T Stands For Food Wednesday

Today T Stands For Food Wednesday, which is hosted by Kathy at Hummingbird Studio at the Lake.  She promises a surprise this Wednesday, and I am a bit early  and don't want to miss the surprise.  I know right now, she's posting Food Wednesday the first Wednesday of the month.  I'm just glad it didn't land on the first like it did last month.

I'm going to start with the PBS mug I received as part of my contribution to my local station.  Ignore my hands around my camera and my laundry, which I had just brought in from the clothes line.

I tried to show that the white part of the mug is indented and devoid of the gorgeous blue glaze.  I wasn't expecting a mug, so that was a very pleasant surprise.

 

It was now time to share a recipe.  Note I am using my sunflower place mat and napkin in honor of Ukraine.  I'm using a paper plate because I am lazy and don't want to wash dishes.

When I was a child, we didn't go out to eat, except when we had out-of-town company.  I think my grandparents (who raised me from birth) and I ate in a restaurant maybe three times that I remember.

However, I remember once when I had an eye appointment my grandmother and I stopped at the lunch counter that was located in the one hotel in town.  There is nothing "special" about this salad I ordered, except the good feeling I remember having spending time with my grandmother.  The salad begins with romaine hearts.

Next I added canned pears.  I thought I was getting pear halves, but got slices instead.  I actually LIKE canned pears. Don't ask why, I think it's because of my feelings about this salad.  Fresh pears are harder to find in summer, too.

Then it was time to add a couple of ice cream scoops of cottage cheese.  I used large curd and 4% fat, but I love my rather fattening milk products.

It was time to add cheese.  I remember the restaurant served cheddar, but all I had was Monterey Jack.  Sadly, it wasn't very visually appealing because all the ingredients were white or pale.

At least the final ingredient, the maraschino cherries, had a bit of color.  Now all I need to do is pour a cup of French roast coffee and enjoy this salad I remember from my childhood.  Of course, I'll see you at Food Wednesday, too.

 

Now it's time to share your own drink inspired post this week.  It can be gifts you received, photos, a place you visited, movies, postcards, mail art, junk mail, catalogs, books, sketches, mixed media, drawings, paintings, handmade cards, tags, scrapbooking, or other art that is digital, hybrid, or traditional, a favorite mug, cup and saucer, teapot, coffee pot, or even a wine glass. Regardless, please join us by linking below.  Bleubeard and I will gladly visit, as will other T participants.  Please link only your T post and not your blog in general.  Bleubeard would like to remind you that old photos are acceptable because they may be taken any time, not just on Tuesday and not just this year.  Please remember to visit your fellow T participants.  

Anyone living in the states who wants to trade ATCs may do so, even if you are not in the napkin swap.  The rules are simple.

1. You only need to create ONE and only ONE ATC.  You may of course, make one for other T Tuesday friends, but only one is required to play the PIF game.

2. It will go to the next person who links after you who has an asterisk (*) after their name.

3.  Contact that person by leaving a comment on their blog.  Make arrangements to get their mailing address, either through their blog or their profile.

4.  Once you have their mailing address, send your ATC no later than Friday, July 22.  Sooner is better, but I realize sometimes real life gets in the way.

5. The person whose name is before yours who has an asterisk after their name should contact you.  Provide that player with your mailing information.

 

6. If you choose NOT to send an ATC, or are an International player, link as usual, but do NOT include an asterisk after your name.

 

7. The last player with an asterisk after their name will send to the first player on the list with an asterisk after their name.

 

8. Next comes the hard part.  DO NOT show your ATC on your blog on July 12.  Instead, wait until your PIF recipient has received it.

 

9. You DO NOT have to play the PIF game if you choose not to.  Don't worry.  No one will think any less of you if you don't.  However, please DO link that day, just as you would any normal T Tuesday.  International players are not linking anyway, since they are exchanging ATCs with their napkins.

 

Should you have any questions, please ASK IN COMMENTS.  I will clarify your question on YOUR blog. 
 

