Supermarket Sweep

Lately, every time I go to the grocery store, random people start talking to me. I'm not exactly sure why, maybe I seem like a friendly person, maybe I look like I know what is the best thing to buy? Who knows? Either way, it is completely random. I could say, oh well, maybe that guy asked me about avocados because he thought I was cute? But I have women ask me questions too, young & old at that. Typically it is in the produce isle when people ask me about a certain item. "Do you think those peppers are hot?" "How do you quickly ripen avocados?" "How do I know if the sweetcorn is sweet?"... so I smile and offer my best advice and wish them good luck. But this is the ironic part, I HATE grocery shopping! I find it to be one of the worst tasks I have to do in my life. It fits somewhere between filling my gas tank and answering the phone. I guess I just find that grocery shopping is a lonely task. Of course now I might start having a change of heart about going to the store, with all these new friends I'm making...

Does anyone remember that game show Supermarket Sweep? OMG I loved that show! Now if going to the grocery store was like playing Supermarket Sweep I would go everyday! Fo sho!

Here is the recipe for the meal I made last night for the dinner party at K&K's...

Summer Shrimp Salad

1 pound frozen, fully cooked medium shrimp, thawed

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced

4 cups watermelon, roughly chopped

2 jalapeños, seeded and finely chopped

2 avocados, roughly chopped

Juice of 1 lime

1 teaspoon honey

3 tablespoons olive oil

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, onion, watermelon, jalapeños, and avocado.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, honey, oil, salt, and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad; toss. Sprinkle with the cilantro. Set aside for 10 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Yield: Makes 6 servings

My go-to meal

This is the meal I make when I need to whip up something fast and delicious. The recipe calls for Shrimp & Scallops, but I have made it with just the Shrimp. I have also had this meal at
Pop! Restaurant, and they make it with Shrimp & Chorizo Sausage, and that tastes great too! Speaking of Pop! I once was there and ordered a bottle of wine, because the person I was with said they would have some too. Well they didn't have very much, I ended up drinking almost the whole bottle... I really don't remember too much after that, except we went to see I (heart) Huckabees and I do not remember one thing about that movie! But the funny thing is, is that I had to pretend that I wasn't completely trashed, because I didn't want the person who I was with to think I was a total spaz! Well we ended up dating for 2 years after that, so I must of hid my inebriation pretty well! Good memories... Ok, here's the recipe:

Shrimp and Scallop Stew with Israeli Couscous
Ingredients
Serves 4
2 large leeks, white and light green parts only, washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped garlic (about 3 cloves)
1 teaspoon finely chopped seeded jalapeño pepper
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch dice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes (carton tomatoes taste best, such as Pomi), with juice

2 cups Israeli couscous
1 cup dry white wine
3/4 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, tail section left on
3/4 pound sea scallops or large bay scallops, muscle removed
3 tablespoons fresh coarsely chopped cilantro leaves

Directions
Slice leeks in half lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch dice.
In a stockpot, heat oil over medium heat. Add leeks and garlic; sauté, stirring, until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add jalapenos, carrots, spices, and salt; lower heat to medium low, and cook until carrots are almost tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, couscous, wine, and 1 cup water. Bring to a boil, and lower heat to medium; until couscous is soft.
Stir in shrimp and scallops; cook until just opaque, 4 to 6 minutes. Remove from heat, add cilantro.
Recipe by Martha Stewart, with adaptions by moi.

