Toronto…the finale

So I told you I had fun when I was away right?? But unless you follow me on Twitter or on Facebook (Judy Chiappini) you may not know what exactly I was up to… It was a friend of mine’s birthday and he invited me to a party at his house… We had some dips (roasted red pepper and egg plant)… Some marinated and grilled shrimp… Grilled Octopus… Salads… (Photo courtesy of Paula @ Dragon’s Kitchen ) (Photo courtesy of Paula @ Dragon’s Kitchen ) Grilled Pork Belly… Homemade Chicken Gyro’s… with homemade tzatziki, tomatoes, and onions… And then came the cake… You see how lucky I am???? Have you guessed who’s birthday it was yet? Peter @ Kalofagas had a birthday!!! and I got to meet Paula @ The Dragon’s Kitchen And Jasmine @ Confessions of a Cardamom Addict ? photo courtesy of Paula @ Dragon’s Kitchen Can you believe how lucky I was to be invited to this Greek feast?? Peter single handedly prepared and served us all night long.? Paula did make the birthday cake and it is by far one of my all time faves…Lemon Meringue Cake! We were able to meet up with Paula and Peter once again but just for a quick bite to eat after we went to the Science Center to see Harry Potter

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Toronto…the finale

Toronto…

Probably all of you know by now that I am Canadian and come from a city just outside (about 10 minutes) of Toronto.? I wasn’t able to make it up there last year and it hit me really hard so I was determined to make it up there for my Brother-in-Law’s and sister’s birthday this year… We hung out with dogs and family… Went to the beach on a very hot and hazy day… Swam in Marlene’s pool on a very hot and sunny day… Played at the Ontario Science Center (see how tall and thin we are?)… And we ate, oh did we eat… Recipe to come… Next up is the grand finale!? And what a finale it is…

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Toronto…

Pennsylvania for the 4th of July!

Well we had a great time in DC but really wanted to be far away from the city by the 4th of July.? We were there on the 2nd and the city

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Pennsylvania for the 4th of July!

Summertime…

It is summer in the northern hemisphere and I have really been enjoying it to the absolute fullest.? Eating, hanging out with friends (old and new) and family, traveling and eating some more.? I have picked out some pictures to highlight the first couple of days of our trip to Washington, DC and then to Pittsburgh before we headed to see family for the remaining 2+ weeks. Washington, DC Checking out the dino’s at the Smithsonian Crashing the Smithsonian staff picnic in the National Mall The White House bee keeper’s collecting honey Pittsburgh, PA (The Strip District) Best little donut shop!? Tiny and with little donuts… German Chocolate Favorite spice shop ever! Best sandwiches ever!? White bread, French fries, coleslaw and your choice of meat…very efficient these Pittsburghers! Pastrami somewhere under all of the sides… Greek treats from one of the street vendors.? Delicious!!!! Greek street vendors… Once we left Pittsburgh we headed

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Summertime…

Summertime…

It is summer in the northern hemisphere and I have really been enjoying it to the absolute fullest.? Eating, hanging out with friends (old and new) and family, traveling and eating some more.? I have picked out some pictures to highlight the first couple of days of our trip to Washington, DC and then to Pittsburgh before we headed to see family for the remaining 2+ weeks. Washington, DC Checking out the dino’s at the Smithsonian Crashing the Smithsonian staff picnic in the National Mall The White House bee keeper’s collecting honey Pittsburgh, PA (The Strip District) Best little donut shop!? Tiny and with little donuts… German Chocolate Favorite spice shop ever! Best sandwiches ever!? White bread, French fries, coleslaw and your choice of meat…very efficient these Pittsburghers! Pastrami somewhere under all of the sides… Greek treats from one of the street vendors.? Delicious!!!! Greek street vendors… Once we left Pittsburgh we headed to Tony’s family to celebrate the 4th of

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Summertime…

Planning a Picnic

First select the location.? Parks are great but some museums have areas that allow picnics giving your group something to do afterwards.? No matter where you plan your picnic, ask your guests to bring a blanket and their favorite dish to share.? You provide the music, ice and desert.? This is a great way to enjoy the great outdoors and good friends on a summer afternoon.? ? If you don’t want to do the potluck meal, make up a simple menu and ask each guest to choose what they would rather bring.? Good choices are easy to eat finger foods like sandwiches and roll ups, fried chicken , fruit, cheese, breads, chips, olives, raw veggies and some salads.? Keep it light, cool and easy to eat.? Remember anything with eggs or mayo needs to be kept cold and don’t leave it sitting out for more than an hour or two.? Also, make sure your guest know how many people are expected so they can bring enough of their dish to go around. ? There are a few “Must Haves” for outdoor picnics.? By making a list and making sure these are included, it cuts down on any stress that may arise from these items being left at home.? The items are: An extra blanket just in case someone forgets theirs Different types of music.? You want to try pleasing everyone but nice soothing music seems to fit everyone best. Lighting if you are planning on going on into the late evening or night hours. Plastic or paper dishes, cups and napkins Plastic silverware A real knife for cutting and serving Salt, pepper and sugar Ice Bug spray and citronella candles And don’t forget to bring plastic bags (for cleanup), dish cloths and paper towels. ? Whether you spend the after meal time touring a museum, playing ball at the park or just being lazy, remember the whole event is to have fun and enjoy the people you are with.? So keep it simple and as stress free as possible.

