Farmstand to Table

One of my favorite things to do on Saturday mornings is head over to the farmers market where all the locals showcase their abundance of fresh produce.

When we're on the road, and trying not to spend a fortune eating out, our most "nutritious" meals include Denny's breakfast, a large greasy Papa Johns pizza, and McDonalds, for the most part. (You know, the only places open when the game is over at 11:00 at night).  So needless to say, when we're at home, I try to cook as healthy and fresh as possible in hopes of "counteracting" the consequences of our food choices on the road.

Here are some of the delicious dishes I have concocted that showcase all the different produce I find at the farmers market. (And I must confess, I don't hardly measure anything so when it comes to these recipe measurements I'll say what my great Grandmomma Merle used to say, "Well I don't know, just use a right smart amount!" A woman after my own heart! :)

Tomatoes

Mmmm... my absolute favorite vegetable. (Or is it a fruit?) Who cares, they're delicious.  My Grandmomma has memories of me, when I was a baby, waddling through her garden (when I could sneak away from the grown ups) and picking the ripe tomatoes off the vine, and eating them like an apple.  Well, not much has changed!

Here is one of my favorite ways to eat fresh summer tomatoes... besides slicing them and adding a dash of salt and pepper (that's the best way :)

Heirloom Tomato Tart

Peel and slice tomatoes.  Place on a paper towel and salt them. This will bring some of the moisture out of the tomato, that way the tart won't be soggy.  Bake puff pastry on 400 degrees until golden brown. Place the tomato slices on the tart and drizzle with a little olive oil and freshly ground cracked pepper.  Bake in the oven on 400 degrees for until the tomatoes are completely dehydrated and the crust is extra crispy.  Throw some julienned fresh basil on the top and the heat of the cooked tomatoes will wilt the basil and cause the oils to be released and the finished product will taste fabulous! (And if you want, you can always slice or shred some mozarella or parmesan or both, on the tart before you pop it in the oven, then it would be pizza!)

Corn

As y'all know, I'm working on a budget here with my grocery purchases, and well, when Walmart (sorry, not a farmstand for this one) is selling corn in the husk for 25 cents an ear, how could I resist?

Here are some simple, crowd (guy) pleasing, fresh corn dishes.

Simple Sauteed Corn

Peel the husks off the corn and cut the kernels off the cob(s). Heat a couple tablespoons of butter in a pan. Throw in the corn and season with salt and pepper.  Cook on medium-low heat for a few minutes.  When the corn is cooked through, add a dash of heavy cream and a generous sprinkling of parmesan cheese. It's easy as that!

Corn Succotash- this is Simple Sauteed Corn kicked up a notch!

Cut corn kernels off the cob.  Chop zucchini and cherry tomatoes the same size as the corn kernels.  Fry one piece of bacon, in the pan, until crispy. Remove bacon and throw in the corn, zucchini, and tomatoes and add a dash of salt and pepper. Saute on medium heat until vegetables are cooked through and then add a dash of heavy cream and a sprinkle of parmesan cheese.  Enjoy!

Eggplant

One of Aaron's favorite Italian dishes is Eggplant Parmesan. So, when I came across these purple babies, I decided it would be a perfect opportunity to earn some brownie points!

Eggplant Parmesan

Heat up some olive oil (should cover the bottom of the pan) and slice the eggplant.  Throw the eggplant slices in the oil and let them brown for a couple minutes on each side. When they have browned, let them drain on a couple paper towels.  When all the eggplant is browned and drained, start layering your dish.  Layer marinara sauce, eggplant, and parmesan cheese in that order, for as large a dish as you're serving in.  Bake on 400 degrees until the sauce is bubbly and the cheese is melted.

Berries

My favorite kind of desserts are baked with fruit... blackberry cobbler, apple crisp, peach pie... and these rasberry turnovers were scrumptious.  I've always loved apple turnovers,  and I had some leftover puff pastry from the tomato tart so I decided to use my rasberries for this light and delicious dessert.

Rasberry Turnovers

Take a small handful of fresh rasberries (or any fruit just chop it up small) and smash them gently in a bowl.  Add the zest of half a lemon and a teaspoon of sugar. Next, throw in a heaping teaspoon of cornstarch and mix everything together.  Cut the cold puff pastry into squares and then into triangles and spoon the rasberry mixture on one triangle and cover it with the other triangle.  Mash the seams together with your fingers and then press the seams with a fork to make it look pretty.  Brush a little eggwash on the tops and place turnovers in a 400 degree oven and bake until golden brown.

Meanwhile, make the glaze.  Mix together powdered sugar with milk until you get the right consistency. Add a dash of vanilla and when the turnovers are done and slightly cooled, drizzle on top.  Yum!

