A glut of lobster ~

We have had very cheap lobster here in New England recently.  The price is below the cost of even the cheapest cut of baloney!  The news reports that there is a glut of lobster this year.  Usually it's a rare treat for us even in summer, but this summer it's been even a midweek meal!  I love fresh lobster, so I am enjoying this summer's bounty very much.

I joined my friends last night feasting on this healthy dish (and I believe lobster healthy), even having more than one.  Just be stingy with the drawn butter if you want to keep it low cal!

I made a rice salad to go with dinner and everyone loved it.  It's a southwestern dish and here is a link to the recipe.  Well, the link is to make salsa.  But I added about 2 cups of cooled, cooked basmati rice.  Everyone thought it was fabulous.

 

 

Here's a link to the recipe, when I made it as a salsa.  I cut the ingredients down a bit, so it made a nice balance.

I used 1/4 chopped red onion, 1/4 chopped red pepper, 1/2 can black beans, 1 cooked ear of corn, shucked, 2 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced, 1 avocado, chopped and 1/2 bunch of chopped cilantro.  I made the entire amount of lime and cumin dressing, because I save it and use it on my salads.  But I only dressed it with 3 tablespoons of it. 

http://saffron215.blogspot.com/2011/07/roasted-corn-and-black-bean-salsa.html

 

 

 

 

My summer spaghetti sauce ~ 30 minutes.... delicious and easy!

I love spaghetti any time, but with the heaviness of the air in the summer, it's too darn hot to cook most nights.  And with the fresh fruits and vegetables being so bountiful in the summer, why not have both?  Most times I just take a few tomatoes (any kind), chop and seed them, and use them.  However, so far this summer, not one tomato has come into fruition for me yet.  My garden is small, but it's filled with tomato and basil plants.  I have plenty of basil, but only a few green tomatoes.  We haven't had lots and lots of hot, sunny days here in Boston.  Just hot and humid.  Oh well, there is always next year!  So, I just substitute the fresh tomatoes with canned.  It's still delicious and pretty healthy too.  Quick and easy, out of the kitchen in no time flat.

Anyway, here is my quick and easy summer spaghetti sauce recipe, using just these three basic ingredients. 

And you can have healthy dinner on the table in less than 30 minutes.

Here's how:

Mince a large clove of garlic.  Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil on medium heat, in a sauté pan.  Add your garlic, stir.  Let simmer for 1 minute.

Add one 14 to 15 oz. can of diced tomatoes.  Stir.  Let simmer on low for 15 minutes, partially cover the pan.

While the tomatoes are simmering, bring a large stock pot, filled with water to a boil.  Add 1 tablespoon of kosher salt.  Add 1 lb. of spaghetti or any pasta you like and cook as directed.  Drain and set aside.

Now with the back of the spatula, break down the tomatoes.  Add 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, 1 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.  Simmer for 10 more minutes, with a cover ajar.

Place drained pasta back in stock pot and add sauce.  Voila, done, well almost.  To make this extra yummy, I add 6 large basil leaves, julienned.  One large handful of freshly grated parmesan cheese and a little drizzle of olive oil!  It's so good and easy too.  Add a little extra freshly ground black pepper if you want as well.

Eat up.

 

Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake ~ Nancie McDermott

 

 

 

 

 

I love fresh blueberries and I really like quick things to bake in the summer time.  But, I also want great tasting recipes and this little cake fit the bill.

 

 

I received Southern Cakes by Nancie McDermott from a friend and have been wanting to bake something from it.  This is a darling cake, quite nice for breakfast, brunch or an afternoon tea.

 

 

I made it in an 8&1/2" springform pan, instead of a 9" round or square pan.  It baked in 36 minutes in my oven.  I took it to work, where it was literally gobbled up.

 

 

As you can see, lots of blueberries in the cake.  I did use 1/2 fresh and 1/2 frozen and think I hit on something.  I liked the tartness of the fresh ones and the juiciness of the frozen.

