Newport News, Virginia, 1988 I went to my very first Japanese Restaurant. It was called Nara of Japan, my aspiring actor boyfriend took me on a date there. It was a whole new experience for me. It started with a salad with the most amazing dressing. Followed by a box lunch with my very first sushi and sashimi, which changed my life, but that’s another post.
I don’t remember when, but the local newspaper published the recipe for their salad dressing. I clipped it out and have been making it ever since.
Ingredients
1/4 c finely diced green onion (white part only)
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 c soy sauce
1/4 c vinegar (white, rice or red wine)
1/8 c sugar
1/2 tbs sesame oil (not pictured)
dash of salt
1 1/2 tbs vegtable oil
Directions
Finely dice the white parts of the green onion.
Mince the garlic clove.
Place onion and garlic in a bowl or if you have a nifty dressing mixer like I do, put them in there.
add the 1/8 c sugar
then add the 1/4 c soy sauce
add 1/4 cup of your choice of vinegar (I like to use the rice vinegar, it just seems right)
next add the 1/2 tbs sesame oil
I know, it wasn’t in the ingredient picture, because, I swore I had some but I didn’t, so I had to get some. As you can see the light has changed.
If you have a dressing blender add the 1 1/2 tbs vegetable oil, if not mix the ingredients then slowly whisk in the oil.
I had to move to my dining table to get good light, I really thought I had sesame oil…..
All done.
You’ll make this dressing again and again and again and again….
By the way, I found the sesame oil after dinner….ain’t that the way.
Butter makes everything better! Or in the immortal words of Homer Simpson “mmmmm butter”. Believe it or not but it is possible to make butter taste even better. Just a couple more simple ingredients and you’ve upped it a notch. Compound butter is, as it names implies, a combination of ingredients mixed into the butter.
I had my first taste of compound butter in Paris, France. A nice thick slice of creamy, herby (is herby a word? It is now, we’ll add that to the witch’s dictionary) butter over a steak, it was combined with a pinch of salt and pepper. I had a nice T-bone steak on the menu for tonight and some herbs that were on their last legs. Seemed like a perfect time to revisit Paris on my dinner plate.
Ingredients
1/2 c softened butter
2 – 3 tsp chopped fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme)
Salt and Pepper
Directions
Place softened butter in a medium sized bowl.
Mash with a fork.
Chop your herbs.
Add to the butter.
Add salt.
Then Pepper.
Mix well.
Place on a square of wax paper, shaped like a log.
Roll it around a bit, so it’s nice and compact and uniform.
Roll the wax paper around the butter.
Twist the ends like a piece of candy.
Refrigerate until firm (about 1 hour).
Slice and serve on top of a steak, spread on a roll, cook your eggs in it or whatever your imagination thinks of.
This has got to be one of my favorite events in Great Falls. Last year was my first year, I arrived about an hour before they closed, let’s just say, I learned my lesson. I planned on being there at 9:00 when it opened. I arrived at 10:30…I have a problem with time management….especially in the morning.
There was so much to see, to touch, to taste, to drink.
T-Shirts died with mud.
College shirts.
Every kind of Huckleberry food stuff there is!
Sometimes it was hard to get to the booth.
but I pushed my way through and sampled (maybe more then one)
There was more wine. I tasted more.
This lady served me wine, she complimented my jewelry. I like this lady; I would be your friend if I knew your name, and we lived by each other.
But then again I would drink all your wine and you’d probably drop me like a hot potato.
There was mead, yes folks, mead. The drink of the vikings. I sampled that too.
Coffee, I need coffee. I think I have a buzz and it’s only 11:30 am!
Good thing there was a booth for that.
Very good coffee!
There was beer, I loved the name….”Tie One On” . Get it? Chuckle, chuckle.
Oh yeah, I tried one maybe two of them between my sips of coffee.
More foodstuff then you can imagine.
(These products are awesome, this is where I get my Prime Rib seasoning from)
Chocolate, chocolate, beautiful chocolate.
Even treats for the pooches.