And just to keep it real...

Not everything I've been making, or should I say baking, has been healthy.  This delicious dish is the Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Baked French Toast.  It was divine... but I've gotta say, a good 'ole piece or two, or three of cinnamon toast does the trick every time!

Not to mention, all of my healthy vegetables were accompanied by country fried steak and rice and gravy last night so there you have it... It's all about balance! (or that's just my excuse)

I encourage you to try these recipes... they really are so simple to make and taste sooo good!

Seattle and Saying Goodbye

I decided to "center" align my posts now that I have figured out how to, because as a former yearbook nerd editor, I was never very fond of a lot of negative white space :) So, if you even noticed, I hope you like it!

This week we have been enjoying cool weather, fresh seafood, and gorgeous views of the Puget Sound here in this beautiful, bustling city of Seattle, Washington. We also had to say goodbye to some special friends... more on that later. I am sitting here in our hotel (Aaron is at the field), looking through all my pictures and I figured I should get a head start on telling y'all about our trip. Here are some pictures of Seattle and everything we've been up to.

Emily and I did LOTS of shopping and her sweet momma came to visit.

We saw the space needle... from a distance.

We have thoroughly enjoyed being on the water... it reminds us of home.

We ate fish and chips. Well, I had salmon chowder because I was frreeeezzzing!

The seagulls were waiting their turns to be fed... however, this "tourist" didn't think twice about sharing my food with them... I decided I was not going to be like the visitors on our beaches at home who feed the seagulls so that they feel free to swoop down and steal your sandwich right out of your hand! (Yes, that has happened to me!)

We visited the Seattle Aquarium. It was neat, but ocean creatures just aren't my thing. The boys loved it and that's why we went!

I did like the starfish and all their pretty colors!

I think Nemo was my favorite.

Or maybe these cuddly creatures...

They were just precious.

After the aquarium, we visited Pikes Place Market. (And if you read the Vancouver post you're probably thinking, "oh Lord she's gone to another market!" But I love markets because they have two of my favorite things: food to eat and cook with, and flowers!

One of the famous traditions at the market is the fish throwing... it draws a crowd and is so fun to watch!

Speaking of seafood, we ate at the Crab Pot on the water. It was so fun!

Sure, we look "gooby" in our bibs, but look at our feast! We needed them!

So onto another day... While Aaron was at the field, I decided to go do some exploring. I had heard Golden Gardens Park was beautiful so I went to see what it was all about.

A beach, a park, and a marina, with the Cascade Mountains in the background... nothing short of gorgeous.

I was so glad I took the time to go explore... you just never know what you might stumble upon!

Now onto the "Goodbye" part of the post... :(

So, we got the news the second day we were there, that Brad and Emily were going to be leaving Washington and heading home for Brad to get a little arm procedure done. That news came kind of unexpected for us. Oh, the baseball life! Each day brings a new surprise! (and not always good ones). When we get home from Seattle, there will be only 12 days left of the season but our little apartment sure will be empty and lonely without them. I'm already dreading coming home to the apartment from Seattle for that very reason. Gosh I'm so stinkin' sentimental! And Belle , that little lady will be missed... who's going to keep us entertained? The good thing is, they don't live very far away and we are definitely going to be hanging out with them over the off season. We miss you Brad and Emily! and Bellie Minellie!

Seattle was definitely my favorite roadtrip of the season... I guess they saved the best for last. We have 12 more home games, basically, and the season will be over. I can't believe how fast time flies! Now it's time to start packing!

A Little Hike

Yesterday, Emily and I decided to hike up Badger "Mountain" here in Richland, and while I wouldn't quite classify it as a mountain, it was a pretty good workout and the views were stunning.



Most of the agriculture here is grown in circles because of the way the irrigation systems work.



No one else accompanied us on the trail so these were the only pictures we got "together". Maybe I shouldn't admit that we both caught ourselves smiling for the camera.





And because I get complaints from family members that I don't usually make it in my own pictures, here I am. Check out the Columbia River in the background.



It was a beautiful little hike and my derriere and calves are thanking me for it today :)

funny story

Howdy folks!

So do y'all remember a few posts ago I mentioned I was babysitting the three hooligans? Well I meant to tell this story for that post but I forgot.

So Sanders (he's the dad/hitting coach and like all the other guys, I call him by his last name), told me about an interesting conversation he had with his boys laying in bed the night of the first day I kept them.  Here is the dialogue of their conversation:

Troy (the youngest):  Dad, what is Jill?

Sanders: What do you mean Troy? Like is she white, black, or mexican?