 

 



Shenandoah Valley Blueberry Cake

 

• Prep Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 1 hrs
• Servings: 6-8

 

"Southern Cakes, Nancie McDermott"

Ingredients

• 1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar, plus
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 egg
• 1/3 cup milk
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (do not thaw) or 1 cup frozen blueberries ( do not thaw)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°, and generously grease a 9-inch square or round pan.
2. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, and salt; stir with a fork to mix well.
3. In another bowl, combine the butter and sugar, beat with a mixer at high speed until well combined.
4. Add in egg and beat well for 1-2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the bowl, until the mixture is smooth and light.
5. Stir in half the flour mixture, then half the milk, mixing just enough to keep the batter fairly smooth and well combined.
6. Add the remaining flour, then the rest of the milk, mixing gently.
7. Stir in the blueberries.
8. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, bake for 30 minutes or until the cake is golden, springs back when touched gently in the center and is pulling away from the sides of the pan.
9. Serve a square cake right from the pan, warm or at room temperature; if it is round, let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for 10 minutes; then turn it out to cool on a wire rack, top side up.

 

 

 

What a lovely and huge Hibiscus I found yesterday.  Isn't it gorgeous?

 

 

I love Hydrangea ~

Here in the Northeast, we can have long winters.  Some, so stark that for nearly ten months out of a year, we have very little greenery.  Only when spring arrives, do buds begin and then we bloom again.

And boy, do we bloom!  Summer is such a gorgeous time of the year, with the green trees and all the flowers glowing with beauty.

And my favorite?  Hydrangea.  Especially the mopheads.  I think it's because they are so huge and expansive.

Here on my walk today, I find myself engulfed in some real beauties.


These are purple ones, kind of rare here I think.  Some are very deep purple too.

They were quiet stunning ~

 

 

 

I have a friend who has this large blue mophead in her yard.  It's lovely too.



 

 

 

 

 

And this pink one, so gorgeous.  Sometimes, there are no words.....

 

 

 

A handmade Quilt for my bedroom ~

 

 

 

I love quilts.  I love anything handmade, but I don't have much talent in the sewing department.  I can stitch a straight line, but that's pretty much it. 

But I have a very talented friend, who loves to sew and makes many quilts..  She even embroiders them and makes some as gifts for friends or family.  I asked her to help me with a quilt I wanted to make for my bedroom.  Which, by the way, said would be a cinch.  However, it was not a cinch for me.  As a matter of fact, it was tedious and yes I am going to say it, boring.  However, I had already bought all of the material and forged ahead with my friend's generous help.  In trade, I made her nice home cooked meals and desserts.

I love the quilt, it turned out beautifully.  But, I will never attempt to make another quilt, or sew anything else for that matter.  :)

Here is my one and only handmade quilt!  Thank you Laura for
your tireless efforts.


Each of the squares began as 3 foot long strips.  All need to be sewn together (this I did), and then cut into exact 10 x 10 squares (which I did not do).

 

After we laid them out, we decided they needed to be framed in an off white material, or it would not come together.  Needless to say, I was just the apprentice in all of this process.



When it was nearing the finish, Laura decided to add prairie points.  They added the perfect touch of uniqueness and a contemporary flair, which I loved. 

 

More visits to the Sea. Duxbury, Ma. ~

 

 

 

Duxbury ~

 

We are in our third week of a heat wave in Boston.  It's been in the 90's and there is no air to be found.  We call this weather, hazy, hot and humid.

 

 

So, instead of visiting my kitchen, I've been visiting the ocean, hoping for a cool breeze.  Alas, there are still no cool breezes to be found, but the places are truly beautiful and quaint.  Even in the fog.

 

 

 

Shops in these little New England towns are really neat and unique.



Some even have back porches with access to their boats.

 

And with a few short steps you can be at the ocean's edge and smell the wonderful salt air.  Even if there is no breeze, it's still gorgeous!

Visiting a friend who lives nearby is an added bonus.

 



 

 

And of course we ate lunch on the ocean, my friend and I.

 

 

She had these broiled scallops, which were divine.

 

 

 



 I had fish and chips, also scrumptious.

 

Harbors all around ~

The picture above is a shot that I took a couple of years ago from Scituate Harbor.  It's such a gorgeous place any time of the year.  But as you can see, it's certainly at it's best in the summer.


This is a picture of a the dock in Portsmouth Harbor.  Portsmouth is a working dock, not many luxury boats seen here.  I took this shot on picture perfect day. 

This is a picture I took last summer in Biddeford, Me.  It's at the pier in such a quaint New England town that I was lucky enough to visit.

I love living in Boston, so close to the ocean in the summer.  Most of my coastal visits are a short drive away.  But there are times when our weather is dismal, gray and cold.  And yes, even in the summer.  This is a picture that I took on Memorial Day and it sure looks foreboding.

This is a shot of the Boston skyline, as I was leaving Boston in May.  Sure made me want to leave, even if it was for a short time.  Do you blame me?

I love the waterfronts all around me....