Monthly Archives: May 2010

I wonder if I’ll ever have a day off ever again.  I’m so tired my eyes are burning, but I’m so overstimulated I can’t sleep.

Friday was such a crazy day, that I had to ask my mother to come help out – for 20 minutes.  We just couldn’t figure out any other way to do it because everyone’s schedules were just so diametrically opposed.  Mom showed up just as Jeffrey was leaving to get Victor and Lorena, and just in time for me to meet the vet at the barn for Avdoo’s acupuncture (as a side note, turns out that Dr. Johnson knows the teeny tiny little town in Wyoming where my father lives. Her parents lived there until a couple years ago. How random is that????).  I had my friend Lenore over for lunch, worked in the garden, dealt with the horses, and then somehow was even lucky enough to have a date night with my hubby!  And so the weekend began…

Saying "Alios (Adios)" to Mommy

EG and Victor picked radishes together...

Locked outside in the rain

While yesterday was still a bit overcast, at least it wasn’t pouring down rain, and we were lucky enough to have our new friends Lenore and Zen over.  We have a mutual friend back in Los Angeles who decided that we needed to meet – she was right on with the friendship matchmaking.  I’m so happy to have Lenore in my life, and can’t wait to get to know her and Zen better.  Dinner wasn’t very impressive, because quite frankly, I was just completely swamped all week and even more so the day I should have been cooking!

I woke up, made a grocery list, got Ellie up, and fed the horses.  I realized that there were a few gifts I needed to pick up, and realized that my only time to do so was right then.  Jeffrey took Ellie along with him on his errands, and off I went for some speed shopping (which is beyond stressful to me!); I found exactly what I needed, then headed back to Wilsonville and hit the market.  Once I got home, it was already 12:30, and I was supposed to meet Gabby at the barn at 1:30.  I started the chicken marinating, prepped as much as I could of the food, and headed to the barn to meet Gabby.  We had a good time chatting, catching up, and then she served as my eyes on the ground as I rode.  It’s so nice to have someone be able to catch the things I don’t notice about myself – and someone who has a lot more experience training, as well.

Then it was back to DPF for a quick shower, and figuring out what the hell I was going to serve for dinner.  I so wanted to make it impressive, but unfortunately, I just stuck to the basics.  It’s all good.  We had a wonderful time nonetheless!  Oh, I guess I did pull out my Quince Jelly for the appetizers…THAT was unique, and specifically MINE! 🙂

Quince Jelly and Sharp Cheddar on Water Crackers

Today we headed up to Olympia, WA for a small gathering our friend Sharon was having.  She did a fantastic job with all the food, and itw as great to visit with old friends.  Ellie just simply loved the stairs; she worked up a sweat going up and down, up and down – she was soooooo tired by the time we left!

One of these days, I’ll get back into the swing of daily writing, and writing more than just dribble…but today is not the day; tonight is not the night; and, I’m ok with that!

RANDOM PHOTOS OF THE WEEK

This recipe sounds complicated, but usually, I use all my leftover veggies, left over meats (doesn’t have to just be chicken) and of COURSE, my leftover mashed or roasted potatoes…..in fact, I’m not sure that I’ve ever made this recipe without including leftovers!

3 – 4 red potatoes

5 garlic cloves, divided (2 cloves for pototatoes, 3 for the sauce)

2 tbs. butter

1/4 cup milk

12- 14 fresh sage leaves, minced

2 – 3 chicken breast, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

1 cup white wine

2 large sprigs fresh thyme

3/4 cup chicken broth, divided

1 cup corn

1 cup broccoli, chopped

1 cup zucchini, chopped

1 cup green beans, chopped

1 cup carrots, chopped

any other vegetable, chopped….you get the picture.

2 tbs. corn starch

1/3 cup COLD water

1 – 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 375° F. Lightly coat a baking dish with cooking spray. Add potatoes and sprinkle with 2 cloves minced garlic, salt and pepper, and a small amount of olive oil. Bake for 35 minutes or until tender, turning half way through.  Cool, add butter and milk, and salt and pepper to taste. Then roughly mash using a wooden spoon. (Alternatively, use the traditional boiling method to make regular ol’ mashed potatoes). Set aside.

2. Heat 2 tbs. olive oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add sage and garlic (if possible, before placing these ingredients, blend with an immersion or regular blender into a thick liquid).  Saute 3 – 4 minutes, or until aromatic.  Add chopped chicken.  Saute until chicken is browned.

3. Add wine and thyme; stirring constantly, until most liquid is evaporated.  Add 1/2 cup chicken broth and vegetables.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes, or until veggies are cooked sufficiently.

4. In a small bowl, combine corn starch and cold water.  Slowly add to chicken mixture, then add remaining chicken broth (add more broth if necessary to create a good amount of sauce).

5.  Preheat oven to 350° F.  Place chicken/vegetable mixture in a large casserole pan, and top with mashed potatoes.  Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes, or until bubbly.  Top with cheese, return to oven until cheese is melted.  Allow to cool for 10 minutes, and serve.