Much more friendly on high-heels for girls night in than gravel. The cheapest paving stone I found online was 79 cents a block, which would be about $3 per square foot. Ouch for long driveways like these. I'd have to figure out a clever way to transition from the crumbling road.

And the key holding it all together, the weird sloping patio! Definitely the spot to use pavers, and maybe use gravel on top to save money, and slowly expanding over time. Luckily it butts right up to the existing cement patio to give more room for loungey chairs and BBQs. Paving stones are the most ideal method over cement and asphalt as they have low maintenance and shift with the ground, eliminating cracking and breaking over time. I'm sure a $4000 driveway would pay for itself over the life of the home and with resale value, vs. resealing cracks and breakage over time. Again, environmentally friendly that allows water to soak directly into the ground with minimal runoff.

Ideas, ideas! Now I just need to buy a house...

Bacony, leeky, potatoe-y goodness

I'm starting to turn into one of those cooks that start sacrificing health for flavor, but to be fair it is more about experimenting since I've only exclusively used olive oil to sautee anything in the past. Decided that a scant amount of bacon grease would be far superior for holding this chowder together, plus saves me the trouble of gagging while trying to scrape it congealed out of a pan with paper towels. This soup is definitely a main course to be served with a healthy green salad, guaranteed filling! A little bacon grease now and then is good for the soul...

Ingredients: few slices of bacon, leeks, potatoes (I used red), onions, mustard, a dash of red pepper flakes, chicken stock and blue cheese.

Chowder time! Started by frying the bacon, leaving the hot grease in the pan then caramelizing the leeks, onions, pepper flakes, a squeeze of brown mustard, and potatoes in the unhealthy goodness:

When soft, I poured in the chicken stock to let it simmer. I add slowly so not to get too runny of a chowder, then dumped in a couple spoons of blue cheese. When fully simmered and soft I added a bit more stock and then blended to a chunky consistency:

Dashed plenty of pepper and served with a healthy green salad. I'm officially a chowder hound!