Just another manic Monday

I have a strange confession: I enjoy Mondays.  Usually I return to the city on Monday mornings, always late and rushing like my hair's on fire.  This has been the routine all summer.  Now instead of heading to my job, I head straight to BALLET.

I still am one of the worst in the class.  Not THE worst but damn close.  If a good ballet dancer was one who stomped around awkwardly and waved her arms like she was shooing flies, then I would be the best ballet dancer on the planet.

My hour and thirty minute drive gives me time to listen to NPR, drink coffee and mentally prepare myself for being a bull in a china shop.  It also gives me time to dream about what I'll cook with my one night in the kitchen.

Yesterday I wanted something unfussy.  I wanted something we could enjoy on the patio.  I wanted something that did not require utensils.  I wanted grilled flank steak and veggies.

A brief diatribe: when I was in England in March we ate one of Jamie Oliver's restaurants called Fifteen.  This meal was without a doubt the most memorable dinner I have ever had.  In fact, I don't think I have posted pictures from that meal -- I will!  Nonetheless, they served the most wonderful green olives.  They were bright green, tender, not brined.  I felt bad because I devoured the entire bowl leaving my dinner mates to nibble on the seeds.  My mom let me know that they carry a close second at Fred Meyer and lucky for me, we have these divine little olives at my store, as well.  If you like olives you must try these. I think I enjoyed the appetizer last night more than the meal.

As summer wanes, make a meal like this one that requires very little prep time and clean up.  Call some friends, open a bottle of wine, and eat with your fingers.  Do it on a Monday, too.

Toasted bread with olive oil and sea salt, feta cheese and

green goodness.

Not the best shot, but you get the drift.  

I marinated the steak in something close to this.

Serve on a big plater and enjoy!

 

Dessert did require a spoon.  

I spy with my little eyes . . .

Yesterday was my first day of my last semester of graduate school -- woohoo!  I met with my thesis adviser who helped me map out a writing plan for my MA paper, I sat down with my graduate adviser and wrote out my petition to graduate, and I attended my first BALLET class.  Monday was a big day.

A note on the ballet class, I am about as graceful and elegant as an armadillo.  Imagine my fear and trepidation walking up to class when all the ballerinas were decked out in their pink tights and leotards, spread eagle in the hallway.  I nervously asked, "Is this Ballet 1?" They looked me up and down, fortunately wearing yoga pants and not jeans, and snickered.  

I sincerely expected the first class to be more or less a tutorial: my name is, wear this, bring water, explain the posses, this is the bar.  Negative ghost rider.  We jumped right in with all sorts of words and posses I couldn't pronounce less articulate with my awkward, gangly body.  I am headed today to buy ballet slippers and maybe some tights.  Not sure about the leotard.  I hope by investing in some ballet attire I will be guilted into going back on Wednesday.   

As you wait with bated breath for a report on Wednesday's class here are some photos of the latest river adventure. I spy with my little eyes:

Two bull moose. Can you see them?

They were close enough to throw a stone at, 

but fortunately they were more concerned with munching on grass than our humble presence.

 

 I wouldn't want him swimming in my direction.

Hasta luego, moose.

As with most things I cook, I begin dreaming about them mid-morning.  The following dish is no exception.  I started craving these flavors as I was preparing for my linguistics class.  Reading about phonetics and morphology really incites an appetite.

These meatballs were inspired by a Vietnamese sandwich called a bahn mi.  It is typically made with lemongrass and ginger marinated pork, carrots, cucumbers, cilantro and served on a baguette.  My ballet experience still fresh on the mind, I decided to swap the pork for ground turkey, the baguette for lettuce.  Go figure.  

The weather was scorchingly hot here so this fresh, light salad was perfect for a late meal.  These meatballs would be fabulous over rice or noodles or in a baguette.  Or munched on alone walking to ballet class.

Lemongrass.  Remove the woody outside and use only the tender core.

Grated ginger, garlic, chopped cilantro, sliced green onions, minced lemongrass,

chili paste, rice wine vinegar, fish sauce.

Brown on the stove first and finish in a 350 degree oven.

Served over lettuce with shredded carrots, bean sprouts, cilantro and pickles.

I made a quick Asian dressing with more garlic and ginger, chili paste, rice wine vinegar,

vegetable oil, and dab of mayo to hold it all together.

Asian meatballs

1 lb ground meat of your liking

1 inch piece ginger, minced or grated

4 garlic cloves, minced or grated

1 large handful cilantro, chopped

4 green onions, sliced

4 lemongrass spears, tough outside removed, minced

1 tbs rice wine vinegar

1 tbs fish sauce

1 tbs chili paste

1 egg

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine all the ingredients, less the meat, egg and breadcrumbs; stir well to combine.  Add the meat, egg and breadcrumbs.  Mix to incorporate and form little balls.  Brown in a lightly oiled skillet in batches then place on a cookie sheet.  Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes or until cooked through.  Enjoy!

You say tomato, I say tomatillo

This summer has been bittersweet because, while I have been enjoying my time playing on and around the river, I have not been playing on the farm.  I look forward to the day when I once again have my own little plot of dirt to plant obscure veggies.  Until then, I enjoy the benefits of friends' CSA shares and the occasional score at the grocery store.

I stopped in Winco yesterday to avoid senselessly driving out of my way to another store.  Winco usually exhausts me.  I liken my trips to Winco to trips to Walmart.  I have seen one too many obese women proudly flaunting their too-tiny t-shirts and Eeyore sweat pants.  

