Hydrangea!

This is looking out of the east living room window. The Hydrangeas are very happy but not so happy as to be bigger than the Japanese Maple.  That's just the perspective.

You might say, if you didn't know me at all, wow! that is an amazingly clean window.  Not really, the window is just open so I can put in the screen.  Nonetheless, those Hydrangeas are awesome!

Chicken Salad For One

 from www.eatlocaldecatur.com

This recipe is a combination of two of Martha Stewart's recipes, Spicy Chicken Pasta and Lighter Chicken Salad.  I also think it might be very much like Dr. Gong's chicken salad recipe (without the pasta) that Amy says is the best ever.     
                                                                                            

Chicken Pasta Salad for One

½  cup penne rigate or other short ridged pasta

1  b/s chicken breast half, cut into 1-inch chunks

2 Tablespoons light (or not) mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons low fat buttermilk

½ Tablespoon Dijon mustard

½  Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Dash of hot sauce

1 celery rib, finely chopped

2 Tablespoons finely chopped red onion

1 teaspoon dried parsley

Cook pasta per package directions.  Add chicken to the cooking pasta 3 minutes before pasta is to be done.  Drain and set aside to cool for 5 minutes

Whisk together the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl.  When chicken has cooled, stir into dressing mixture and season with salt, if needed, and black pepper. Refrigerate for an hour before serving to let all the flavors soak in.

*A note about celery...I tried the tip about wrapping the whole stalk tightly in aluminum foil to make it last longer and it works.  My celery was still in almost perfect condition after a month!

Pick-Up

Treasure donated for a fundraiser: the big Christmas tree, a shade, pole lamp, magazine rack, lamp, footstool, bottom of a bird bath, piano bench, lampshade and a box of miscellaneous small goodies.

Any guesses which item almost came off the pile?

Happy Birthday Carol!

And, of course, to the United States of America too!

Beating the Heat

Last night I went from a dishtowel wrapped around my neck absorbing sweat, to a towel soaked with water wrapped around my neck and then to a damp towel wrapped around my head.  I liked the damp towel wrapped around my head best of all.  I also got Dylan to stand still for a minute with a damp dishtowel draped over his head.  I had to stop myself from bursting into the Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat song because he looked so Egyptian.

This morning he didn't have much patience for it.  The brightness in the picture is a blistering hot sunshine.

Salad Season

I found this cloned recipe but I don't know where.  I've made a few modifications, the brown rice is one, and it turned out very, very good.  It's a keeper!  Café Rio is a local restaurant.

Café Rio Dressing

1 buttermilk ranch dressing envelope made per package instructions

2 tomatillos

½ bunch of cilantro

1 clove garlic

Juice of 1 lime

1 jalapeño or substitute with a few drops of green Tabasco

Use a food processor to blend all the ingredients well. Refrigerate.

Café Rio Chicken

1 small bottle Kraft Zesty Italian Dressing

1 Tablespoon  chili powder

1 Tablespoon cumin

3 cloves garlic—minced

5 lbs chicken breast

Cook all together in a crock pot for 4 hours on low, shred meat and cook 1 additional hour.

Café Rio Rice

4 cups water

4 chicken bouillon cubes

4 cloves garlic –minced

½ bunch cilantro

1 can green chiles

¾ t salt

1 Tablespoon  butter

½   onion,  chopped

2 cups uncooked  brown rice

Blend cilantro, green chiles and onion together in food processor.  Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients, simmer covered 50 minutes or until rice is tender.

To Serve: Fill bowl with as much chopped lettuce as desired, add rice, then chicken and any or all of the following:  black beans, avocado/guacamole, salsa, sauteed corn and onions, sour cream...and Café Rio dressing.

I, of course, did not make this full recipe and still had a lot left over.  The rice and the chicken freeze well and the dressing can be used as a dip.  :-)

QOTD

Actually the quote of day from yesterday.  I was sorting through a stack and found a purse-sized notebook which was mostly filled with lists but included a notation that August 26 is National Dog Day, not to be confused with the dog days of summer which describe hot and humid days in the Mediterranean between July 3 and August 11.  In Utah, the twenty-sixth of August will just be hot.

The quote:

"Share rather than accumulate."  Bonnie Parkin