Lissie’s Luv Yums raise money to help with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. It just does my heart good to see people helping out a cause!
How about some metal art.
There was plenty of cowgirl jewelry and decorations and knick-knacks.
I’m not a cowgirl, but I love me some jewelry!
Soap made from goat’s milk.
And buffalo.
Don’t worry guys, there was something there for you too (besides the beer).
Luscious Lures, how could you not like that name.
How about something made from rocks. That’s right folks, we are way beyond the pet rock here in Montana.
They’ve been turned into drawer pulls, and coat hooks.
There were two main reasons why I went:
Pauline’s Barbecue Sauce. Yep, that’s my gallon she is holding. I gotta tell you, yum, yum, yum!
See, my Baby Boy didn’t like BBQ sauce. Then last year at the expo he tried Pauline’s BBQ sauce. Changed his mind in a heartbeat. He’s been hooked ever since.
If you don’t own any of this, you better get some! On second thought, I’m not so sure I want to share.
The other reason:
Peg Montana jewelry. I fell in love last year and could hardly wait for this year.
You know that piece(s) of jewely that you always get compliments on? Strangers stop and tell be how much they love my Peg Montana jewelry. I love you Peg Montana, I mean, I love your jewelry.
I do have one very special item that I’d like to share with you. It’s a very rare and fine burd. They are only found here in Montana.
Let’s move in for a closer look. Be very quiet.
That’s right folks. It’s the one and only Montana “Turd Burd”.
Let’s read the legend.
Yes people, it really is a turd. It’s horse turd to be exact, in case you didn’t recognize it.
“So what do you do for a living?”
“I gather perfect dried out turds.”
Sounds like a contender for the TV show “Dirty Jobs”.
Our night in Fairmont was wonderful and breakfast in bed was pretty good too. We had to check out by 11:00 am, McGyver and I still had a whole day ahead of us. We wanted to get the most out of our romantic weekend, we discussed how we should spend the rest of the day. McGyver gets this great idea that we should head up to the cabin. Normally you can’t get up there until after Memorial Day but this year was a warm winter with minimal snow making it possible (we hoped) to make it to the top of the mountain. It was about an extra hour drive from where we were, seemed like the perfect idea.
We stopped as this cool little town, Deerfield (although the locals call it “Deadfield”), it has this old prison that you could tour. It was Sunday, we couldn’t tour it.
This place was right next to it, we bought subs to take up to the cabin.
This place was across the street, loved the Christmas lights on the wagon.
Then I noticed the car near us. Nothing like a small town, I think this owner has a monoply.
The ride up to the cabin was beautiful, after turning off the mainroad we had 11 miles of gravel road up the mountain.
We saw some deer. Can you see them? Mother nature is good at camouflage.
The views were spectacular, there was some snow, but not to bad.
We get to the driveway, and Mcgyver walks down it (in his good duds, this was in impromptu trip)
McGyver, thinks it’s too deep to drive down. I say that it’s not that bad, let’s try.
I am eager to see the cabin and the latest progress (I didn’t make it up there late last year).
Oh Mcgyver, why did you pick this time to listen to me?
We’re stuck, but we have a neighbor that lives year ’round so Mcgyver sends me to get Jeff and he will hike down to the cabin to get a shovel.
I must hike a 1/2 mile up to that house in these….
Let’s just say, it’s a good thing that no one was filming me!
Jeff gave me a ride down on his Rhino and hooked up the Jeep and tried to pull us out.
Another great idea….that didn’t work. Jeff went back to get his truck and Mcgyver put that shovel to work.
Jeff hooks us up again while Mcgyver supervises.
And then he pulls and pulls…..
It works!
How deceptive that snow can be.
McGyver, knew I really wanted to see the cabin. So he took my camera and hiked back down in his best duds to take some pictures.
He loves me, even when I have bad ideas.
The inside:
The loft:
After visiting with Jeff and Paulette, we headed back down the mountain, relieved that we were freed.
This is Judy (light blue jacket) and my neighbor Paulette.
