I have no shame in admitting that I am often very motivated by what’s on sale in the butcher/seafood case when deciding what I’m going to be cooking for dinner. Finding little Manilla clams at the store today was a nice unexpected surprise because I’m burned out on roasts, hams, turkeys, mashed potatoes, any all other holiday type foods.
Usually when I buy clams I steam them in white wine, garlic, and lemon. But because it’s winter and the weather is very Seattleesque, I decided to spice things up by steaming the clams in a red curry, coconut and ginger stock. Hello, lover. [click to continue…]
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On March 11, 2011, real-time images from the devastation of the 9.0 magnitude Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami stunned the world as entire villages were wiped out and thousands of people were swept away. I, along with the rest of the world, was moved by how the Japanese people demonstrated remarkable resilience in the spirit of unity with remarkable stories of survival being glimmers of hope during one of the darkest moments in Japan’s history.
Footage of the tsunami blanketing streets, neighborhoods, and anything else in its path was a stunning reality to the sheer force of mother nature showing no mercy to anything or anyone in its way. Facebook and Twitter was lit up with links on how to support the relief efforts in Japan and the call to compassion was made, just as it was with the earthquake in Haiti. But not long after, other global natural disasters became front page headlines with news from Japan becoming less frequent with each passing day.
However, less frequent does not mean forgotten. Within weeks of the Japan earthquake, a few food blogging friends (Stacey, Rachel, and Marc) of mine decided to use their talents to produce a beautiful family-friendly cookbook featuring Japanese recipes called Peko Peko. The beauty of this cookbook comes not only from the recipes and gorgeous photos, but from each and every person who contributed to this book to make it happen for the common goal of showing solidarity towards Japan’s relief efforts. [click to continue…]
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I love watching funny romantic comedies, don’t you? My favorite down time activity is a date night with myself. I like to grab a pint of Häagen-Dazs coffee ice cream, one spoon, a comfy fleece blanket, and a large Diet Coke on ice before plopping down on the couch for the evening to watch a romantic comedy chick flick. For two hours I get to laugh and scream into my pillow as cheesy love scenes play out right before my eyes. It’s how I prefer to unwind and enjoy a nice reprieve from my own life. I only wish I watched movies more often than twice a year which seems to be all I have time for.
I also love reading books. There is something about the feel of the printed word in my hands. Flipping pages, sometimes highlighting passages I hope recall later, and folding dog ears to bookmark where I finish reading for the night and where I hope to pick up the next day. The anticipation of reading a page here or a chapter there when I find tiny pockets of free time gives me something to look forward to especially if I’m vested in the book I’m reading.
Many years ago my sister introduced me to chick-lit books after the birth of my second daughter, Mimi. She assured me it would make the long stretches of nursing a newborn baby go so much faster. She was so right. Reading the Ashley Tinsdale series by Kristin Billerbeck had me in stitches, laughing out loud, and almost peeing my pants.
After ordering six books in the last six months and having them neatly organized (cough.. thrown on top of one another) on my nightstand, I came to the sad realization I would not be able to enjoy any of these books anytime soon. With my dad’s passing, mom moving in, kids crazy schedules, blogging, and writing for PBS, the concept of “free time” is not something to be had in this season of my life. One of these books I purchased was The Pioneer Woman – Black Heels to Tractor Wheels love story by Ree Drummond. [click to continue…]
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Take a good look at the lunch I made over the weekend. Isn’t she beautiful? Best part is… it only took me 5 minutes to prepare from start to finish. I have no problem admitting that I like cooking food in the microwave. It is an essential kitchen appliance I use multiple times throughout the day from heating up hot water for tea to steaming left over frozen rice for a quick meal. I like the convenience it offers as well as the reduced cooking times, especially when I’m cooking just for myself.
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Tonight we ate these delicious Citrus Ginger Teriyaki steaks and boy were they good. Even my kids commented several times how much they LOVED the sauce. I wasn’t sure how this recipe would turn out considering I started preparing dinner at 6pm and we were eating it by 6:45pm. In the end I was impressed with the Asian inspired sauce after a minor tweak I made. I am also giving away the 2nd and final $100 Visa gift card swag bag sponsored by the National Beef Association. You can read more about this at the bottom of the post but for now I want to talk more about this recipe.
Because my family was starving and I didn’t want to slow down to getting dinner ready I didn’t’ take any pictures of the process other than the ingredient picture and a couple final shots. However I will walk you through the process and it shouldn’t be at all difficult. [click to continue…]
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