Friday in my world

 

This is a photo from last year when my friend Joseph brought his sons to Wichita for a visit.

  This might seem like a cop out to Friday Face Off, but my friend Joseph (on the left) is visiting Wichita without his sons this week.  I have very little time for much else and because I only see him while he is in Wichita (he lives in the suburbs of Los Angeles, CA), I am spending every second I can with him.  Friday Face Off, or FFO is hosted by Nicole aka DVArtist.

  An earlier view of my dill shows how much I love it.  I have at least four pots of dill.  Three are for me and one is for the swallowtails whose caterpillars munch through it like it is candy.  I realize I'm a couple days late, but I'm joining Kathy our host for Food Wednesday and Rain for Thursday Art Date.  

Dill is my all time favorite herb.  You name it, I've used it on or in.  Soups, eggs, omelets, baked or fried potatoes, fish, pasta, quinoa, and veggies of all types.  I've made dill butter and slathered it on breads, toast, and sandwiches.  It's incredibly easy to grow and easily reseeds itself, too.  I hope you will try dill on your next savory meal or dish.  

It's now time to join Friday Smiles which is hosted by Annie (at A Stitch in Time) and the lovely ladies who join her each Friday.  

We've had rain for four days straight and this is the first day the sun has finally come out late in the day (Thursday afternoon).

I'm not sure why my text under my photos won't left adjust all of a sudden, but, after trying three different ways to get around the problem, I'm saying sorry, but I don't have time to mess with it.

The pots are sitting on black plastic and pooled water.  So far, I am having decent luck.

A squirrel or a bunny got into my broccoli and it is now gone.

I'm quite pleased with my lavender which normally doesn't like wet soil.

Some bunny or squirrel dug up all my sunflowers.  Now I must plant more.

I love the reflections in the water, but they are really breeding grounds for mosquitoes, which are bad this year. 

 

Thanks for visiting and spending a bit of time with Bleubeard and me this Friday.  Now PLEASE visit Annie, Nicole, Kathy, and Rain and don't forget to start your weekend with a smile. 

Food Wednesday and a bird flies free

 It's time to join Kathy's Food Wednesday, where we share anything food related.  But first,

I want to begin with this journal page I created for Art Journal Journey.  Matilde of Craftowanie is our host this month and you probably know by now her theme is Birds.  When I first saw this image I found on a card, I thought of the mother bird giving advice to her babies.   I have included some detail shots for your perusal. 

  

 

 

I started this page using both handmade shimmering mists and purchased mists on 110 lb cardstock.  Once dry, I fussy cut the birds from a get well card and affixed it to the page.  I computer generated the words, then ran them over a brown dye inkpad. 

Thanks ever so much for joining Bleubeard and me today.   We also hope to see you at Art Journal Journey with a bird inspired journal page.

 

Now let's head to Food Wednesday.

 

Last Friday I showed my herbs.  BTW, I also plugged Food Wednesday, so I hope a few of the ladies from Friday Smiles will join us, too.  One of the questions comments I received was apparently in the UK, they think of cilantro as coriander.  However, here in the states, coriander is the seed and the leafy plant is called cilantro.  

 

Of course, if you were here two weeks ago, you got ideas about how to use and store cilantro.  However, if you have a gluttony of seeds, which you will if you allow the cilantro to go to seed, you can always grind the seeds in a coffee or regular grinder.  You can use the seeds as a spice or an herb.  It is best to not grind the seeds until you want to use them.  They retain their flavor better this way.

People who typically don't like the leaves, seem to enjoy the seeds.  They are fruity and sweet.  They are usually found in curries and other Indian dishes.  They are ground and used in the spice trade in India and other eastern countries.

 

The seeds can be roasted or heated to enhance their flavor.  When roasted, they are often eaten as a snack.

In Germany, the ground seeds are often added to sausage.  In Russia, they are occasionally used when making rye bread.  They are even used in making Belgium beers.  

You can also eat the roots, but from what I have read, the roots are more intense than the leaves.  I don't think I'll be trying the roots any time soon, since it took me forever to like coriander or cilantro in any form.

