Seafood Sunday

Well, as I may have told you before my husband graduated The Culinary Institute of America.

He doesn't cook much but when he does, watch out!

Last night he once again out did himself.

He took care of the appetizers, they included Clams and Shrimp. Not together but as follows.

Clams on the grill

2 dozen Clams

1 bunch of cilantro

5-6 cloves of garlic

1 bottle clam juice

1 cup of white wine

Put all ingredients in aluminum pan, cover with aluminum foil. Put on hot grill, clove cover. Cook about 10-15 minutes (or until clams open). Take foil off of pan and serve. Enjoy!

So easy-peasy you will love it.

Shrimp on Grill

2 dozen large shrimp (11-15 a dozen)

Cajun seasoning

Butterfly and devein shrimp (PIA), put in aluminum pan or bowl to toss seasonings all over shrimp. You can skewer shrimp or just put them on grill. I highly recommend that you oil the grill first (meaning take a small bowl with some olive oil and a paper towel, get your trusty tongs (the big ones) and hold paper towel with tongs and dip into oil. Then rub oiled paper towel on the grill (shrimp won't stick then). Grill until pink and serve. Enjoy!

Make sure for these kinds of meals to have a graveyard (bowl for shells and tails).

It was a nice starter to the meal and end to a long lovely day.

Lonely Lamp Post

Out side of my house is a lonely lamp post.

Well, it is lonely no more.

Last weekend I gave it some company.

Now it is a Happy Lamp post (and so am I, not lamp post but happy).

Now if I can get some more gardening in the yard done.

Zizette

Re-living the Past

Well circa 19XX I was an all-star softball player.

Really, I was, actually I was an All Star Pitcher.

Years have gone by and I have played softball with friends and such but honestly I would say I have not played in at least 15 years.

A few weeks ago I signed up for the parent vs teacher softball game at the elementary school. I always tell my kids how I have played but no one has ever seen me play.

Today we had our first practice.

I will feel it tomorrow.

BUT

I did hit the ball and each time I hit was better than the last.

I did catch the ball.

I did throw the ball.

All without embarrassing myself!

Sure, was I rusty - hell yeah.

But I did do it and it felt good.

I am excited, hopefully I do better at the next practice and then the game.

I am looking forward to it.

Makeover Monday (Maybe Sunday)

So late week I had shared with you my wonderful find from the flea market.

I decided from the get-go what I was gong to do with it. So this weekend I got the rest of the the "ingredients" and my recipe was complete.

So, they came out exactly like I wanted.

What do you think?

Mother's Day Menu

All week long I have wanted to write about and share my mother's day menu with you.

Now Mother's day id supposed to be a nice day but somehow it turns out very stressful for me. Trying to please everyone and still enjoy the day with my own children.

So, Saturday we went to my in laws and stayed over. I got to go to my Flea Market which made me very happy and then we headed back home to my dad and step-mother's house. I had offered to make dinner at my house but my dad felt it was easier to cook at his house (he does have an amazing kitchen).

My step-mom saw an ad for Lobsters and decided she wanted to have Lobster Fra Diavlo. With MOI doing the cooking (you know since I said to have it at my house).

When I arrived at their house everything was there. Only now the meal turned into a Lobster, shrimp, clam and squid (calamari) Fra Diavlo over fresh pasta.

My dad made the sauce. He basically took a jar of sauce (not sure which one but not a Ragu or something maybe Bertolli or Rao's). He added ingredients to make it a Fra sauce (YUMMY).

We steamed the Lobsters, let them cool and then my dad cut them into 1 inch pieces, shell and all. Put them aside in a bowl. While the lobsters were cooling. I cooked the shrimp. They were cleaned and deveined and butterflied. I sauteed some garlic in EVOO added the shrimp until almost pink and then added the fra sauce to the shrimp for final cooking. I then steamed the clams while my brother slice the squid. Put the shrimp aside. Add the Lobster to the saute pan (LARGE) and warm it with the Fra sauce. During this time boil water. The fresh pasta cooks in 2 minutes.

When the pasta is done put in large serving bowl/platter, add the lobster, shrimp, clams and calamari with remaining sauce.

Serve immediately, have fresh grated cheese available.

It was amazing. The sauce and fresh pasta work so nicely together, the sauce coats it so well.

