Today

Thanks, Mona, for allowing me to post this picture from Norway above!

I have been trying to figure out how to describe my blog to people when they ask. I think it is a little bit food, a little bit music, a little bit life observation and a little bit trying to live life in the present. Different pieces coming together in a nice way. Like my place setting below. This blog has been very fun and a good way for me to mentally slow down.  At least it is a reminder for me to slow down!

When you are hosting friends or family for dinner next time, try and mix and match designs. My favorite dinner settings sometimes are the mismatched ones. You will find that everything will blend together to make a table setting more inviting and warm.

The Needham Connollys have been in Georgia for 9 months. In some ways I still feel like we live on Powers Street but in other ways I feel like we have been away for a very long time. The girls, Chappy and I are getting ready to embark on a month long road trip. We are going to DC, PA and MA for the month of July. It will be a month filled with fun, laughter, good food, excellent beverages, family, friends and lots of driving! Kelley will be part of our adventures of course when he can and it should be a wonderful month away. Part of me will miss being here and taking part of the adventures that our new home has to offer but there is always a time for that.

Right now, Kelley, Sosie and I are sitting at the kitchen table, listening to music, talking, reading, and eating breakfast while I write my blog. A great moment to just be. Amazing how music can add to a moment, huh?

As a result of our travels, the blog will take a bit of a hiatus until we are back in town. In the meantime, please feel free to continue sharing your thoughts about the blog to me. Do you enjoy reading it? Have you made recipes? I have had over 4600 page views which surprises me! I am so used to interacting with people in a two way conversation - it feels odd and somewhat self involved to write only about me! I like being able to contribute and help people.

Time to put on Matters of the Heart by Tracy Chapman and get cooking!

The amazing Westwood Connollys came to visit our little world here in Augusta this past week. It was such a great visit and it was so fun to put aside the to do's and enjoy spending quality time with fantastic people. The cousins got along so well - did not miss a beat. Hopefully, the girls are learning that distance does not necessarily lessen relationships. The true friendships and relationships will pick up as if you just saw them yesterday.

Anyway, we had some yummy dinners and I am going to post two appetizers that are favorites of mine these days.

Parmesan and Thyme Crackers from Barefoot Contessa's Back to Basics
1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese (about 1 cup)
1 tsp minced fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute.  With the mixer on low speed, add the Parmesan, thyme, salt, and pepper and combine. With the mixer still on low, add the flour and combine until the mixture is in large crumbles, about 1 minute.  If the dough is too dry, add 1 teaspoon of water. 

Dump the dough onto a floured board, press into a ball, and roll into a 9-inch log.  Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and for up to 4 days.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the log into 3/8-inch-thick rounds with a small, sharp knife and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.  Bake for 22 minutes, until lightly browned. Rotate the pan once during baking. Cool and serve at room temperature.

 Roasted Eggplant Spread, from Barefoot Contessa
1 medium eggplant, peeled
2 red bell peppers, seeded
1 red onion, peeled
2 garlic cloves, minced
3T good olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1T tomato paste

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. 

Cut the eggplant, bell pepper, and onion into 1-inch cubes. Toss them in a large bowl with the garlic, olive oil, salt, and pepper.  Spread them on a baking sheet.  Roast for 45 minutes, until the vegetables are lightly browned and soft, tossing once during cooking. Cool slightly.

Place the vegetables in a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the tomato paste and pulse 3 or 4 times to blend. Taste for salt and pepper.

Enjoy and have a really happy day, everyone!!!

Blue skies smiling at me, nothing but blue skies...........

Thank you, Rebecca, for letting me use this awesome picture! I really love it.

Last night was a great night - I thought I would share about it. Sosie and Sage had friends over. The younger kids went swimming while the older kids hung out. We all watched a thought provoking show and then relaxed together and watched HGTV before bed. Simple but yet great. I went to bed feeling immensely grateful for my world. I am not rich. I do not live in the biggest house with the biggest and bestest toys but I am so grateful for what I do have.

I saw this on Facebook recently. It comes from various websites (the-open-mind.com being 1) and I think was written by Jade Small. This seems like a more reasonable definition of success and ones I am still working on at 43 years old for sure.