The Towering Ironic

My weekend, was very nice and relaxing. Going back to work and having to get up so early has made me tired, so I spent Friday night just chillin' on my couch, with some pizza and a margarita made with my Magic Bullet. Romeo + Juliet was on, the 1996 version with Leonardo DiCaprio & Claire Danes. I can't believe that movie came out over 10 years ago. I think I saw it in the theatre a few times too. It's funny to look back 10 years, and what was going on in my life, who I was dating and who my friends were, where I was living. And it's all changed. Watching that movie brought back a lot of memories, mostly really good ones of a far away time. Saturday I ventured out to my parent's makeshift trailer home for a visit. My mom has worked her decorating wonders and created a nice cozy home. We went out to dinner at our new favorite local diner, Sunni's Cafe in Howard Lake. For being a small town restaurant, they really make some very good food. I had the pecan crusted walleye...MMMM! Back at the casa we watched the 1974 classic, The Towering Inferno. I was surprised how many big named stars there were. Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Richard Chamberlain, Faye Dunaway, Fred Astaire and OJ Simpson! You would think that with all those stars it would've been a better film, but it was a bit too long and not enough fire. (Movie fact: The movie was based on the World Trades Centers that were being built around that time, with the writer thinking, "I wonder what would happen to a buildings this size if there was a big fire?" I guess now we know. Sad. Also, the filming wrapped up on September 11, 1974. Ironic.)

Sunday I was invited to a Twins game with Kyle & Kelly. It was a great game and a nail biter at the end! Whoo Whee! (The pics are of K&K's beautiful flowers!)

And last night I had a great conversation with an even greater friend. And I think that we are both able to say, "All will be well with time and grace..."

“May you have enough happiness to make you sweet, enough trials to make you strong, enough sorrow to keep you human, enough hope to make you happy.”

Humble Pie

It's a rather somber day here in Minnesota... well maybe for me it is. I watched the news for most of the night last night, after hearing about the collapse of the I-35W bridge. The situation merited text messages and phone calls and e-mails from many different loved ones. Me checking on them, them checking on me. My heart is heavy for so many reasons. First of all I feel the sadness of the those who have lost their lives, the families, the after-shock that comes with such tragedies. I think of all the kind people who helped each other out, Good Samaritans, if you will. I pray for the people that have still not been found. It is a sad time. My heart is also heavy because just that day I was having a mini-meltdown about the seemingly trivial crap in my life. Though I am not one to discredit individual pain, I do however, think in this situation, I can be such a baby sometimes! Crying out to God for relief of my own pain and hurts, yet all around me there are pains and losses and tragedies that are far bigger than my own. I don't know, if anything it is humbling.

On a lighter note, I made a Banana Creme Pie last night... I wasn't sure what to name it.
And on a not so light note I am reading a book called, "The Other Victims, first person stories of Non-Jews persecuted by the Nazis." by Ina R. Friedman.
I will talk more about it later, but lets just say it's not a light summer read.

Peace and blessings. Jehovah-Shammah.

Little Blessings

There is an article today in the Mpls Star Tribune, about Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, a volunteer photographer group that takes pictures of babies that have short lives. The article features my friends Chris & Heather Lee and their beautiful daughter Lainey Rose. You can read more about Lainey at the link "LRL" under my VIP's links. If you have a chance read the article from the Strib and please remember to keep the Lee family in your prayers!

http://www.startribune.com/332/story/1332895.html

She's Back!

Here I am. Back at work. It wasn't so bad going back. Although it was hard going to bed so early and getting up at 6:00am! I've been spoiled with being able to go to bed at 1:30am and getting up around 9:30am... but I am a highly adaptable species. There are piles and piles of magazines that need to be bar coded, and once that is done, I can read them! I am trying to be optimistic and thankful for all that I have. Because when I look at my life, I am blessed. So even though this isn't one of my most favorite jobs, I am blessed with work...
Oh and the pie I made yesterday, turned out lovely and tasted wonderful. I brought over a few pieces to Kyle & Kelly's for one last hurrah with the cool kids. Kelly gave me a really nice cookbook, filled with recipes that I used to make when I worked in the Kitchen in NH! I'm so excited!
Tonight I am going to make a banana cream pie... and then I am going to watch Rescue Me. For all my faithful readers, you know where i live, drop by for pie, you are always welcome in my home.

"Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get."

Pie!

I'm kind of a nerd, because when i am stressed or anxious, I find that baking\cooking is really relaxing. I had these lovely mixed berries in my fridge just waiting to be made into something delightful. So I made a pie. If you have seen the movie "Waitress" with Kerri Russell, she makes pies and gives them really funny names. I am calling this pie:

"Mixed Feelings About Going Back to Work, Mixed Berry Pie"