Ingredients included:

2 jars of sauce

5 one and a half pound lobsters

2 pounds of large shrimp

1 pound of clams

3 large squid

1/2 pound of minced clams

1 pound of fresh linguine (can use regular)

Garlic

Red pepper flakes

salt

pepper

EVOO

hot sauce (for that extra kick)

Mint

I also served my famous Mojitos

Simple syrup

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

Mojitos

a little simple syrup

8-10 mint leaves

lime

seltzer

rum

ice

Muddle (smash) the mint leaves in a cup, add lime(slice or two), muddle some more, add ice, simple syrup, seltzer and rum. Mix (I mix by shaker or pouring from one glass to the other for maximum mixage - is that a word?).

Serve or drink - either way it is DELISH!

Enjoy!

10 Things

I spoke of an amazing friend earlier this week, Lori over at Wildflowers recently awarded me with this award.

The conditions of the award I have to tell you 10 things that I love, so here goes:

1. The beach. I truly love it. The smell, the felling of sand, the water, the

shells, everything.

2. Girlfriends, I love them and they are so important.

3. Long Walks

4. Shopping

5. Cooking and Baking

6. Designing/Decorating

7. Relaxing - all types. On the beach, in my bed, on the couch, outside on a chair, in the pool, the list goes on.

8. Entertaining

9. Learning

10. Loving my children

I am supposed to ask 10 friends to do the same, I just say if you would like to share your 10 things just comment you did so I can go over to you and take a peek.

Have a wonderful night!

Amazing Friends

You know, I had intended a completely different post today. I was going to share the fabulous meal I had prepared on Sunday for Mother's Day. I tried something new (I know I have not shared something new in a while) BUT today I arrive home from work to find a package at my door.

So unexpected.

So delightful.

AND from an amazing friend.

It was a package from my dearest friend Lori from Wildflowers.

Now Lori and I have been friends for 10 years and it wasn't until this past Fall that we finally met.

You see, I met Lori and a handful of gals while planning my wedding 10 years ago on a Martha Stewart website chat room.

I would say that Lori and my other friends are REALLY close friends. Some times I tell these ladies things I don't tell my regular everyday friends.

I LOVE each and every one of these ladies.

So, when Lori came here in the Fall she brought a little care package from Canada. She brought these fabulous chips for me

KETCHUP Pringles. She also got them for me for the holidays. They are so awesome (and the kids like them too).

So today she sent me this fabulous package. OH and these Quaker Minis that are Ketchup flavored too.

So happy and so grateful to have wonderful friends like Lori.

Thanks Lori, you are the best!

Fabulous Finds

I was so fortunate to be able to finally get to a wonderful flea market that I love this weekend.

The Elephant's Trunk Flea Market has great treasures.

I was able to get a few things:

Awesome Glass bottles

Love the shapes of these bottles

I have a plan for this tin, just wait..

And I love this box, I have a plan for it too

And we also picked up some old keys. Maya wants to keep them, so we will have to get some more.

Finally

A few months ago my grandma was so generous as to purchase my curtains for me.

Really, she is a fabulous woman with awesome taste and a very good eye.

So, we made a date to go shopping for curtains for my living room (about 14 months after having nothing on the windows).

I pick something out that I liked and when we headed over to the register she insisted on paying, I did not ask her to, she said it was her treat.

Thank you Grandma Syl.

We come back home and then next day I ask hubby to hang up the rods and the curtains.

I leave the house for a little and in that time hubby put his hand through the wall in frustration (tried to say it was from his hand pushing through the wall when in reality it was him punching the wall).

My brother in law came and helped put the other rods up and patch the big boo boo that hubby made.

My job was to spackle and paint the hole, umm I mean patch.

I did that, well the spackle part. Today, FINALLY I painted the hole.

Everything is dried (a week later) and today my fabulous Brother in law came over again and hung it up.

How beautiful is that? The room totally has a different look and I am so happy.

I was going to go for a white couch BUT I may or may not do that. You see I was reading something and the saw the mom from that new show 9 by Design and she had something along the lines of what I am thinking of.

Having white furniture but as accent pieces if you are afraid of a big white piece of furniture and then use other colors as accent colors as well. That got me thinking.