You are actually living a good life by recognizing these 25 signs:

1. Your relationships are less dramatic than they use to be.

2. You may not have as much money as you want but you live a rich life.

3. You're not afraid to ask for help and support.

4. Where you live feels like home.

5. You’ve raised your standards.

6. You let go of things that don’t make you feel good.

7. You have moments where you appreciate who you see in the mirror.

8. You're working on limiting your inner critic and consciously choosing more positive thoughts.

9. You’ve learned that setbacks and failure are part of self-growth.

10. You have a support system that includes people who would do anything for you.

11. You hear “I love you” often, from friends, family or a partner.

12. You've accepted what you can’t change, but change what you can’t accept.

13. You don’t complain much, but instead focus on solutions.

14. You don’t blame your parents, and accept them for who they are.

15. You stopped caring about what others think of you.

16. You're happy for your exes when they move on.

17. You can celebrate others' successes.

18. You allow yourself to feel your feelings and are comfortable sharing them.

19. You have passions that you pursue.

20. You're able to accept compliments without deflecting.

21. You have things to look forward to.

22. You have goals that have come true.

23. You have empathy for others.

24. You feel connected to your work.

25. You love deeply and open yourself up to be loved by others.

Last night, we all watched a bit of the Jane Elliott, A Class Divided documentary. If you haven't seen it, it is absolutely worth the watch. The link I posted on Facebook is 55 minutes long but the crux of it is about 15-20 minutes. If you are not a Facebook user, you can go to You Tube and type in what I wrote above. Worth every minute. I have seen this documentary several times and I never cease to be amazed by the courage of the teacher, Jane Elliott, the tough lessons learned by the students and the lasting impressions she made on them. The girls and I have been having many conversations lately about race and this video fit in very well with those conversations. It is a video that inspires discussion with adults and children alike.

Time to put on The Boxer, version by Mumford and Sons and get cooking!

Last night I made this soup and we had grilled paninis along with it. YUM!

Green Minestrone, from Bon Appetit in June
6T, olive oil, divided
1 leek, white and pale green parts only, chopped
1/2 small fennel bulb, finely chopped (I used all)
1/2 small yellow onion, finely chopped
2 celery stalks, thinly sliced
4 cups low-sodium chicken or vegetable broth (I used 5 cups chicken broth)
2 small carrots, peeled, thinly sliced lengthwise on a mandolin (I used 3 carrots and chopped)
1 cup fresh shelled peas or fava beans (from about 1 lb pods) or frozen. (I used flash frozen fresh peas)
kosher salt, freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup fregola, ditalini or other tiny pasta
1 1/2 cups (lightly packed) fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (I used 2 cups)
1/2 shallot, finely chopped (I forgot)
2 red pearl onions or 1/4 small red onion, thinly sliced
Shaved Parmesan for serving

Heat 2T oil in large heavy pot over medium heat. Cook leek, fennel, yellow onion, and celery, stirring occasionally, until softened but not taking on any color, about 5 minutes.

Add broth; bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are just tender, 10-15 minutes.

Add carrots and peas and simmer until carrots are just tender, about 5 minutes. season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water, stirring occasionally until al dente.  Drain and add pasta to soup.

While pasta is cooking, process parsley and remaining 4T oil in a food processor to a coarse paste, transfer to a small bowl and mix in shallot. Season pesto with salt and pepper.

Serve soup topped with pesto, onions and Parmesan.

Enjoy and have a really happy day!!!

Days Discovered

Chappy has been with us on some great road trips over the past few weeks. Yesterday we went to the beach at Isle of Palms in South Carolina outside Charleston and then had dinner at Poe's on Sullivan's Island. Dinner was at a great table outside on the patio. Chappy at our feet, Red Stripe in our hands.  Family together sharing guacamole and salsa.

It ended up being a wonderful day but it started out a bit rocky. As we drove farther from Augusta and closer to the coast, the sky got darker and darker. We went over the bridge and large raindrops started to hit the windshield. Then the lightening struck and the thunder boomed. What now?? We laughed.

Fortunately, we found an empty dog park for Chappy to run around and pee. We did find a great spot to park away from the fray and hit the beach. I only wish we took pictures of Chappy running around in the sand and water. As the day wore on, the sun shined and the blue skies prevailed. A fine afternoon. 

We met a family with an 8 month old baby boy named Henry. He had 5 surgeries in his first 5 months and is gearing up for another one. His trachea and esophagus were not developed at birth despite being born full term. He spent 3 months in the NICU. The challenges of feeding tubes and colostomy bags are still very present for this family. Yet, they were at the beach enjoying the day. Henry was a very sweet and happy baby and we loved him at first sight. Talk about something to count your blessings and make you feel both the power of family and love as well as grateful for our little world.