However, yesterday I was delighted by the selection of produce and a little girl who insisted on showing me her lollipop that was as large as she was.  Her mother and I continued to bump into each other in the dairy aisle, produce corner and checkout lane.  This little person looked at me each time with her enormous doe eyes and pronounced, "Mira!"  I attempted to converse in my broken Spanish asking how old she was and telling her that she was "preciosa!"  I need to brush up on conversational Spanish just so I can chat with darling two year olds in the check out line.

In addition to my new friend, I found some beautiful tomatillos.  If you like salsa verde, you must try this recipe. It is so easy.  I added avocados to the mix and WOWIE!  If I may humbly say, this is the best salsa verde I have eaten.  

Take a field trip to your local Winco.  Brush up on your Spanish.  Befriend a toddler.  Make this salsa.

Lovely little lantern. 

Peel them open to reveal the tomato cousin.

1.5 lbs tomatillos, 1 large onion, four garlic cloves and two jalapenos (seeded)

drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.

 

Roast for about 20 - 25 minutes in a 425 degree oven.

Blend with a large handful of cilantro and three avocados.

Also, juice of two limes, 3 chopped green onions, 

1/2 tsp salt, pepper, cumin and oregano.

Add some cayenne for additional heat.

Sweet and salty and spectacular!

Cheers to an unscathed neighborhood

Yesterday was my first day back in the city in nearly three weeks.  At first I felt like country mouse struggling to fit in in city mouse's world.  Pocatello is less than a bustling metropolis, but coming from quiet, peaceful river livin', this analogy fits.

As I was leaving work last evening I noticed an enormous plume of smoke rising from the area of my new abode.  Hmmm. Is it serendipitous that just a few hours earlier I had updated my address on my renter's insurance?  I think not, as this is the view from the driveway as I pulled up to the house:

 

What did I do? Turn on the sprinklers?  Grab a hose? 

Gathered my friends, grabbed lawn chairs, beers and posted up in the driveway:

There were a few moments when the wind gusted and the flames rose when we all declared what items we would rush to save in the event that the winds turned, but fortunately for us, the fire steered clear of our little neighborhood. Computers and photos were unanimous.  I agreed to both of those and added the ruffled showered curtain Heather made me.  I love that beautific thing enough to risk my life in a burning house.



 

 Other fire gawkers posted up in the neighborhood.

 It really was like a neighborhood block party.

Stressing yourself out that your house might

burn down really works up an appetite. 

Sweet potatoes, reds and Yukon golds.

Microwave for about 5-8 minutes then bake in a 400 degree oven for 40 minutes

or until soft inside.

We couldn't be bothered by a trip to the store

so we improvised with everything in the fridge.

Literally everything.

Cottage cheese and sun dried tomatoes.

Texas caviar and feta cheese.

Pepper jack cheese and tuna.

Smokey sunset.

Cheers to an unscathed neighborhood.

Moose doesn't give a sh*t

Hello Internet!  I am returning from two days off after working twelve days straight and eighteen shifts (please don't cry for me Argentina).  True to form, the blog has been a bit spotty this summer, but I have a photo montage of river livin' for you. 

We have had wild weather the past few weeks. Thunderstorms are to be expected this time of year, but we had two days of solid rain; it was delightful.  Between shifts, Tuli and I snuggled in with fleece blankets and read captivity narratives until we were both cross eyed.  Rain + captivity narratives = delicious naps.

Not a bad view from the porch.

My only cooking apparatus here on the river is a microwave.  As a result, I have been eating loads of string cheese, pop corn, luna bars and clementines.  I made a mad dash to Idaho Falls one afternoon to pick up supplies and put together this non-cook meal.  I love summer picnics.

Cherries, radishes, roasted chicken, cucumbers,

tomatoes, crusty bread, cheese, and CHUCK SHAW!

On one of my free mornings my friend Dana and her sweet girls joined me for a field trip to the lake where we frolicked in the water and stopped for a square ice cream cone.  I am not sure who had more fun, me or the girls.  Me. Without a doubt.

Dana appropriately named this: Little Girl, Big World.

Finally, Wednesday came.  TWO DAYS OFF!!! In a row!  We loaded the boat: beer, dog, fishing paraphernalia, sun screen, bug spray, camera, STEAKS.  The outfitters maintain a fully equipped camp on the river where clients rest and recharge after a day of fishing.  When I say rest and recharge, I mean arrive to find their gear set up in their wall tent with cots and sleeping bags and pillows and chef who cooks them steak and lobster. No one was using said camp on Wednesday night so we jumped on the occasion to pamper ourselves.  We didn't have a chef or lobster, but it was pretty close.

Rainbow of nymphs.

I sneezed at least 337 times.

This is called a Double Bunny; she's a streamer (imitation of a baby fish).

They call this kind of fishing throwing meat because ENORMOUS

fish come out of the depths to eat these little guys. 

It's like watching shark week live from a drift boat.

I am now addicted to streamer fishing. 

Canyon stretch of the South Fork of the Snake River.

Best two days off EVER.

Since we had no chef to cook us lobster, I stepped in so no one went hungry.

Coors Light is so versatile.

Cast iron, beer and fire makes for a delcious potato.

Onions.

Mushrooms and red peppers.

RIBEYES!

Food always tastes better when cooked and eaten outside.

Rainbow trout caesar salad. 

Fun to gather your ingredients from a fully stocked, professional kitchen!

The next morning we noticed something swimming down river.

A bull moose headed straight for a rapid.

Hang on buddy!

Can you imagine swimming with a rack like that and hooves?

We were concerned he wasn't going to make it to the side.

Nearly there.

He's gathering himself and thanking Jebus for solid ground.

 Moose doesn't give a sh*t. He does what he wants.

So does Hailey. Until tonight when she goes back to work.