Genetics have been shown to account for those who don't like either cilantro or coriander.  I have no idea if my grandparents (who raised me from birth) ever experienced tasting cilantro or coriander.  I had never heard of it until I was in California and a friend/work colleague introduced me to cilantro in a Mexican restaurant. 

 

Be sure to meet me at Kathy's for Food Wednesday.  Once again, Bleubeard slept through it all.  Not sure if he would like cilantro or coriander, either!

 

 

Food Wednesday: herbs

 

It's time to join Kathy's Food Wednesday, where we share anything food related.  For the next few weeks I am going to discuss my herbs and how I use them.  Herbs are an important part of any meal.  

I've been buying a few herbs for several weeks now. 

However, Saturday was the annual Herb Day at the County Extension Office.  I was on a mission to buy the plants on my list, but there were many I couldn't find.  I also bought Thai basil seeds at the local garden center.  If you want to see photos of Herb Day, I hope to share those on Friday Smiles.  I sincerely hope you will drop by on Friday.

These herbs were not cheap.  In fact, I don't believe I got any bargains.  Earlier in the year, I bought a few seeds (yes, the oregano seeds were $6.00 (USD) and the ones on the far left are seeds I purchased last year that I never planted.  Most of these were flower seeds, though.

I hope to get these planted in the next week, but I can only work an hour or so after sun up, since Wichita's temps are topping 90 F (32.2 C) each day.  Adding the humidity, the feels like temp tops 95 F (35 C).  The plants in round pots were $4.00 (USD) each, as were the square beige pots in the back.  The square pots in black were $3.50 (USD) each.  I purchased five from that vendor.

I also have seeds I purchased earlier in the season and some from last year.  I may not have enough pots for all of these.

This overwintered.  I had no idea if it was something I had planted or not.

If you know what this is, please let me know in comments.

Plant net wasn't much help.  It gave different results for the top view and the side view.  None of the results were over 10% accurate, and most were about 2% according to their results.  The only result that was the same between the top and side views was goldenrod.

Back on task, here are two of my favorite herbs.  They also overwintered as this pot was left outside all winter.

This pot also wintered outside, but I know this contained dill before I harvested it last winter.

I know these are all volunteer that were caught when this pot was on the table.  Cilantro is the fresh leaves of the coriander seed/plant.  Cilantro is an acquired taste.  When I first tasted it, I didn't care for it.  Over the years, it has come to be my second favorite herb.  It's a good thing, too.  I use it in lots of dishes, from Asian to Lebanese to Mexican.  It is pungent and has a combination of lemon, sweetness, and pepper taste. 

Cilantro makes salsa sing.  It adds flair to pesto.  It even livens chicken and Thai soups. Add it at the end of the cooking process, or it will lose all its flavor (ask me how I know this).  Don't bother drying it.  It loses most of its flavor if you do. It works best when you grow it, but if you buy it, make sure it is fresh. It doesn't store well or last long in the refrigerator.

A good way to preserve cilantro is to make herb butter.  Simply combine 1/2 cup real butter with 3 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro.  You can also add 1 teaspoon lemon zest, but I seldom take time to do that. Combine and form into a ball or log.  I wrap mine in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator.

 

You can also make cilantro salt that can be used in any recipe that calls for salt. Just add four parts finely chopped cilantro to one part kosher salt.  DO NOT use iodized salt, as it discolors the salt.  Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

 

I have already spent too much time showing my other herbs this week.  I will discuss my favorite herb next week.  Don't forget, I'll take you to Herb Day on Friday.

Be sure to meet me at Kathy's for Food Wednesday.  Bleubeard slept through it all even though I bought a catnip plant.

 

Food Wednesday meets Rain's Thursday Art Date

 

I'm combining Kathy's Food Wednesday, where we share anything food related, with Rain's TAD.  Rain has now allowed us to choose our themes OR follow the ones she has provided.  I decided to combine the two, since a portion of Rain's posts deal with food.  Did you know she makes her own cheese?  Check out her cheese blog.  