Troy: No Dad, like what IS she? She talks funny..

Marcus (the middle one):  Yeah Dad! Today she asked us (in a dramatic southern accent he quoted), "Y'ALL WANNA GO TO THE PARK?"

Sanders: (is cracking up)

Troy: Yeah Dad, she talks like a COWGIRL!

Wow, I've been told by almost everyone I come in contact with out here that I have a very thick southern draw... but I have to say, no one's ever called me a COWGIRL!  I was cracking up and thought y'all might laugh too... and of course I had to stick a somewhat "relevant" photo in this post somehow.



Have a good one y'all!!!

O Canada!

The past five days, Aaron and I have been on a roadtrip to Vancouver, BC, Canada. I must say, this week has been quite the adventure for me.

I knew beforehand that I would be alone for most of the day everyday because Aaron would be at the field and Emily wouldn't be making this road trip. I knew I wouldn't be able to make phone calls or text. I knew I would be paying with Canadian money (I should call them looneys and tooneys) instead of our money. I knew that I would have to drive and handle directions in kilometers and not miles... but what I didn't know was that my GPS wouldn't work outside the States! I had ALL these plans to go exploring and see all different parts of the city, to do this and that, without a care in the world because there was no way I could get lost if I had my GPS... I was scared... Scared that I might just have to get out a map and FIGURE IT OUT like they did in the old-n-days as in like a few years ago... So, what did I decide to do about my predicament?

I put my big girl panties on and dealt with it!


There was no way I was going to let the lack of a cell phone and GPS and other American normalities ruin my first experience of Vancouver, CANADA.  Have I ever mentioned that I have never been out of the country? (Besides a cruise of course). Yes my friends, it is true. Now I will say that I have traveled ALL OVER this country and lived in a lot of different states, but I have never spent time in another country.  I would say Canada was a pretty simple introduction into globe trotting... (not that I'll be doing that anytime soon).  So instead of me doing all this babbling, would you like to see some pictures?? Here they go...

I guess I better show you the reason we were visiting Vancouver in the first place. We loved being somewhere GREEN! We played against the "Vancouver Canadians"... how original.



As you all know, Vancouver hosted the Winter 2010 Olympics and this is the practice pool they built for the swimmers. It was right next to the field.



After getting lost twice, I finally found Granville Island. With gorgeous views of the water, a bustling market, live music, and artsy little shops, it was worth all the trouble of finding it.









These seagulls need to cut out the french fries and potato chips.





Now let me just stop for a minute and tell you about this market. I stepped one foot in the door and I was in heaven... and needless to say, inspired by everything. The seafood, the produce, the artisan cheeses, the flowers, the FRENCH pastries and basically anything and everything that was french inspired made my heart go pitter pat. I had so much fun just looking at everything! Can you tell I am easily amused?







This is my favorite picture. #1 because it's {heirloom} tomatoes (my favorite thing to eat on this earth) #2 the colors (all my favorites!)











I apologize in advance if this blog post makes you hungry! I think I'm about to have to go make some cinnamon toast just looking at all these pictures! And yes I did have to spend a few Loonies and Toonies on a couple of these because after all, "what was I going to eat for breakfast in the mornings?"









There were gelato stands everywhere so of course I had to indulge!



So there you have it, that was the market! Now since we're still on the subject of food I will show you this neat little sushi place we ate at for supper one night. It was all you can eat and you get to cook your own meat on the grill at your table!



Now speaking of Asians, I wondered to myself as we arrived in Vancouver if perhaps we drove to the wrong country? Y'all, Caucasians and every other ethnic group seemed to be the minority. I have never seen so many chinese symbols, asian restaurants, and asian people- accept maybe in New York, in my life. I definitely wasn't disappointed because their food was divine, most spoke perfect English, and they very cordial and friendly... oh, and they give great directions!

After sushi, we toured the town.







Considering the fact that I was EXTREMELY outnumbered with our guy to girl ratio, I made plans to come back downtown the next day alone and SHOP! And of course, I woke up to rain... But I had the "big girl panties" mantra playing in my head and I decided to buy an umbrella and deal with it!





So the next night, which turned out to be clear and beautiful, we took a drive along Stanley Park. Picturesque is the perfect word to describe the views.











Vancouver was a beautiful and busy city that I thoroughly enjoyed exploring but after a week of being out of our country, it felt wonderful to be back on U.S. soil. I almost got out and kissed the ground! (Because you see, being out of the country {even it was only Canada} was a big deal for this first-timer ;) Hello iPhone, Garmin, dollar bills, and mph!! Yep, I'm just an All-American girl I guess!