Yesterday I realized how much I really love our puppy. I was so uncertain about adding another member of the family, nervous that I wouldn't get attached or love him. Chappy is officially a member of our family. There is something that pets do to give you love and companionship and devotion. They make you love them. Chappy also does not make my asthmatic allergic husband sneeze or wheeze or get rashes so that also helps too. I feel like there is still much to learn as he grows and it is fascinating to see his different stages of growth.

Time to put on Happy Hour by The Housemartins and get cooking!

A friend posted this picture on Facebook. The fruits of her friend's garden. I loved this picture and Berkeley was nice enough to let me use it here!

Smitten Kitchen posted a salad recipe that had me drooling with the title.  Here it is.....

Carrot Salad with Tahini and Crisped Chickpeas
Chickpeas
1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, or 1 15-oz can, drained and patted dry on paper towels
1T olive oil
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin

Salad
1 lb carrots, peeled and coarsely grated (I used bagged!!)
1/4 cup coarsely chopped parsley
1/4 cup shelled, salted pistachios, coarsely chopped

Dressing
1 medium garlic clove, minced
1/4 cup lemon juice
3T well-stirred tahini
2T water, plus more if needed
2T olive oil
salt and red pepper flakes to taste

Roast chickpeas: Heat oven to 425 degrees.  Toss chickpeas with 1T olive oil, salt and cumin until all coated.  Spread them on a baking sheet or pan and roast them in the oven until browned and crisp.  This can take anywhere from 15-20 minutes, depending on the size and firmness of your chickpeas.  Toss them occasionally to make sure they are toasting evenly.  Set aside until needed.

Make dressing: Whisk all ingredients together until smooth, adding more water if needed to thin the dressing slightly. Taste and adjust seasoning; don't worry if it tastes a little sharp on the lemon, it will marry perfectly with the sweet grated carrots.

Assemble salad: Place grated carrots in a large bowl and toss with parsley.

Mix in 2/3 of the dressing, adding more if desired.  Add more salt and pepper if needed. Sprinkle with a large handful of chickpeas and pistachios and dig in.  Salad keeps well in frig for 2 days, however, I'd add the chickpeas and pistachios right before serving, so they don't get soft.

Enjoy and have a happy day, everyone!!!!

Finding your moment through the stress of it all

A dear childhood friend of mine recently visited Iceland and took this picture. I loved it so much I asked to post it on the blog. It almost tells a story in a way. Thanks, Mona!

Sosie took this picture in North Carolina while we were visiting. It reminds me of summers at their best. We just went to the movies with Sosie's friend and mother. We saw Fault in the Stars. I really wish Sosie or I had the read the book but it was an excellent movie. Very, very sad and moving and of course touches on the fragility of life. Makes you want to appreciate the simple moments all the more. Movies are great because they push you to the present. You can get lost in someone else's story and feel that for a little while.

Sometimes it is so hard to slow down and enjoy even 5 minutes, much less 1 minute of life. Everything comes in the way and stress can add an even thicker lining preventing someone from enjoying that moment, almost as a cloud does. It distracts and weighs heavily on your back and shoulders. You can almost feel your posture shrink from stress at times. Don't forget to breathe.

Stress can define you. Try to break free from it, even for a few moments. Sit in the car and breathe deeply 10 times. Go sit on your floor and meditate for a few minutes. Usually I find it is to find time alone that helps me but maybe being with your family or calling a friend, that helps you. Find that moment. That moment will help center you, help you tackle the next few hours until you can find some time again. Don't forget to breathe.

Last weekend in NC, my cousin's wife made this awesome steak salad. Then, my friend told me about this marinated steak she bought recently and I had the ingredients for these roasted peppers that I decided to throw it all together and see if it worked. I used the Oregano Vinaigrette from the last salad and voila! I think it was pretty good!! You can use the roasted peppers as a side dish and you can certainly marinate the steak differently.

Time to put on I'm Ready by AJR and get cooking!

Roasted Peppers and Tomatoes with Herbs and Capers - from Martha Stewart's June Magazine
2 red bell peppers
2 yellow bell peppers (I threw in orange too for the pretty factor)
1 1/2 lb. Campari tomatoes, halved
3/8 tsp kosher salt, divided (of course I guestimated that!)
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/3 cup fresh flat leaf parsley leaves
3T EVOO
1T fresh oregano, chopped
1T capers, rinsed and drained
2 tsp minced fresh garlic
12 nicoise olives, pitted and halved

Preheat broiler to high.  Cut bell peppers in half lengthwise; discard seeds and membranes.  Place halves, skin sides up, on a foil-lined baking sheet; flatten with hand.  Broil 10 minutes or until blackened.  Wrap peppers in foil, let stand 10 minutes. Peel and cut into 1/2 inch strips.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Combine tomatoes, 1/4 tsp salt and black pepper in a medium bowl.