As I'm sure many of you know, I am a vegetarian.  However, I could never, ever be a vegan.  That's fairly obvious because I am not about to give up cheese, butter, or my half and half I use in my coffee.  Of course, unlike Rain, I have to buy commercial cheeses and Colby-Jack is my favorite.

Begin by removing the outer leaves of the cauliflower.  Save these for your compost pile.  If you don't have a compost pile, either start one, or leave the greens like those in the bucket for the birds.  Right now, they might want to use them to feed their young.  Be sure to cut them finer if you are feeding them to the birds.  These went to my current compost pile (I have three and I rotate them every three years).

Next, separate the cauliflower into individual cauliflower florets.  That makes it much easier to clean. To do this, quarter the cauliflower using a sharp knife, then cut away the center stem and use the knife or your hands to break the remaining cauliflower into florets.  I only cut away as much as I will use and return the rest to the refrigerator. 

Transfer the cauliflower pieces to a colander and place them under running water to eliminate bugs and pieces of dirt.  Briefly boil the cauliflower in saltwater (blanch) to kill bacteria and parasites.  Boil the cauliflower florets for about two minutes to ensure you’ve killed any parasites.  Remove the florets from the hot water and immediately plunge them into an ice bath. The cold water will stop the cooking process and ensure your cauliflower stays crisp. Drain well and return to the microwave safe bowl.

To clean broccoli, simply submerge it in cold water for at least 15 minutes.  Swirl the florets, every few minutes, then rinse them under cold water.  Pat dry to ensure all dirt has been removed.

Combine the cauliflower and broccoli, along with a small amount of butter, then cook in a microwave safe dish uncovered for three minutes.  Be careful.  There will be lots of steam if you are taking a photo (grin).

It looks like I overcooked them, but that is really an optical illusion.

Use a cheese slicer and slice cheese over the top of these hot veggies.  Add dill or other fresh herbs, along with your favorite seasonings at this time, too.

Cook only until cheese is melted, about one to 1 1/2 minutes in the microwave.

Remove veggies and cheese to serving dish and refrigerate any uneaten portion.  Enjoy!!

 

Rain's challenge this week is Planting Seeds. 

While buying plants last week, I purchased these broccoli seeds.  I've never tried to grow broccoli from seed before, so I guess I'll find out how easy it is to grow these.  At least my pot is ready to accept them.  Now if it would just stop raining.

Thanks go to Kathy and Rain for hosting these events.  I hope by combining these two challenge blogs, I will be able to finally catch up to everyone.  That is, if blogger would just play nice. Thanks, too for stopping by today to visit both Bleubeard and me.  He really just wants to eat the cheese, but I want to thank you for your continued support of my art.  Believe me, I'm not a cook, so this is truly art to me.

 

No Bananas

 

Today is Kathy's Food Wednesday.  It's where we share anything food related.

It's also a great time to share my penultimate journal page by joining Alison, aka Craftytrog, our host  at Art Journal Journey, with a song for her Play it again, Sam theme. 

 

 One nice thing about this song, I don't have to worry about copyright infringement.

We may not have bananas, but we have lots of avocados.

We also have a watermelon.

The song is called "Yes, we have no bananas."  It was published in 1923 and became a big hit that year.  It once again gained prominence in the 1930s because there was a world wide banana crisis where there were no bananas for several years.  During WWII, it was again sung and grocers in the UK put signs in their windows cheering the war effort when the UK banned bananas for five years.  It also became a popular phrase in literature and film during the 1930s and 40s.  

 

I began this page by computer generating the words minus the bananas, which I stamped in place.  I then added the words to the vintage sheet music.  I've been saving avocado stickers for quite awhile, and I love how very different some of them are, even though they all display the same 4046 on their stickers.

Thanks ever so much for joining Bleubeard and me today at both Kathy's Food Wednesday with a food related post, and Alison at Art Journal Journey with your own Play it again, Sam journal art.  There's still time to join this fun theme.