We picked Judy up, down the mountain aways. One tire of her truck slipped off the edge of the road. Blocking the way down.
We backed up back to Jeff and Paulette’s. We got Judy’s husband Jim and waited.
As we waited I thought about what I learned that day:
1. Never go to the mountains in high heels
2. Don’t try to go the cabin too early in the year, no matter how promising it seems.
3. Maybe I should just listen to McGyver once and awhile.
I really don’t know why/what happened with my site. I do know that I am having trouble with adding posts to my pages. As a result I will be deleting my “Ramblings” page and combining it with my home page. It will be “Recipes and Ramblings”, you’ll never know what you’ll get. I’ve moved my most recent Rambling post over so I can add the pictures (this time without crashing my computer…I hope). Thanks for bearing with me as I work through developing this site.
Romantic Weekend/Mountain Escapade
Part 1 of 2
March 20, 2010
It’s been a long time since McGyver and I had some real alone time. For Valentine’s Day I bought a romantic night package from Fairmont Hot Springs Resort. This was the first weekend we had available to go. It was also a Valentine’s Day present for the Baby Boy. It was to be his first night spent alone without the parents. He had only two rules: 1. No one was allowed over and 2. Take care of the dogs.
With all that settled we left fairly late on Saturday, McGyver was working with the Scouts collecting food for “Scouting with food”. They collect over 640 lbs of food. All that work meant we didn’t get to head out until nearly 1:00 pm. Fairmont was nearly a three hour drive.
While the boys were gone, I packed what we needed. This included a basic picnic lunch for two, sandwich, fruit, trail mix and a bottle of wine. We couldn’t have been luckier, it was a beautiful day, we live in Montana and we were headed to a hot springs resort. Our romantic package included champagne, chocolate covered strawberries and breakfast in bed. What could be better?
After driving about an hour or so, we thought we should stop for lunch, only there isn’t any place to stop. I mean NO place to stop. Not a rest stop anywhere. We finally saw a sign for one just past Helena and we thought “perfect”, the problem is, we get there and it’s CLOSED. First of all Montana for its vastness has very few rest stops. Really, a place that has less the one million in population and not very many towns, many without services really should have more rest stops then someplace that has gas stations and eateries.
But no, here we are in Big Sky Country, and we got nottin. McGyver asks me, “should I just pull over when I can?” I’m starving; I don’t care at this point. We pull off the freeway and onto a little area by the overpass. It’s so romantic….
and the nice gravel pit
We get into my nice basket, eat the sandwiches and fruit along the way. Forget the wine and decide to save the trail mix for later.
Before you know it, we are turning onto Crackerville road. This is funny to me, so I take a picture. Really? If we lived down south, crackerville is probably a name you wouldn’t see.
Us crackers headed on down the road and landed at the beautiful hot springs of Fairmont (located in Anaconda, MT). We checked in then checked out the place. Well first we decided to have some of the wine that we were supposed to have with lunch, then we checked out the place.
How awesome is this wine basket!
and a close up of a dead animal, because this is what we like in Montana
Views from the room…
I pegged the archithecture right away, it reminded me of the 70′s. McGyver wasn’t so sure but our room guide said the place was rebuilt in 1972…Yes, I am good!
and the best view, my iron horse cowboy.
I couldn’t resist checking out the animals.
After getting the feel for the place, we asked for our Strawberries and Champagne. When they still hadn’t arrived 45 minutes later, we called the desk who said “we are very busy”. We knew they were since there was a senior church meeting, a family reunion and at least six other things listed on their welcome board, so we just said “leave it in the room we are going to the pool”.
We changed into our suits and headed out, as we headed to the elevator we saw our chocolate covered strawberries and champagne being delivered to our room. Ain’t that always the way? I couldn’t believe how warm the water was, my friend Lulu, calls it people stew, McGyver calls it the lobster pot. Whatever you call it, it was wonderful to have it approximately 50 degrees out and you are soaking in uber warm water.
there was still some snow
After our quick dip, we headed to the room (very quickly cause it was now super cold after being so warm). We enjoyed a bit of not champagne, but Asti Spumanti, and some very delicious chocolate covered strawberries so hurriedly, that I forgot to take a picture until after a few were devoured.