Combine remaining salt, parsley, and remaining ingredients in a small bowl. 

Place one-third of the tomatoes in the bottom of a 1 1/2 quart gratin dish.  Top with one third of peppers and one third of parsley mixture. Repeat layers twice, ending with parsley mixture.  Cover and bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until vegetables are thoroughly heated. Cool to room temperature, cover and chill. (I didn't have such a gratin dish so I only did one layer and I actually let it sit overnight in frig. It came out delicious.

Marinade
2 lbs Flank Steak or Steak Tips
Juice of 1-2 limes
Maybe 1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
2T Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup cilantro, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
Salt and Pepper

Salad
Romaine, one head
4 sliced radishes
5 sliced mushrooms
1 carrot, sliced
1/4 onion, diced
1 cup, freshly grated parmesan cheese
(really, you can put anything in here)

Oregano Vinaigrette from Nancy's Chopped Salad and you are good to go! I would keep everything separate and assemble each plate separately.

Enjoy and have a really happy day, everyone!!!

The summer of road trips and salads

Our road trip to Raleigh, North Carolina was incredibly fun. Seeing family, a new place and exploring another part of the south. It felt the same as our trip to Savannah and Hilton Head last weekend, only better because we were able to see some of my family. There is something about road trips that instills very interesting conversations - about race, religion, life.  There are moments I will cherish forever. 

We laugh now because a 5 hour drive seems so short to us these days. On Sunday, before we left, we went to the State Farmer's Market. Wow. What an incredible place. It was huge - multiple buildings of local vendors there, 7 days a week to see their goods. Produce, a butcher, seafood, jams and jellies, honey - you name it, it was there. It made me realize how important these kinds of markets are and how each state should have one. I wish, wish, we could go to these markets every week. I was in the best mood when I was there and all I wanted to do was buy vegetables and make beautiful dishes with them. For me, this is art.......

Before we left, we cooked a couple of wonderful salads that I have seen recently on Smittenkitchen.com.  The first one I will post is called Nancy's Chopped Salad, adapted mostly from the Mozza Cookbook by Nancy Silverton, Matt Molina and Carolynn Carreno. I really loved this Oregano dressing and plan on using it on regular salads or even pasta salads often. Admittedly, I didn't follow her directions in assembling the dressing or salad and I added green olives since I didn't have enough pepperoncini, but I still think it came out really well.

So, put on Come Get It Bae by Pharrell Williams and get cooking!

Nancy's Chopped Salad
Oregano Dressing
4 cloves garlic
1-2T dried oregano
2 tsp kosher salt
freshly ground pepper
2T lemon juice or juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil, ideally EVOO

Salad and Assembly
1 (15-oz) can chickpeas or 1 3/4 cups cooked chickpeas, drained
1 small red onion, peeled and sliced into paper-thin rings
1/2 lb. provolone, sliced 1/8 inch thick then cut into 1/4 inch ribbons (they prefer an aged, hard provolone but I couldn't find at my store. I used regular and cut into 1/2 inch slices)
4 medium or 8 small pickled pepperoncini, sliced into rings
3/4 lb. cherry tomatoes
Sea salt
1 head iceburg lettuce, halved, cored, and cut into 1/2 inch ribbons
1 head radicchio, halved, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch ribbons (I used one bag of lettuce including radicchio and a head of romaine lettuce)
2 tsp dried oregano for garnish.

Make dressing: Roughly chop garlic (I minced) and then add oregano, salt, and up to 1/2 tsp ground pepper.  Chop the mixture together and use the side of a knife or a mortar and pestle to make a grainy herb paste. Transfer to a bowl and add lemon juice and vinegar. Mix with a fork to allow the salt to dissolve and whisk with a fork until well combined. The dressing should be thick with garlic and oregano. If you are using a small head of iceberg, transfer 1/3 of the dressing into a small bowl to be used if needed.  For more lettuce, use all. (I simply made the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together. It was very tasty but like the idea of making a paste)

Assemble salad: Gently fold the chickpeas, red onion, provolone, salami, pepperoncini (including seeds and juice) into the dressing, one at a time. Halve the tomatoes lengthwise and season with 1 1/2 tsp sea salt. Set aside until ready to serve.