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Planning a Picnic

What We Ate with links and recipes…

So I posted a teaser the other day of all f the food that we ate over the Memorial Day weekend but right after that my computer developed a virus and it took me until Friday of last week to get everything figured back out.? I was so lucky and ended up not losing anything but some of the files are different and I had to reinstall some things.? Anyway as promised… Starting from the upper right hand corner and going clock wise and finishing up in the middle: ? Tzatziki sauce – this is typically used with souvlaki and gyros but we used the leftovers all weekend sometimes even as a salad dressing!!! ? Greek Salad – Really simple dressing that is fresh and quick to make. ? Marinated Shrimp Salad – So simple and the best thing is you make it the night before and allow it to marinate all night.? Then just take it with you the day of the party. Watermelon infused with watermelon Vodka:? Simply take a whole water melon and cut a hole in the skin just large enough for a funnel to fit in.? Do this about 12 hrs before serving.? Fill the funnel with watermelon vodka and allow the watermelon to absorb it.? Keep doing this until the desired amount is in the watermelon.? Chill and slice immediately before serving.? Place a cork in the whole for transporting to the party! ? Pork Souvlaki: ? This is the souvlaki recipe that I got from my friend Peter over at Kalofagas .? It is the best I have ever tasted and made by me at home! Bread – We bought it from our favorite German bakery and brushed it with garlic infused olive oil and grilled it… ? Michelob Ultra – Yummmmmm! Summer Berries with berry reduction and whipped cream (recipe to follow in a day or so) Happy Summer!!!

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What We Ate with links and recipes…

Finally my computer is back to normal and “healthy” banana bread!

I have had some major issues going on with my computer and the bank for the past week.? My computer was attacked by a virus and then my bank account was compromised so they cancelled my access…been a fun week trying to get everything back to normal but at least my computer is up and working!!!? Most of you know that I have been trying to eat healthier and lose some pounds that have been steadily creeping up. Well, I am proud to say that I am now down almost 20 lbs from what I was at the beginning of the year!!!? Feeling much better and liking the way that my body feels and looks!? One of the things I have been doing is not baking so much but when I do to substitute some of the fat for apple sauce, bananas or pumpkin puree.? So the other day when I had some oldish bananas I set to work… Banana, Strawberry and Chocolate Chip Quick Bread Ingredients: 1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce 1/2 cup turbinado sugar 1/2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 cup banana, mashed (about 2 medium sized bananas) 1/4 cup milk 2 cups all purpose flour (next time I will try 1/2 of it whole wheat flour) 1 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt 1 cup strawberries, hulled and diced 1/2 cup chocolate chips or chunks (I used semi-sweet but you can use what you like) Directions : Preheat oven to 350F In a mixing bowl mix the apple sauce and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well after each one. Add the banana and the milk. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking soda and salt and add to the wet mixture until just blended. Using a spoon mix in the strawberries and chocolate chips Pour into a greased 9X5X3 inch loaf pan and bake in your preheated 350 degree over for about 1 hr and 10 minutes or until tester comes out clean. cool for 10 minutes in pan then remove to cool completely on a wire rack. ***Based on 16 slices from the loaf of quick bread this is 3 WW Points

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Finally my computer is back to normal and “healthy” banana bread!

What we ate…

Hopefully I will be able to get a full post up soon…wish me luck! Oh, and that watermelon? Filled with watermelon Vodka!!!

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What we ate…

Watermelon and Blueberry Margarita!

To me the Memorial Day weekend marks the official start of summer!? I know, by the calendar we are still weeks away from the official start but I have always been a summer lover and it sure is stinking hot here already.? With all of the thought about summer and the long weekend I started thinking about drinks that I could serve over the weekend and I remembered one that I had made last year but could not for the life of me find the recipe for it again. Finally success!? It is a Bobby Flay recipe and it is a true summer time drink…beautiful juicy watermelon, ripe plump blueberries and fresh from your garden mint!? How could it get any better?? TEQUILA!!!! Watermelon and Blueberry Margarita (recipe by Bobby Flay) This makes enough for about 8 drinks… Ingredients 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup granulated sugar 8 cups diced seedless watermelon (1 pound) 1/4 cup fresh lime juice 1 3/4 cups blueberries 3/4 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves, plus 8 sprigs for garnish 1 1/4 cups silver tequila Ice Directions In a small saucepan, bring the water to a simmer with the sugar and stir over moderate heat until the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute; let the sugar syrup cool. In a blender, puree the watermelon until smooth. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the watermelon juice, pressing gently on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Discard the pulp. In a large pitcher, combine the sugar syrup with the lime juice, blueberries and mint leaves. Using a wooden spoon, lightly muddle the blueberries and mint. Add the watermelon juice and tequila. Refrigerate until chilled, about 2 hours. Pour the cocktail into tall ice-filled glasses. Garnish with the mint sprigs and serve.

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Watermelon and Blueberry Margarita!

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