We hurriedly got ready and headed down to the Mile High dining room (Fairmont is located over a mile higher then sea level).
We promptly arrived at 7:00 pm for our reservations and they had a nice two top table in the corner for us. Me no likey. So I spot some tables next to windows and I ask if we can have one of those. The one table with the big window someone was waiting for, but the table with the smaller window would be available soon if we liked. I like, so we waited. McGyver fetched us a couple of cocktails for the wait.
We were seated without much a wait. Even though the window was smaller, it was a decent view.
the dining room….
We (I) ordered some wine. I ordered a Mosel Riesling; trying to be romantic and all (which I’m not very good at). See, McGyver and I used to leave near the Mosel River in Germany, our 3rd, and might I add pivotal date; it was on a Harley ride along the Mosel River. We did some wine tasting and had some federwein and zwiebelkuchen, well; I just started falling….but that’s an entirely different post.
Ashley, our, oh so young waitress; with an even younger voice, brings us our bread and then wine. Only it’s a Rhine River Riesling. I mentioned that we ordered a Mosel River Riesling and she says “It’s the same thing, my boss told me so”. Now McGyver and I are not wine snobs, someone would have to know something about wines to be wine snobs, but McGyver and I know that there is a difference in Mosel and Rhine River wines. So we take time out of our romantic weekend to educate poor Ashley on how Rhine and Mosel River wines are not the same.
Not to spoil a romantic night, we decide that a German Rhine wine would still fit the bill. We get our meals: McGyver ordered the stuffed rainbow trout with rice pilaf. And I ordered the char broiled Muscovy duck in an orange sauce. OMG, very, very good!
not sure why all the parsley, even though a little over decorated, it was good.
yes, that is dead carnations on my garlic mashers. A closer look:
Given that we had some wine (maybe the whole bottle)when we first arrived, a little of champagne Asti, and a cocktail, we really couldn’t finish the wine. No doggy bags, but we screwed that cap back on the wine and took it back to our room!
We changed back into our nice cold swimsuits and hit the hot springs again. Even better in the freezing night, seriously, it was really awesome. We are hanging out in the pool and watching the steam rise. Good stuff, everyone should do it.
After getting our fill of “Medicinal Waters”, we headed back up to our room. Got out of those wet suits and ………………………………..cut to next morning (you don’t want to really know the rest of the details).
Breakfast in bed; I ordered our breakfast, we hung out in bed and at the most in opportune moment……breakfast arrived.
I think the server was a bit unnerved, she spilled our coffee on the bed.
It was quite a breakfast!
We still had leftover champagne Asti, so I mixed it with our OJ and made mimosas. We ate, we frolicked, we showered, we packed, we checked out.
We also decided, hey, we aren’t that far from our cabin and snow pack this year was minimal, so maybe we should see if we can head up there. After all, we have all day. Another adventure begins.
I love corned beef and cabbage, and I would eat them again just as is the next day except I love reinventing leftovers even more then I love eating them. It always seems there is plentysome left overs. March is still soup weather so I combined one of my favorite soups, potato soup with the leftovers and wowser, what a great soup. Depending on how much I have left over, I have to supplement with more fresh ingredients. I must warn you that my measurements are approximate.
Ingredients
Left over corned beef, cabbage, potatoes and carrots
8 cups leftover broth or 4 cups chicken broth and 4 cups beef broth
3 or 4 extra medium potatoes
1/2 head of cabbage (or just leftovers)
1 cup sliced carrots (fresh and/or leftover)
1 cup milk, cream or half and half
Salt and pepper
Butter
Flour if needed for thickening
Directions
Skim any fat off of your leftover broth. I stored my meat and veg in the broth, so I separated them out and left the broth in the pot.
Side note….Baby Boy loves it when I save dishes and by storing my leftovers in the pot. Then reusing the pot the next day, just made his day!