To serve: When ready to serve, gently add the tomatoes, lettuce and radicchio to the salad bowl, along with a couple of generous pinches of oregano and toss to combine with dressing.  Adjust seasonings to taste, adding any reserved dressing, if needed. Serve immediately. (I assembled mine differently but it still looked pretty and tasted yumilicious!)

Enjoy and have a really happy day, everyone!!!!

Spontaneity led us to Savannah (again) and Hilton Head

 

 

Spontaneity is a way to add some easy joy and spice to life. I have always been a bit spontaneous by nature, especially as it relates to getting in the car and going somewhere. I love exploring and seeing new places. Sometimes the kids will balk as we get into the car but they are always happy when we start our adventure. These journeys can be an hour or many hours from home - that doesn't matter. What does matter is that it is something new and gets everyone out of their daily routines. It allows for conversations in the car, reconnections to occur and time for all of us to just be. I was so worried that when we got a puppy that that aspect of our family life and really of me, would end.

 

This past Sunday proved that concern wrong.

 

When we woke up that sunny day, Kel suggested a trip to the beach in Savannah. Savannah has a special place in our hearts. One afternoon in DC many, many moons ago, when Sosie and Sage were a mere twinkle in our eyes, I called Kelley up at work at 3 p.m. on a Friday and asked him if he might want to drive as far south as we could in one evening. After a little "what!!!???" discussion, we set off at 7:30 p.m. that evening. See, I really wanted to see a palm tree and the sun rise. Well - we saw the palm tree but it was raining so the sun rise was not meant to be that day. Kelley and I spent Saturday day and night in Orlando and set back for DC on Sunday. We had a glorious stop and lunch in Savannah. From the day, we have always wanted to return.

 

So, Kelley suggested such a return on Sunday. It was after 9 a.m. already and by the time we got to Savannah it would be late morning, long day in the car, we were hosting a cocktail party the next day, all the reasons NOT to go rattled in our brains.  Then, we stopped listening to those reasons and rallied. We got the car packed, kids dressed, dog belongings packed (which felt so like packing for a baby) and then the day really began. It felt incredibly freeing. We had lunch in Savannah at this amazing spot recommended to us where Chappy was welcomed with a treat and bucket of water. Bringfido.com - Thank you, Susan, for both recommendations!

 

Did we go to the beach then? Did we drive home? No - we decided as a family to go further on to Hilton Head! The obligatory ice cream was purchased and the walk on the beach was windy but divine. The walk was cut short as no pups were allowed but it was too windy for the beach anyway. Chappy was so amazing on our adventure - a true Connolly. We came home that night, tired, but sated. It was truly a beautiful, fun, wonderful day - one for which I was incredibly grateful.  

 

 

Time to put on Riptide by Vance Joy and get cooking.

 

We are going to cook Vegetarian Chili Verde from the kitchen of my beautiful friend, Becke Drake.

 

Vegetarian Chili Verde

Serves 6

1/4 cup olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 14 oz can white beans, drained and rinsed

1 14 oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 10 oz sweet potato, small dice

2 chopped carrots, small dice

1 cup chopped red bell peppers

4 large cloves minced garlic (I used 3)

6 large tomatillos pureed (for 2 cups puree-or use canned or frozen) (I used TJ tomatillo salsa)

2 large poblano peppers, diced (I used 1)

2 jalapeno or Serrano peppers, minced (I omitted)

2 T oregano

1 T cumin

2 T chili powder

1 14 oz can hominy, drained (I also rinsed a bit)

1 cup vegetable broth

1 small can diced green chilis (I forgot but really think it will add something)

1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped (she says optional - I think adds a ton)

juice of lime (This isn't on the recipe but I think would add a nice touch)

 

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onions, hot and sweet peppers, carrots and garlic.  Cook until onions are translucent but not brown.  Stir in oregano, cumin, chili powder.  Add tomatillo puree, broth, sweet potato and beans. Simmer until veggies are cooked through, about 1/2 hour. Add hominy and cilantro and simmer 5 minutes more. 

 

The chili should be a bit thick, if not smash some beans against the side of the pot.  You control the heat. This chili can be made mild or spicy!!

 

Serve with corn bread. (You can also serve over brown rice or with a simple romaine and onion salad with apple cider vinaigrette). We added cheese on top. Kids devoured this meal.

 

 Enjoy and have a very happy day, everyone!!!