Return pot with broth to stove and and 3 cups diced raw potatoes.
Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are tender. Meanwhile cut up the the corned beef, cabbage, carrots and leftover potatoes.
Once the potatoes are tender use an immersion blender to puree the potatoes and broth. If you didn’t have leftover potatoes you may want to remove some so you have some bite size pieces. Alternatively you can use a blender or food processor to puree the potatoes and broth.
Add cabbage, potatoes, carrots and corned beef. Cook until cabbage is tender.
Add milk and season with salt and lots of pepper. If you like a thicker soup, shake up a couple of tbs of flour with the milk, slowly add to the soup and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, then simmer.
I love, love, love corned beef and cabbage. It makes my Irish eyes smile, okay, I’m not exactly Irish. I am for one day of the year, nothing wrong in a little role playing. I even wear Kiss me I’m Irish shirts, I figured I can easily pull it off with red hair and hazel eyes.
What I don’t love is over cooked veg. Soggy cabbage, carrots and potatoes aren’t on the top of my list as appealing. I cook my cabbage the traditional way, although it could be roasted. However, I like to pour some of the broth over my roasted veg and save the remainder of the broth for soup the next day.
Here we laddies and lassie, Corned Beef and Cabbage Kitchen Witch style, just in time for St. Patrick’s Day.
Ingredients
1 Corned Beef, cooked according to package instructions
1/2 head cabbage, cut into wedges
4 med potatoes, cut into wedges
8 oz baby carrots
Canola Oil
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
Directions
If you plan on being out of the house all day, you can cook your corned beef in a crock pot. I like to put my spices in a tea ball or mulling bag, you’ll get all the flavor and not have to strain out the whole spices.
About 30 – 45 minutes before the corned beef is done, pre-heat the oven to 450°.
Drizzle oil on a rimmed baking sheet.
Cut the cabbage into wedges. And place on the oiled baking sheet.
Cut the taters into wedges. Add the wedged potatoes and carrots to the oiled baking sheet.
Drizzle with a little more oil.
Add Salt and Pepper. Like the cabbage core in the background. Apple Cabbage core; Baltimore; who’s your friend? You are! I never really got that, does anyone know what the meaning of it is?
Roast in the oven for 40 – 45 minutes, turning occasionally. If you notice the cabbage is cooking faster then the potatoes or carrots, you can remove it and then return it back to the bsking sheet for the last few minutes of cooking.
When fork tender (about 2 1/2 to 3 hours) remove the corned beef and let rest for approximately 15 minutes. Then slice on the bias.
To serve place some sliced corned beef in a shallow dish, add cabbage wedge, carrots and potatoes. Ladle some broth over the top and serve with bread.
Looking for something different in your potato? Have I got a surprise for you!
Is it boobs? Is it a butt? Or is it really a potato?
Definitely a butt…see the hole?
Seriously, how funny is that potato? I think I should have posted in on ebay or something. I would have got a lot of money if I said it was Jesus’ butt. Wish I had some Mr. Potato Head parts, I could have had some fun with that! I know, I’m so juvenile!
Now on to some serious business. I really did make squashed taters and they are super easy and tasty. A perfect side dish!
Ingredients
2 lbs baby red potatoes
2 tbs chopped fresh thyme or any other herb of your choice (rosemary and sage are very good)
Olive oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh ground pepper
Directions
Place potatoes in a large pot, cover with water, add about 1 tsp salt and bring to boil. Cook until tender, then drain.
Place potatoes on a cookie sheet or other shallow pan. Using a mallet or other heavy object, partially squash each potato. That means, don’t try to get all of your days frustrations out by pulverizing the poor potato, just squash it enough so that it breaks apart and forms a nice disc.
Chop up the thyme (or other herb).
Generously drizzle olive oil over the potatoes, sprinkle with the thyme, salt and fresh ground pepper. Place under broiler for 5 to 10 minutes.
When the weather is nice I actually grill the potatoes. Sometimes I use a Lemon/Pepper seasoning which pairs well with fish, chicken or pork chops.
